Crawley Pilgrim Papal Pictures

Parishioner Francis Fernandes has taken some wonderful pictures at Cofton Park...the Pope even helped him by opening the Popemobile window!

A Crawley Pilgrims view

The Beatification of John Henry Cradinal Newman in Birmingham. Picture taken by Frances Fernandes.

Papal Parishioners

Over the next few days we will be adding pictures and memories from the many parishioners who attended the Papal Liturgies and events last week. If you would like to be included please email: crawley.parish@dabnet.org

Parishioners attend the Beatification in Birmingham

I first saw Pope John Paul II at Wembley. He was inspiring and magnificent. I then saw him at St. Peter's in Rome for his 25th Anniversary and the Beatification of Blessed Mother Teresa, not long before hsi death. He was dependent on help from others. At his side constantly was Cardinal Ratzinger, a man with a hard reputation.
To actually see the loving kindness and hear the sensitivity and understanding intellect of Pope Benedict XVI stirs me with humble gratitude to God for our Holy Father and his successful visit to us at a time when we really need him. I am so grateful.

Crawley Parishioners at Hyde Park

“...The pilgrims were arriving in their thousandsand you could almost taste the expectancy in the air. Around 2pm the giant TV screens came to life and the comperes presented the "liturgical entertainment" for the next four hours or so. This comprised singers and dancers from various backgrounds and ethnicity that was most enjoyable...”
“My experience of the Holy Father’s visit to Hyde Park was the overwhelming peace and joy of all who were present and the powerful witness of thousands of the youth of this country, gathered together in prayer and worship. Praise God.”

“…The atmosphere was really great; all the youth groups (including us) were having a good time ... Soon after, all the diocesan youth groups processed down to the area near the front. …The pope-mobile drove round us and then to the stage where Benedict XVI got out and began the vigil. After the liturgy of the word, the pope gave a homily on the now Blessed John Henry Newman after which the Blessed Sacrament was venerated. Overall, the day was enjoyable and a spiritual enrichment, especially for the A&B youth group.”

“..He blessed us and led us in prayer and the singing of the two great hymns of Cardinal Newman The Dream of Gerontius and Lead Kindly Light, the latter being sung during the festival of the candles. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrement closed the Vigil and we travelled home spiritually refreshed.

“VIBRANCY & SERENITY.
The experience said so much about our church.”

Confirmation at Worth Abbey

Forty young people from our parish received the sacrament of confirmation by Bishop Kieran Conry at Worth Abbey last Sunday 20th June.

Please remember them in your prayers: Megan Barton, Samuel Blackman-Gibson, Rachel Chinn, Jessica Cook, Michael Correia, Nathan Croke, Ricardo Da Silva, Nicola de Nobrega, Megan Dinnage, Nicolene Eje, Aimee-Rose Ekins, Nicholas Fotheringham, Ricardo Gouveia, Zachary Gouveia Correia, Hayley Harrison, Hayley Harrison, Sophie Lennon, Celine Lyons, Lauren Martin, Rachel Martin, Katie McMillan, Phillip Mitchell, Casey Molloy, Ikaysye Mwakitwange, Amy Read, Shabella Renaud, Toby Rivers, Jacob Said, Anya Saternus, Kerry Schofield, Eric Smith, Thomasina Smith, Michael Stabile, Mark Stevenson, Ayeasha Tobin, Alex Viteritti, James Warren, James Warren, Luke White, and Sean White.

They will be receiving their certificates at the 5.30pm mass on Sunday 18th July. Many thanks to the catechists and the families of the candidates for their support of the newly confirmed.

Sr. Attracta's Diamond Jubilee

 

Congratulations to Sr. Attracta, of the Copthorne Convent, who this year celebrates the Diamond Jubilee of her Profession as a Religious. Bishop Kieran celebrated Mass with her and the other jubilarians before presentening them with an Icon.

Papal Visit Leafllet

 

Congratulations to Deacon Mark Woods and the Diocesan Communications Commission on producing an excellent leaflet about the forthcoming Papal Visit. There is a copy for everyone in the porches of the parish this weekend.

Papal visit - youth name drawn

Following the invitation to apply for place on the diocesan youth group travelling to London for the Papal visit the names of interested young people were placed in a tub. During the Friday afternoon parish team meeting the name of one young person was drawn at random followed by the name of a 'back-up'. Mgr. Tony will be making contact over the next day or so

Diocesan Jubilees

The priests of the diocese joined with Bishop Kieran to celebrate this years jubilees of ordination. The picture shows the silver jubilarians including our own Revv. Tony's.

Corpus Christi Concert

Thank you to all those musical parishioners who took part in the concert. Everyone has been agreeing that it was a brilliant evening combining the talents of TENORS UNLIMITED - pictured above with some of the young parishioners who took part. Thank you also to all those behind the scenes who planned and organised with great skill.

