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

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.