INVITED – GOD WITH US - Our third season has begun. This is a diocesan-wide opportunity for everyone to pause, reflect on and grow in their faith. You are invited to join a group of parishioners each Monday evening until Christmas in St James’ Room in the Parish Centre at 19:30, where a specially commissioned film will be shown, following the film there will a time to consider some prepared questions for discussion, in small groups followed by a time for prayer. There is no need to book - just turn up to the Parish Centre, any questions please email/phone Deacon Paul :  email: paul.fisher@abdiocese.org.uk or phone: 07979 755391

The first of two important Synod meetings will take place in Rome shortly, beginning on Wednesday 4th October. The Synod of Bishops will, for the first time, include non-Bishop voting members, comprising of a number of laymen people with the Catholic Church in England and Wales being well represented. Archbishop John Wilson, the Archbishop of Southwark, and Bishop Marcus Stock, Bishop of Leeds, were elected by their brother bishops to attend. Joining them will be Bishop Nicholas Hudson, an Auxiliary Bishop for the Diocese of Westminster - chosen by Pope Francis, and Professor Anna Rowlands and Austen Ivereigh chosen as expert facilitators. Fr Timothy Radcliffe, the Dominican preacher, will lead a retreat for all Synod members prior to the official opening. In a 20-minute conversation Fr Jan Nowotnik - who will attend as a voting member and whose doctoral thesis focused, in part, on the preparation for a Synodal Church - joins theologian Professor Anna Rowlands to preview the Synod. Both will be in Rome, and both will have a key role in proceedings. Speaking earlier this week, Fr Jan said: “I think what the Synod is, in Pope Francis’ mind, is about drawing all the members of the Church - and those beyond the Church - into a deeper relationship with God and a deeper relationship with each other. The Church exists to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ, and to bring his healing mercy to the Church.” You can follow the latest news and updates on this latest stage of the Synod on the CBCEW website:  www.cbcew.org.uk/previewing-the-synod-a-historic-moment-in-the-life-of-the-catholic-church/

We have received several applications from Pilgrims who will require assistance to join this year’s Lourdes Pilgrimage, but at this point we are short of Helpers. After two ‘grace years’ dictated by the pandemic we are conscious of people’s wellbeing, and we are having to look for more helpers than usual who are fit and well to support others. Subsidies are available for helpers to go towards them meeting the costs of the pilgrimage. As we currently stand, we will have to turn down some pilgrims who require assistance, if we do not get a significant number of fit helpers applying in the next few weeks, so please do apply if you can spare the time to help those in need. The Pilgrimage Office is happy to answer any questions anyone has prior to applying 01403 740110, office@ablourdes.org Helpers Apply now: lourdes.abdiocese.org.uk

• How is our Diocese responding to the call to answer the Synod questions? We have divided the questions asked by Rome into three sections - or sessions - under the headings Communion, Participation, & Mission. Each session has been devised to include opportunities for prayer, reflection, and scripture, and can be worked on as part of a group or individually. • Where should I send individual or group responses to the Synod questions? Feedback from your group or Parish is valuable and should be entered on the Diocese’s online Synod Form which can be found on our website: www.abdiocese.org.uk/synod The online form will be available throughout December and January. Individuals and group leaders can type their responses directly into the form, with the text box expanding as required. • Can I post my booklet to you, with hand-written answers? Yes, please send your submission by post to: Synod Responses, Formation Team, Bishop’s House, The Upper Drive, Hove. BN3 6NB. • What is the deadline for Synod responses? We need to receive online and postal responses by Friday 4th February 2022. This deadline will enable Bishop Richard and those helping him the necessary time to collate our diocesan submission. • Can I respond by myself, without being in a group? Yes. We would suggest that you use the booklet to help you reflect on the Synod questions. • Do I have to join a Parish group, or can I just talk with friends or family? There is no set format. You are welcome to have a range of conversations about the Synod questions with people of all ages across your community. THE SYNOD BOOKLET IS AVAILABLE FROM THE CHURCH NARTHEX AFTER MASS AT THE WEEKEND POPE FRANCIS IS VERY KEEN TO HAVE AS MANY ORDINARY PARISHIONERS TAKE PART AS POSSIBLE

