Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Writing in the Acts of the Apostles, St Luke records St Peter’s words to the Sanhedrin: “We are witnesses to all this.” This is as true for us as it was for the Apostles. The history of the Church gives us so many examples of martyrs and confessors of faith who put their witnessing to the Resurrection before all else. We are their successors and we share their responsibility. This may seem a daunting task but, like them, we are guided by the Holy Spirit. At this time when the Cardinals are preparing for the conclave, let us pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon them, in their solemn task of electing the next successor of St Peter. I ask your prayers, too, for the young people of our Diocese who, over the coming weeks, will receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation. This is an important moment for each of them, as they take this very significant step on the path of discipleship. It is also a time of celebration for the whole Diocese, as we rejoice in their openness to the life of the Gospel and pray that they will take their place in the mission of the Church.  With every blessing,

IMPORTANT: Saturday 26th April 2025  Due to Pope Francis’ funeral Mass taking place at 9:00am BST this coming Saturday, morning Mass at St John’s will be celebrated at 8:00am, with no Adoration, Benediction or Confession.

FRIDAY 25th April 2025 6.15pm – 8:00PM Please join us for a Requiem Mass for His Holiness Pope Francis , starting at 6:15pm , followed by a Prayer Vigil with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, on the eve of Pope Francis’ funeral.

Please view our full schedule of Holy Week and Easter Services - download HERE (PDF) Copies are also available from the back of the Church. Please take one home with you and encourage family and friends to join us as we celebrate Holy Week and Easter.

If you do not usually attend Mass on Maundy Thursday or Holy Saturday, or the Passion on Good Friday, I would definitely encourage you to try it this year. The celebrations are long and take our time and effort, but they are irreplaceable, rich, beautiful. The importance of Holy Week is summed up by the little phrase the priest uses at the start of the Palm Sunday liturgy: "Let us commemorate the Lord's entry into the city for our salvation, following in his footsteps, so that being made by his grace partakers of the Cross we may have a share also in his Resurrection and in his life". 'Partakers' is the mot juste. Holy Week is not just any old festival, it is a sacramental participation in the life and death of the Lord Jesus Himself. We "follow in his foosteps" in two ways that are interconnected. The first way is by really celebrating the Word of God in a very serious manner. Throughout the different liturgies, we eat a veritable banquet of the Scripture, comprising all the greatest mysteries of our life, from the creation of the world to the last hours of Jesus' earthly life, His death, and His rising. At the same time, we enact those mysteries through liturgical action engaging our senses: the waving of palms, the washing of feet, the veneration of the Cross, the lighting of the Paschal Candle, and so on. Secondly, we "follow in his footsteps" by letting this Word change our hearts. For example, spending time in meditation before the Blessed Sacrament on Holy Thursday is not just remembering Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, but it is really joining with Him there, praying for the whole world and asking for the strength to die to sin with Him. Celebrating the blessing of the font at the Easter Vigil is not just a recalling of baptism, but a real refreshing of our baptismal grace that flows from the life of the Rising Christ Himself. Holy Week marks and shapes our Christan life entirely. On Easter Sunday, we will all renew our commitment to God as Christians, and the Holy Spirit will mark one of our number in the Sacrament of Confirmation, making him a full member of the Church's family. He will receive the Lord who was crucified and became our food for the first time in the Eucharist, just as we celebrate Christ, the New Passover, who is sacrificed. Holy Week is not just thinking about salvation -it is actually about being saved.  At the end of the Easter Vigil, the priest blesses the people saying: "Now that the days of the Lord's Passion have drawn to a close, may you who celebrate the gladness of the Paschal Feast come with Christ's help and exulting in spirit, to those feasts that are celebrated in eternal joy." We pray that, with Christians around the world, we will celebrate this week as fully as we can - and that we will celebrate it one day, not in sacraments, but in the presence of the Holy Trinity itself, with the saints in heaven. We pray especially this year for Christians in the Holy Land, and in our parish for Gregory Cooper, as he is received into the universal Church.

