Diocesan Pastoral Plan

“Missio” Red Boxes: Those bits of small change which you put into the box, when combined with all the others, makes a real difference to the life of the Church in poorer parts of the world; your simple financial support in this way, makes you a missionary, even if you never set foot outside your home. So, thank you for the support you give you give to Missio. If would like one in your home to support the work of the Missions, please text Louis McCulloch on 07770 802830.” If, for some reason, you have a Red Box in your home but it’s not used (perhaps you’ve ‘inherited it’) do bring it along to the church sacristy, putting some contact details on it so that Louise can update the records. Many thanks

ROSARY CIRCLE FOR PRIESTLY VOCATIONS:- If you haven’t already done so, but would still like to commit to praying a decade of the Rosary each day during February, then please do put your initial or a tick in one of the boxes on the ‘Rosary Circle’ chart in the church porch. Our thanks to all those who have ‘signed up’ already to be part of the ‘Rosary Circles’. So as to keep this spiritual exercise in our minds and hearts, the first Sunday of each month is a ‘sign up’ weekend, when people can recommit to this by 'signing up again' or indeed take up this prayerful activity. Let it be said, however, that anyone can join the Rosary Circles at any time, so, even if you haven’t done so thus far, please be encouraged to do so. Details of how to be involved are on the notice in the church porch. PLEASE BE PART OF A ROSARY CIRCLE PRAYING FOR PRIESTLY VOCATIONS FROM THE PARISH! Thank you. Prayer for vocations to the Priesthood: ( Dropped in through the presbytery letter box, so a ‘thankyou’ to the courier) God our Father, look in love upon our homes, our families and our communities. Raise up from amongst us worthy priests to preach the Gospel to all people, to minister at your altar and care for your flock. Fill us with your Holy Spirit and make us faithful and inspiring witnesses to your Kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION: The programmes continue this Tuesday and Thursday respectively. For the older children, Year 5 and above, the meeting will be on Tuesday at 4.15 in the small hall and last about 1 hour. Confirmation Programme: Continues this Thursday at 6 pm.

From RIGHT TO LIFE: Assisted Dying Bill: The Committee of MPs responsible for scrutinising Kim Leadbeater’s assisted suicide Bill completed its final session. The Bill’s sponsor, Kim Leadbeater, promised meaningful scrutiny at Committee Stage and claimed her Bill would have the “strictest safeguards anywhere in the world”. Unfortunately, proceedings at Committee Stage have shown these promises to have been hollow. Well over 300 amendments that sought to strengthen safeguards in the Bill and that would have protected vulnerable groups were rejected by Kim Leadbeater and other Bill supporters. This included rejecting amendments that would have: Explicitly protected people with Down’s syndrome, autism and learning difficulties under the Bill. Prevented doctors from raising assisted suicide with patients unprompted, including children under the age of 18. Prohibited assisted suicide in cases where a person has been encouraged or manipulated into a request or where a request has been made under “undue influence”, putting the victims of domestic abuse at risk. These are just some examples of the over 300 amendments that Leadbeater and other Bill supporters rejected. This decision to reject these amendments, which would have strengthened safeguards in the Bill and protected vulnerable groups, was an intentional choice, revealing a deliberate preference for a loose Bill, allowing for future expansion - something I am sure you are aware has happened with similar laws overseas. The Times printed a very strong editorial that highlights the serious problems with the Bill. It calls on MPs to “kill this bill”. TAKE ACTION It’s vital that MPs are aware of these serious problems with how Kim Leadbeater and her allies have conducted Committee Stage of the Bill and the rejection of over 300 amendments. It’s also really important that they know that you, as a constituent, are very concerned about this and that they must vote against the Bill at Third Reading. Right to Life have launched an easy-to-use tool that makes it simple to email your local MP on this new important development. Even if you have already emailed your MP asking them to oppose this Bill, it’s really important that you email them again with this new information, which we need to get in front of MPs now. Please take action and click the button below to contact your MP now . It only takes 30 seconds. -----------------------------------  Previous News : Assisted Dying Bill:- Media reports suggest that the Cross Party Select Committee for the ‘Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill’ have extensively consulted with apparent witnesses or experts who favour assisted dying, having little consultation with any who might oppose the Bill. According to Alithea Williams, from SPUC, amongst the experts, an American doctor, and advocate of assisted suicide, “suggested that being a “burden” was enough reason to die. One doctor even said that it should be a "felony" for loved ones to “interfere with a patient’s right to make this choice”.” (see:-Pro-life advocates in UK say assisted suicide Bill ‘protections’ already being lowered | Crux ) When the Bill was tabled for a vote in Nov 2024, paragraph 12 of the Bill made very clear that a High Court Judge was to ensure that in each situation due diligence and the Law was to be followed and that the Law be adhered to; see section 12 (5) to (11) of the Bill at: Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. Reports suggest that this judicial element, scrutiny by a High Court Judge could be lost. Many of the assurances which were initially given that the UK Law on ‘assisted dying’ would be the strictest in the world are fast eroding, which should be cause for grave concern – particularly with a view to 50 or 60 years hence and your great, great grandchildren who will be making decisions about anyone who is presently 10 to 25 years of age. If such a Bill becomes Law at this time, there is little hope for anyone in the not so distant future. To counter this culture of death and to promote a gospel of life, please support the petition from SPUC at YES to our hospices, NO to assisted suicide – SPUC (it is what it states) asking the Government to do more to support the hospice movement and the work done by everyone involved in palliative care. Again, to encourage you to write to your MP at the House of Commons, asking them to oppose the Assisted Dying Bill and to support funding etc for the hospice movement. The MP for Dorking and Horley is Chris Coughlan (Lib Dem)

