Fr. Aaron Writes : 25th July 2021

Webmaster • July 23, 2021


Dear Friends,


Monday 19th July marked the beginning of Step 4 of the Government’s Covid-19 Road Map. 


I have digested the guidance for places of worship this past week and I have, with caution and careful consideration for all parishioners, decided to proceed with the following changes as we move towards a sense of ‘normality’.


Entering and Exiting the Church – Please continue to sanitise your hands upon entering and leaving the church. Also, continue to use the NHS track and trace QR code. You may use all exits of the church, however I would encourage you to use the main door as this is larger and prevents queuing, it also enables me to say hello to you after Mass!


Face Coverings – The bishop strongly recommends their continued use during Mass. If you are exempt or feel you do not wish to do so, that decision is respected by us. If you come in to pray alone in the church during the day, you do not need to cover your face.


Cleaning – the church will continue to be fogged with Anti-viral sanitiser each and every day.


Stewards, Distancing & Capacity – stewards will continue to welcome you and help you to your place at Sunday Masses. We will endeavour to keep parishioners at an appropriate distance from each other. Each pew will now be in use in order to accommodate those parishioners who have been turned away from attending Holy Mass, due to the restrictions on capacity that were in place. When there are no stewards, such as at weekday Mass, please use your common sense and do not sit too close to others.


Live-streaming - Streaming will continue in the parish hall during Sunday Masses throughout August, if this is needed, and will continue on an ongoing basis via our website for those who watch at home.


Mass Times – In order to help people feel comfortable and to give parishioners space in church, I will continue to say three Sunday Morning Masses for the foreseeable future. Weekday Masses are much quieter and, given the Sunday Obligation remains suspended until the First Sunday of Advent, if you feel you need a quieter Mass with fewer participants, then do attend Mass during the week. 


Confessions – I will continue to hear confessions on Friday and Saturday Morning on the Sanctuary.


Singing in Church – we will begin by singing the parts of the Mass, such the Kyrie, Gospel Acclamation, Sanctus and Angus Dei. We will move on to congregational singing of hymns from the middle of August.


At Holy Mass – 


  • Holy Water stoups will continue to be empty. If you would like Holy Water, please come to the sacristy and ask.
  • A touch-free sign of peace may be given from now on – for example, a bow of the head
  • On Sundays, there will be two ministers, including the priest, giving Holy Communion. Please wait for the Altar Servers to guide you to the minister on your side of the church. Having two ministers will help speed up the distribution of Holy Communion.
  • During the week, Holy Communion will be given as at present. 
  • Holy Communion will remain under one kind.
  • You may receive Holy Communion on the hand or on the tongue.
  • If you are a couple or a family coming forward for Communion or a blessing, please all approach the priest or minister together as a group and receive together, rather than waiting one by one. This will again help with reducing the time waiting for Holy Communion.


Children’s Liturgy – May I make an appeal to those who were previously involved or would like to be involved with children’s liturgy to get in contact with me, as I would like to offer this service from mid-September onwards.


Parish Hall – This will open from the beginning of September – I hope we will be able to host refreshments after Mass from mid/late September, as well as commencing other parish social events in order that we can re-connect as a parish.


Toilets – these are now open for use during and after Mass.


Parish Outdoor Social – A number of parishioners have asked if we could have a parish picnic/BBQ in our courtyard during the summer. Please look out for further details.


The Loop System – Apologies to parishioners who benefit from our loop system to hear the Mass. The amplifier unit for this system is broken. We will have a replacement set up for next week. 


Summer Leave – I am taking the first part of my summer break next week, I will be taking another week off in September. I will not be answering my emails whilst I am away. Please direct any urgent questions to the parish office or to Deacon Tom. We will welcome Fr Alban and Fr David Irwin who will cover for me.


World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly – this will take place this week Sunday 25th July at the 11:30 Mass. There will special bidding prayers. Pope Francis’ prayer for Grandparents and the Elderly will be given out after Mass. Special prayer cards will be left in the pews for you to take.


Social Media: Check out our parish social media pages for the latest news, last minute changes and items of interest:


@catholichorsham (Twitter)

St John the Evangelist, Horsham (Facebook page)

Catholic Horsham (Instagram)


With every prayer and good wish for the coming week.