BISHOP OF ARUNDEL & BRIGHTON Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I wish to speak with you today about the process in which our Parliament is currently considering legalising assisted suicide through the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. As I have made clear earlier in this debate, as Catholics we have maintained a principled objection to this change in law recognising that every human life is sacred, coming as a gift of God and bearing a God-given dignity. We are, therefore, clearly opposed to this Bill in principle, elevating, as it does, the autonomy of the individual above all other considerations. The passage of the Bill through Parliament will lead to a vote in late April on whether it progresses further. This will be a crucial moment and I, together with all the Bishops of England and Wales, am writing to ask your support in urging your MP to vote against this Bill at that time. There are serious reasons for doing so. At this point we wish not simply to restate our objections in principle, but to emphasise the deeply flawed process undergone in Parliament thus far. We wish to remind you that it is a fundamental duty of every MP to ensure that legislation is not imposed on our society which has not been properly scrutinised and which will bring about damaging consequences. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill will fundamentally change many of the key relationships in our way of life: within the family, between doctor and patient, within the health service. Yet there has been no Royal Commission or independent inquiry ahead of its presentation. It is a Private Member’s Bill. The Bill itself is long and complex and was published just days before MPs voted on it, giving them inadequate time to consult or reflect upon it. The time for debate was minimal. The Committee examining the Bill took only three days of evidence: not all voices were heard, and it comprises an undue number of supporters of the Bill. In short, this is no way to legislate on such an important and morally complex issue. One consequence of this flawed process is that many vital questions remain unanswered. Can MPs guarantee that the scope of the Bill will not be extended? In almost every country where assisted suicide has been introduced the current scope is wider than was originally intended. What role, if any, will the judiciary have in the process? We were told that judicial oversight was a necessary and vital part of the process; now we are told it isn’t needed at all. What will protect the vulnerable from coercion, or from feeling a burden on family? Can the National Health Service cope with assisted suicide or will it, as the Health Secretary has warned, cause cuts elsewhere in the NHS? Can MPs guarantee that no medical practitioner or care worker would be compelled to take part in assisted suicide? Would this mean the establishment of a ‘national death service’? In contrast to the provisions of this Bill, what is needed is first-class, compassionate palliative care at the end of our lives. This is already provided to many in our society but, tragically, is in short supply and underfunded. No-one should be dispatched as a burden to others. Instead, a good society would prioritise care for the elderly, the vulnerable, and the weak. The lives of our families are richer for cherishing their presence. It is a sad reflection on Parliament’s priorities that the House of Commons spent far more time debating the ban on fox hunting than it is spending debating bringing in assisted suicide. I am sure that you will share these concerns. It is now clear that this measure is being rushed without proper scrutiny and without fundamental questions surrounding safeguards being answered. This is a deeply flawed Bill with untold unintended consequences. Every MP, and Government, has a solemn duty to prevent such legislation reaching the statute book. This, tragically, is what may happen. So I appeal to you: even if you have written before, please make contact now with your MP and ask them to vote against this Bill not only on grounds of principle but because of the failure of Parliament to approach this issue in an adequate and responsible manner. In his Letter to the Philippians, from which we heard in the Second Reading, St Paul reflects on the difficulties and responsibilities of life. He speaks of ‘pressing on’ and ‘striving’ for the fulness of life promised in Christ Jesus. Yet he is totally confident in his struggles because, as he says, ‘Christ Jesus has made me his own’. We too have many struggles. We too know that Christ Jesus has made us his own. So we too press on with this struggle, so important in our times. May God bless you all,

THE DIOCESAN PASTORAL PLAN - which will see all the parishes in our current Crawley Deanery become one parish in the next few years should be a great opportunity for us to think how we can pool our resources and get creative as the people of God; worshipping Jesus ("Prayer"), deepening our understanding of the faith to become better disciples ("Formation") and sharing the Gospel ("Mission") better in our area. Fr Tristan would be interested to hear your ideas as to how the areas you are engaged in as volunteers could benefit from linking with our neighbouring communities, or any other advantages we are likely to gain from the amalgamation. Please submit your positive ideas by e-mail to the Parish Office ( horsham@abdiocese.org.uk ). Please use the headings "Prayer", "Formation" and Mission" to structure your thoughts. You won't receive a reply to your message (this is merely about listening and gathering ideas) but your contributions will be collated, appreciated and read. Thank you!

