Category: Latest News

Parish Harvest Festivities at St Wilfrid’s & St George’s

Following the Harvest table sale/breakfast and recent collections we have sent off £485 to CAFOD. Many thanks to everyone who contributed to making this appeal such a success.  The produce window displays have now been delivered to Hailsham Foodbank and they are really grateful for your generous contributions.  Donations from St George’s are sent weekly to Eastbourne Foodbank & St Wilfrid’s to Hailsham Foodbank, both collected at the back of the church.

Fr Rory Writes

        For the Love of God

Hail Mary, full of grace.

The Lord is with thee, blessed art thou amongst women

And blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

Jesus

Please pray it again.

“In a nutshell” a body of many parts working together, is at the heart of the Gospels.  In daily life this is far easier said than done, and was particularly clear by the end of the Deanery Meeting of the priests.  So this is for all of us, our challenge.  We have made a very good start through the work that is in place in response to the Synod, and work that is done for a new generation.  Last Sunday afternoon we had a very good experience at St George’s, with the Youth Group having their first meeting.  Thanks to Sandra and all who helped.

First Communion Preparation

Parents are invited to enrol their children in our First Holy Communion Programme for 2022/3. Application forms to join the programme are available at the back of the church and on the Parish Website. There will be an            introductory meeting for parents and children on October 21st at 6.30pm in St Wilfrid’s Church Hall, with a view to starting lessons in November.  Please ensure you attend if your child will be wanting to take part in this programme.  Please contact Annette  07839571916, [email protected] or Teresa 07951082592, [email protected] for more information.

Las Posadas

Las Posadas -A Journey Towards Christmas

Would you like to join us on a special journey of Advent Preparation? This year we are adapting the Mexican tradition of Las Pasados which we would like to invite all ages, young and old, to enjoy.

In Mexico “Las Posadas” is celebrated during Advent when villagers carry figures of Mary, Joseph and the donkey from house to house in a re-enactment of their search for lodging in Bethlehem.  The figures are accepted in a different home every night until Christmas Eve, when they are taken to the local church and the baby Jesus is put in the crib in the Nativity Scene.

We have adapted this tradition so that you can now offer to give a home to our own Posada family (small figures of Mary, Joseph and the donkey), who will be looking for “lodging” during Advent. The journey begins on the first Sunday of Advent and will end when the Posadas figures are brought back to the Church in time for our Christmas Masses. One family will take the nativity figures home from church, welcome them into their home with simple prayers and find a place to display them. The next day this family will pack up the figures and travel to a neighbour, who has also agreed to go on this journey with Mary and Joseph.

An important aspect of Las Posadas is to remind us how important we are to each other as a community and to appreciate the kindness of friends and strangers. The giving and the receiving of a little hospitality with families you may not know is an important part of this process. When it is your turn to welcome Mary and Joseph, you and your family will receive the figures at the same time as you welcome the family who has had them for the day before you. They will arrange a time to come to your home and lead the prayers and they will leave the figures with you. You will provide light refreshments (tea, coffee, biscuits…maybe a mince pie). On the following day, you will travel to the next family’s home and this time your family will lead the prayers. You will therefore need to be able to set aside an hour on 2 separate days (once to receive the figures in your home and once to travel with the figures to the next home)

If your family would like to host the Posada family for a night as a reminder of what Christmas is really all about, please add your name to the sign- up sheet at the back of the church before Sunday November 20th.

Fr Rory Writes

As I return from Ireland for this important time in our lives, our very best focus is the truth at the heart of our faith “Dying, you destroyed our death, Rising, you restore our lives”.  This inspires me, but with lots and lots of faults and failure to discourage me.  At the heart of our communities making up our parish, is a growing desire to work together, to survive together and especially to strive together.  Since I have returned we have had moments of great grace and encouragement.  From a supply priest “it was a pleasure to have this opportunity.  They are a lovely bunch of people in your churches, and the harvest festival was a delight and so well prepared and presented”.  This Sunday I met a visitor who lived here twenty to thirty years ago and she was really blessed and inspired by our mass and was most grateful.

So for all of this, much thanks, because life at this time is extremely difficult for many, health, the constant sense of threat, war, the economy, the lack of grace and peace fear for our future.  These are the real trials through which we will triumph by the power of Him who loves us.  This is at the heart of our mass,  which brings to be a great sense of strength and peace.

Let us focus on what this is all about.  Jesus, His words and action, especially His challenges “by their fruit you shall know them, good trees bear good fruit”.  Each week I am inspired by our prayers of the faithful which are prepared for us by different members.  As I pray them,  by their fruits you shall know them “good trees bear good fruit”.  Which will help grow and develop all our ministries.  I was especially inspired by Martin as he lead the liturgies at St George’s church on Tuesdays while I was away.