Category: Latest News

One of the really fruitful areas of work in recent months has been that of small Focus Groups, bringing together reps from the larger Hub Leadership Groups. We have Focus Groups looking at: Prayer & Worship, Formation & Mission, Communications, Pastoral Care, Finance & Stewardship. They are identifying lots of tangible ways we can work across our churches to enhance the service we want to provide to parishioners and to reach out to those who are not (yet) part of our communities. Soon you will all be invited, through ministries you’re already exercising or as brand-new volunteers, to help in rolling out the fruits of the work of these Focus Groups. We are also just about to launch a new quarterly Parish Magazine spotlighting good news from across all our churches.

now we are without a Bishop, some are wondering how this affects the journey of change we are all on in the Diocese to become new larger Parishes. Already, before Archbishop Richard left us, 3 of the 11 Deaneries of the Diocese had legally become new Parishes (Brighton & Hove; Guildford, Weybridge). For the rest of us we are asked to keep momentum on our journey of preparing, so that when a new Bishop is appointed, we will be in good shape.  Certainly, a new Bishop will bring “fresh eyes and ears” to some of the detail of how we come together as new Parishes, but he will no doubt be committed to keeping the spirit of the Pastoral Plan. In our own Deanery (Eastbourne to Rye) we have lots of work underway to help us share and collaborate together in good and helpful ways.
 

The New Parish will be overseen by a Clergy Team, moderated by Fr Kevin Dring. The team will work closely with Hub Secretaries, Hub Leadership Groups and lay representatives to support pastoral planning, governance and the shared mission of the Parish. The West Hub covering Eastbourne, Polegate,      Hampden Park, Hailsham and the East Hub; St Leonard’s, Hastings, Bexhill, Battle and Rye.                                                                           

East Hub Secretary: Elizabeth Fitch [email protected]   01424 602077           

West Hub Secretary: Cheryl Wood [email protected]   01323 723222

New Parish Website:  www.eastbourne-stleonards.org.uk

O God, eternal shepherd, 

who govern your flock

with unfailing care, grant in your boundless fatherly love 

a pastor for your Church

 who will please you by his holiness 

and to us show watchful care. 

Through Christ our Lord 

Amen

St Patrick’s Day Tea – Sunday 22 March

Come and join us after the 10:30 Mass at St Wilfrid’s for a warm and cheerful St Patrick’s Day Tea. We’ll have Irish music, tea, and plenty of cakes, and a chance to enjoy good company together.

There may even be a little singing and dancing for those who feel inspired.

Everyone is very welcome — do come along and celebrate with us!

Parish Spring Fair on 28^th March– We Urgently Need Your Help

Our Spring Fair is fast approaching, but at the moment we simply don’t have enough items or volunteers to run many of the stalls. Without more help in the next week, some of our most popular stalls may not be able to open.

If you are able to help in any of the following ways, it would make a real difference:

Items we urgently need

Bottles and Gifts for the Tombola

Nearly new toys and games

Books

Good quality bric-a-brac

Jams and Preserves

Spring Items such as Easter Cards, plants, bulbs, and small garden tools

Homemade cakes (on the day)

Volunteers needed

People to run stalls

Helpers for set-up and clearing away

Bakers for the cake stall

Even one bag of items or one hour of your time helps make the day possible.

Please bring donations to church this Sunday or contact [email protected] if you can help with a stall.

Our parish fair is not only a wonderful community event but also an important fundraiser for the life of the church — but it can only happen with your support.

Thank you to everyone who has already offered help. If you have been meaning to sign up, now is the time.

Join me in supporting Mary’s Meals!

I am hosting an event on Friday 20th March at 11 am, in Willingdon. We will listen to one of the lectures on the course “Life Lessons from the Great Books,” debate the topic and collect donations for Mary’s Meals (marysmeals.org), a charity that provides school meals to children in some of the world’s poorest countries.  It costs just £19.15 to provide a child with meals in a place of education for a whole school year. Giving £2, £5, £10 or more can help fund meals for many children. Please, call Mercè on 07855452741 for more details and to confirm attendance. 

We’re delighted to be holding our Spring Fair on Saturday 28th March, from 10.00am to 2.00pm at St Wilfrid’s Hall.

There’ll be plenty to enjoy throughout the day, including craft, plant, cake and toy stalls, a tombola, and refreshments—so do come along and support this special parish event.

To help make the day a great success, we’re looking for parishioners who would be willing to lend a hand. You might like to:

·        Help on the day

·        Run a stall

·        Join the refreshments team

·        Donate items for stalls or tombola

A list of stalls and suggested donation items will be handed out after Mass this week.

There will also be an opportunity to sign up to volunteer after the 10.30am Mass on Sunday 8th March. Even if you can only spare an hour or two, your help would be greatly appreciated. In total, we’re hoping for around 20 volunteers to make the day run smoothly.

If you’re unable to sign up in person, or would like a list of the suggestion items for donation, please feel free to email [email protected] to offer your help or request further information.

We do hope you’ll be able to join us—whether as a volunteer, a donor, or simply to enjoy the day!

Thank you for your generous support to Family Fast Day. You have raised an amazing £690 to help families in Zimbabwe and South Sudan grow food despite drought and floods. A further £80 would fund 10 floating vegetable beds.  It’s not too late to donate . Please pick up a CAFOD envelope or visit Lent Appeal 2026

You can also sponsor Gerry and Teresa Palmer, each walking 200km in 40 days for the CAFOD Big Lent Walk. Sponsor forms are at the back of church or donate online. All funds go directly to CAFOD.  (QR code is for our Lent walk)

26 March, 2-4pm, Anyone over 50 is welcome.