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, This Sunday we celebrate Laetare Sunday - the Latin word from the beginning of this Sunday’s Entrance Antiphon at Mass - Rejoice, Jerusalem. Our rejoicing is marked by the use of rose coloured vestments at Mass, highlighting the midway point of our Lenten journey. In this Jubilee Year, we are called to reflect on our lives as Pilgrims of Hope and this Sunday’s readings will assist us in that reflection, for they speak of journeys. The Old Testament reading celebrates the end of the 40 years in the desert for the people of Israel. It has not been an easy journey, but the Chosen People find the fulfilment of their hope in the Promised Land. No longer will they eat the manna in the desert – their journey is over; they are home. The Gospel – the Parable of the Prodigal Son, which we know so well – finds the son returning home, greeted by his father who loves him, who has been looking out for him and who welcomes him home with open arms and a great feast of celebration. To say that the son’s journey was a difficult one would be an understatement. He left safety and the love of his father, travelled to the very depths and, only then, was he able to find his real direction. His Pilgrimage of Hope began - hope that he would be welcomed home - and his hope was fulfilled.  St Paul speaks of the fulfilment of hope in his second letter to the Corinthians: “For anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation.” As Jesus’ followers, we are the people of that new creation. We are recipients of the gift of hope that is our pilgrimage to the Kingdom. As we make this pilgrimage, this journey, we are called to be the Lord’s presence for our brothers and sisters. With every blessing,

Pope Francis, explaining today's Gospel back in Lent 2019, wisely noted that it is a season in which we can discover our spiritual procrastination when it comes to turning back to God in Lent. God's mercy is boundless and He is patient with us; but all the more reason for us not to delay repentance of life, as the Holy Father explained in no uncertain terms! He said: "The fig tree, which the master of the parable wants to uproot, represents a barren existence incapable of giving, of doing good. It’s the symbol of one who lives for himself, satiated and tranquil, couched in his own comfort, incapable of turning his look and heart to those around him who are in a condition of suffering, of poverty, of hardship. Opposed to this attitude of egoism and spiritual sterility, is the great love of the vinedresser for the fig tree: he makes the master wait, he has patience; he knows how to wait, he dedicates his time and work to it. He promises the master to take particular care of that unhappy tree. And this similitude of the vinedresser manifests the mercy of God, who gives us time for conversion.  We all need to convert, to take a step forward, and God’s patience and mercy accompany us in this. Despite the sterility that sometimes marks our existence, God has patience and He offers us the possibility to change and to progress on the path of goodness. However, the delay implored and granted in the expectation that the tree will finally bear fruit indicates also the urgency of conversion. The vinedresser says to the master: “Let it alone this year also” (v. 8). The possibility of conversion isn’t unlimited, hence, it’s necessary to seize it immediately; otherwise, it will be lost forever. In this Lent, we can think: what must I do to get closer to the Lord, to convert, to “cut” those things that aren’t right? “No, no, I’ll wait for next Lent.” However, will you be alive next Lent?"

Please view the Lent Litur gies below:

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, This week, the Gospel – as is always the case on the Second Sunday of Lent – is the account of the Transfiguration, this year from Luke’s Gospel. Jesus gives to Peter, James and John the experience of His Transfiguration in order that they be strengthened for the events that are to come – His Passion and death. Even though we know that the Lord’s death was not the end, the Lord’s Transfiguration strengthens us too. The scale of the Lord’s suffering is beyond our experience. The very fact that He who is without sin, the Incarnate Word, suffers and dies for us is a reality so deep, so vast, that it calls forth from us prayer, love and a response in action. We cannot gaze on the crucified Lord without being changed. When we see suffering in the world, we see the Cross – this experience calls us to prayer, to love, to action – for in serving our brothers and sisters we serve Christ, the One who suffered and died for us. With every blessing,

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, On Wednesday, we began the season of Lent as we gathered for the celebration of Mass and accepted ashes as a sign of repentance. The acknowledgement of our need to repent of our sins is a vital first step in the Lenten journey and this year, to mark the Jubilee Year of Hope, I shall be visiting each Deanery for a Service of Reconciliation – a wonderful opportunity for us to experience the love and forgiveness of God, who never leaves us and always calls us to Him. Let us continue our prayers for the Holy Father, joining our brothers and sisters across the world and those who gather to pray in St Peter’s Square each evening. May the Holy Father know the healing presence of the Holy Spirit. This Sunday, as we celebrate the first Sunday of Lent, we find the Lord in the desert. He is tempted for 40 days – thus our Lent is 40 days – and rejects all the attempts of Satan to overcome him. In a consumerist world, Jesus’ rejection of nourishment at a time when he is hungry, calls us to place our trust in Him, rather than in the things of this world. His rejection of worldly power is a reminder that humanity is not all-powerful. This is an important reminder to us in these present times, when there is so much conflict and when the world order is so fragile. We are also in a time when the value of human life is not respected. This Lent, let us pray ever more ardently for peace, for all who exercise government and for all who feel threatened in these present times. Moreover, let us do all we can to bring peace and justice to our own sphere of life, for this will proclaim Christ to the world. Finally, Jesus' outright rejection of Satan calls us to do the same – to expel from our lives all that would lead us away from the way of the Gospel, the way that leads to life through the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus, that we prepare to celebrate in this wonderful season.  With every blessing,