Fr Tristan Writes Feast of All Saints -this weekend

By Webmaster • October 28, 2025
Happy Feast of All Saints! Today the Church celebrates in a very broad way the astonishing reality of Heaven. Heaven means nothing other than to be full of God and fully in God. Heaven is not a guarantee for anyone: it is not something that comes part and parcel with our being created; it is a state that would not be possible for anyone had God not sent His Son Jesus to die to save us. It is an astounding and unwarranted gift! The promise of Heaven is given in Baptism, but it is only realised through our free co-operation to constantly turn away from sin and live in Christ, whose presence is communicated to us through grace, given through the sacraments of the Church - and this makes us saints. The feast of All Saints opens up before us this amazing reality of their existence in God, even now, who have bound themselves in love to Christ forever and thus live beyond death in eternity. We pray to the saints, not because they can do anything of themselves, but because they are totally united to Christ in Love and communicate with him constantly on our behalf; furthermore, they give us wonderful examples of how to live today. Directly after All Saints' Day comes All Souls. This day turns to the atrium of Heaven, that state which we call 'Purgatory'. We are reminded that, when we die, many of us are attached to less serious ('venial') sins that still mar our friendship with Jesus, and for which we have not accepted Jesus' reconciliation. In Purgatory, these souls suffer to pay their debt, as they long to be joined with Christ fully. Every Mass makes present Jesus’ own experience of death: His sacrifice for sins; every Mass thus causes souls to be cleansed and transferred to Heaven through His forgiving mercy. During November, when we pray in particular for the Dead who still need this cleansing, why not ask for a Mass to be celebrated for a deceased loved one? (You may have noticed that your priest tends to announce before each Mass a “Mass intention”, which is exactly what this is; usually a donation is given along with the intention; these donations - along with the offering on Christmas and Easter Days - are his main income). It is also good too, in November, to visit a cemetery and pray for the dead, for which we can obtain a special indulgence. We also pray for all our loved ones who have died this year in the parish, and for those who mourn. Please also join us for a special Mass for all the bereaved on Saturday 22nd November at 10am.

Open Day - St Roberts Southwell Catholic School

By Webmaster • October 11, 2025
OPEN DAYS AT ST ROBERT SOUTHWELL CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL - We are delighted to invite prospective parents and carers to visit our school and see all that St Robert Southwell has to offer. Come and experience our warm, welcoming community, meet our dedicated staff, and see our children’s learning in action. Visit Dates:Thursday 13th November – from 1:30pm–2:30pm and 4:30pm– 6:00pm and Saturday 22nd November – from 10:00am. To book your place, please contact the school office on 01403 252357 or email secretary@strobertsouthwell.co.uk. We look forward to welcoming you to our school!

Parish Volunteers Party

By Webmaster • October 11, 2025
UPDATED: PARISH VOLUNTEERS’ PARTY, FRIDAY 21ST NOVEMBER – If you volunteer in any capacity here at St John’s – for example, with any element of the Liturgy, with anything to do with our buildings or grounds, in any of our Sacramental or formation programmes, with supporting our housebound parishioners – please join Fr Tristan for a little party on Friday 21st November from 7pm in the Main Hall. If you’re planning to attend, please email the Parish Office at horsham@abdiocese.org.uk, by Friday 31 October, giving your name and the number in your party, split between adults and children.

Confirmation Programme - 2026

By Webmaster • October 11, 2025
2026 CONFIRMATION PROGRAMME - the application form for the 2026 Confirmation programme will be available for those in Year 9 and above to collect from Sunday 26th October. They will be available after any Mass from either Fr Tristan or Deacon Tom who will give you a form in person. These will not be available from either the Parish Office or from the website. Please return the completed form with all the relevant documents to the Parish Office by the closing date of Friday 7th December 2025. Late applications will not be accepted.

Diocesan Vacancy

By Webmaster • October 10, 2025
DIOCESAN VACANCY - Communications Officer, part-time, permanent. Salary: £17,500 for 0.5 FTE (Based on a full-time salary of £35,000). Location: Based in Crawley, with hybrid working & travel across the Diocese required. Application deadline: 16 October Interviews: 22 October in Crawley. The successful applicant will produce and edit accurate, well-written online and offline content across diocesan platforms, telling the Church’s story and its contribution to society. The successful candidate will support the Head of Communications in managing the digital and print presence of the diocese, including content management for our website and social platforms and communications for fundraising campaigns. To find out more and to apply, go to the Diocesan website: abdiocese.org.uk/careers/ptcomms

SVP Update

By Webmaster • October 10, 2025
THE SVP - would like to express their warmest thanks to the parish for the generous support shown over the weekend of our annual appeal. We are grateful both for the financial contributions and to those who expressed an interest in joining us.

