On today’s feast, we celebrate two of the greatest figures of the Church - St Peter, our first pope, the rock upon which Christ builds his Church, and St Paul, the great proclaimer of the Gospel and establisher of so many churches. The fact that both men struggled with significant weakness and had fallen short of the exhortations of the Gospel is a great source of comfort to us. Through their example, we ourselves know that Christ calls us to mission in the midst of our own struggles and brokenness. Moreover, these imperfect men were chosen specifically to demonstrate that the gates of Hell will not prevail against the Church. No matter the times we are in, no matter the weaknesses, difficulties, and yes, sins we encounter in the Church and in ourselves, Christ assures us that the ship will not sink, that all will not be lost, that the Lord will triumph - in fact, He already has! This impresses on us all the more how essential it is that, no matter what our frustrations may be, we must remain in unity with the See of Peter under the Holy Father, not merely in a cold, legalistic way but in a positive affirmation that, amidst it all, we are called to live out our vocations in union with his. At times this can be a bit of a challenge, when we face divisions and difficulties in the Church, and when we know that there are so many Christians whom we love, benefit from and respect who are not in full communion with the See of Peter. But in preaching the beauty of the gift that the Papacy is for the Church, we can hopefully encourage others to also receive that gift and continue to pray for them and walk with them with loving patience. I am particularly mindful of this today, as I go to St Peter’s for the Pallium Mass, in which Archbishop Richard Moth and other recently appointed Archbishops will receive the Pallium from Pope Leo. The Pallium (the word coming from the Latin for ‘mantle’ or ‘cloak’) is an ancient sign of the Pope’s authority, which Archbishops wear to indicate their participation in that authority, and indeed their unity with it. This isn’t something that merely constrains bishops to ‘toe the line’ as one would expect from a secular institution; instead, it is ultimately a gift that leads to a great spiritual freedom, as it means that their authority to bind and loose is the same authority granted to the Apostles in union with Peter, giving them the great confidence that they are indeed appointed by the Church, and therefore sent by God to be a part of His great mission.  Much as I love being back with my brethren at the seminary, it is with a heavy heart that I have left Horsham. I’ll be keeping you all in my prayers as I brave the heat in the Eternal City, and I’ll raise an Aperol Spritz in your honour. God bless you, and happy Solemnity!

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

ADVENT IS HERE! • Candlelit 'RORATE' MASSES will take place on the first three TUESDAYS of ADVENT starting 2nd December at 7am. Please note the earlier start time . The Mass will take no more than 30 minutes and be followed by breakfast served in Hall, so people have time to get to school and work afterwards. All are welcome to join us for this beautiful way to mark the Advent season. • ADVENT RECONCILIATION - Advent is a good time to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, so that, as He cleanses from the sin with which we all too often reject Him, we can welcome Him anew to be born into our hearts at Christmas, just as Mary, Joseph and the shepherds welcomed His birth into the world. Canon Tim Madeley will be hearing Confessions here on Saturday 13th December from 10.30am . Additional Advent times in our soon-to-be parish communities are: - HENFIELD – Monday, 8th December at 7.00pm (Fr Hugh) - WEST GRINSTEAD – Friday, 12th December at 7.00pm (Canon Tim & Fr Tristan) - BILLINGSHURST – Saturday, 13th December at 10.00am (Fr Tristan) - CRAWLEY – Friday, 19th December at 6.00pm (Fr Nelson, Fr Anthony, Fr Peter, Fr Joachim, Fr Tristan) - CRAWLEY – Saturday, 20th December at 10.30am (Fr Nelson, Fr Anthony, Fr Peter, Fr Joachim) - WORTH ABBEY – Monday, 22nd December at 7.30pm (Priests of the Benedictine community) • FAMILY COME AND SING CAROLS - As we journey through Advent and prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ at Christmas, we warmly invite you to our Family Come and Sing Carols event on Sunday 7th December at 3pm in the Parish Hall. Gather around the piano to sing favourite carols, with Advent-themed crafts for the children. We’d love it if you could bring a little something festive—like mince pies, cake, or mulled wine—to share. If you play an instrument, you’re welcome to bring it along and join in the music-making. Let us come together as a parish community in joyful anticipation of Christmas. • ‘GAUDETE’ SUNDAY, 14TH DECEMBER – Please remember to bring your crib figures and Nativity sets to Mass on the weekend of 13th and 14th December, when they will be blessed at the end of all Masses. You will also be able to pick up some blessed straw on your way out of Church, for placing in your home Nativity scenes.