Carpet of Flowers

All are invited to come and see beautiful arrangements of flowers, with a floral icon of Christ as the centrepiece. Church open 9am.Entry £2 adult, 50p children, £4 family (2 adults, 2 children,)

Tilgate Eccumenical Prayer for Pentecost

Neighbours from various churches in Tilgate, Furnace Green and further afield, met together at St. Bernadette’s Roman Catholic Church in Tilgate, in the evening of Sunday 23 rd May to celebrate the third most important feast in the Christian calendar.
Pentecost marks the birthday of the Christian Church and commemorates the event at the beginning of Christian history, when a multi racial group of visitors to Jerusalem were inspired to become united in heart and mind, to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ in their lives.
Those who took part in the service at St. B’s on Sunday thoroughly enjoyed the occasion and look forward to further opportunities to share in worship, each others’ company and to demonstrate Christianity’s lasting legacy.
The photograph was taken immediately after a Service of the Evening Prayer of the Church for Pentecost, and shows neighbours of various different Christian communities in the town, enjoying a cup of tea and a chat.
Stephen Innes -Resident of Furnace Green

CAFOD / Christian Aid

Ever wondered what life would be like if we didn’t have the luxury of clean drinking water and adequate sewage disposal? Christians met together at the Friary Church in Crawley Town Centre on Sunday 9th May for a service to mark the beginning of Christian Aid Week 2010. They found out what life is like in some of the slum settlements in and around Nairobi in Kenya. There are no toilets; people make do with very inadequate conditions which causes severe suffering for the poorest of the World’s population.
The service was arranged by the Churches Together in Tilgate and Furnace Green, although many different communities were represented. Christian Aid and CAFOD (Catholic Fund for Overseas Development) joined forces to show compassion for the poorest of the poor. The collection taken up will be shared equally between the two relief agencies.
Photograph shows Mr. Martin Brown of CAFOD explaining how relief agencies work.
Steve Innes
Photographs Neil Olsen

Welcome Home Fr. Andrew

It is good to be able to welcome Fr. Andrew home for the weekend - it would have been for the week but he was stuck on the wrong side of the ash cloud!

Statement by the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales

Child abuse in the Catholic Church has been such a focus of public attention recently, that we, the Bishops of England and Wales, wish to address this issue directly and unambiguously.
Catholics are members of a single universal body. These terrible crimes, and the inadequate response by some church leaders, grieve us all.
Our first thoughts are for all who have suffered from the horror of these crimes, which inflict such severe and lasting wounds. They are uppermost in our prayer. The distress we feel at what has happened is nothing in comparison with the suffering of those who have been abused.
The criminal offences committed by some priests and religious are a profound scandal. They bring deep shame to the whole church. But shame is not enough. The abuse of children is a grievous sin against God. Therefore we focus not on shame but on our sorrow for these sins. They are the personal sins of only a very few. But we are bound together in the Body of Christ and, therefore, their sins touch us all.
We express our heartfelt apology and deep sorrow to those who have suffered abuse, those who have felt ignored, disbelieved or betrayed. We ask their pardon, and the pardon of God for these terrible deeds done in our midst. There can be no excuses.
Furthermore, we recognise the failings of some Bishops and Religious leaders in handling these matters. These, too, are aspects of this tragedy which we deeply regret and for which we apologise. The procedures now in place in our countries highlight what should have been done straightaway in the past. Full co-operation with statutory bodies is essential.
Now, we believe, is a time for deep prayer of reparation and atonement. We invite Catholics in England and Wales to make the four Fridays in May 2010 special days of prayer. Even when we are lost for words, we can place ourselves in silent prayer. We invite Catholics on these days to come before the Blessed Sacrament in our parishes to pray to God for healing, forgiveness and a renewed dedication. We pray for all who have suffered abuse; for those who mishandled these matters and added to the suffering of those affected. From this prayer we do not exclude those who have committed these sins of abuse. They have a journey of repentance and atonement to make.
We pray also for Pope Benedict, whose wise and courageous leadership is so important for the Church at this time.
In our dioceses we will continue to make every effort, working with our safeguarding commissions, to identify any further steps we can take, especially concerning the care of those who have suffered abuse, including anyone yet to come forward with their account of their painful and wounded past. We are committed to continuing the work of safeguarding, and are determined to maintain openness and transparency, in close co-operation with the statutory authorities in our countries. We thank the thousands who give generously of their time and effort to the Church’s safeguarding work in our parishes and dioceses.
We commit ourselves afresh to the service of children, young people and the vulnerable in our communities. We have faith and hope in the future. The Catholic Church abounds in people, both laity, religious and clergy, of great dedication, energy and generosity who serve in parishes, schools, youth ventures and the care of elderly people. We also thank them. The Holy Spirit guides us to sorrow and repentance, to a firm determination to better ways, and to a renewal of love and generosity towards all in need.

Congratulations Fr. Paul

Fr. Paul successfully completed the Brighton Marathon in 4 hours 7 mins and 22 seconds. In doing so he raised over £1,500 for Marys Meal. Congratulations also to parishioners Mark Calwson and Shiela and Clive Harburn who also finished in good times.

A suggestion for this Easter

The Exsultet praises the Easter candle as 'a pillar of fire that glows to the honour of God'.

Now you can have a Home Paschal Candle, a 9"x2" beeswax candle, complete with Easter transfer and stand.

