The Catholic Parish of Bognor Regis and Slindon

23rd May 2021 - Pentecost

Fr Chris Bergin - chris.bergin@abdiocese.org.uk - Fr Victor Onwukeme, msp - chikeb2010@yahoo.com Fr Antoni Prosowicz (Polish Mission) - 07515 706746

Parish Administrator: Abby Leggatt - admin.bognor@abdiocese.org.uk Parish Secretary: Caroline Battersby Parish Safeguarding Rep: Liz Bedford - 07456 420108 / l.bedford@live.co.uk

The Parish Centre, Hislop Walk, Bognor Regis, West Sussex, PO21 1LP Tel: (01243) 823619 Email: bognorcatholicparish@live.co.uk Website: www.bognorcatholicparish.co.uk

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I once tried to persuade somebody to believe in God and it was a futile exercise. My friend

challenged this person to pray as this was the only way to figure out if God was real or not. I think

there is some merit to this idea. Today we celebrate the feast of Pentecost and so instead of sharing

more thoughts and reflections I just want to encourage you to pray – Come Holy Spirit. That is, it,

just three words. Pray them many times during a day, pray them in different situations, but do not

think about it too much, just pray. God always responds to our prayer. Trust him and see what

happens.

Come Holy Spirit

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es Our Lady of Sorrows, Clarence Road, Bognor Regis, PO21 1JX

St Anthony of Viareggio, Gossamer Lane, Bognor Regis, PO21 3DD

St Richard of Chichester, Top Road, Slindon, BN18 0RG

Mass is also celebrated in St Mary the Virgin (C of E), Church Lane, Barnham

David Beresford - Parish Leadership Team

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ls St Mary’s Catholic Primary School Headteacher: Mr Peter Edgington BA (Hons) NPQH

Glamis Street, Bognor Regis, West Sussex PO21 1DJ Tel: (01243) 822287 Fax: (01243) 841588 Email: office@st-marys-bognor.w-sussex.sch.uk

St Philip Howard Catholic School Headteacher: Mr David Carter Elm Grove South, Barnham, West Sussex PO22 0EN Tel: (01243) 552055 Fax: (01243) 552900 Email: office@st-philiphoward.w-sussex.sch.uk

facebook.com/bognorslindoncatholicparish

Requiem in Aeternum

Your prayers are asked for all those who have died recently:-

Jess North RIP, a young lady who very sadly died last week. Please pray, too, for

her family and friends.

We also remember all whose anniversaries occur about this time:-Ida Mowatt, Hilda

Glenny, David Jenkins, Tony Nicholls, Anthony O’Flinn, Raymond Field, Peter

Timlin, John Hawes, Isobel Daly, Georgina Walker, Montague White, Eileen Moyle,

Mercy Okonta, Mary Louisa Rudd

Prayers For The Sick

Your prayers are asked for

Brenda Cremmen, Lyn Saunders, Tina Miles, Jo Oates, Eamonn Kelly, Peggy Lennon, Theresa Mulvaney, Richard

Hazelgrove, Jo Cowie, Mary Gabrielle Gregory, Patrick Dwyer, Trish & Don

Osborne, Sarah Crossley, John Carr, Arthur Wicks, Moira Deefholts, Susanne Tidmas-Cole, Michael Willcocks, Teresa Sweeney,

Paris Stevens, Margaret Grace, Didi Verdiana Diaris

Please contact the Parish Office for anyone you wish to be included in our Prayers.

Saturday 22nd May

OLOS 10am Breda Healy RIP

OLOS 5.15pm Ted Lawson RIP

Sunday 23rd May Pentecost

OLOS 8am Mary Sheehan RIP

St Richard’s 9am No Mass

OLOS 10am People of the Parish

St Anthony’s 11am No Mass

OLOS 6pm Wellbeing of Gillian & Fiona MacLaurin

Monday 24th May Mary Mother of the Church

St Mary’s 9.30am No Mass

OLOS 10am Intentions of Ger Buckley

Tuesday 25th May St Bede the Venerable

St Anthony’s 9.30am Kathleen & John Eagle RIP

OLOS 10am Thomas Charles Ward RIP

Wednesday 26th May St Philip Neri

OLOS 10am Barry Sheehan RIP

Thursday 27th May Our Lord Jesus Christ,

Eternal High Priest

OLOS 10am Intentions of the Priest

Friday 28th May

OLOS 10am Jim Hubbard RIP

Saturday 29th May

OLOS 10am Christine Hand RIP

OLOS 5.15pm Paquita Francisco Mendosa RIP

Sunday 30th May The Most Holy Trinity

OLOS 8am Intentions of the Priest

St Richard’s 9am Barbara Clark RIP

OLOS 10am Intentions of Sofia Claveria

St Anthony’s 11am Intentions of the Priest

OLOS 6pm People of the Parish

Sacrament of Reconciliation Please contact Fr Chris or Fr Victor to make

an appointment.

Receiving the Sacraments at Home

As COVID restrictions are eased if you or anyone you know are housebound and would like a visit from a priest please

contact the Parish office. Those receiving Holy Communion at home before lockdown

will be contacted separately.

Friday 28th May The Knights of St Columba will be praying

A Rosary for the Unborn after 10am Mass.

