Category: Saint George’s latest news

“Holy Week is on our doorsteps”

Please God, we are now ready and looking forward to celebrating this most important event.  Salvation that has come from on High.  The Son of man, Jesus; who is also God’s only Son; intervened in our lives for the sake of our salvation.  The cost was high, revealed to us by the way to calvary.  The station of the cross helps us to give our careful attention to Jesus, so that we can with the help of the Holy Spirit transform our lives.

For me the pandemic; now this dreadful war among wars reveals an unavoidable fact … the realms of evil.  Unfortunately much of my faith is a response to this hard fact.   We begin each year, highlighted by lighting the first advent candle, the candle of “hope”.  This has opened my eyes greatly to the value of “the celebration” of mass.  During this last couple of years I have found it remarkably helpful. 

We had the severest lockdown and on occasions celebrating mass on my own.  The immense peace when celebrating the sign of peace.  We are very blessed by our two churches because they present a remarkable sense of peace.  We must do our best, our very best that our churches will continue to remain open, and blessed with loving communities of faith.  I am fearful that not all our churches in the diocese will survive.  Bishop Richard brought this to our attention at the very beginning of his ministry, when he introduced an immense consultation “with the focus on our diocese and our churches; what life in the church will be in 2030”.  This was because of the age profile of the clergy, and the first focus was how the ministry of our priesthood would be like in 2024.  Now the implications at this present time are sobering, especially if we place the emphasis upon the number of priests; and what they can do.

What we can do – Our response to the Synod maybe very helpful in this. 

What we must do, helped through the Liturgy to well celebrate the events of our faith.  Let us begin with “Palm Sunday” truly embracing that moment when Jesus entered Jerusalem, triumphant and riding on a donkey.  In our seminary a very inspiring priest who highlighted this event from scripture “if our hearts are that hard and we do not respond, then the rocks and the trees will cry out with gratitude”.  The procession should have great importance.

At Easter we celebrate the waters of baptism, in which we are washed and made clean.   Sacramentals in the life of the church bring to our attention the grace of the sacraments that we receive and re-establish the greatness of God’s grace.  The custom of having Holy Water in the house and in cars, a sign of the importance of God’s grace in all our lives and activities.  It highlighted also the need for God’s protection.

In preparation for Christmas and Easter the priests spent hours in the confessional.  The sacrament is true and can be very fruitful.  Through the ministry of the church God grants to you pardon and peace.  Now that we have ministers of the Eucharist at Holy Communion, I will be available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation at this time.  Please make your best preparation and come to celebrate this sacrament.  This valuable ministry gives us the opportunity to celebrate the great sacrament of peace and then to receive our Divine Lord in Holy Communion.

Join us to support  

Our Lent fundraising has been a great success so far.   Thank you to everyone who has supported us. The Stations of the Cross and Lent Lunch raised £80 and last Sunday’s Big Bake and Raffle nearly £250.  This equates to the ability to purchase at least one portable machine for use on a ward or at a home birth.  

Why the need for these vital pieces of equipment?  1 in 125 babies is born with a serious heart condition.  Early detection of Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) is key to saving lives. If a CHD is picked up at the birth of a child, using specialist infant Pulse Oximetry machines, it dramatically reduces the risk of complications and infant deaths. Our local NHS Trust has committed to having these monitors and all funds raised by our children will go to help make this happen. Tiny Tickers places the pulse oximetry monitors in maternity wards and for use at home births and also arranges the staff training required. We have one more event to go and hope that you can continue to support us with your prayers and generosity.

Sponsored – Walk, Talk & Picnic – Jevington to Alfriston – Sunday 3^rd April 12noon (picnic approx. 1.30pm)

Our parish Children, their families and children’s liturgy leaders are planning a sponsored walk from Jevington to Alfriston, 3+miles (and some will also walk back).  Everyone is welcome to join us on this lovely South Downs walk, however we realise the terrain is not ideal for all. For those who can’t manage the walk you are invited to join us for our picnic at Alfriston, in the Church grounds.  Even if you are not able to join us, you can help us by sponsoring the children, forms are now available at the back of church. If you can gift aid please do.  Reserve date April 10^th – contact Sandra on 07791 627368 or email [email protected] for further information.

IMPORTANT – Sponsor forms are available for all those walking to take away today and gain sponsorship from friends and family.                     Please take a form away with you.  Alternatively, if you wish to sponsor our children as a group a form is available to add to at the back of both churches.

For more information on the work Tiny Tickers does visit www.tinytickers.org Registered Charity No: 1078114

We are a small group in Polegate praying for our children and all children. We are opening up the group  to include those who feel they would like to join us. We meet on Wednesday mornings and are part of a much bigger worldwide group, over a hundred countries are all praying for our children and grandchildren. It is truly a wonderful achievement, after all meeting together, to have prayed for them. Ring me on Polegate 487688 for more information Cathy.

On Good Friday at 10.30am in St Wilfrid’s Church we will be holding a Way of the Cross Service.  Although designed specifically for our children, we warmly welcome ALL parishioners to this event.  Following the service we will be sharing hot cross buns in the hall. Donations to our Lenten Appeal, Tiny Tickers, will be gratefully received. 

