Category: Latest News

Fr Rory Writes:

Truly important is social distancing.  Whether we express this as the new normal, it is an essential part of keeping safe.  While the virus is a constant threat, we must be on our guard and carefully adhere to safety.   Be alert, or as I would prefer, be responsible.  For me to be responsible addresses the situation better.  The great gift, the great good is our faith.  A very important moment within this is – “the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom”.  Note the beginning because fear can be a great gift.  But it is also important to acknowledge and recognise evil.  Evil can use fear and then truly abuse it.  Lives can be destroyed by fear, and fear can create situations which cause great suffering, affliction and sometimes death.

We have reached an important moment in living with the coronavirus.  Please God, there may be light appearing at the end of the tunnel, with the gift of a vaccine that would be a great help.  There is no guarantee of this, so living with the present situation is now a great priority and may be a great opportunity.  Lockdown was such an experience for me and for all of us.  It will certainly influence, please God, in a good way for the remainder of life.  The memory of spring watch; thank God for its blessing and please God, it will have a good influence in the future of our planet.

This is a time of great challenge for our church and please God, a great opportunity, or the church will grind to a halt.  The last deanery meetings, the aged profile of the clergy, the funding of the Diocese, are real causes for concern.  What will be the future for our church?

For it to be bright and good, first it is not the church but our church.  For a long time now there has been a crying need for a new generation in the life of the church.  In the coming months and years we will provide a new generation.  As we celebrate the liturgy and as we continue to skype and locate other sources of nurture for our faith we are beginning to build.  Our website is a very important instrument and please God, with care and attention it will become very fit for purpose.  A very special thank you to Sophie for all that she is doing to lead the way.  The life of the children’s liturgy is also an important new beginning that needs to develop to grow and blossom.

Fr Rory Writes:

Happily,  we can now plan for the opening our churches for Mass.  We are working out how we can do this with safety concerns in mind. We hope to open for the first time the weekend of 18th/19th July.  

Masses will be offered during the week.   If you are not at work during the week, you are strongly encouraged to attend a weekday Mass to allow those who are working to attend on Sundays.

You will need to apply to attend on your chosen day. (Please see attached posters)

Times of Masses during the week are:

St. George’s Church – 10am on Tuesdays and Thursdays.     Sundays, 9.00am

St. Wilfrid’s Church – 10am on Wednesdays and Fridays.       Sundays, 10.30am

Our Mass time experiences will be very different.

Restrictions are imposed as follows:-

Numbers are restricted to ensure social distancing

If you are at all unwell, please DO NOT attend church

It is recommended that small children and babies are not brought into the church

You will be met at the door, you must give your name and contact details to the usher

Sanitise your hand and wear a mask (this is compulsory)

The usher will guide you to a marked bench at appropriate distance from anyone not in your household. There are arrows on the floor, guiding you through the one-way system.

Please do not genuflect to any of the statues, or touch them or any surface unnecessarily

No leaflets or Missals will be provided. If you bring your own you MUST take them home with you.

Please do not converse with anyone outside your own household, to limit the spread of the virus

There may be music, but no singing is allowed

Mass will be shorter to reduce the time spent indoors with other people

The sign of peace will be not be exchanged

The reader, Eucharistic Minister and Priest will always be on the altar

The Priest will remain socially distant at all times

There will be no offertory

Cash offerings must be placed in the boxes provided at the entrance and exit to the church.

Communion under one kind will be distributed at the end of Mass.

An usher will guide you  to communion  when it is safe for you to enter the aisle, always maintaining social distance

There will be a small physical barrier between the recipient and the Minister. The distribution of the Host will be in silence with arms at full stretch, palms upwards, one on top of the other, as flatly as possible. Communion may not be received on the tongue.

You will leave the church immediately after Communion, through the Sacristy door. Take ALL your belongings with you (including your mask) and leave your offering in the box provided. (you may not return to your seat under any circumstances)**

You will be asked to  sanitise your hands before leaving the church

**If you cannot manage the steps leading to the sacristy, please wait to receive communion until all others have left. The usher will escort you and you may leave through the back porch.