Holy Communion Programme - 2026

By bernadette cooper • October 10, 2025
2026 FIRST HOLY COMMUNION PROGRAMME – We are pleased to be able to open applications for next year’s formation for FIRST HOLY COMMUNION (school Year 3 and above). To register your interest, please speak to Fr Tristan or Deacon Tom after any Mass and they will be able to give you an Application Form in person; these will not be available from the Parish Office or from the website. Please return your completed Application Form, together with the necessary supporting documents, by the closing date of Friday 14th November 2025. We are unable to accept late applications, so please get your paperwork into the Parish Office as soon as possible.

Bishop Richard's Weekly Reflection - 12th October

By Webmaster • October 10, 2025
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Prisoners’ Sunday falls on 12 October, and it takes place, too, in the Jubilee Year that was started by Pope Francis before Christmas last year. The theme of the Jubilee Year is “Pilgrims of Hope”, and so we might reflect this Prisoners’ Sunday, on the need to enable those who are serving sentences, all those affected by crime, and those who work in our prison system, to be able to re-find hope that they have perhaps lost. I ask you on this Prisoners’ Sunday to pray very particularly for victims of crime, for those who work in our prison system and in our justice system, and to remember very specially those who are serving sentences, and those who are the hidden victims of crime, particularly young ones. Keep them in your prayers, reflect on ways in which you might perhaps volunteer for Pact: perhaps become a prison visitor or volunteer with the chaplaincy in your local prison. I encourage everybody to pray on Prisoners’ Sunday, especially during the celebration of Mass, and also for parishes, where they can, please, to hold a Second Collection for the support of Pact, the Prison Advice and Care Trust. Pact has the most wonderful history, and holds a very special place in care for prisoners and their families. With every blessing

Bishop Richard's weekly reflection - 28th September

By Webmaster • September 27, 2025
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus is, I always find, especially strong in tone. Jesus gives the rich man no name, yet the poor man has that dignity. At the end of the parable, Jesus points out that "even if someone should rise from the dead" the rich man’s relatives would not be convinced. Jesus, of course, does rise from the dead and His warning is an indication of the all-absorbing lure of riches and power. Like the people against whom Amos speaks in the first reading, the rich man in the parable cares nothing for others. Jesus speaks elsewhere in the Gospel about the lure of riches – in the Parable of the Sower, this is one of the things that chokes the growing shoots, strangling them and preventing the crop. St Paul, writing to Timothy, provides us with the way forward: our lives must be marked by faith, love, patience and gentleness. We are called to be saints. This path is not an easy one – the gospels are filled with the Lord’s warning of the hard road, the narrow gate, the call not to look back, but to keep our gaze on Him, that our steps do not stray. Let us take the warning of the parable to heart, together with the guidance offered us by St Paul, that we do not fall into the traps that lie all around us, but keep mind and heart, every effort, on the building of the Kingdom of God in love and service – for this is true riches.  With every blessing,

Bishop Richard's Pastoral Letter - 21st Sept

By Webmaster • September 20, 2025
This weekend, people from all over the Diocese gathered to celebrate 60 years of the formation of the Diocese which took place at Ardingly on Saturday. Reflecting on these 60 years, Bishop Richard, in his pastoral letter this weekend has also been looking ahead to the future. “The journey has seen a good deal of conversation and renewed collaboration taking place across the Diocese, rooted in prayer. These conversations, leading to the development of leadership teams for our new-formed parishes, are bearing fruit. The formation taking place in our communities, together with the increasing working together in our new parishes will pave the way for ever more effective mission across the Diocese. Of course, we have a distance yet to travel; there is much to be done and this will always be so. However, there is no need for us to fear, for all is gift. “Jesus is at your side at every step of the way” Pope Francis reminded us, “He will not cast you into the abyss or leave you to your own devices. He will always be there to encourage and accompany you. He has promised and he will do it: ‘For I am with you always, to the end of the age’.”  The full pastoral letter will be read out at this weekend’s masses.