Dearest friends,
On Monday, 12 October, we keep the feast of St Wilfrid, Bishop and Missionary. Together with St Hilda, he is patron of The Society, to which both St John’s and St Luke’s belong. Our parishes have passed resolutions making provision for episcopal oversight within the Catholic tradition of the Church of England. This feast gives us an opportunity to reflect on the inheritance entrusted to us, and what we’re called to do with it.
Our Catholic heritage shapes how we understand the Church. We belong to something stretching far beyond our own congregations, across the world and back through the centuries to the apostles. We receive the faith they proclaimed, gather around the sacraments, and live under the care of bishops who connect our parish life with the wider Church. The Society helps us inhabit that inheritance with confidence, sharing a common sacramental life with our bishop and with other parishes.
This matters because these are the means through which Christ draws us into his life. At the font, we’re made members of his Body. At the altar, he feeds us with himself. In confession, we hear the assurance of his forgiveness. Through Scripture and prayer, we learn to recognise his voice and follow him. There is a depth here which can sustain us through a lifetime, including those moments when our own words and strength run out.
Wilfrid understood the importance of belonging to the wider Church. He championed the Roman calculation of Easter at the Synod of Whitby, helping draw the English Church into closer conformity with the practice of much of the Christian world. He also preached the Gospel among the people of Sussex, bringing others into the faith he treasured.
That makes him a particularly fitting patron for us. His concern for the Church’s faith and unity went hand in hand with his missionary calling. He wanted people to encounter Jesus, be baptised, and share in the life of the Church.
The same calling belongs to us at St John’s and St Luke’s. The faith we’ve received is a gift to offer generously – through an invitation to Mass, a conversation about prayer, our work with children and families, and patient care for our neighbours. Our Catholic heritage should give us confidence to speak of Jesus and welcome people into his Church.
As we celebrate Wilfrid, let’s ask for something of his missionary courage. May the love of Christ we receive at the altar bear fruit in the people we welcome, the lives we serve, and the faith we share.
St Wilfrid, pray for us.
In love,
Fr. Matthew
Sunday 11th October
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
9am – Harvest Festival Mass
followed by brunch in Wickham Hall [SJ]
11:15am – Harvest Festival Mass
followed by a bring and share lunch [SL]
Year A(II), Psalm week 4, Trinity 19, Proper 23
Upcoming Dates
Oct
8th – St. John’s PCC, 6:30pm [SJ]
11th – Harvest Festival [SJ & SL]
14th – Diana Bailey’s Funeral, 11am [SL]
St. Luke’s PCC, 6:30pm [SL]
17th – Table Top Sale (10am) [WH]
31st – Quiz Night (7pm) [SL]
Nov
4th – St. Luke’s Ladies Group [SL]
8th – Parish Lunch [SL]
20th – ‘Western’ Class 52 Diesel-Hydraulic Locomotives in
Camera, 1975–1977 (7pm) [SL]
21st – Table Top Sale (10am) [WH]
Rosary Group, 10:30am [SL]
25th – Last Night of the Proms Concert (7pm) [SL]
26th – Advent Course on Mary – Week 1 – 7pm at St Paul’s Hall
29th – CTNA Advent Service (4pm) [SL]
Advent Carols by Candlelight (6.30pm) [SJ]
Dec
2nd – St. Luke’s Ladies Group [SL]
3rd – Advent Course on Mary – Week 2 – 7pm at St Paul’s Hall 6th – Rowcroft Carol Service (3pm) [SL]
9th – Darby and Joan Club Carol Service (2pm) [SJ]
10th – Advent Course on Mary – Week 3 – 7pm at St Paul’s Hall
11th – Bingo, 7pm [SL]
12th – Christmas Fair [WH]
13th – Parish Lunch [SL]
17th – Advent Course on Mary – Week 4 – 7pm at St Paul’s Hall
20th – Nine Lessons and Carols (6pm) [SJ & SL]
24th – Small Blessings Crib Service (morning, time TBC) [SL]
Live Nativity (4pm) [SJ]
Candlelit Midnight Mass (11.30pm) [SL]
25th – Christmas Day Mass (10am) [SJ & SL]
[SJ] St. John’s | [SL] St. Luke’s | [WH] Wickham Hall
[SC] St. Catherine’s School