Lent is approaching! Only a few weeks away now, it's quite easy for Ash Wednesday to take us by surprise. I often spend the first few weeks of Lent deciding what disciplines I want to take up, or luxuries I'm going to give up, with the result that the season is half over before I even get going! In the past, the weeks running up to Lent themselves formed a sort of overture to the penitential season (a period that is known as "Septuagesima", from the Latin for "seventy", as it begins roughly that many days before Easter; as opposed to the "Quadregesima" or "forty days" of Lent.) Even though we do not celebrate this season liturgically in the modern form of the Roman Rite, it does make sense psychologically to think about. Human beings that we are, we do need a 'run-up' to prepare ourselves for a time of ongoing penance. It can be helpful to begin introducing our Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting and almsgiving slowly, little by little now, or at the very least to begin praying about what we might do practically during Lent by way of mortification, prayer, and charitable outreach.  The readings at Mass this weekend speak about the Father's everlasting compassion. "Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate" says the Lord in the Gospel. In this statement, Jesus expands our definition of what it means to be generous (giving twice, even to those who steal from us), to be merciful (pardoning those who sin against us), to be loving (loving those who hate us). Let the Father's compassion be our measure, as we plan for the season of repentance, and hope that is Lent, the season of which the purpose is to draw us back to Him, and out to our neighbour.

You can view the first edition of the Deanery Newsletter here (PDF)  Winter 24-25

Lent is approaching! Only a few weeks away now, it's quite easy for Ash Wednesday to take us by surprise. I often spend the first few weeks of Lent deciding what disciplines I want to take up, or luxuries I'm going to give up, with the result that the season is half over before I even get going! In the past, the weeks running up to Lent themselves formed a sort of overture to the penitential season (a period that is known as "Septuagesima", from the Latin for "seventy", as it begins roughly that many days before Easter; as opposed to the "Quadregesima" or "forty days" of Lent.) Even though we do not celebrate this season liturgically in the modern form of the Roman Rite, it does make sense psychologically to think about. Human beings that we are, we do need a 'run-up' to prepare ourselves for a time of ongoing penance. It can be helpful to begin introducing our Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting and almsgiving slowly, little by little now, or at the very least to begin praying about what we might do practically during Lent by way of mortification, prayer, and charitable outreach.  The readings at Mass this weekend speak about the Father's everlasting compassion. "Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate" says the Lord in the Gospel. In this statement, Jesus expands our definition of what it means to be generous (giving twice, even to those who steal from us), to be merciful (pardoning those who sin against us), to be loving (loving those who hate us). Let the Father's compassion be our measure, as we plan for the season of repentance, and hope that is Lent, the season of which the purpose is to draw us back to Him, and out to our neighbour.

2025 is a Jubilee Year in the Church, with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope”. During this year, we can reflect that we as Christians are the bearers of hope to the world par excellence, because we have received the Good News. The Catechism reminds us that hope is “the theological virtue by which we desire....eternal life as our happiness” (CCC 1817). It is not just any hope, then, but one that looks beyond this world subject to sin, death and decay, to the renewing of true life and joy in the Resurrection.  Because of this hope, Christianity can never be reduced to a merely earthly project of good will and good works. St Paul puts that truth to us starkly in the Second Reading: “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” (1 Cor 15:19) The Beatitudes which we hear in the Gospel echo this too, promising blessings not in this world, but in the next. In his Bull inaugurating the Jubilee Year, Pope Francis emphasises the importance of these Beatitude values: “What is the happiness that we await and desire? Not some fleeting pleasure, a momentary satisfaction, that once experienced, keeps us longing for more... We aspire to a happiness that is definitively found in the one thing that can bring us fulfilment, which is love. Thus we will be able to say even now: I am loved, therefore I exist; and I will live forever in the love that does not disappoint, the love from which nothing can ever separate me (Spes non confudit, 23; cf Rm 8:38-39)”

