NEXT WEEKEND (5TH-6TH JULY) ORDINATIONS & MISSIONARY APPEAL - Next weekend will see the Ordination of Gary Carter and Scott Coleman to the Priesthood at Arundel Cathedral. The Ordination Mass will take place on Saturday 5th at 12noon, and will be livestreamed. The ordination of new priests is a moment of rejoicing for the whole Church, and I am sure we will all pray very hard for soon-to-be Fathers Gary and Scott as they begin a lifetime of ministry here in the diocese. All things being equal, they will also be the last priestly ordinations for at least three years in the diocese: a reminder to pray for more vocations! As Vocations Director, I will be busy elsewhere over the Ordination weekend, but I am delighted that the weekend Masses will be covered in the parish by the Missionaries of Africa (the 'White Fathers'), in the person of Bishop John MacWilliam, former Bishop of Laghouat, Algeria. Bishop MacWilliam has strong ties to our deanery, having been educated at Worth. I am sure that you will all give him a warm welcome, and contribute generously to the work of the Missionaries across 24 countries across the African Continent. The Missionaries state on their website: "Our aim is to proclaim the Gospel to the peoples of the African world. Because of its origins, our Society has always had a particular interest in making contact with and understanding Muslims and the Islamic world. All people everywhere are considered by God to be his children. But how can they know that unless someone tells them? ... God needs those who are sent to accept his mission and go! We share this relationship of children of God with those who have never heard, or those who have not understood, or those who have forgotten. We do not impose our beliefs, nor do we despise cultures other than our own. Instead, we offer to share with others the best we have, what is most important in our lives, what makes sense of our lives. We have received freely and must give freely. It would be selfish to refuse to share.... First we speak, but actions speak louder than words..... In Africa, this often means parish work, building up Small Christian Communities, working with the Media, involvement in Justice and Peace issues, inter-religious encounter, care for the environment, agriculture, seminary training both for ourselves and for the various dioceses, education and social welfare. The Missionaries of Africa aim to work in partnership with the local Church in Africa…and above all else, to help build up the leadership of the Churches.”

Our Parish Pastoral Council meeting minutes for February 2024 have now been uploaded to the website and can be viewed here

The main Collection taken at our Masses on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is our gift to Fr Tristan and to Fr Xavier, who do not receive a salary but rely on our generosity in the Christmas and Easter collections, the offerings we give for Mass Intentions and sacramental celebrations. If you are giving through online banking, please make a separate payment with the reference ‘Christmas’. You can also give via the basket or the card machine as normal. If you gift aid, please put your offering in an envelope of any kind and write your name or Gift Aid number on it – cheques should be made payable to ‘St John the Evangelist’. Please note that if you have a standing order with the parish, this is your parish offertory and is NOT transferred to the priests. Thank you! (More details about online giving, and gift aid can be found at: https://www.stjohnshorsham.com/church-giving ).