A Parish of the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton
SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH
Holy Mass
Weekdays Tuesday - Friday 09.30
Saturday Vigil Mass 18.00, Sunday 09.00 & 11.00
Reconciliation available Saturday 17.00-17.30
Please check our weekly newsletter for any changes to the schedule
The new edition of our Deanery newsletter is now available at the back of Church/on the Parish website (www.sacredheartcobham.org.uk) and is an invitation to celebrate so many wonderful things that have been going on in the Deanery. There's also an account of the conversations that clergy have been having about pastoral provision in the times to come and some of the important principles that have been at the heart of their discussions. Please do have a read, and, as we look forward to welcoming Fr Stephen Wang as our new Bishop, let’s remember Archbishop Richard’s constant refrain that ‘all is to be rooted in prayer.’ VIEW THE FULL NEWSLETTER HERE
The musings of one of God’s smallest creatures on events in and around the Parish over the past seven days . . . . Once again a busy week around The Presbytery, as schools and families begin to get ready for the summer holiday . . . . At our Parish Masses last Sunday an infant celebrated the Rite of Welcome as part of the family’s preparations for Baptism at the 09.00 and at the 11.00 we celebrated the Baptism of three older children who have spent nearly a year in preparation for their ‘big day.’ This Sunday we will be celebrating the Baptism of three infants at 12.15 - all proof of the existence of a vibrant Catholic community here in Cobham! On Monday (supposedly a day off!) Fr D had to attend yet another Deanery Clergy Meeting to continue looking at the provision of Mass and pastoral care in our Epsom area. This has been made more urgent with the news that Fr Charles Howell will be leaving Effingham and Fetcham in the autumn and will not be replaced. (More news on developments locally in this new edition of our Deanery newsletter.) Tuesday after celebrating Morning Prayer, Mass, and Exposition Fr D was down in the diocesan offices in Crawley and, whilst there, met Fr Stephen Wang who will be ordained as the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton during October. In the evening Fr D met with the Parish Finance Committee for their second quarterly meeting for the current year. The project to ensure a ‘lone worker’ safety zone for Sarah in the Parish Office which has been on the agenda for over a year finally seems to be coming to fruition. The door to the Parish Office upstairs in the Parish Centre will soon have alterations made to it leading to a video doorbell with two way communication and electronic lock which will give admission control. This will enable us to ‘tick off’ a health and safety issue that we have known about for a while. Later in the summer it is hoped that the second phase of the security fencing around the parish property (Leg of Mutton field and sisters garden) will be completed - this will ease the sisters worries concerning occasional ingress to their property through ours. Late September/October it is hoped that the third and final phase of the renovated church lighting will be completed - this will see all of the oblong halogen units along the main roof area removed in favour of lighting hidden above the pelmet around the church. There have also been issues with some of the rainwater drainage behind the Parish Centre and either side of the bicycle rack outside the church, this will involve excavating the drains and building a new soakaway.
We are in the midst of a period of hearing Gospel readings about the Kingdom of God and how God is active in the world, sometimes in subtle ways. At the same time, the First and Second readings point out other characteristics of God. The First Reading, from the book of Wisdom, was written in the decades around Jesus’ birth. The author stresses how mighty and powerful God is, yet how God is also tolerant, forgiving, and kind. Paul’s words to the Romans teach that the Spirit of our God speaks in and through us, especially when we don’t know how to pray. Taken together, all three readings today provide hope that God is alive and active in our lives, whether we always recognize it or not. The parables of the mustard seed and the yeast which leavens the bread are well-known parables that point to God’s ability to bring about great things starting with something small and seemingly insignificant. In fact, that is a theme found throughout the Bible. The entire Jewish race begins because of Abraham and Sarah’s faithfulness. The boy David defeats the giant Goliath. The small band of Hebrew slaves escapes the mighty Egyptian army. An unwed teenager says yes to bearing the Son of God. God is born into a stable and wrapped in rags because his parents are poor refugees. Jesus reminds his disciples to have hope and trust that God can and does, work through small things to do great things. On the other hand, the parable about the wheat and the weeds seems to make a different point: we must have patience when we experience good and evil existing side-by-side in our world. Just as the farmer had no control over the fact that weeds were growing amidst his wheat crop, we have no control over bad things that happen to us. We can do all that is possible to cultivate the good (by sowing good seeds), but we have to live with both unexpected and disappointing outcomes. As the farmer teaches his crew, it is not their job to sift out the bad from the good. Ultimately that is God’s job. In the meantime, God invites us to live, and still grow together with the bad in the world. Questions of the Week • When have you seen some small act of courage or love have a profound effect on others? • What “weeds” or unwanted problems are you allowing to grow in your life?
