Category: Latest News

For adults & children.  Fri 30th Dec, 3-5pm in St Wilfrid’s Hall.  Adults £5 each please, to help cover costs, children free.

As a parish we have many to thank, today we focus on  St Wilfrid’s: 

Christmas is a time for “thanking” the people that have so willingly given their time and effort to make our parish community flourish as good as it is.  Here are a few of those people we give a “Big Thank You” to.  All our well behaved Altar Servers under the training of David, Teresa, Annette, Sophie & Angie who train our young children in the Liturgy and First Holy Communion.  Gary for recording the Mass on-line and screen hymns etc.  Alan for reading notices, all our competent readers, children and grown ups.  Gerry for planned giving etc.  Bob for keeping us in order and up-to-date with health &    safety.  John & Rowena; collection plate and counting Sunday collections.  The people who prepare & serve tea/coffee after Sunday & Wednesday Masses, Annette & Joan for the over 50’s Club, Lulu for tidying up after functions in the hall.  All those people could do with some help, please bear this in mind for your New Years Resolutions, contact the people     involved.  I know we have omitted to mention other kind     people who help us run our  parish community, they know who they are, so please accept our sincere THANKS to you all.  Can you help us in anyway? Some of us are well into retirement age and cannot continue to give the service needed, please think hard and help us.  You can contact Annette 07896825180 or Joan 07873390944.  “God loves a Cheerful Giver”, and the reward is plentiful to those who give their time and effort to help our successful  parish community. 

Two V.I.P. People who need a special “Thank You” are of course Fr Rory; who is very humble, but a great priest to us all, faults and all Father we love you.   Then of course Jackie our Secretary and general dogsbody!  She keeps us all going with her pleasant nature and cool calm efficiency, where would we be without her help?  She also sorts Father out on many  occasion.  Thank You Jackie.   More thanks to follow ………

To repeat a little bit from what I said last year, with emphasis on the season of Advent.  The seed has been sown and a focus given to that most special moment of baptism when the new baptism candle is entrusted to the parents and godparents with the words “this light has been entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly, this child of yours will be enlightened by Christ as he grows in faith on his journey of life”.

This seed has been sown for us, and as we sincerely strive to grow as a community of faith, it has been refreshed by the work that is being done as we try to be involved in the synod process.  A greater awareness of ministry in different moments of service, welcomers, readers, ministries of the eucharist, ministry of prayer, and the great openings that are developing from our children’s liturgy.   The ministry of hospitality after mass allows various windows to begin to open.  A parish council can really develop as one of our services to the greater community than just being an instrument of authority.    So to all a Happy Christmas.

Sat 21st Jan 2023, St Bernadette’s Church, Crawley, for Ministers of the Word 11am-4pm.  Please sign up at ChurchSuite Events : email: [email protected]

Items required as follows:-  Shoes – Sizes: 39×2, 40×9, 41×9, 42×18, 43×10, 44×7, 45×5.  Men’s trousers; Medium x 20, Large x 20, X Large x 10.  Medium Size Jackets, Coats, Cricket Kit and Footballs.

Please leave any items in church porch.  Thank you.

Deacon John and Tessa would like to say a big thank you for all the cards and good wishes sent for Christmas.  Wishing everyone a Happy Christmas and blessings for the New Year.

A last hour rescue bid is underway as Sussex Charity Computers for Charities launches a public appeal to safeguard the future for numerous adults with  learning difficulties, living in the Hailsham area. Time is running out, support is urgently needed today to protect all concerned. To that end donations can be made via Just Giving 

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/Linkcoffeeshop?utm_source=copyLink&utm_medium=one_page&utm_content=campaign/Linkcoffeeshop&utm_campaign=pfp-share&utm_term=495cc415799b4824bd76ed836fa845ab

A little depleted due to the snowy   weather, but we managed to raise our voices to all the carols.  The children performed a very moving nativity (so many     shepherds chasing the Angels!), but the true meaning was    acted perfectly.  After in the beautifully decorated hall; mulled wine, minces pies, hot chocolate etc.  The tombola and guess the name of the Reindeer raised a grand total of £135, which is going towards our Parish Party on 30th December and           expenses incurred for the Children’s Liturgy.  Now comes the faux pas; we forgot to put non winning tickets in the drum, so not only the children had a prize every time, but the grown ups too!!  It was all taken in good faith and everyone had a good laugh, Joan will never live that one down. Christmas jumpers can be worn at our Parish Party.

St Wilfrid’s Penitential Service – Tue 13th Dec at 6.30pm:

Thank you Fr Barry for conducting our service, you made it a different kind of format which gave us time to reflect as well as helpful sheets of prayer etc., and your blessing to each individual completed a lovely service.  Unfortunately the bad weather kept many away, but it was broadcast on-line.  Some brave souls from St George’s made it and were very welcome.

The True Spirit of Christmas Giving – World Gifts This Christmas:  

Thank you all who contributed, we collected £170.10.  The chosen gifts are as follows:-

Chirpy Chicks x 1 £20, Emergency Water x 4 £20, Emergency Food x 1 £50, Self Watering Gardens x 2 £40, Weatherproof Crops x 3 £36, Colouring Pencils x 1 £4, Total sent to CAFOD  £170.