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, The worship of God is the highest of all our human activities. There is nothing more important, nothing more natural for us, for we are created by God and for God, as an expression of His love. We can be brought to this moment of worship by different things – and we see this in this Sunday’s readings. For Ezekiel his worship comes through visions. These are a gift to him that are so clear that it brings him to action: “Here I am, Lord, send me.” For Peter, it comes through a different experience – the miracle of the great haul of fish, following a bad night’s fishing. He does not think of the profit he will make in the fish market, or the fact that his nets are damaged. Rather he falls to his knees before Jesus, recognising his own weakness and sinfulness in the presence of the Lord. As with Ezekiel, so with Peter – his life is transformed and he is ready for action, leaving everything and following Him. So with us, our experience of God’s love in our worship is transformative. Our morning and evening prayers, these moments of quiet worship and intercession that mark our day, bring us closer to the Lord, enabling us to be His people, His instruments for our world. We meet the Lord Himself, most especially in the Eucharist. Our response to follow Him, to be his disciples – all grows out of this moment of the greatest closeness to Him.  Let us, then, not stay away from the worship of God. The Lord has loved us beyond measure – must we not show our love for Him in the greatest, the highest, of all our activity? Our prayer and worship is, indeed, the fount of all our action as Jesus' followers, called to proclaim the Good News to a world in need of His peace; in need of the respect for life at every moment, for life is God’s gift; in need of the call away from the isolation that so many experience, into the hope that is life in Christ. With every blessing,

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, We are celebrating this Jubilee Year, in which we are called to renew our lives as Pilgrims of Hope. This Feast of the Presentation is, in so many ways, a celebration of hope. Simeon had spent his whole life waiting in hope for the coming of the Messiah. He had longed to see the Messiah and his hopes are fulfilled beyond measure, for he holds in his arms the Christ-child, Emmanuel – God-with-us, the Word made Flesh, our Saviour. Anna, who has given the majority of her adult life to prayer and fasting, sees her prayers answered and cannot but tell everyone of her joy, the fulfilment of the hope of all who “were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem”, as the Gospel tells us.  We celebrate this feast with lighted candles, for the Lord is the light of the world. Let us take this light of hope into our so-often darkened world. Christ, the light of the world, shows us the value and dignity of life, the way to peace. In Him, we experience forgiveness and new life in the joyful hope of His coming at the end of time – a hope that informs our every action, and the hope we are called to share with all our brothers and sisters. With every blessing,

In these early Sundays of the year, our Christian life is still lived bathed in the light of Christmas, and living the mystery that God became a child and lived in a family life, as an example for us. It is wonderful then that we have a special opportunity to pray this week for all the children in our parish who are beginning their preparation to celebrate the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist for the first time. We pray for families who will be attending the course together, and we hope each session will be a beautiful time for parents and children alike to share faith: and to learn not just about Christ, but to meet Christ, and experience the hope he gives to us, every day. This Sunday is known as "The Sunday of the Word of God" and as such is all about this meeting. It reminds us that we meet Christ in Holy Communion which is His Real Presence - but also that He is present in the Sacred Scriptures which are proclaimed in the Mass. Without the Mass, then, I cannot fully meet Christ. But when we come together as His Body to celebrate His saving Passion, gathered by His own Holy Spirit, His own voice echoes in the Church, and finds a home in our hearts through the Word and sacrament we receive. We pray today for the gift of families who lovingly bring their children to meet Christ in this community; and for ourselves, because it's Christ who keeps us young! He offers a presence which changes the way we live our lives: a message that brings us constantly back to the Resurrection, looking beyond to the destruction of selfishness, death and decay, and readying us for life eternal. His is the message of hope that is waiting to be discovered by every new generation.  "Christ is alive! He is our hope, and in a wonderful way he brings youth to our world, and everything he touches becomes young, new, full of life. The very first words, then, that I would like to say to every young Christian are these: Christ is alive and he wants you to be alive!" (Pope Francis, Christus vivit, 1) .