Parish of St. Wilfrid, Burgess Hill and St. Edward the Confessor, Keymer

with

St. George’s Convent, Ditchling

and St. Anne’s Convent, Burgess Hill

Parish Priest Father Rick McGrath with Father Maksym Krat

Deacon Liam McIlvenny : liam.mcilvenny@abdiocese.org.uk

Priest’s House Station Road Burgess Hill RH15 9EN

Tel: 01444 232358 email: burgesshill@abdiocese.org.uk website:www.stwilfridsbh.com

Parish Office open: 9am - 3pm Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

Sunday 27 September 2020 ~ Twenty Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary Cycle A - Year II

There was a cartoon in the paper this week: two men with mobile phones near each other, and the one saying to the other: “I have a new app that takes me to anyone who understands the new regulations.” I don’t do apps, but I do understand confusion. I’m not going to be either a critic or advocate for government policy, but I think everyone is trying to do his best in a very strange situation, and the ups and downs and u-turns, as far as I can tell, are mirrored all over the world. We will try to do our best as well.

There are no new restrictions on daily or Sunday Masses. We need to keep ‘gelling,’ wearing masks and, one area where we sometimes slip a little, being sure to keep at least a metre between individuals or ‘family bubbles.’

Funerals are still limited to 30 people, but weddings, strangely, to 15. May I gently point out to any of you who are postponing weddings because you “can’t afford to get married” or can’t imagine not “doing it right,” that we have had several weddings here during lockdown, and they have been simple, beautiful, and, I’m assuming, inexpensive. (People often, usually, make a donation to the church - but we have no obligatory charges at all.) Brides and grooms have found it less stressful, because it doesn’t have to be ‘perfect,’ and they can focus on each other and the sacrament, with family and friends another time, later, perhaps on the anniversary. Think about it.

We will always ensure that we are keeping safe and within guidelines. The churches are sanitised each day, and doors, so far, left open, but the time is coming when doors will need to be closed and when that happens we will sanitise handles, but it will be impossible to do after every use, so be especially careful to sanitise your hands entering and leaving. We’re very blessed to be living in an area that has low rates of infection, but let’s all continue to help keep them low. Stay well, and every blessing, Fr. Rick

~ First Holy Communion ~

Please pray for the children of our parish who make their First Holy Communion this Sunday

~ Elena Cullen ~ Callum Egleton ~ Joseph Holden ~ Rory Tavener ~

May the Body and Blood of Christ always be a source of nourishment for you.

St Vincent de Paul, Burgess Hill - SVP Awareness Month - September This weekend there is a second collection in support of the Burgess Hill SVP, which will directly benefit the people in need, in our community. Envelopes were/are at the back of the church last weekend, for you to Gift Aid your donation if you are a taxpayer. Please note that we cannot collect Gift Aid, unless the envelope details are completed; used envelope details are kept confidential. PLEASE RETURN THE ENVELOPES TO THE PARISH OFFICE OR IF ATTENDING MASS PLEASE PLACE THEM IN THE COLLECTION BASKET AT THE BACK OF THE CHURCH. You can also donate online: Bank: National Westminster, Lambeth North. Payee: A010507 St Wilfrid Sort code: 60-60-04 Account no: 46083200 Many thanks for your support, we’ve had a busy few months and your donations are greatly appreciated, by the SVP and more importantly by those we are able to help.

Admission Application Forms Fr Rick will be available to sign the Admission Forms for St Paul’s Catholic College (September 2021 intake) at the following signing sessions:

Tuesday 29 September 2.30 pm - 3.30 pm

Tuesday 6 October 12 noon - 1.00 pm

Thursday 8 October 7.00 pm till 7.30 pm

No appointment necessary - come to the Priest’s House during these times, come in (no need to ring the doorbell) and follow the signs. It is the parents’ responsibility to take the form to the school and the deadline is 31 October 2020. (Please note St Wilfrid’s Catholic Primary School Admission Forms do not need to be signed by your Parish Priest).

Please ENSURE you have a copy of your child’s Baptism Certificate

with you - even if they were baptised here at St Wilfrid’s. Please note we will NOT be able to check

the Baptismal Register at these sessions, therefore a copy of the certificate is required.

Track and Trace Following national and diocesan guidelines, we are implementing a ‘track and trace’ system for Mass attendance at St Wilfrid’s and St Edward’s. We will have labelled baskets placed at the back of the churches. Prior to coming to Mass please prepare a small piece of paper detailing:

• your name

• contact number

• the names of those attending Mass with you (couples or families from one household need only use one name and one slip of paper)

On entering the church please place the piece of paper in the basket, sanitise your hands and take your seat, please keep an appropriate distance from fellow parishioners as you do so. The paper does not need to be dated, so for those of you who attend Mass regularly, you could print a sheet of paper with your details repeated on it, saves writing it. These will be collected after each Mass, stored securely in date order and securely disposed of after 21 days. Whilst we appreciate daily Mass will be manageable, we would ask people to be mindful of congestion on entering the church at the weekend Masses, please keep to the recommended social distancing. There will be no pens or paper at the back of the church.

Mass Intentions ~ from Saturday 26 September 2020

Our Churches are now open for Mass and private prayer, please see the timetable on page one for days and times. Below we have listed the Mass Intentions so you can see when your request and Mass Intention is being celebrated.