Bishop Richard Moth visited St Paul’s Catholic Primary School in Thames Ditton on the 29th June 2021, to celebrate the feast day of St Peter and St Paul, and mark the occasion by officially opening and blessing their newly-created prayer garden. With plans to open the prayer garden in 2020 put on hold due to COVID-19, the school were delighted to finally enjoy this momentous occasion. All pupils and staff enjoyed a beautiful mass in Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, led by the Bishop, where the singing from several Y6 children filled the church delightfully. After the mass, every single child in the school placed a pebble, inscribed with their name, in the prayer garden, which was a truly touching moment for the children. After a moment of quiet contemplation, Bishop Richard blessed the garden and cut the ribbon, to a resounding cheer. As restrictions ease, the school are looking forward to opening the garden fully to the wider community.  The school R.E. Council were lucky enough to spend some time with the Bishop, sharing some of the activities they have been working on: the crowning of Mary, a whole school rosary challenge, a giant Sacred Heart of Jesus… and Bishop Richard’s personal favourite: Mary puppets! The children relished asking the Bishop questions (learning that he has met three Popes, travelled to many countries, and loves cheese!). In the afternoon, the Bishop was able to tour the school and meet all of the classes. Each child in the school was presented with their own Bible, to use in school until they leave at the end of Y6. The children had a fantastic day, and relished being a part of this truly memorable occasion.

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, This great Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ - Corpus Christi - calls us to reflect on the Lord’s gift of Himself in the Eucharist. This celebration is “the heart and summit of the Church’s life.” It is the greatest prayer, the highest action possible, for “Christ Himself, acting through the ministry of the priests, offered the Eucharistic sacrifice.” The Lord is truly present, sacramentally, and we are called to share in the gift of His Body and Blood. Through our sharing in Him, so we become ever closer to Him and to each other in the life and mission to which He has called us. The prayer of the Eucharist goes beyond our understanding and its impact on the life of the world will be greater than we can ever comprehend. In the Eucharist, the Lord calls us to “share in his divinity, as he humbled Himself to share in our humanity.” This is the great moment of conformity to Christ. The closeness that we have with Him through the Eucharist enables us to be the disciples He calls us to be; our Mission as His Church becomes possible. Let us pray and prepare ourselves that nothing would ever stand in the way of our openness to the gift and grace of the Eucharist. During this last year, it has not always been possible for us to gather for the celebration of Mass. There were times, in the early months of the pandemic, when the priest celebrated alone in the Church. Knowing that the Eucharist was being celebrated in those times was a source of blessing and the live-streaming of the Liturgy enabled great numbers of people to join the celebration remotely. This has been a gift and will continue to be so for those who are infirm and housebound. However, sharing ‘virtually’ in the celebration that is at the very heart of our lives will never be the ideal. We are remote from our brothers and sisters in our parish communities and while the Spiritual Communion brings many graces, the participation in the celebration of Mass is the source of our lives. On this Corpus Christi Day, therefore, I offer a deliberate invitation to return to the public celebration of Mass. Come once more to be with your sisters and brothers, gathered around the altar to meet with the Crucified and Risen Lord, truly present in the gift of the Sacrament. I call on you to extend this invitation to those whom you know who have not yet returned to the parish community. Extend this invitation to those who have found themselves searching for God during this time of pandemic, for we are at a moment of Evangelisation: the Lord calls us to action. The experience of the last year, with its many deep sufferings, calls us to rely on the One who brings us healing and wholeness - a healing and wholeness that we find in the Eucharist. “No other Sacrament” St Thomas Aquinas reminds us, “has greater healing power.” In the Eucharist, there is healing for ourselves, for our communities, for the world. The Eucharist is a gift so amazing that our faltering human language cannot grasp its wonder. The Lord gives us His very Self as the food for our pilgrimage of life. It is the Lord who sustains us, not simply as individuals but as a community, for the work He has given us to do. Our present circumstances call us to remain faithful to this greatest of all celebrations, for the Eucharist is the source from which our lives are fulfilled. It is the moment from which the Lord sends us out on the Mission to which He has called us. How can we stay away? With every Blessing,

CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE OF ENGLAND AND WALES Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The Solemnity of Pentecost reminds us that everything which exists, every person and the whole of creation, is a gift of “God the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.” God our loving Father creates and continues to give life to the world through His Word, Jesus Christ, in the power of His Holy Spirit. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Church, which we celebrate at Pentecost, is not something separate from Creation. God’s revelation of himself in Creation is inseparable from the revelation of his love for us in Christ and in his desire to live in us through his Holy Spirit. ‘God’s Spirit is always and everywhere “the Lord, the Giver of Life”, and the voice of Pentecost is echoed in the voice of creation being transformed into the glorious liberty of God’s children.’ In this liberty, as God’s children, we call on the Spirit to ‘renew the face of the Earth’, and as his children, we are called, in turn, to use this liberty for the good of creation and for the good of all that brings life. Our world, God’s creation, is a precious gift to us. It is our common home entrusted to each generation. But how have we used that glorious liberty? How do we honour this precious gift? Are we really demonstrating love, care and respect for our common home? As we celebrate Pentecost this year, we are acutely aware of the damage that continues to be inflicted on the Earth, and the repercussions for the well-being of our brothers and sisters, both here in our own countries and, more especially, in the poorest countries of our world. Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis have both taught us that everything is interconnected and interdependent. The way we live our everyday lives has an impact on everyone and on the earth. The urgency of the situation, and the enormity of the challenges we face, have spurred us to speak out together this Pentecost Sunday, as bishops of England, Wales and Scotland, about the role that the Catholic Church and our faith must play in our shared care for God’s gift to us. For all too long we have either been ignorant of, or ignored, the systematic exploitation of our planet and the unsustainable consumption of its resources. While accepting the crucial need and demand for energy for the benefit of the poorest of our brothers and sisters, the provision of our energy must, nonetheless, be by means which radically reduce the use of carbon-based fuels. In our political thinking, there must be a new global understanding of our world, where nations recognise our common responsibility for the dignity of all people and their rights to sustainable livelihoods, in authentic freedom. Pope Francis speaks of a global politics that looks beyond our own needs to the needs of all, most especially the poor and the marginalised. But we cannot leave the healing of our common home and the wellbeing and care of our brothers and sisters merely to a response from industry and governments. Our own local concern and action is necessary and has far-reaching consequences. We all have a part to play, each and every one of us, in the routines, choices and decisions of our everyday lives and our aspirations for the future. The actions of parishes, families, schools, and individuals will have a significant impact on our efforts to restore our common home. There are now many resources, freely available, to advise us on our choice of food, saving of water and electricity, suggestions about travel, waste, and re-use. These are measures that everyone can employ, in some degree, with minimal inconvenience and change. They are effective ways in which we can each reaffirm our personal vocation to be stewards of creation. This Pentecost comes at a time of remarkable challenge and opportunity. We are gradually emerging from the tragedies and restrictions of the pandemic. We have the ability to make changes. Our countries are also hosting two most important meetings this year, the G7 in June and COP26 in November. These meetings will gather together men and women who have the power to make defining choices and policies which will help us build back better, provide for our brothers and sisters, and take care of our common home.  In all our human endeavours, we need the presence of the Holy Spirit, “the Lord, the Giver of Life”, whose gift to the Church and the world we celebrate again at Pentecost. Let us keep this Feast with that enduring hope that we can begin to repair the damage we have done and provide a healthy home for future generations. Our hope will be strengthened by our prayer. May our constant request be that the Holy Spirit guide us, strengthen our resolve and ‘renew the face of the earth’