There will be NO tea/coffee after any Mass. The hall remains closed

 The lavatories are closed

Please continue to maintain social distancing whilst in the carpark

Please see the above posters for details of how to book for St George’s and St Wilfrid’s.

Fr Rory Writes:

With the help of God we will be able to re-open our churches for Mass.  First and foremost this is to be appreciated for the right reasons, with great care given.  It will be influenced by a) the fact that we do not, while this outbreak of coronavirus continues, have an obligation to go to Mass, b) social distancing and all the other measures required for health and safety purposes will need to be in place.

So there are reasons to have fears and to take these into consideration.  As this is “Fr Rory Writes”  it is not prescriptive and the date have to be changed in order to have all the safety measures in place. Happily, we are hoping to open our churches for Mass on the weekend of the 18th/19th July.  There is still work to be done to achieve this with all safety concerns carefully managed.  Numbers will be greatly reduced because of the need for social distancing.

We have good teams working together and our first meetings were very successful, but they did open my eyes to how difficult it is to ensure the safety of everyone in both churches, whilst matching the requirements of our diocese, who dictate how much preparation is necessary.

Only 36 people may attend at any one time at St George’s.  If you are not at work during the week, you are strongly encouraged to attend a weekday Mass to allow those who are working to attend on Sundays.

You will need to apply for your chosen day, and we ask that you keep to this. (Details as to how to do this will follow)

Times of Masses during the week are:

St. George’s Church – 10am on Tuesdays and Thursdays

St. Wilfrid’s Church – 10am on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Our Mass time experiences will be very different.

Restrictions are imposed as follows:-

Numbers are restricted to a Maximum of 36 people at St George’s to ensure social distancing

If you are at all unwell, please DO NOT attend church

It is recommended that small children and babies are not brought into the church

You will be met at the door, you must give your name and contact details to the usher

Sanitise your hand and wear a mask (this is compulsory)

The usher will guide you to a marked bench/seat at appropriate distance from anyone not in your household. There are arrows on the floor, guiding you through the one-way system.

Please do not genuflect to any of the statues, or touch them or any surface unnecessarily

No leaflets or Missals will be provided. If you bring your own you MUST take them home with you.

Please do not converse with anyone outside your own household, to limit the spread of the virus

There may be music, but no singing is allowed

Mass will be shorter to reduce the time spent indoors with other people

The sign of peace will be not be exchanged

The reader, Eucharistic Minister and Priest will always be on the altar

The Priest will remain socially distant at all times

There will be no offertory

Cash offerings must be placed in the boxes provided at the entrance and exit to the church.

Communion under one kind will be distributed at the end of Mass.

An usher will guide you  to communion  when it is safe for you to enter the aisle, always maintaining social distance

There will be a small physical barrier between the recipient and the Minister. The distribution of the Host will be in silence with arms at full stretch, palms upwards, one on top of the other, as flatly as possible. Communion may not be received on the tongue.

You will leave the church immediately after Communion, through the Sacristy door at St George’s.  Take ALL your belongings with you (including your mask) and leave your offering in the box provided. (you may not return to your seat under any circumstances)**

You will be asked to  sanitise your hands before leaving the church

**If you cannot manage the steps leading to the sacristy, please wait to receive communion until all others have left. The usher will escort you and you may leave through the back porch.

There will be NO tea/coffee after any Mass. The hall remains closed

The lavatories are closed

Please continue to maintain social distancing whilst in the car park

PS. You will need to apply to the Parish Office for your preferred day as the number at each Mass is so strictly limited, either email [email protected] or phone 01323 841504.  

Having plenty of time each day to hear the word of God, and to celebrate the Mass knowing that it is “The Lord’s Supper“, bringing home in a vivid way that “On the night Jesus was betrayed, He carried out this action to be a memorial forever for our salvation”. 

The greeting from the Gospel “Alleluia Alleluia” accepts the message for what it really is, God’s message and not some human thinking “Alleluia”.   From the letter of St Paul to the Romans 5.12-15 – we know sin entered the world and spread through the whole human race.  If it is certain that through one man’s fault, so many have died; it is now more certain that divine grace coming through one man, Jesus Christ came to so many as an abundant free gift.

