Category: Latest News

The Pope says that the Synod represents the main road for the Church, called to renew herself under the action of the Spirit and by listening to the Word.
The ability to imagine a different future for the Church and her institutions, in keeping with the mission she has received, depends largely on the decision to initiate processes of listening, dialogue, and community discernment, in which each and every person can participate and contribute.
Our Diocese is starting this listening process during December 2021, with a number of questions shared directly with  parishes. The Diocese will also share the Synod questions on its website https://www.abdiocese.org.uk/synod

The Synod provides us with an opportunity to be creative about who we engage with; are there people who are housebound you could talk to over the phone? Could you use the Diocese’s upcoming Junior Synod resources to engage the children of your parish and help them feel included? Perhaps you could set up your own group, using the materials to be provided soon by the Diocese?

Thursday 25th November, 2pm, Afternoon Tea & Fun in our hall.  Homemade cakes/scones, sandwiches, plus “French gourmand”, fancy “bite size cakes/biscuits in English”, all for £3.  We have a small raffle, 50p per ticket.  Do come and join us.

Christmas Lunch at Kings Head – Horsebridge:  Thursday 9th December, in the function room, 12noon.  Three courses plus tea/coffee, mince pies and crackers, £18 including tip.  Please pay the £18 when booking, I will give you a copy of the menu so you can make your choice, to make it easier on the day for the chef and us.  I have had many bookings already and so advise you to book soon.  Our friends from St George’s are invited of course and many have booked already.  Lets make it a jolly good Christmas lunch enjoyed by all of us from both parishes, plus our non catholic friends.  If transport is a problem please contact Joan 07873390944.

Thursday 30th December, 2pm in our Hall for Afternoon Tea:   We have decided to make this a pre New Years Eve Party, special homemade food, music, games suitable to our age group!!  Crackers, goody bags and special raffle.  The cost for this will be £5 and I can assure you it will be worth every penny – come on lets party!

All these events are open to St Wilfrid’s and St George’s plus any friends are most welcome of course.  Please contact Joan 07873390944 or after Sunday and Wednesday Mass in the Hall.

1: “You’ll wish you were Jewish!!”  A Protestant minister and a Catholic priest enjoyed teasing their Jewish rabbi friend, continually asking him when he was going to convert to their Faith.  When the Holidays rolled around, the rabbi sent them a card with the following: “Season’s Greetings!  Roses are reddish, Violets are bluish; When the Messiah comes, you’ll wish you were Jewish!!”

2: The Second Coming. A Sunday school teacher asked his class, “If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale and gave all my money to the Church, would that get me into Heaven?  “NO!” the children all answered.  “If I cleaned the Church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into Heaven?”  Again, the answer was, “NO!”  Again the teacher asked, “Well, then, if I were kind to animals and gave candy to all the children, and loved my wife, would that get me into Heaven?”  Again, they all answered, “NO!”  “Well then how can I get into Heaven?”  A five-year-old boy shouted out, “YOU GOTTA BE DEAD!”  Good insight for a five-year old!

3: Somnambulist or Methodist? “Be constantly on the watch!  Stay awake,” Jesus commands.  The signs-of-the-times are such that, clearly, this is no time for somnambulists.  A somnambulist, as you know, is a person who walks in his sleep.  On the eve of his wedding, a young man decided to confess all to his fiancée.  He went to her and said, “My love, there is something I feel I must tell you before we are married; something you must know. It may make a difference in your feeling toward me.  You see, I am a somnambulist.”  The young lady thought for a moment, then replied, “Oh that’s all right.  There’s no problem.  I was raised a Methodist.  We can go to your Church one Sunday and to mine the next.”

Joan Quarrell’s Ashes will be buried at St George’s on Thursday 11th November after Mass.

During the month of October our sales table raised £60.  This will be kept for a future parish celebration.

During November they will be having their annual Tesco National collection in Hailsham.  They need volunteers to man the collection point and below you will see the link for people to sign up.  A member of the foodbank staff will be manning collections at all times along with the volunteers.  https://doodle.com/poll/vdttig6n4br5tn5y?utm source=poll&utm medium=link

“ENRICHING OUR CATHOLIC FAITH”:  a series of talks at Our Lady of Ransom Catholic Church, Eastbourne. A chance to enrich and deepen our understanding of our faith.

Tuesday, 16th November: ‘The Good Life: can you be a good, moral person and have a fulfilled life -without God?’  Speaker:     Fr Kevin Dring.

Tuesday, 30th November: ‘Jesus: who do people say I am? What the New Testament tells us – also the Early Church’ Speaker: John de Waal.

Monday, 6th December: ‘Gaudete! and the gift of Christian Joy.’  Speaker: Fr Tristan.

Tuesday, 14th December: ‘COP 26 and its aftermath.’ Speaker: Barbara Echlin.

Sessions will be in the Parish Centre (accessed from the church car park) from 7.30 – 8.30pm – with a break halfway for refreshments. All are welcome to all or any of the talks!

If you require a notice read out after Mass please email Alan by Saturday mornings.  [email protected]

St Wilfrid’s Afternoon Tea, Thurs 28th Oct for the over 50’s:  With the sun streaming in, 13 of us sat down to a variety of good home made and prepared food.  We had to keep moving the butter out of the sun! so it would be ok for our homemade cheese scones.  We had a little raffle, 8 prizes, 50p tickets.  After tea a game of “Dog Bingo” which was a laugh, winners picked something from our “Sales Table”.  Menus for our Christmas Lunch at Kings Head – Horsebridge:  Thursday 9th December, were passed around so we could see the very good value for money meal.  We decided  our December meeting, Thursday 30th December would be a special one as it will be the day before New Years Eve.  We will be in party mood with music and all the trimmings for a jolly good time.  It would be lovely to see you there, do try to make it.  Meanwhile our November tea will be at 2pm on Thursday 25th Nov.

Pope Francis says that the purpose of the Synod is not to produce documents, but to plant dreams, draw forth prophecies and visions, allow hope to flourish, inspire trust, bind up wounds, weave together relationships, awaken a dawn of hope, learn from one another and create a bright resourcefulness that will enlighten minds, warm minds and give strength to our hands!  

The Pope has asked all the Bishops, in every diocese of the world, to reach out and listen to all baptised people, young and old, poor and excluded, so that the Bishops can discern what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church.
(The Lord often reveals the most prudent course to be followed to those who do not occupy important positions in the community, said  St Benedict)
Our Parish will be involved in this work of listening and will be providing more information soon.