The Day of the Lord Gathering as Bishops in Conference this week, we wish to pay tribute to all in the Catholic community who have shown such courage, generosity and understanding in the face of adversity this past year. Across England and Wales, families and parish communities have risen to the challenge of sustaining one another through times of great isolation, loneliness and grief in an impressive variety of ways, spiritual, emotional and practical. We thank all who have worked tirelessly in prisons, in hospitals, care-homes and across the medical profession for giving of themselves so generously. We thank all who have worked valiantly in our schools, facing unforeseen demands and meeting them with characteristic professionalism and dedication. We wish also to pay tribute to those who have given of their time and energy to keep open our churches as havens of peace and prayer. Churches up and down the land have realised the vision of Pope Francis that they be like village-wells where the thirsty come to drink in the midst of their journey; and centres of “constant missionary outreach.” We thank all who have developed diverse new patterns of outreach - of prayer, catechesis, study and spiritual solidarity; all who have made participation in the Mass possible through the internet. Also prominent in this tribute should be thanks to all who have contributed to the immense effort of providing food for those most in need. The generosity shown in the distribution of so very many meals has given eloquent expression to the mercy, love and compassion which are at the very heart of God. Many have been touched by the joy of meeting Christ in the poor; and many of the poor by the joy of meeting Christ in selfless parishioners. The provision of food is often the first step into a deeper relationship of help and accompaniment, including the sharing of the gift of faith in our Blessed Lord. ‘Vibrant’ is a word which seems to have characterised so many of our parishes throughout the pandemic. We wish to salute our priests in particular for the leadership they have shown in this time of crisis. We thank them for their deep devotion to both the liturgy and to their parishioners. We commend every priest who made of his parish “a ‘sanctuary’ open to all” and with a particular care for the poor; and the many Deacons who have exercised with such generosity their mission of charity. What will be the pace of our emerging from this pandemic remains as yet unclear. What is clear is the challenge we face of bringing our communities and the practice of the faith to a still greater expression and strength. As your bishops, we are aware of a threefold pattern to this challenge. a) There are the fearful and weary, anxious about coming into the enclosed spaces of our churches; those who have simply lost the habit of coming to church. Personal contact, clear reassurance, and sensitive invitations will all be needed. b) There are those who will have reassessed their pattern of life and priorities. The practice of faith within the community of the Catholic Church may not be among those priorities. A gap may have opened up, or widened, between the spiritual dimension of their lives and any communal expression of that spiritual quest. They represent a particular focus and concern for our outreach. c) There are those whom we might describe as the ‘Covid curious,’ those who have come into contact with the Catholic Church through our presence on the internet – a contact we may be able to develop through our continuing presence across diverse media platforms. In facing these challenges, we are endowed with veritable treasures which serve to resource and enrich us. Among them are our schools, in which so many are regaining confidence to come together with others. We believe our schools can indeed be bridges back to church. There is also the remarkable work of social outreach which has grown exponentially during these long months of pandemic. On this, too, we must build. But the greatest treasure is, of course, the sacramental life of the Church, and, pre-eminently, the Eucharist. It is the Eucharist, the celebration of the Mass, that makes the Church; and it is the Church, in the gift of the Holy Spirit, which makes the Eucharist. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the lifeblood of the Church. It requires our active participation and, to be fully celebrated, our physical presence. At this moment, then, we need to have in our sights the need to restore to its rightful centrality in our lives the Sunday Mass, encouraging each to take his or her place once again in the assembly of our brothers and sisters. We face the task of seeking to nurture the sense of Sunday as “a weekly gift from God to his people,” and something we cannot do without; to see Sunday as the soul of the week, as giving light and meaning to all the responsibilities we live out each day; to see the Sunday Eucharist as food for the unique mission with which we have been endowed. In the time to come we can do no better than to rekindle in our hearts, foster and encourage, a yearning for the Real Presence of the Lord and the practice of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, a gift so deeply appreciated in these times of lockdown. We need to begin by fostering this in ourselves. For the Eucharist should be the cause of our deepest joy, our highest manner of offering thanks to God and for seeking his mercy and love. We need to make it the foundation stone of our lives. The invitation to Sunday Mass resonates all the more deeply when we consider, as Pope St John Paul II reminds us in the Encyclical Letter Dies Domini, that the Sabbath rest is nothing if not a call to remember the gift of God’s Creation. The Eucharist is indeed a celebration of the created world, called into life by the Eternal Word, for the bread and wine of the earth becomes the Body and Blood of Christ who is that same Lord of all life. The Christ to whom we come so close in the Eucharist must be the foundation of our strivings, not least in the urgent task we face of caring for creation and our environment. Pope St John Paul II spoke of our amazement at the gift of the Mass and the abiding Presence of our Blessed Lord in the Sacrament of the Altar. Herein lies our treasure, enriching our relationship with Jesus and bringing together every aspect of our life and mission. This is such an important focus for our task in the coming months.

We welcome the designation of Tuesday 23rd March as a National Day of Reflection to mark the anniversary of the first national lockdown with a minute’s silence at midday and doorstep vigils of light at 20.00. We ask you all to make this not only a Day of Reflection but also a Day of Prayer. In reflection we ponder on all that has taken place; in prayer we bring this to our Heavenly Father. For all who live by faith in God, reflection and prayer always go hand in hand. Prayer completes reflection. Reflection informs prayer. Prayer opens our life to its true horizon. Without prayer we live in a foreshortened world and are more easily swamped by its clamour and tragedy. Throughout this difficult year, so many have been inspired by prayer, so much effort sustained in prayer, in every place. So let us make the 23rd March truly a day of prayer. March 2020 was the first time our churches had to be closed. We invite everyone, to reflect and pray at some point during the day. We know this will involve an extra effort, but this can be part of our important contribution to a significant moment in the life of our country. Indeed, we ask that you might invite a friend, neighbour or colleague to pray with you. There is so much on which to reflect and include in our prayer. We reflect in sorrow on all those who have died, whether family members, friends or those unknown to us personally. We pray for them, asking our Father to welcome them into their heavenly home, the destiny for which God first gave us the gift of life. We reflect with compassion on all those who have suffered during this last year, whether through illness, stress, financial disaster or family tensions. We pray for their ongoing resilience, courage and capacity to forgive. We reflect with thanksgiving for the generosity, inventiveness, self-sacrifice and determination shown by so many in this most difficult of times. We pray for them, thanking God for their gifts and dedication, whether they are scientists, politicians, health workers, public servants of every kind, community leaders or steadfast family members and friends who continue to show such love and compassion. We reflect in hope that, as the pandemic is controlled and we open up our lives again, we will gather in the lessons we have learned and build our society into a better shape, more compassionate, less marked by inequalities, more responsive to needs and deprivation. We ask for the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen us in this endeavour, whether we are focussing on overcoming family breakdowns, economic recovery, or building political consensus. Christian prayer is, of course, centred on Jesus Christ, the one who is “lifted up” before us “so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him” (John 3.13). We pray with Jesus, in him and through him, for he is the one who carries us, and our prayers, into the embracing presence of his Father. He is our comfort in sorrow, our strength in the face of need, our rejoicing in the gifts we celebrate and our hope in the face of the weighty darkness of death. May Tuesday 23rd March be a great day of prayer that this pandemic comes to an end and that the gift of God’s Holy Spirit will carry us all forward to a new and better life, both here and in the world to come. Cardinal Vincent Nichols Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP President Vice-President