On Saturday morning, a meeting with one of our parishioners as part of planning preparation for opening our churches, was an expression of our experience of this time on account of the coronavirus.  As in the larger world of business, or for our daily world of life, there are two important elements:

Survive, survive, survive.

To prepare for a fresh start, a new beginning.                                                                                                                       

So first it is important to isolate, to protect, to safeguard, to be responsible.  Secondly, prepare for a future that will be different.  So many things have changed everywhere, and people will have more options and choices.  It will be important to appreciate the great gift that our faith brings.  The opening of our churches for prayer gives us an important focus.  Jesus present in the Holy eucharist in the tabernacle waiting to welcome us back, always present, waiting for us and our attention.  To listen to our prayers and to hear our afflictions.  So please God, this will begin, and as time goes on, we can adapt to our circumstances.  So far anything to do with churches and schools has been slowly, slowly.  By necessity as the business world resumes, yes problems may increase, but the need to return to work is essential.  I have had my first enquiry about a wedding and a baptism and the question of First Holy Communions, a welcome change from funerals.

Last Sunday was Fathers’ Day and I found in a little book of daily prayer this prayer for Fathers:

Creator of All Life, as we honour the good, righteous and untiring efforts of fathers, we pray for the men who gave us life and those who served as father figures, extending their love to us. We thank you for fathers who have served as examples of how to live the faith, and we pray also for fathers who have left this earthly life, that they may dwell in heaven with you forever. Amen.  (Terence Hegarty)

The common theme of today’s readings is the work God gives us to do as the followers of Jesus and can be summed up through our love of God and for our brothers and sisters through hospitality, generosity, commitment, and charity.

In the first reading, we see, the welcome given to the prophet Elijah by an elderly, childless woman and her husband who lived in Shunem. Shunem or Shunaam was a small village mentioned in the Bible in the possession of the Tribe of Issachar. It was located near the Jezreel Valley, north of Mount Gilboa. Shunaam is where the Philistines camped when they fought Saul, the first king of Israel. It was the hometown of Abishag, King David’s companion in his old age.

In the Gospel Jesus assures his disciples that whoever shows them hospitality will be blessed. Those who receive Jesus receive the One who sent him. Also, those who help the “little ones,” (believers) and the poor, the sick, and the needy will be amply rewarded. We, as individuals and as a community, should actively look for opportunities to be hospitable.  Maybe hospitality is offered through a kind word to a stranger – or even a smile. A kind smile or a “hello” to someone waiting with us in a supermarket queue may be the only kindness that person encounters all day. We become fully alive as Christians through the generous giving of ourselves. The most important action we can do is that of giving of ourselves to people, first and foremost, in the way we think about them, for from that will flow the ways we speak to them and about them, forgive their failings, encourage them, show them respect, console them, and offer them help. Such generosity reflects warmth radiating from the very love of God.

The following story is adapted from a story found on the Internet at snopes.com. 

The special joy of nature-loving boy Howard Kelly was hiking great distances and studying animals in the wild. On a walking trip, up through Northern Pennsylvania one spring, young Kelly stopped by a small farmhouse for a drink of cool spring water. A little girl answered his knock at the door, and instead of water, she brought him a glass of fresh milk. He thanked her profusely and went on his way. After years of medical studies, he became Dr. Kelly. Dr. Howard Kelly (1858-1943) was a distinguished physician who was one of the four founding doctors of Johns Hopkins, the first medical research university in the U.S. and, arguably, one of the finest hospitals

anywhere. In 1895, he established in that school the department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics. Over the course of his career, Doctor Kelly advanced the sciences of gynaecology and surgery, both as a teacher and as a practitioner. Some years later, that same little girl from Northern Pennsylvania who had given him that glass of milk years ago, came to him for an operation. Just before she left for home, fearful of a huge bill, her bill was brought into the room and across its face was written in a bold hand, “Paid in full for one glass of milk.” That was Dr. Kelly’s style of showing gratitude and hospitality. While he charged the rich patients substantial fees, he provided his services free-of-charge to the less fortunate. By his conservative estimate, in 75% of his cases he neither sought nor received a fee. 