Adoration - 11am to 2pm

Baptisms this Week Our Lady of Sorrows - 26th May

Oscar Gawlik-Monko

Online Retreats: The Open Cloister @ Worth Abbey

Saturday 5th June: The Wisdom of St Benedict – Led by Fr Martin McGee Three talks exploring the riches of St Benedict’s rule which seeks to help us live out the Christian life in all its fullness. Further information and to book your place online: https://worth.co.uk/retreats/online-retreats For enquiries, please email: toc@worth.org.uk

2021 - A Year of Opportunity An online talk with Christine Allen, Director of CAFOD - 26th May at 7.30pm, Cost £5

This year the UK will host two major international gatherings: the G7 and the Climate Conference (COP26). Christine Allen will explore ways in which these events could make a difference to our world, especially to the lives of people who live in poverty. She will reflect on the impact of COVID-19 and draw lessons for the future for our interdependence with one another and with our natural world as we seek to recover and heal after the pandemic. Tickets are on sale through the Haslemere Hall Box Office Online: https://tickets.haslemerehall.co.uk/sales/genres/events/talk-2021---a-year-of-opportun/streaming-ticket

Silver Jubilee

On 26th May Canon Jonathan Martin will celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of his priestly ordination. He writes: “I should be grateful for a remembrance in the prayers of the people of the parish of Bognor

Regis on that day, for whom, you may be sure, I shall be praying with deep affection and profound gratitude” Many congratulations Fr Jonathan! Ad multos annos!

Bereavement Support

Across the Diocese we now have a team of 68 trained Bereavement Supporters, who are able to offer

either 1-2-1 support to those who are feeling the hurt, confusion or uncertainty of loss, whether caused

by the loss of someone that was important to them or general feelings of loss caused through the

lockdown/shielding and isolation. If you would like to speak to one of the team, please contact Fr Chris.

Pentecost

The approach of the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow later this year provides an excellent opportunity for us to reflect on the call given by Pope Francis in his Encyclical Letter, Laudato Sí, issued on 24th May 2015, Pentecost Sunday. To encourage us in our reflections, the Bishops of England and Wales have issued a Pastoral Letter which you can read here: https://www.cbcew.org.uk/pastoral-letter-environment-pentecost/

Congratulations and Prayers!

Over three Saturdays in May, 36 children from the parish have / will have celebrated their First Holy Communion. As we thank God for his gift, and for the joy felt by the children and their families, we offer them our congratulations and prayers that this important milestone on the journey of faith will inspire them to a great love of Jesus and the Mass. Similarly, our congratulations and prayers are offered to Sarah Warwick, John Russell and Robert Dixon whose journey of faith has lead them to the Celebration of Reception into Full Communion with the Catholic Church this Pentecost Sunday. May our prayers for each other be a source of strength and inspiration as we grow as a community of faith.

Celebrating baptism

Celebrating baptism is a joy for families, and for the parish family, and we’re delighted to welcome families looking to celebrate this wonderful gift of God. To help parents wishing to have their children baptised, we regularly run preparation meetings. To register, please ring Angela on 07760 224302.

Helping our mental health and wellbeing

Mindful of the impact of the virus and successive lockdowns on our mental health, each week, we’ll be offering a simple tip to help support good mental health and wellbeing.

The positive anti-stress effects of nature are well documented: beauty engenders hopefulness. Even if we have no outside space of our own nature is all around us and it us suggested that focusing our attention on a single flower, contemplating its beauty and looking closely at it, has a deeply calming effect. William Wordsworth, who began life in very poor circumstances living in a city with no outside space, still believed that “a daily bathe in nature” was essential for his wellbeing at that time.

CAFOD – Climate Change Petition:

This year, the UK will host the largest gathering of world leaders ever to take place on British soil: the ‘COP26’ climate talks in Glasgow in November. As Prime Minister, Boris Johnson must push world leaders to show the ambition we need to keep temperature rises below the disastrous 1.5-degree threshold. This means that all countries must play their part. With the eyes of the world on the UK, we must urge the Prime Minister to make sure communities hardest hit by the climate emergency are listened to at COP26. Please sign our petition at cafod.org.uk/reclaim

For those without internet access, petition cards can be ordered from the CAFOD Shop: 0300 011 5680.

You and your family are invited to an open-air Mass in St Mary's school field, followed by a picnic and funfair on Sunday 4th July at 11am.

2020's planned open air Mass had to be called off owing to the pandemic, but its on this year! Please do come along with family and friends, this is a brilliant opportunity to share your faith at a lively and fun church event. Mass will begin at 11am, and from 12-noon food vendors and the bouncy castle will be open.

The field is a large open space so there is no need to book or RSVP, simply show up! This Mass will be the only morning Mass being celebrated in the parish; and it will also be accessible via the live-stream.

Enquirers Meeting

Are you interested in learning more about the Catholic faith, perhaps with a view to becoming a Catholic? Do you know of a family member or a friend asking questions or enquiring about our Catholic faith? You are warmly invited to a ‘Come and see!’ gathering on Wed 30th June, 7pm, in the Parish Centre. More details, or if you have any queries, please speak to Fr Chris or Kathleen O’Gorman (01243) 544097

Arun & Chichester Citizens Advice - Utility Bills

“Do you think you spend too much on your electric, heating or water bills? Do you ever find it difficult to pay for them?” Arun & Chichester Citizens Advice has a free service to help you reduce the costs. We can help you make sure that you get all the help you are entitled to, reduce your costs now and even

reduce your costs for next winter and in the long term. If you would like to speak with one of our friendly advisers, please call the Energy Team on 01243 974 063 from 10am to 4pm, Mondays to Fridays

(excluding bank holidays) or see https://arunchichestercab.org.uk/contact-us/energy-2021 for more information.

The Passage

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Patron of The Passage, will celebrate the 5.30 Mass at Westminster Cathedral on Tuesday 25 May 2021 to mark 40 years of service to homeless people. The Mass will be broadcast live online, so if you would like to follow the service from home, the link is: https://www.westminstercathedral.org.uk/