“Grateful Hearts”
I am very grateful for all the work and goodwill that went into the preparation for our centenary celebration. The order of service, research and preparation, the music, flowers and the altar, catering, decorating, cleaning, care and attention. The fruits of goodwill and good work, please God, it will bear fruit in a new generation. Sincerest thanks and asking for all the help you can give.
Wishing you all the best for the rest of
the summer holidays.
Please God
We will have a successful Centenary Celebration for 100 years of faith, perseverance and hope, and we will lay firm foundations for the next hundred years. We are blessed with Christ’s message of eternal life, and in the here and now there are trials through which we triumph by the power of Him who loves us.
Prayers and best wishes to you all through the remainder of the holiday season. May they be a time of happiness and relaxation, and God’s safety be with you in your travels.
God bless.
Countdown to our Centenary Celebration
Preparation has taken place, and a lot of work has to be done for what I am sure will be a very important event for our parish. The time and the date was dictated by the time that the first Mass was said in a church here in Hailsham 100 years ago. The implications has been that it is not an ideal time, an inconvenient date for priests and ministers. But I am sure that the outcome for our parish will be well served in that it prepares the way for a new generation.
When I was in the seminary fifty years ago, we thought that a time of great hope was on its way. It did provide a window of great opportunity, with the emphasis of Pope John 23rd to open up the windows and let in a lot more light. Unfortunately we find that the great majority of young people have lost touch with the church and are distanced from it. They do not see it as a challenge with a great lot to offer. The shock of scandals and especially the paedophile crisis has afflicted many, it is a great stain upon the church. Unless there is a great response from our church, attitudes are not likely to change anytime soon.
But for us the great truth is “to whom shall we turn, you have the message of eternal life”. Preparation for the Synod. Many years ago we were presented with Renew. We were in our parish with a team ministry, trying to put into place what I hope we now can do. As a parish team we took on board the renew process with the renew “Acorn – Oak Tree” which all parishes received after a ceremony in Brighton & Hove Football Ground. Ours is flourishing outside the church where we were serving i.e. St Paul’s Church in Haywards Heath. I have yet to see another, but I am sure there must be some in our diocese. Please God, with all my heart and my soul, I pray that we can do better this time.
Treasured Memories
In our preparations to celebrate the Centenary of the celebration of the first mass to be offered in church here in Hailsham, a memorial stone for those who have gone before us is help to our remembrance. Many stand out for their contribution to our story, including Dorothy Blake. For me, June Bell stands out, as her husband, John, (still alive) has just celebrated (his centenary) 100th Birthday. No more years driving his car; but just before the pandemic he was comfortable driving, with his doctors permission. They have been particularly generous to us in their support .
Now we need a new generation and this has given us a great focus. The leaders of our young persons liturgy are one of my joys and great hope. So far, so good, the work that they do is so vital, inspiring and our best reason for hope. They are laying out the foundations for the necessary building that has to be done if we are to have our churches here for our community. There is a growing great bond between our churches here and the one at St George’s in Polegate. Preparation for the Synod and developing relations are an essential factor for the future and their help with the celebration is an important factor.
We will continue to respond to the preparation for the Synod. Recently I was given an inspiration from Teresa Palmer. She brought to my attention the renew process which was adopted by the Diocese. Their focus which I have been referring to is a seed, an acorn which when it grows becomes a great oak tree. I have just received a photo of the Oak Tree that is now outside St Paul’s Church in Haywards Heath when we were there responding to the diocesan decision to adopt the renew process. I often wonder where all the other oak trees are up and down the diocese. To be continued …….
Help……… Help ……… help is truly needed as we respond to the real challenge of this time. At the same time please God, we have a great window of opportunity as we respond to our process of preparation for the Synod, and also our Centenary Celebration on Saturday 13th August at St Wilfrid’s.
The challenge of our time is truly great. It is coming from many directions and there is no escape. Our first priority must be the future for our parish communities, and our life of faith which is our greatest treasure. With the help of “God’s grace” must be our constant prayer. In all ages and at all times, life has its difficulties. The term sometimes heard “life is no rose garden”.
Good news for me is that my sisters Mary and Freda are hoping to join us for our Centenary Celebrations. The liturgy for the occasion and the social entertainment are beginning to take good shape. Our gratitude is great to those who are planning and making preparations. Obviously there will be expenditure, but we have made a decision that there will be no charge on the day. Good suggestions have been made to raise some money and I ask you to support this.
Special Moments
The power of God to redeem and to save all that is lost,
as in …..
“Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restore our lives, Lord Jesus live in us”. Nourishment that comes from faith and from prayers is very much our way forward and not true obligation and duties.
I believe Bishop Richard was one of the priests who came to my aid while I was away for a welcome break. I am sure you welcomed them and left them leaving you on a very positive note. So please God, you as a body made up of many parts, and to all who contribute, I am so grateful.
When we find the right Instruments, they are often so helpful. The Synod, an awareness of a new generation and other factors may become key to our future in response to God’s call. The centenary celebration is now high on our agenda, I am sure with all the work that you are doing may make it a memorable occasion for us and for our future.
“Make your home in me, as I make mine in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself, neither can you unless you remain in me. John 15”.
Last Sunday on the Feast of the Holy Trinity, the readings were particularly inspiring and nourishing, it is how we continue to draw life from God. Now we are particularly called to respond to our vocation and to give life to our world as we witnessed to God through our life in the church. A body made up of many parts working together will experience much more life, and will bear great witness to the love of God.