The Scriptures this weekend challenge us all to practice hospitality by seeing Christ in others.

It is with joy that we can now consider opening our churches for private, individual prayer.  The hope is that we will be able to welcome parishioners for one hour twice a week, in each of our two churches.  We are working out how we can do this with safety concerns in mind, as it may be months before we can celebrate a public Mass together.

Before we can go ahead and open the churches, we require the authorisation of the Diocese, to do so.  To facilitate this, we need to recruit stewards, or ushers, plus a team of cleaners to clean the church after each session of prayer.  Another requirement from the Diocese is that we provide the names of volunteers to them and they must have a current DBS Check in place.  Protective equipment will be provided, and safety measures put in place to protect us all. Guidelines, safety measures and details of restrictions will be shared with you all. 

You would always be working in pairs and we will always ensure you have full information and support before we open the churches. You would be asked to usher people into the church, help them use the one-way system, sit where allocated, and keep social distancing.

Could you spare an hour a week, perhaps every 2 weeks if we have plenty of volunteers, we are looking at opening one session on a weekday and possibly one on the Sunday afternoon?  There is one stipulation – you need to be under 70 years of age and have no underlying health issues.  

If you fit the above criteria, and are willing to do help as an usher or cleaner or would like more information,  please contact us at [email protected]

Fr Rory Writes:

Eternal Father, Loving God

Who made us from the dust of earth

Transform us by the spirit’s grace

Give value to our little worth   

                                                                                   Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal

“By His wounds we have been healed”, has been a traditional focus for our spirituality and is a great help to me at this time.  On my way to bed recently, having switched off the TV, from which the only consolation came through Spring Watch and Gardeners’ World.  The almost unescapable, unavoidable news media is an affliction of the highest order.  In its unending search for the worst news that it can get, and with the twist that it constantly brings to the coronavirus is trying to take hold of me.

The stress that we are living with, the implication of the lockdown means that the days and weeks are simply disappearing.  While this, for me, helps the passing of time, its loss to our lives is very real and needs the best and most positive attention that we can give.  We are now passing the longest day, and the excellent weather a solid bonus.  If it were not for the virus, 2020 might have been a very special year.

Having acknowledged the difficulties and damage that is being done, it is more important to be aware of God’s help and His promise to turn all things to good.  Truly appreciate moments of grace – spring walks, with people’s generosity and kindness.  With shops, businesses and works opening, there is a need to try to get on with life.  The churches’ opening has brought home to me, “easier said than done”.  We have received all the requirements and the directions for opening our churches, and with our age profile (as indeed with most churches), it presents us with a great challenge as we cannot ask for help from those willing persons who are over seventy.

During the night I was filled with great apprehension for our situation.  As deep awareness of my faults and failings, a powerful thought came to me that I should go home.  A fear was upon me.  Then about 3am I had a great sense of consolation, a deep, deep awareness of God’s grace, and that through the help of God’s grace, Jesus would prepare the way for our churches to be open.  Our need for help in every way, stewarding, cleaning, encouraging our parishioners to come back to church, initially for private prayer, bringing with them an atmosphere of togetherness.  A new generation and a new church need to be in our planning for the future.

Again, thanks to those who are developing our website.   We will be using it with our newsletter to re-establish our parish, please God, bigger and better.  There is a lovely scene with the lambs on our website.  We will now develop into God’s flock flourishing in His Kingdom.

Deacon John Writes:

Our Scripture readings for the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time challenge us to preach Christ through our words and lives without fear. The first reading relates how the prophet Jeremiah trusted in the power of God while he faced opposition for his prophetic ministry. He was intimidated by attacks upon his character, but he was unafraid to speak out in the name of the Lord. The psalmist trusts in God when he is misunderstood and ill-treated even by his relatives. In the second reading, Paul assures the Christians in Rome that they need not be afraid of opposition both because they share in the death of Jesus and because they are united with Christ, the new Adam, in his Resurrection. 