A missionary from Bethlehem, The Holy Land, will visit us once again on the weekend of 25th - 26th July to briefly talk about the Holy Land and sell religious articles made out of Olive Wood to help and support the poor Christian families, any help you could give to them will be highly appreciated.
Welcome to the Parish of the Sacred Heart
The Parish of the Sacred Heart is an active Roman Catholic community within the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton for those living in the environs of Cobham, Stoke D’Abernon and Oxshott. Comprised of people from all walks of life, from different age groups and diverse cultures the Parish is an active community offering spiritual and pastoral support in the Catholic tradition. If you are thinking about coming to live in the area or are already in residence you are very welcome to join our community you can be assured of a welcome, being offered a wide range of spiritual and educational support. We also run a thriving Sunday school providing Religious Education for children from four to fourteen years of age and provides preparation for the Sacraments of First Reconciliation, First Eucharist and Confirmation.
Live Stream Status - Normal Please check newsletter for Mass Times
Quote of the week
"The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives
fully is
prepared to die at any time - Author unknown
Parish News
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Parish News
Our very latest news updates and information about Parish activities.
The musings of one of God’s smallest creatures on events in and around the Parish over the past seven days . . . . Once again a busy week around The Presbytery, as schools and families begin to get ready for the summer holiday . . . . At our Parish Masses last Sunday an infant celebrated the Rite of Welcome as part of the family’s preparations for Baptism at the 09.00 and at the 11.00 we celebrated the Baptism of three older children who have spent nearly a year in preparation for their ‘big day.’ This Sunday we will be celebrating the Baptism of three infants at 12.15 - all proof of the existence of a vibrant Catholic community here in Cobham! On Monday (supposedly a day off!) Fr D had to attend yet another Deanery Clergy Meeting to continue looking at the provision of Mass and pastoral care in our Epsom area. This has been made more urgent with the news that Fr Charles Howell will be leaving Effingham and Fetcham in the autumn and will not be replaced. (More news on developments locally in this new edition of our Deanery newsletter.) Tuesday after celebrating Morning Prayer, Mass, and Exposition Fr D was down in the diocesan offices in Crawley and, whilst there, met Fr Stephen Wang who will be ordained as the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton during October. In the evening Fr D met with the Parish Finance Committee for their second quarterly meeting for the current year. The project to ensure a ‘lone worker’ safety zone for Sarah in the Parish Office which has been on the agenda for over a year finally seems to be coming to fruition. The door to the Parish Office upstairs in the Parish Centre will soon have alterations made to it leading to a video doorbell with two way communication and electronic lock which will give admission control. This will enable us to ‘tick off’ a health and safety issue that we have known about for a while. Later in the summer it is hoped that the second phase of the security fencing around the parish property (Leg of Mutton field and sisters garden) will be completed - this will ease the sisters worries concerning occasional ingress to their property through ours. Late September/October it is hoped that the third and final phase of the renovated church lighting will be completed - this will see all of the oblong halogen units along the main roof area removed in favour of lighting hidden above the pelmet around the church. There have also been issues with some of the rainwater drainage behind the Parish Centre and either side of the bicycle rack outside the church, this will involve excavating the drains and building a new soakaway.
Many thanks to all our volunteers who help to provide coffee after church and to those parishioners who come along and make it an enjoyable social event. Due to the generosity of everyone we have been able to donate £500 to Cobham Food Bank this year, which is sorely needed. We are grateful to our volunteers who are taking a step back and welcoming several new volunteers in September. There will be coffee after 11 o'clock mass up to 19th July and then a break for the summer, see you in September. If anyone would like to help in any way, please get in touch with Diane Yearley 07927 397936.