Only £10 each, these candles will be blessed at the Easter Vigil, ready for you to take home then, or on Easter Sunday.

See the posters in the porch, and add your details to the Order forms in each Church.

Preparing for Mothering Sunday

Thank you to some of the flowers ladies of the parish who arranged for flower arrangements to be available in the Friary Hall for all who would like to give their mothers something special rather than commercial. The morning opened at 10am and by the time this picture was taken ten minutes later all the large arrangements on the stage behind Min, Jackie & Dolores were gone! Thank you to those who organised the jewellery & cake stalls, raffle and refreshments.

RCIA - First Scrutiny

In our parish there are six people have been preparing over the past year to be received into the Catholic Church.
Part of the final stage of the preparation is a series of liturgies known as the ‘Scrutinies’. This perhaps rather unattractive name actually refers to very significant themes of faith, healing and new life. We will be celebrating these liturgies on three consecutive Tuesdays during the 7:15pm Mass at St Bernadette’s, Tilgate, starting Tuesday, 9th March.

CAFOD Family Fast

Thank you to Anna, Min and all those who helped them to organise the CAFOD Family Fast Day Soup Lunch at Gossops Green Convent. Congratulations to Fr. Paul for winning First Prize in the Raffle (and then pulling out Fr. Tony's ticket - Fr. Chris also won!) A big thank you to all those who supported it and especially the Domician Sisters for being such generous hosts.

Additional early Morning Masses

This week Mass will be celebrated at 7.30am on Monday (St. Bernatte's, Tilgate), Tuesday (Copthorne Convent), Wednesday (Gossops Green Convent), & Friday (Gossops Green Convent). All are welcome - a wonderful way beginning to the day during Lent.

Journey of Faith - Joining the Church

This afternoon saw a great number of people from across the Diocese go down to Arundel Cathedral to participate in the Rite of Election. In our parish there are six people have been preparing over the past year to be received into the Catholic Church, and at Arundel they were formally accepted as candidates by the Bishop.

The process of preparation is known as the RCIA, which stands for Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. It involves regular meetings with a team of catechists and others in which they are introduced into the faith and life of the Church.

In his homily at Arundel, Bishop Kieran referred to this Sunday’s Gospel of the Transfiguration and said that for all of us, not just those being received into the Church, change is possible. The call to continuing conversion is to be heard and responded to by everyone.

So please pray for all those on the RCIA programme. May they, and us, enjoy a holy and fruitful Lent and come rejoicing and renewed to the celebration of the Sacraments at Easter.

Joanne Towner RIP

Please remember in your prayers Joanne Towner who has been one of the pillars of the community of St. Edward's, Pound Hill for many years - indeed Pope Benedict Awarded her a Bene Merenti for her services to the church. Joan's funeral will take place in St. Edward's this afternoon at 3pm.

Ash Wednesday

"Dear brothers and sisters, while we prepare to receive Ashes on our heads as a sign of conversion and repentance, let us open our hearts to the vivifying action of the word of God. May Lent, marked by more frequent listening to this word, by more intense prayer, by an austere and penitential lifestyle, be an incentive to conversion and to sincere love towards our brothers, especially those who are poorest and neediest. …May Mary, the attentive Virgin of listening and the humble Handmaid of the Lord guide us. Thus spiritually renewed, we shall succeed in celebrating Easter joyfully. Amen! " Pope Benedict.

SVP Dance

Thank you to our parish St. Vicent de Paul Society for orgnising a very enjoyable dance in the Friary Hall. Thank you to all those who attended or supported it: the funds raised will be of great benefit to the people with whom the SVP works locally.

Ad Limina

Bishop Kieran, alongside the other bishops of England and Wales, took part this morning in the audience with Pope Benedict. The follwoing is a report from Rome:

The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI spoke about his forthcoming Apostolic Visit to Great Britain in his address to the bishops of England and Wales on the occasion of their Ad Limina visit to Rome. This General Audience took place on the morning of Monday 1 February 2010.
The Apostolic Visit is taking place in response to an invitation extended by the State.
The Holy Father said:“Even amid the pressures of a secular age, there are many signs of living faith and devotion among the Catholics of England and Wales. I am thinking for example of the enthusiasm generated by the visit of the relics of St Thérèse, the interest aroused by the prospect of Cardinal Newman’s beatification and the eagerness of young people to take part in pilgrimages and World Youth Days.
On the occasion of my forthcoming Apostolic Visit to Great Britain, I shall be able to witness that faith for myself and as Successor of Peter, to strengthen and confirm it.
During the months of preparation that lie ahead, be sure to encourage the Catholics of England and Wales in their devotion and assure them that the Pope constantly remembers them in his prayers and holds them in his heart.”
Full text of the Holy Father's address to the Bishops of England and Wales
No date for the visit has yet been confirmed

You tube have a video of part of the Audience: http://www.youtube.com/vatican#p/a/u/0/CcyzQxYuEx0

Seniors Tea

Thank you to St. Edward's Club, parish volunteers and who who contributed to make this afternoons Seniors Tea such a great success. A big thank you to all the musicians and entertainers. It was particularly good to see such a large number of the young people of the parish contributing in so many ways: THANK YOU