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How moving it was to be able to hold this important Mass once again.  Fr Rory and the Bereavement Team made it a very moving occasion.  Gary portraying our lost ones on the screen, was especially poignant, making us realise how many good people we have lost, including his own dear mother of course.  Refreshments in our hall meant we could all get together after our Mass thanks to our catering team. 

We are starting back with our over 50’s Afternoon Tea, 2pm – 4pm or 5pm:  Thursday 30th September and thereafter the last Thursday of every month.  Another opportunity to meet your fellow parishioners socially.  Our sales table will be up and running from that date, bargains galore.  If you have any suitable gifts for a table, please leave them in our church porch, labelled “Sales Table” or contact Joan on 07873 390844.  Thank you.

Of course both of the above two events are open to our friends at St George’s, as Fr Rory says, “we must get together more”.

Lunch at the Kings Head – Horsebridge, 12noon, Thursday 9th September:  Time is moving on till we have to give in our numbers,   I must have final numbers by Monday 6th September please, tel: Joan 07873 390944.  Thank you.  This is a very good opportunity to meet your fellow parishioners socially.  The menu at the Kings Head caters more for other dietary requirements, so hopefully more of you will join us.

St George’s Children’s Liturgy will resume on Sunday 12^th September in the hall during mass. All children primary age are welcome and parent/carers are welcome to stay with younger children if they wish.  

St George’s Remembrance Book – especially for the Celebration of Life and Faith mass, we will have a remembrance book available in Church from Sunday September 5^th.  If you or someone you know would like to have names added to the book please write them in or email the details to [email protected].

St George’s Celebration of Life and Faith – Sunday 26^th September 9am Mass, will be a special Mass of remembrance of those we have lost, especially those lost during the Covid-19 pandemic, but it will also be a celebration as our community returns to be together again.  We hope as many parishioners as possible will be able to attend.  After mass we will all gather in the remembrance garden where Father will bless the recently planted rose bushes in memory of all those whose lives we have celebrated during the service.  This will follow with a celebratory breakfast, raffle and tombola. 

Don’t let the celebrations end there – our children and their families are hoping you will join them to spend the rest of the morning and afternoon enjoying family games, bingo, quiz, and a lunch.  More info to follow but please do put the date in the diary and let others know.  All are welcome. 

Please RSVP – For catering purposes we would benefit from knowing numbers so please RSVP via the list at the back of church or call/text Sandra on 07791 627368. 

St Wilfrid’s Children’s Liturgy will commence weekly from 5th September, we are very happy to welcome two new catechists, Angie and Dawn as well as welcoming back Teresa and Annette, we would still love to have help with this rewarding aspect of our parish, as the youth are our future and have a lot to give and to learn. we are also commencing our family masses once a month at the end of the month. The first will be the very popular Harvest Mass. 

Harvest Family Mass – is on 26th September at 10.30. Our main projects are for Cafod and the Hailsham Food Bank.

St Wilfrid’s is now inviting parents to enrol their children in our First Holy Communion Programme for 2021. In our Diocese, the usual age for receiving this Sacrament for the first time is 8 years of age (children in Year 3 or above.) There will be an introductory meeting for parents and children on September 29^th at 6.30pm in the church hall, with a view to starting lessons in October.

Please contact Annette Wake 07839571916,  [email protected] or  Teresa Palmer on 07951082592, tpalmer2205@gmail before September 22^nd to reserve your child’s place. 

Presence” is more important than anything else in the Bible. When people say, “God was present,” the Bible chimes, “If God is not present, nothing is worthwhile.” This is a story about ‘presence’.

In the United States, the American Indian tribes, especially the northern tribes, had the custom of initiating their sons. Boys would be about eleven years old and what they were to do is their father would take their hand and bring them out into a forest, a deep and dense forest.

And he would have a little opening in the forest and he would sit his son down and he’d give him a shield. And he gave him a sword and he gave him nothing else.

And he said, “Now, you are about to become a man and this is where you’re going to defend. With your shield and your sword, you will defend us from all the evil things that live in this forest and all the terrible things that can happen with wild animals overrunning the Indian reservation,” and going on and on in this way.

And the little boy would be looking back into his father’s face.

And his father would leave him.

And then the little boy would sit down and he’d keep watch.

And the minutes passed and the hours passed and the darkness deepened and the howling of wild animals all around him, and he would sit there and he would look.

And then he would get up. And he paced back and forth. And he would be frightened, but he was a man now, he was not allowed to cry for help.

And so he did all night long until finally the sun goes up and his father came back. And his father took him in his arms — and the little boy was so happy — and he said, “Now, my child, you are now a man. You have stood up to defend your people in the terrible darkness and did not run away.”

(To be continued next week when we are told what the father was doing)

A heartfelt “thankyou” to all our friends at St George’s Church for a wonderful surprise  breakfast party last Sunday. The hall looked beautiful, and the food was delicious, thanks to a number of skilled cooks, bakers and planners, who worked so secretly!  We were presented with  beautiful gifts and cards, for which we thank you all.  You welcomed us warmly when we arrived here 19 years and we have enjoyed warmth, true friendship and love from the whole congregation and Father Rory; leaving you all is hard, and we are moving only to be closer to our family  in Newick, which  not  far away, so we can look forward to seeing you all again, both in church and on more social occasions.  We will carry your love and friendship in our hearts.  Margaret and Charles