OUR PARISH SUPPORTS THE COBHAM AREA FOODBANK Please can you help local people in crisis by purchasing items on the list below and placing them in the Foodbank’s collection point in the narthex when to come to Mass at the weekend?
The musings of one of God’s smallest creatures on events in and around the Parish over the past seven days . . . . Another busy week here at The Presbytery as Fr D got together materials for several meetings that he was involved in through the week . . . . At all of our Masses last weekend there was an appeal for the HCPT Lourdes Pilgrimage Group that Fr D travels with each year after Easter. The leader of the Group was able to talk a little about the origins of the Children’s Pilgrimage and give a little taste of what the children do during their week each year. Several parishioners took the opportunity to talk to the two Group representatives after each Mass and at coffee after the 11.00 Mass. Early on Monday morning Fr D was up and about to give access to the electrical engineers who made a start on ‘Phase Two’ of the reworking of the church lighting system. This involved altering the round spotlights throughout the building from halogen units (240w) to LED units (50w) and ensuring each was reinforced where necessary to take bulbs that are four times the weight of the old ones! Just to be certain each unit is now held with a short length of aircraft grade wire to ensure that there will be no accidents! The smaller amount of power that the new units use will make a considerable dent in the lighting electricity bills in the future (as well as lasting much longer before replacement becomes necessary)! After celebrating Morning Prayer, Mass, and Exposition on Tuesday, Fr D took off down to Crawley in the car to continue work on two cases he will soon call to judgement, as well as answering an increasing number of canonical queries that seem to come in to the Tribunal office. After Morning Prayer and Mass on Wednesday Fr D had a meeting with the Clergy Welfare Officer for Surrey. This involves a chat during which the officer checks that Fr D is looking after himself (eating properly etc.), taking his day off each week, and being in reasonable contact with other clergy locally. She also reminded him that he really ought to avail himself of the diocesan ’health check’ at some point (when there’s time). Following Morning Prayer and Mass on Thursday Fr D did not go down to Crawley for his second day of Tribunal work as he had a Teams Meeting of the Trustees of the Bosco Catholic Education Trust. Fr D joined via teams because the meeting was taking place in Hastings and he had other things that he needed to do which precluded travelling for that long (and the heat was not the best thing to be driving in) . . . . . .
Parish Priest Notices
Important items highlighted by Fr. Daryl. These will contain news elements & important requests
Application Forms for next year’s 1st Reconciliation and 1st Eucharist Programmes are now available from the Sacristy after our weekend Masses. Prospective candidates: • need to have been born before 31st August 2019, • be in at least Year 3 when schools re-commence in September, • and, of course, be attending our weekend and Holy Day Masses along with their family. It is very difficult to imagine that someone who is not presently attending our community on a regular basis could possibly be prepared and ready to receive a sacrament within the next year. Parents only (not grandparents or friends) should collect the application which needs to be completed and returned by 18.00 on 31st August 2026 (sorry, no late applications can be accepted).
What is Gift Aid?