After the pandemic, and with a focus and inspiration from the Synod we have a great opportunity to renew our lives, and the life of our communities. We have made a good start, grateful for focus that Bob Waters provided, so now is an important time to make further steps together. Two important images I continued to highlight. In the building trade; laying a good foundation, in the gardening work; planting and sowing. Let the building commence and let the garden grow.
As providence has it, I am away for three weeks for a necessary break. Please God, keep me in your prayers; but it is most important that you now get on together with the proposed Parish Meeting. This is a good opportunity. As we plan our way ahead and focus upon the many different ministries needed to build up our celebration of Sunday Mass and to develop our communities. The Catholic Church has a rich tradition of lay movements from the past to draw from A) Welcomers; hospitality the Knight of St Columba B) Readers; the great tradition and apostolate work of “The Legion of Mary” C) For the ministry of the eucharist; the St Vincent de Paul for the music. D) For the music with the cantor playing an important role, a long history and a rich tradition.
We have celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Now let us continue to prepare for the celebration Mass here in Hailsham for our Centenary of celebrating.
God is love, let us love one another.
So often we can see the faults and failures of religion. The war in the Ukraine exposes the dreadful position of the Orthodox Church in Russia. The paedophile scandal exposes all religious bodies. When I was younger I had a special attachment to Taizé and the focolare, with them and a lot of bodies in the Evangelical churches, all have had their difficulties. In the end it is the reality of life. There is a Kingdom of darkness of evil, and so there is a constant battle and without the light of Christ, and his constant source of grace, life would be a very dark place indeed.
With the celebration of the first mass on August 12th 1922, a source of Devine grace was established. Now in different circumstances we have the responsibility of ensuring that it continues, and that we as the catholic community will play their full part in continuing to be faithful.
I would emphasis the word faithful. The opportunity of the Synod has provided an appropriate platform on which to build a structure to continue to develop and grow our parish community. The liturgy of the church presents us with this instrument to grow, develop, and nourish our lives as faithful Christians. We are beginning to see a way forward, and part of our responsibility as we prepare for the visit of our Bishop Richard, is to outline plans and a strategy for our future. The age profile of our priests gives emphasis to this.
“Come Holy Spirit and fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love”.
How often and how constantly we make this prayer. As we return once again to the great Feast of Pentecost, it is a time to refocus. The Synod invites us to make a fresh start, guided by the ministry and life of Jesus. “By their fruits you shall know them, good trees bear good fruit”.
From time to time I have heard stories of priests making predictions years ago, that the number of priests would decline. By the beginning of the new millennium there would be many less priests. I would have to say I could see all the signs that this would take place. When I first entered the seminary, over fifty years ago, this was a time of great inspiration. The Second Vatican Council had just taken place. Pope John XXIII made the statement “that it is time for the church to open its windows, and let in the light”.
Pope Francis frequently returns to this. I began writing this before this evenings very important meeting that will please God, prepare our way for a journey together with good purpose. The opening prayers had been prepared laying the foundations in place.
Thanks be to God for our meeting and for all who attended. There was a lot for our attention, and one contribution was an outline of what had been proposed by Our Lady of Ransom. I look forward to the presentation of the minutes from our meeting. The opening prayer was an indication that we can grow and develop our life of prayer and service. There was a lot of material presented and questions raised during this meeting; a sign that we are a work in progress.
The centre and the heart of our lives is Sunday Mass. This provides the central structure and nourishment for our faith. The preparation and the presentation of the liturgy will be crucial to our development or not. Having just to turn up to Mass, will continue to bring about our decline. There is no quick fix solution, but working together has the potential to be effective, creative and inspiring.
Just a moment to focus our attention to the essential ingredients:
a) Gossip from our parish, with all its potential for good news,
b) Prayer, nourishment, caring for the needs of our parishioners, growth in faith and renewal of life.
“Go out to the whole world Mk16:5”
“Proclaim the good news to all creation”.
This is the final parting message from Jesus to his disciples for all ages, as He ascended into heaven. But while on earth living like one of us He revealed the reality of what it means and what it entails, “no bed of roses”.
When I left my family home in order to do this; it had become enshrined in the expression “no cross, no crown”. This is a great constant in all our lives and of my family. The years of preparation had embedded this in my life. His final instructions compelled His Apostles and His Mother Mary to return to Jerusalem. They prepared to watch and pray because they were faithful, the Holy Spirit came down upon them and this is the great legacy of Pentecost. It is important for us each year that after the Feast of the Ascension, we likewise “watch and pray” in preparation for the Holy Spirit being poured out upon us. We may be more open and prepared for the Holy Spirit to be more active and at work in our lives.
This year gives us the opportunity to work together, to build up and renew our parish communities. The Synod, and now our parish response is truly important. As we receive reports from other parishes and churches, the continuing scandals in the churches, we must really raise up our hearts and minds to be refreshed and refocused. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us, that we can change and respond by really working together. A start has been made, and one sign of the fruits that it can bear, was the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation with Bishop Richard, on Sunday at Our Lady of Ransom Church. Our 10 candidates and their sponsors, Mary, Sandra and all those who helped, left us with an inspiring moment, and a very happy occasion to celebrate and remember.
Please God, may your Holy Spirit be at work in us, and let us all say Amen to this.
