St Theresa of Lisieux
Parish of Southwick with Portslade
Welcome
to the website for St Theresa of Lisieux (the Parish of Southwick with Portslade) and St George (the Parish of Hangleton and West Blatchington), situated in the west of the Roman Catholic Deanery of Brighton & Hove.
The Parish Priest is Fr Alistair Simmons.
Today is
St George's
Parish of Hangleton and West Blatchington
Sunday 25 October - 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
also 50th anniversary of the Canonisation of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales
on 25 October 1970, forty martyrs of the 16th and 17th centuries were canonized by Pope St Paul VI. This group of saints (laywomen and men, priests and religious) includes our own Diocesan patron, St. Philip Howard.
Bishop Richard has recorded in Arundel Cathedral a pastoral message to mark the 50th anniversary. You can read it here, or watch it here.
More information about the 40 Martyrs is on the diocesan website.
Masses
Sunday Mass is celebrated at the church of St Theresa of Lisieux in Southwick at 9:30 am and at the church of St George in Hove at 11 am.
While the threat of the coronavirus Covid-19 remains with us, it cannot be 'business as usual'. We ask you, therefore, to note these important points:
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Numbers at Mass will be strictly limited to allow for social distancing.
You must request a seat, preferably by emailing (using this link, rather than the usual Parish Office address) if you wish to attend. If you just turn up, stewards will have to turn you away. This isn't how we'd choose to do things but, unfortunately, is necessary at present.
Please remember to bring a face covering when you come to Mass. -
We have produced some guidance for you and would ask you to take the time to read it so that you know what to expect. The government's introduction of the 'rule of six' does not affect our worship but means we must be extra careful when leaving after Mass.
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There is no obligation, at present, to attend Mass. For some people, it would be wiser not to come because of age or health conditions.
The deadline for requesting a seat is the end of Thursday for the following Sunday. Please remember to tell us which of the two Mass places/times you wish to attend.
Online Masses
If you are unable to attend Mass in person, we suggest you follow Mass online. There are many churches which have the technology to live-stream Mass. The Diocesan website has links for churches in this area. Other useful websites, allowing you to select by place or by time, are Church Services TV and Mass-online. For the readings of the day, see Universalis.
Money Matters
We don’t much like talking about church finances, but the effects of the pandemic have made things difficult.
Every organisation has running costs and the church is no different. There are people costs: priests and lay staff, both at parish and diocesan level; these are the people who keep the organisation functioning. Then there are property costs: maintaining buildings, mainly churches and priests’ houses, and equipment. Most of these costs have continued throughout these past months, but parish income has taken a big hit.
Please ask yourself:
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How recently did I review my giving to the church? £1 in the collection doesn’t go far these days!
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Have I set up a standing order for my giving? That’s easier for the church and easier for me – no more scrabbling around for cash.
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Could I make a donation to cover the amount I would normally have put in the collection had the lockdown not happened?
Everybody’s personal circumstances are different. Some people might need to reduce their giving to the church but there will be others who might now be in a position to be more generous.
Read more about giving to the church.
Prayer
based on Matthew 22:34-40
Patient God, we find it so easy to give lip service to the commandment to love.
We can say we know of your love and that we respond in kind,
but we far too often do not respond in loving ways toward others.
Dig deeper into our souls, O God.
Expose the vain selfishness and the fear
that seem to block true discipleship.
Engage us in ministries of justice
in which the kind of love that you call us
to have is required,
not just in our spoken word,
but in our very nature.
Free us and inspire us to love all persons,
those whom we would deem unlovable,
and those whom we find it easy to love.
Help us to love ourselves,
respecting ourselves in gratitude for the gifts you have given to us;
then move us to use these gifts
in service to you.
We ask these things
in the name of Jesus the Christ.
Amen.
Elsewhere on this website...
Notices which, in normal times, would be in the newsletter, together with other useful information, are on the covid-19 page.
Articles by Fr Alistair and other contributors are on the blog page. All parishioners are invited to submit material for possible inclusion on the blog. Just send it to the Parish Office.
Part of the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton. The Arundel and Brighton Diocesan Trust is a Registered Charity no 252878.