Latest News

The new Eastbourne Catenian website is now on-line at www.eastbournecatenians.com News of Catenian social, charitable and religious work in Eastbourne and worldwide including India, Zimbabwe and Myanmar as well as Filipinos in the UK and the canonisation of John Henry Newman.

Children’s Liturgy “All Saints Celebration” The Children’s Liturgy families of St George’s will celebrate “All Saints” on Friday 1^st November at Wilderness Woods (http://wildernesswood.org). We will meet at the Wilderness Café at 12 pm; we will have a lovely walk and a campfire, where we will roast chestnuts, sweet potatoes and marshmallows. All welcome! 

Bishop Richard’s Visit to St. George’s was a great success. The Bishop celebrated Mass with Fr Rory and thanked us all for the support we are giving to Father during his recuperation. Bishop Richard commented that Father looked “ten years younger!” The Mass was followed by a delicious Continental breakfast in the Hall. The church and hall were bedecked with beautiful flowers, there was food in abundance and everyone enjoyed talking to Bishop Richard as he spent time with us. Warmest thanks to everyone who contributed in any way to the festive atmosphere – without such a supportive and willing team of helpers these occasions would not happen. Thank you also to parishioners from both our churches who gave their time to celebrate with us.

Friday Nov 1st is All Saints Day and is a Holyday of Obligation.  Mass at St George’s at 10am and St Wilfrid’s at 11.30am.  Fr Rory will bless the graves at Hailsham after the 11.30 mass.  Deacon John will bless the graves in the memorial garden at St George’s after the 9am Mass on Sunday Nov 3rd and at Willingdon cemetery at 11.30am.

Deacon John Writes:

If you are a cat lover some of this will, I hope, resonate with you. If you are not a real cat lover I hope this will, at least, interest you, and, possibly give you some food for thought this week. It is loosely based on a little book with the title “Gospel for cat lovers” by Susan Sayers.

Have you ever thought that praying is like a cat climbing on to the warm lap of the one it trusts and settling there without them getting up whenever the phone rings? Again have you ever thought about what it might be like for a cat waiting to come into the house after being out in a cold night? To a cat it is part of God’s loving kindness when the light comes on in the kitchen when its owner comes down in the morning! Does the cat think of heaven when all the homes in its street think you belong to them and welcome you with food and warm places to sleep? I wonder if the cat thinks of God’s love when it is curls up on the duvet in that warm dent beside a sleeping person. God’s love is like the cat being pleased to see us when we turn the key in the lock and purrs when it is stroked. God knows our sadness and comforts us. This is rather like cats often sensing when someone needs a warm furry friend to snuggle up to. 

A final thought: God’s love is warm, comforting and practical, like fur, wear it constantly, as part of your skin. Like fur, our relationship with God needs regular maintenance. He is the one we can trust because he knows us and understands all our ways.