Deanery News & Updates
Webmaster • February 16, 2025
Deanery news! The next edition of the Deanery newsletter is scheduled for 8th/9th March, the 1st Sunday of Lent, and will include a report on recent events and discussions, information on forthcoming events around the Deanery, clergy biographies, and more. Lent Reconciliation Service: Bishop Richard is visiting each Deanery to celebrate Reconciliation Services and will be coming to the Epsom Deanery on Tuesday 25th March, 7pm, at St Michael’s, Ashtead.
At the Deanery Clergy Meeting, it was agreed that, as a sign of our working towards greater collaboration, this would replace all other Lenten Reconciliation Services. There are, of course, the regular opportunities for Reconciliation in each community, and the opportunity for Reconciliation at the Deanery Retreat Days.
Holy Hour: Bishop Richard has asked that each Deanery pray for the Diocese in a monthly Holy Hour of Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. We’ll do this on the first Friday of each month, from 5pm to 6pm, at St Michael’s, Ashtead, including the Rosary, Scripture Reflection and Benediction. All are very welcome.
Pulpit swaps: although the regular relationship between people and their clergy is one to be treasured, given that the clergy will be working as one team, it seems a good idea, every now and again, to see (and get to know a little) the other priests of the Deanery. So you may notice a ‘Pulpit Swap’ coming to a community near you! (We’ll start with priests, and then later, do a ‘Deacon swap’.)
Adult formation / RCIA: The programme will continue on Monday 28 th April at 7 pm. when we will consider the First Easter, fulfilment of the Old Testament.
The third reading is likely to be on 25th April, although there has been mention of the reading being delayed. The Bishops of England and Wales have sent a pastoral message on the issue, copies are available at the entrances to the church. Additionally, Lord David Alton of Liverpool and Baroness Jane Campbell write: “Our nation stands at a crucial juncture regarding how we value human life, particularly the lives of people in the most vulnerable situations. If this significant proposal to introduce assisted suicide becomes law, thousands of individuals will be placed at risk in the coming years. Mounting evidence from the small number of places around the world that have legalised assisted suicide shows that these laws are incremental, the safeguards do not work, and that the changed law can have devastating consequences. It is therefore imperative that the Assisted Suicide Bill is defeated at Third Reading.” ‘Not Dead Yet UK’ a network of disabled people who oppose legalising assisted suicide, have sent out post cards for you to mail to your MP. The post card presents evidence-based reasons to oppose assisted suicide, urging MPs to oppose the Bill at the Third Reading. Please take a postcard, fill in the necessary details and post it off to your MP. THANK YOU. As has been said, purely in terms of economics, and to re-iterate the point, with a much lower than needed fertility rate in the UK, which in the longer term (20 to 30 years) will create a smaller revenue for HMRC with a smaller work force, the longevity of life which so many presently enjoy and the subsequent increasing medical costs with a tighter hold and additional expenses on the public purse, should this Bill succeed, then, just as has happened with the 1968 Abortion Act and the ‘safeguards’ the same will happen with this Bill. The safeguards of the 1968 Abortion Act stipulated: “a pregnancy is terminated by a registered medical practitioner if two registered medical practitioners are of the opinion, formed in good faith….” (Abortion Act 1967 1967 CHAPTER 87 Paragraph 1:1 See:- Abortion Act 1967 ) a quick browse of the internet for the ‘morning after pill’ readily demonstrates that 2 medical practitioners ‘of good faith’ are no longer required; one therefore, has to ask, what will the ‘Assisted Dying Bill’ bring in 50 years’ time with ever tighter Government purse string and a significantly smaller tax contributing population? This Bill needs to be opposed for the common good of society at large and greater funding for palliative care through which pain can be very much managed in these Isles.
First Holy Communion and Confirmation programmes will continue as of 29th April; details will be available in the newsletter.
CAFOD Myanmar Earthquake Appeal : Your donations will provide essentials like water, food, solar lights, and mosquito nets. Please give to CAFOD’s Myanmar Earthquake Appeal in church or you can donate online at cafod.org.uk/myanmar or by calling 0303 303 3030 . You can also text EARTHQUAKE to 70450 to donate £10.
EASTER OFFERING A reminder also that the collection at the Easter Vigil and on Easter Sunday is your personal offering to Fr. Ian. The Easter Offering, along with the Christmas Day Offering, are the major source of personal income for the whole year for the diocesan priest in Arundel and Brighton, so we ask you to be as generous as you can. ‘Easter Offering’ envelopes are available at the church entrances and given the varied manner of financial transactions, the ‘Easter Offering’ envelopes are possibly the least ambiguous manner of offering. Many thanks. PLEASE NOTE that if you usually contribute by some kind of internal bank transfer, BACS / standing order etc. but you wish to make a personal offering, then you will have to stipulate to your bank that any such offering to Fr. Ian should be annotated accordingly; if offerings are not annotated as such, then they will go into the general parish funds, rather than to Fr. Ian! Church flowers for Easter:- This weekend there is a second collection for Easter flowers to decorate the church, should you like to make a contribution. Many thanks.
HOLY WEEK LITURGIES There is a yellow A5 flyer available with the details as well as here in the newsletter; they are as follows: Palm Sunday: ( Saturday/ Sunday 13th April) Masses start from the hall with our palm procession. Maundy Thursday (17 th April) Mass of the Last Supper 7.30pm with ‘watching’ at the altar of repose until midnight. Good Friday (18 th April) Liturgy of the Passion : 3pm with veneration of the Cross Stations of the Cross: 7 pm Holy Saturday (19 th April) 10am Polish Blessing of baskets (in church, in English) Easter Vigil Mass 8.30 pm Easter Sunday (20 th April) Dawn Mass 8am , Mass of Easter Day 10am Readers and Special Ministers of Holy Communion:- Would those who assist in these ministries please ‘sign up’ to assist with the different Holy Week Liturgies, please. Lists for each day are in the sacristy. A number of readers are required for the Passion Narrative on Palm Sunday and Good Friday and also for the individual readings for the Easter Vigil. Many thanks. Washing of feet ‘mandatum’ at Mass of the Lord’s Supper; Would you volunteer for this, please? If so, speak to Fr. Ian. Thank you.
A poster is now available outlining Mass Times and Services for this extra special times. View the poster here
Could we have an ‘all hands on deck spring clean’ of the church next Saturday, 12th April at 2pm , please? If you can wield a broom, brash, duster, dust pan or spray polish, your help would be appreciated. Many thanks.
The timetable for Holy Week is as follows: Palm Sunday: (Saturday/ Sunday 13th April) Masses start from the hall with our palm procession. Maundy Thursday (17th April) Mass of the Last Supper 7.30pm with ‘watching’ at the altar of repose until midnight. Good Friday (18th April) Liturgy of the Passion: 3pm with veneration of the Cross Stations of the Cross: 7 pm Holy Saturday (19th April) 10am Polish Blessing of baskets (in church, in English) Easter Vigil Mass 8.30 pm Easter Sunday (20th April) Dawn Mass 8am , Mass of Easter Day 10am Readers and Special Ministers of Holy Communion:- Would those who assist in these ministries please ‘sign up’ to assist with the different Holy Week Liturgies, please. Lists for each day are in the sacristy. A number of readers are required for the Passion Narrative on Palm Sunday and Good Friday and also for the individual readings for the Easter Vigil. Many thanks
HOLY HOUR :- This Thursday from 7 until 8 with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. All are welcome.