The Gospel passage is taken from the end of Jesus’ instruction to his disciples as he sends them out to carry on his mission of preaching and healing. He asks them to live simple lives and to expect opposition and rejection. After having foretold future opposition and persecution, Jesus encourages his disciples to stand firm. Three times they are urged, “Do not fear!” “Do not be afraid!” Instead of forgetting their task, they are to proclaim the Gospel boldly, because they will be protected just as Jeremiah was assured of God’s protection. The readings encourage us to persevere in doing the work of Jesus.  They assure us that we will be successful, despite the opposition we encounter.

Baptisms are typically joyous occasions. It’s a day of tremendous possibility and hope – even more so than weddings. A baptism is all about the baby. A new life being welcomed into the church. There is something very specific about the baptism ritual. It is in the words that are spoken. We call it the Trinitarian Formula, which is: I baptize you in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. It’s not considered a valid baptism unless those words are used.

We always begin mass with something that most of us probably take for granted, and hardly think about. We do it so often. It’s the sign of the cross. “In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” It’s not just a casual gesture. It’s not just a sign of our being catholic. It is actually a re-statement of our baptism.

Just think of what that simple gesture means.  We touch our heads for the Father – the one whose mere idea, whose smallest thought, created us. This is where we began, in the mind of God. We touch our hearts for the Son – the one whose love took him to the cross, and the one who taught us, as well, how to love through his own Sacred Heart.

We touch our shoulders for the Holy Spirit – the one who gives us strength, and who carries us on His shoulders and who enables us to be God’s messengers working on earth.

When we make the sign of the cross, and pray the sign of the cross with those words, we make both an offering, and a prayer. Surely as we go through life we attempt to bring that, with our lives and with our actions, to all those we meet. So let us all live in the Light of Christ – to always be drawn to it, and to always strive to give it to others. As Jesus says in the gospel for this weekend: “Do not fear. Do not be afraid.” In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Fr Rory Writes

With the help of God: 

Thanks be to God, as we move on from the Great Feasts of Holy Week and Easter. Having celebrated the new life of Pentecost, help us now to respond to the challenges of life that comes from the coronavirus with its problems and afflictions in our lives.  As many return to work and face the need to provide for the necessities of life; increase our confidence in trusting in your divine providence, and our responsibility to protect and safeguard our lives.

The Diocesan authorities have sent the directions they received from our government to open our churches for private prayer.  At the deanery meeting of priests and deacons we had some discussion about our situations in the various parishes, and certainly the future brings challenges for our churches throughout the diocese.  Information regarding hand sanitizer and protective wear was limited and supplies received by the deanery very inadequate.  A central depot for these supplies has now been established at St Philip Howard Centre in Crawley. 

It will take some time to get the required items for our protection in place, but we have an immediate need to get ourselves ready and to be willing to offer help for stewardship, but above all to be prepared to make a greater commitment to our community of faith.  The window for prayer, and with it the actions required to live out faith more fully, will be the greatest fruits of this epidemic.  Already we are aware of some of its fruits.  This springtime nature was particularly alive and refreshing.  Alongside of this are the benefits of reducing pollution, with cleaner, clearer streams, rivers, seas, and skies.  There have also been signs of a greater concern for the needs of others, particularly for those who may have been taken for granted, with the weaker and more vulnerable members of our human family receiving better attention.

But the challenge for the future may be a lot grimmer, and certainly when the financial implications become clearer, difficult decisions will be made.  Now the concern for children’s education and wellbeing raises serious questions, as well as emerging mental health issues and other casualties from the lockdown emerges.  For the greater part, as churches, we have been fortunate enough.  This year was very promising, and we had a very good group of young children for First Holy Communion, and with the lovely weather we enjoyed this could have been a very outstanding year 2020.

Better to say, so far so good, and for most of us who had to isolate, and to adjust to very different and difficult circumstances, have done so remarkably well.   Modern means of communication have helped, skyping and other developments, hearing more regularly from family and friends, receiving acts of great generosity and kindness, having access to online masses and other spiritual nurture created a foundation to rely on, and with God’s help we must do better in the future.