Young Adults Day at the Seaside with Fr Stephen Ortiger – Saturday 20 August 11am – 3pm
Mass at Our lady Star of the Sea, East Preston, followed by a walk on the beach and a shared lunch at a beachside café. Contact E: [email protected] for more information.
Children’s liturgy will resume at St George’s and St Wilfrid’s on Sunday September 11th and we look forward to welcoming the children back, hearing all about their summer adventures and working towards this year’s Harvest celebrations with them.
If you or your child are aged between 11 and 19 and want to find out more about our Newly established Parish Youth Group please join us on Sunday 9th October, 4pm at St George’s Church Hall Polegate. Light snacks and refreshments will be served.
At the meeting we will:
– outline our planned programme of Confirmation preparation Sessions for those wishing to prepare for receiving the sacrament in May 2023 (age 14 -19). Please ensure you attend if you or your child will be wanting to take part in this programme.
– Consider areas of parish life our youth would like to become more involved in. Some of our teenagers already read, serve etc. but we would love for all of them to consider helping with one small responsibility within any of our Church ministries, from serving teas, reading, welcoming, creating displays, offertory etc.
– ask our teenagers what types of activities they would like offered by the parish to enable them to enjoy more time together.
Once established, Our Parish Youth Group, plans to gather once termly and is open to all our older parish children/teenagers and their friends and intends to focus on learning, sharing, serving, fellowship, spiritual growth and fun.
Please email [email protected] or call 07791 627368 for further information.
Please God
We will have a successful Centenary Celebration for 100 years of faith, perseverance and hope, and we will lay firm foundations for the next hundred years. We are blessed with Christ’s message of eternal life, and in the here and now there are trials through which we triumph by the power of Him who loves us.
Prayers and best wishes to you all through the remainder of the holiday season. May they be a time of happiness and relaxation, and God’s safety be with you in your travels.
God bless.
The Relics of St Bernadette will soon be journeying to the UK for the very first time. The sacred Relics will visit our Diocese and the Knights of St Columba are arranging a coach to visit Worth Abbey on Monday 24 October. We will be leaving about 11am with pickups in Eastbourne, Polegate and Hailsham. Further details from Bob on 01323 847014.
‘Sharing the Church’s Story’ Conference – Saturday 17 September 2022 10am – 6pm
Catholic Voices and Word on Fire are hosting a one-day conference at Friends House, Euston Road, London called ‘Sharing the Church’s Story’. Come and join 1000 Catholics who are passionate about the renewal of the Church in the UK and a host of dynamic speakers including the internationally renowned speaker and author, Bishop Robert Barron. So, whether you are a volunteer, parent, catechist, clergy, religious, or just want a boost for your faith life, then this conference is for you. Register/find out more? W: www.sharingthechurchsstory.com
Countdown to our Centenary Celebration
Preparation has taken place, and a lot of work has to be done for what I am sure will be a very important event for our parish. The time and the date was dictated by the time that the first Mass was said in a church here in Hailsham 100 years ago. The implications has been that it is not an ideal time, an inconvenient date for priests and ministers. But I am sure that the outcome for our parish will be well served in that it prepares the way for a new generation.
When I was in the seminary fifty years ago, we thought that a time of great hope was on its way. It did provide a window of great opportunity, with the emphasis of Pope John 23rd to open up the windows and let in a lot more light. Unfortunately we find that the great majority of young people have lost touch with the church and are distanced from it. They do not see it as a challenge with a great lot to offer. The shock of scandals and especially the paedophile crisis has afflicted many, it is a great stain upon the church. Unless there is a great response from our church, attitudes are not likely to change anytime soon.
But for us the great truth is “to whom shall we turn, you have the message of eternal life”. Preparation for the Synod. Many years ago we were presented with Renew. We were in our parish with a team ministry, trying to put into place what I hope we now can do. As a parish team we took on board the renew process with the renew “Acorn – Oak Tree” which all parishes received after a ceremony in Brighton & Hove Football Ground. Ours is flourishing outside the church where we were serving i.e. St Paul’s Church in Haywards Heath. I have yet to see another, but I am sure there must be some in our diocese. Please God, with all my heart and my soul, I pray that we can do better this time.
The Relics of St Bernadette will be journeying to the UK for the first time this Autumn visiting 51 venues across England, Scotland and Wales. The sacred Relics will visit our Diocese and the Knights of St Columba are arranging a coach to visit Worth Abbey on Monday 24 October. No times or costs are yet available but if you are interested in reserving a place on the coach please advise Bob on 01323 847014.
The Parish of Our Lady of Ransom, St Gregory and St Agnes (Eastbourne) is seeking to employ a Pastoral Assistant to begin in post in early September. This role will be 8 hours per week (£11ph). The role will be to support the parish in the development of pastoral and sacramental programmes, to oversee the coordination and resourcing of catechists and all those in the many lay ministries in the parish. If you would like further details or wish to apply for this role please contact Fr Kevin Dring (Parish Priest) by email via the Parish Office: [email protected] The closing date for applications is 9am on Friday 5th August.
Treasured Memories
In our preparations to celebrate the Centenary of the celebration of the first mass to be offered in church here in Hailsham, a memorial stone for those who have gone before us is help to our remembrance. Many stand out for their contribution to our story, including Dorothy Blake. For me, June Bell stands out, as her husband, John, (still alive) has just celebrated (his centenary) 100th Birthday. No more years driving his car; but just before the pandemic he was comfortable driving, with his doctors permission. They have been particularly generous to us in their support .
Now we need a new generation and this has given us a great focus. The leaders of our young persons liturgy are one of my joys and great hope. So far, so good, the work that they do is so vital, inspiring and our best reason for hope. They are laying out the foundations for the necessary building that has to be done if we are to have our churches here for our community. There is a growing great bond between our churches here and the one at St George’s in Polegate. Preparation for the Synod and developing relations are an essential factor for the future and their help with the celebration is an important factor.
We will continue to respond to the preparation for the Synod. Recently I was given an inspiration from Teresa Palmer. She brought to my attention the renew process which was adopted by the Diocese. Their focus which I have been referring to is a seed, an acorn which when it grows becomes a great oak tree. I have just received a photo of the Oak Tree that is now outside St Paul’s Church in Haywards Heath when we were there responding to the diocesan decision to adopt the renew process. I often wonder where all the other oak trees are up and down the diocese. To be continued …….