Over 50’s Activities – St Wilfrid’s Church Hall:

Our next Afternoon Tea will be Thursday 31st March, 2pm to 4pm in the church hall.  Everyone is welcome to this friendly social event.

John & Margaret’s Diamond Wedding Anniversary:  A really big thank you from us and the Macmillan Cancer Support for donating £140.00 which was raised from celebrating our ‘Diamond Anniversary’.   Macmillan understand that cancer can impact people’s whole life – health, money, families, work; everything.  They provide support that’s about all these things, helping people live their life with cancer.  They advise on work and benefits, and are always there for emotional support when things get tough.  They give people the support, energy and inspiration to feel more like themselves.  Thank you.

At St George’s we need someone to train up as a Sacristan, either gender.  As you know we have three Masses a week. Sunday at nine o`clock and Tuesday and Thursday at ten o`clock. It is such a rewarding and uplifting task, preparing for Mass . If you feel you could do it, please ask Fr. Rory, Angela or myself Cathy or ring me 01323 487688 for more information.  Thank you.

I found this account concerning this Sunday’s special significance for us on the Internet:

Mothering Sunday is the fourth Sunday Of Lent. Although it’s often called Mothers’ Day it has no connection with the American festival of that name. Traditionally, it was a day when children, mainly daughters, who had gone to work as domestic servants were given a day off to visit their mother and family. Today it is a day when children give presents, flowers, and home-made cards to their mothers. Most Sundays in the year churchgoers in England worship at their nearest parish or ‘daughter church’.

Centuries ago it was considered important for people to return to their home or ‘mother’ church once a year. So each year in the middle of Lent, everyone would visit their ‘mother’ church – the main church or cathedral of the area.

Inevitably the return to the ‘mother’ church became an occasion for family reunions when children who were working away returned home. Most historians think that it was the return to the ‘Mother’ church which led to the tradition of children, particularly those working as domestic servants, or as apprentices, being given the day off to visit their mother and family. As they walked along the country lanes, children would pick wild flowers or violets to take to church or give to their mother as a small gift.

Another thought is that the name comes from one of the Bible readings for that day, which refers to motherhood in a different way. In Galatians 4:26 we read: “But the Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all”. 

The writer of the text wanted to explain to the Galatian community what their relationship as Christians was to the Jewish Law.

Mothering Sunday was also known as Refreshment Sunday because the fasting rules for Lent were relaxed that day.

Originally, both Old and New Testament lessons on mid-lent Sunday made a point of food. The Gospel reading from the New Testament told the story of how Jesus fed five thousand people with only five small barley loaves and two small fish. The food item specially associated with Mothering Sunday is the Simnel cake. This is a fruit cake with two layers of almond paste, one on top and one in the middle. It has 11 balls of marzipan icing on top representing the 11 disciples. (Judas is not included.) Traditionally, sugar violets would also be added. The name Simnel probably comes from the Latin word simila which means a fine wheat flour usually used for baking a cake.

There’s a legend that a man called Simon and his wife Nell argued over whether the cake for Mothering Sunday should be baked or boiled. In the end they did both, so the cake was named after both of them: SIM-NELL. 

Our journey through Lent is speeding by.  The changing hour of the clock is a clear sign that it is nearly over.  It is a very special time of grace if we are faithful to our Lenten journey.  The way of the cross, the stations of the cross have a most important role to play.  Each year, one of my very strongest memories is my dad making the stations of the cross after mass during Lent, because he had much suffering in his life.  It is a very fitting memory when aligned with the hope “after this our exile will be a welcome to our true home in heaven”.  We now have the stations of the resurrection at St Wilfrid’s, once when I was doing the rounds of the stations they merged for me at the 13th station “Jesus is taken down from the cross”.  This became a real sign of hope when my eyes turned to the station of the resurrection “Mary and the Apostles pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit”.  The disciples set about preparing for Pentecost “little did they know then what was in store for them”.  The Holy Spirit came upon them “in tongues of fire”.

At the same time it revealed a thought, maybe an attitude on my part “the day of Pentecost never came”.  When I was first ordained the Pentecostal movement, with marriage encounter Taizé and its prayer seemed to be flourishing with a promise of great things to come.  So after my first parish I had a minor sabbatical, a great window of experience….  most of it spent in America, where there was a lot of good experiences in the life of the church.  Now, in the light of our present experience, I feel the institutional church did not embrace the “Spirit of the times”.  After the 2nd Vatican Council with the closing of so many seminaries, and a closing of hearts to so many, promising sighs of spring.  Now I look forward to new life, the Synod opens the way if it is allowed to bring new life, a new Spring.  Remember seeds take time and the right environment to prosper and grow.  Please God, this will happen for us this Spring.

The second failure is actually two fold.  We have received “Missio” The Red Boxes, which over the years has played a good part in our “giving” and supporting new life in the church.  The material stimulate new hope “build a vibrant catholic church for the future”.  Also, the material used by St George’s church for confirmation preparation “The Alpha” youth discussion guide.  Hearing words of Deacon John’s excellent way of the cross, with the richness of the story, the script, the seeds are there.  It calls for the response.  So members in attendance were very disappointing.  Sincerely this time last week I had intended to attend, but a circumstance from the pandemic turned up and took priority.  It was something important ….  So prayers for guidance and who can give the best guidance “only the Holy Spirit”.  Let us this year prepare for Pentecost.