The Jubilee Year of 2025: Do have a look at the Diocesan website (dabnet) for details about the Jubilee Year. The Diocesan churches designated as places of pilgrimage and plenary indulgences for the Jubilee Year are:- Arundel Cathedral, Worth Abbey, and St. Joseph’s, Guildford..

GOOD FRIDAY COLLECTION:- We take the opportunity to remind you that on Good Friday there is a collection for the Holy Places in the Holy Land; this collection helps the missionary work of the Franciscans, supporting the upkeep of the holy sites, for which they are responsible as well as the schools, hospitals and other endeavours. EASTER OFFERING A reminder also that the collection at the Easter Vigil and on Easter Sunday is your personal offering to Fr. Ian. 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! 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 will be 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.

WE DARE TO HOPE Lent Study Group: Focusing on the virtue of Christian Hope. Looking at five episodes in the life of Jesus with beautiful reflections and prayers by a group of Dominican Sisters, everyone is welcome to attend. Each Tuesday, at 11.00am in St. Joseph’s hall. Meetings will last around 75 min

Deanery news! The next edition of the Deanery newsletter is below and includes 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. In the first Epsom Deanery Newsletter last Autumn, I wrote about the initial steps we were taking in response to Bishop Richard’s Call to Mission, as we committed ourselves to putting his Pastoral Plan into effect in this area. In this issue, you can read about some of the meetings that have happened, some actions that are taking place in the coming weeks and months, and about plans that are beginning to form for the longer term; and, most importantly, about how each person can get involved.  Please view the full newsletter below:

Government coffers, welfare reform, fertility rates, 57 years on and the Assisted Dying Bill: The domestic headlines this week indicate there is not enough money in the Central Government coffers, without mention of local authorities, council tax, bin collections and the potholes in the roads! Consequently, welfare reform has been announced so that available funds can be more prudently spent. The funds are not there because of increased cost / overheads, an ageing population, creating increased demands and therefore, cost, on the NHS. Fertility rates are at the lowest levels ever, (not least of all, because of housing costs). As the fertility rates become lower the working population will become smaller, so there will be fewer tax payers and therefore even less money going into Government coffers while cost continue to rise. (Consider China’s so called ‘one child policy’, the politics may be different but the impact will be the same.) Since the Abortion Act came in to force in the 1960’s with its ‘safeguard’ of 2 medical practitioners allowing for a pregnancy to be ‘terminated’ have been eroded (Evidenced by being able to purchase the ‘morning after pill’ via the internet; one high street supplier, at least, indicating ‘for future use’ so, hardly ‘emergency’). Given the erosion of such ‘safeguards’ over 57 years in that arena, what of 57 years hence and the future with the ‘Assisted Dying Bill’? If, as has been spoken about, the judiciary is not in place to oversee that due, correct and legal process is adhered to by all concerned, but rather anonymous ‘experts’ (whose dispositions of mind and heart may not be known) and whose subjective involvement in each ‘case of assistance’ might obscure their oversight, what reassurances will there be in another 50 years that those who are regarded as a ‘burden’ or who see themselves as such, against involuntary euthanasia? If there is an ever-diminishing economic situation with ever rising costs and an on-going erosion of any sense of human dignity, the Bill cannot be seen to guarantee to provide against involuntary euthanasia some 50 years hence. Consider also, the number of high-profile cases, whereby, for whatever reasons, ‘officialdom’ has seen a catastrophic failure in the ‘duty of care’. Such high-profile cases point to the fact that a single High Court Judge, retired or otherwise, will not have the capacity to head up a commission to oversee every case of ‘assisted dying’ which is offered up by a plethora of local authorities and its team of “experts”. An article in Saturday’s ‘Telegraph’ by Ollie Corfe, quoting Liz Emerson, of the ‘Intergenerational Foundation’, helps to illustrate concerns about how economics will impact on the ‘Assisted Dying Bill’ should it become law: “Older generations’ wilful disregard for the very real economic plight experienced by younger generations may be driving these intergenerational tensions. “In the 1970s, a home could be bought with a mortgage around three times a person’s annual income. Today’s house prices demand seven times annual incomes outside London and twelve times income in the capital.” (See: The ‘uncomfortable truth’ behind wealth-hoarding boomers )