Sat 26 Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

5.00 pm St Edward’s Intentions and well-being of Barry and

Hilda Sexton

6.30 pm St Wilfrid’s Intentions of the Burgess Hill SVP

Benefactors

Sun 27 Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

9.30 am St Wilfrid’s First Holy Communion Mass

People of the Parish

11.00 am St George’s Intentions of Sister Mary Vincent Feast Day

Mon 28 Feria in Ordinary Time, Week Twenty-Six

9.15 am St Wilfrid’s Doris Thorne RIP

10.00 am St George’s Intentions of Sister Mary Gabriel

Feast Day 29 September

Tues 29 Feast ~ Saints Michael, Gabriel & Raphael, Archangels

9.30 am St Edward’s Intentions and well-being of Frances sexton

11.00 am St Anne’s Well-being of Johnny Cooke

Private Mass - Sisters and residents

Wed 30 Feast ~ St Jerome, Priest, Doctor

9.15 am St Wilfrid’s Mary Elizabeth Stack RIP

10.00 am St George’s Eugene Buttle RIP

Thurs 1 Oct Memorial ~ St Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin,

9.15 am St Wilfrid’s Dennis and John Healy RIP Doctor

10.00 am St George’s Intentions and well-being of

Sister Mary Cyprian

Fri 2 Feria in Ordinary Time, Week Twenty-five

First Friday, Day of Abstinence

9.15 am St Wilfrid’s For the children and staff of St Francis of

Assisi Primary School, Crawley

10.00 am St George’s Joe Parkinson RIP

Sat 3 Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

5.00 pm St Edward’s Intentions and well-being of Sally Brown

6.30 pm St Wilfrid’s David Baird RIP

Sun 4 Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

9.30 am St Wilfrid’s First Holy Communion Mass People of the Parish

11.00 am St George’s Intentions of Mary Cusack

Prayers for the sick

Please remember in your prayers those from our community who are unable to join us for Mass: Joan de Lacey, Dorik Frantz, Haslum Owen Gotting, Elmira Irasga, Anne Johansson, Janusz Kent, Mary Klimek, Catherine Mooney, John Mooney, Anywhere Muriro, Mrs Muriro, Alex Murray, Val Parris, Peter Ramage, Damian Sewell, Barry Sexton, Mark Swallow, Sister Pat (Convent of the Poor Clare's, Crossbush), Mary Stapleton, Margaret Vincent, Vicky, Mary Wallace, Brenda Walsh, Sheila White, Canon Colin Wolczak, Fiona Wright and all those with long term illnesses.

In order to keep the Prayer List up to date - names will remain on for one month. If you have a name you would like added or one you would like to remain on please advise the parish office. Thank you.

Homily You may remember that I tried to emphasize the generosity in last week’s Gospel passage about the vineyard owner who paid the last worker’s the same as the first. This week’s readings are, in their own way, very similar. Ezekiel is reminding his listeners that those who renounce the right path, die (spiritually) because of their sins, not by God’s punishment. I often quote the old proverb: “we aren’t punished for our sins, we are punished by them,” and that essentially is what Ezekiel is saying on God’s behalf. St. Paul, more practically, perhaps, points out many of those ways that we hurt ourselves: conceit, competition, putting ourselves first. All these things need to be taken in context: if you’re running a race or entering a competition, of course you do your best to win, but it is making winning, making ourselves first, essential to our lives, stepping on others, cheating, lying, that we start on a very slippery slope. Jesus, Paul reminds us, the Son of God, made Himself a slave for our sakes. That is the example that we should be striving for.

Prioritising others is not easy, it isn’t the ‘natural’ human reaction. I like today’s Gospel passage, because it is so very conscious of our human weakness. The ‘good’ son who says yes instantly and does nothing about it. The ‘bad’ son who says no, but thinks better of it. We are all, often, bad sons and daughters, but the point of listening to the Scriptures, of reading or listening to this homily, is to remind ourselves to aim to rise above natural inclination, and “think better of it.” Jesus reminds the Jewish elders that many great sinners indeed are “thinking better” of it and will find their way into the kingdom of heaven ahead of them, who say “yes, yes,” but actually do nothing about it. Let us hope and pray that whatever our first impulses or actions are, we may be open to “thinking better.” As always, something to keep in mind and to work toward. God bless you all. Father Rick

SECOND COLLECTIONS CAFOD FAMILY FAST DAY 11

OCTOBER Thank you to all who have supported the second collections that were detailed a few weeks back. CAFOD Harvest Fast Day was scheduled for Friday 2 October and is now going to be on Friday 11 October. If you would like to support CAFOD directly please visit www.cafod.org.uk or alternately we will have Gift Aid envelopes at the back of the church next weekend for returning the week after.

First Holy Communion 2020/2021

Registration forms for the First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion Programme are available at the back of the Church and on the parish website www.stwilfridsb.com If you would like an emailed version please email the Parish Office. Please read the leaflet carefully before completing the form and returning it to the Parish Office by 4 October.

Please note: Next week the parish office will be open:

Monday 28 September 9.30am—3.00 pm Tuesday 29 September 9.30 am—3.00 pm

Wednesday 30 September 9.30 am—3.00 pm

The office will be closed on Thursday 1 October and Friday 2 October and open as usual on Tuesday 6 October.

Mass Count Over the next three weekends, from 27 September to 11 October - we shall be continuing with the Annual Mass Count. These figures, reflect the numbers of parishioners ‘physically present’ at Mass, are submitted to the Diocese along with the parish’s birth, death and marriage numbers and form part of the Diocese statistics.