The new edition of our Deanery newsletter is now available at the back of Church/on the Parish website (www.sacredheartcobham.org.uk) and is an invitation to celebrate so many wonderful things that have been going on in the Deanery. There's also an account of the conversations that clergy have been having about pastoral provision in the times to come and some of the important principles that have been at the heart of their discussions. Please do have a read, and, as we look forward to welcoming Fr Stephen Wang as our new Bishop, let’s remember Archbishop Richard’s constant refrain that ‘all is to be rooted in prayer.’ VIEW THE FULL NEWSLETTER HERE
We are in the midst of a period of hearing Gospel readings about the Kingdom of God and how God is active in the world, sometimes in subtle ways. At the same time, the First and Second readings point out other characteristics of God. The First Reading, from the book of Wisdom, was written in the decades around Jesus’ birth. The author stresses how mighty and powerful God is, yet how God is also tolerant, forgiving, and kind. Paul’s words to the Romans teach that the Spirit of our God speaks in and through us, especially when we don’t know how to pray. Taken together, all three readings today provide hope that God is alive and active in our lives, whether we always recognize it or not. The parables of the mustard seed and the yeast which leavens the bread are well-known parables that point to God’s ability to bring about great things starting with something small and seemingly insignificant. In fact, that is a theme found throughout the Bible. The entire Jewish race begins because of Abraham and Sarah’s faithfulness. The boy David defeats the giant Goliath. The small band of Hebrew slaves escapes the mighty Egyptian army. An unwed teenager says yes to bearing the Son of God. God is born into a stable and wrapped in rags because his parents are poor refugees. Jesus reminds his disciples to have hope and trust that God can and does, work through small things to do great things. On the other hand, the parable about the wheat and the weeds seems to make a different point: we must have patience when we experience good and evil existing side-by-side in our world. Just as the farmer had no control over the fact that weeds were growing amidst his wheat crop, we have no control over bad things that happen to us. We can do all that is possible to cultivate the good (by sowing good seeds), but we have to live with both unexpected and disappointing outcomes. As the farmer teaches his crew, it is not their job to sift out the bad from the good. Ultimately that is God’s job. In the meantime, God invites us to live, and still grow together with the bad in the world. Questions of the Week • When have you seen some small act of courage or love have a profound effect on others? • What “weeds” or unwanted problems are you allowing to grow in your life?
This is one of Jesus’ more famous parables, commonly called “The Parable of the Sower” or “The Parable of the Seed.” It briefly describes a scenario that makes sense to most listeners. Of course, seeds sown on a path, on rocky ground, and among thorns wouldn’t produce much, if any, harvest. And, of course, seed sown in fertile soil should produce a very good harvest. Anyone who knows anything about seeds and plants would understand this, so what is the point Jesus is trying to make? Knowing Jesus, the disciples immediately realise that a seemingly straightforward parable has a deeper meaning than what we under stand on the surface. They also recognise that not everyone will read a more profound message into a simple parable, so they ask Jesus why he teaches like this. This Gospel passage comes after Jesus has just clashed with the scribes and Pharisees, the ones who think they know-it-all when it comes to God and religion. He had been healing people and casting out demons, and many people in the crowds received him with humility and gratitude. The scribes and the Pharisees, on the other hand, wouldn’t accept the good work he was doing at face value, and they accused him of working for Satan. Jesus points out to his disciples that those religious leaders are just like their ancestors who refused to listen to the prophets of old. As the saying goes, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t force it to drink.” The Pharisees and scribes could see the good and miraculous things Jesus was doing, but they wilfully closed their ears and eyes to how God was acting in and through Jesus. At the same time, many people in the crowd were proving to be “good soil,” hearing and seeing how God was acting in the world. Questions of the week Share about a time when you have witnessed someone open to experience God’s amazing or miraculous growth. At this point in your life, what kind of soil would you say you are?
Parish /
Diocesan Events
OUR DIAMOND JUBILEE - VIEW THE GALLERY
PRAY FOR OUR BISHOP RICHARD MOTH
As a Parish we encourage our community to pray for our shepherd, Bishop Richard as he leads our Diocese.
Diocesan News
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Bishop Richard - News & Podcasts
PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE DIOCESE HAVE WELCOMED THE APPOINTMENT OF FR STEPHEN WANG AS OUR NEW BISHOP - Speaking about the appointment earlier this week, Fr Stephen, expressed “gratitude, trepidation, excitement and curiosity.” In an interview, Fr Stephen highlighted the importance of getting to know the people of the Diocese: “I’m sure there’ll be a lot of time and energy to put into meeting people and getting to know them,” he said, “that will be the most important thing, along with praying with them, learning what’s going on for them, and them getting to know me as their bishop, and their friend as well.”
28th May, 12.00, Arundel Cathedral. Join the priests of our Diocese who are celebrating 25, 40, 50 and 60 years of priestly ordination, to give thanks for their years of service at this special Mass in Arundel Cathedral. All are welcome. [ PLEASE NOTE : due to the jubilarians Mass there will be no Mass in the Parish on Thursday 28th May.]
Bishop Richard - A talk on Mary leading us to Her Son
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Vocations
Are you feeling increasingly compelled to spend time with Jesus? Do you find that your time is spent seeking him and all things connected with him?
