The musings of one of God’s smallest creatures on events in and around the Parish over the past seven days . . . . Due to the winds that were expected last Saturday evening Fr D was encouraged to take an earlier plane home. The landing at Gatwick was certainly a little more bumpy than usual and he was back in the house around 18.45, and emptying his clothes out of the boxes on wheels and into the two white boxes in the utility room . . . . . Before he went off on holiday Fr D had arranged with the doctor to have three inoculations on Monday morning, in the event when he arrived they only wanted to allow two so he’s still got another to have at some point in the next couple of months! Whilst there they wanted to take yet another bottle of blood (to check that a recent different tablet was not affecting his kidneys) as well! By the time he left he was feeling a bit like a pin cushion. He was due to be having some eye tests at Epsom hospital in the afternoon but whilst he was out at the doctors a message was left on the answerphone to say that that had been cancelled until 2 nd December! By this point he’s had quite enough of medics for a while at least. After Morning Prayers, Mass, and Exposition on Tuesday Fr D had a telephone appointment with the diabetic nurse - this fortunately was over very quickly and he doesn’t have another for six months. In the afternoon he began working on a solution to the programme that he uses for the newsletter each week now having been discontinued by Microsoft. He had already invested in a ‘stand alone’ version which is separate from 365 and will work for our needs. This he loaded to his computer and began work on this week’s newsletter happily. After Morning Prayer and Mass on Wednesday Fr D continued work on the newsletter until lunchtime when he was meeting Fr Ruslan at one of Cobham’s hostelry's because their normal lunch venue in Esher was having a makeover. Very nice venue but a bit noisy because of it’s low ceilings. Fr Ruslan was able to give Fr D a first hand account of the new bishop’s ordination (he did not attempt to tune in to it whilst he was on holiday!). Fr D did not go down to the Diocesan Offices this week because it was half term and his secretary down in Crawley was on ‘granny duty.’ He did, however, write a rather acerbic email to the finance department asking what as happening about our two projects that he put in the forms for at the beginning of August? He had negotiated a £1,000 discount from one contractor and the other contractor is now going to have difficulties in getting the other project ready for Christmas! . . . .

The musings of one of God’s smallest creatures on events in and around the Parish over the past seven days . . . . After his holiday away Fr D has now returned back to us, we thank Canon Tony for ‘stepping into the breach’ and looking after us over the past few weeks . . . . Fr D actually arrived home about 21.30 on Saturday evening. First thing he did, of course, was to make himself a pot of tea (which spread to two pots of tea pretty quickly). He opened the ‘box on wheels’ and sorted the contents into four piles: ‘dark,’ ‘coloured,’ ‘ w h i t e , ’ a n d ‘ u n u s e d , ’ before taking one pile upstairs again and then taking the other three into the utility room and playing with the big white boxes! Afterwards he had a sandwich and sorted out the various bits of mail that had gathered whilst he was away ready to look at on Tuesday morning. Then he took himself off to bed, having had a long day travelling. Fr D says that he had a really lovely time whilst away in Crete, it is one of his favourite Greek islands (he likes holidays on the Greek islands, so long as the island has it’s own airport - he has no intention of getting on a Greek ferry!). He finds the island people very welcoming and always delighted that he has a little Greek to show willing when he talks to them - his restaurant speaking is quite passable (certainly to the extent that he manages to get what he wants!). Whilst away he stays in a villa with his friends and they always have one with its own pool. Typically he spends the morning saying his prayers (along with a pot of tea) before the first swim of the day, any shopping required then gets done to include the fresh-baked bread that will be the base of lunch (cheese, tomatoes, olive paste, hummus, kataifi cake). In the afternoon there is either more time around the pool (Fr D hiding from the sun and reading under a shade) or a trip out to visit/see something. Eventually another swim and then getting ready to go out for the evening meal. Fr D has got quite fond of Greek island food (except for fish) which he has discovered bears little resemblance to what Greek restaurants here in the UK serve up!  There are not all that many Catholic churches on the islands compared with Greek Orthodox churches on nearly every street corner and square. However the group manage to get to Mass, usually on Saturday evening before continuing on to a restaurant. Fr D finds that being in the congregation is a sobering experience, particularly when the Mass is celebrated in Greek (or sometimes in very exotic English!). There is always an interesting selection of ‘ex-pats at Mass, but Fr D does not ever tell them that he is a priest!

NEXT INFANT BAPTISM PROGRAMME - Our next preparation programme for the Baptism of Infants will be taking place very soon: Session A 19.30 05.11.26; Rite of Welcome (normal Mass you attend) 7/8.11.26; Session B 19.30 12.11.26; Session C 19.30 19.11.26 the completed programme will lead to the celebration of Baptism on Sunday 22.11.26, 12.15 Parents who are looking to join this course need to collect an application form from the Parish Office and get it returned to be registered on the course well before it begins. The next course of preparation is: Session A 19.30 07.01.27; Rite of Welcome (normal Mass you attend) 9/10.01.27; Session B 19.30 21.01.27; Session C 19.30 04.02.27

Traditionally the month of November is dedicated to the Holy Souls in purgatory. The Church commemorates all her faithful children who have departed this life, but have not yet attained the joys of heaven. St Paul warns us that we must not be ignorant concerning the dead, nor sorrowful, “even as others who have no hope . . . . for the Lord himself shall come down from heaven . . . . and the dead who are in Christ shall rise.” The Church has always taught us to pray for those who have gone into eternity. Even in the Old Testament prayers and alms were offered for the souls of the dead by those who thought “well and religiously concerning the resurrection.” It was believed that “they who had fallen asleep with godliness had great grace laid up for them” and that “it is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.” We know that a defiled soul cannot enter into heaven.

The musings of one of God’s smallest creatures on events in and around the Parish over the past seven days . . . .  Second week into his holiday now, and I hope that he is beginning to feel the benefit of no phone calls, no doorbells, no questions . . . . . .

The musings of one of God’s smallest creatures on events in and around the Parish over the past seven days . . . .  Well, he has been away on his holiday for a week now, although I have yet to receive a post card . . . . .

The musings of one of God’s smallest creatures on events in and around the Parish over the past seven days . . . . Hugely busy week around The Presbytery this time as Fr D had both an ‘In-Service’ day with the rest of the priests of the diocese (Tuesday) and a Requiem Mass for his old housekeeper in Reigate (Wednesday). These were coupled with the electrician coming to deal with some minor improvements in the house, church, and Parish Centre, getting his bits of the Newsletter ready, and (washing) packing to go away meant that he was scrambling for time. Fr D was also acutely aware that the announcement of new Mass times whilst he was away was not the way he would have liked things to be, but all the clergy had agreed that the announcement of the new timings of Mass would be made on this weekend in every community in the Epsom Deanery; not ideal but the best that he could arrange. To this end there is a map in the newsletter showing the old and new times in each community and also a written A5 Flyer to go with the newsletter, please remember to take one home with you as well as the Newsletter (if you do not get it electronically by email). The clergy have been working on the new timetable since June and have spent several meetings in conversation with one another (as well as much prayer). There were several principles that they wanted to maintain in order to make the new timetable as pastoral as possible whilst recognising the new situation that we are all in:  Saturday Vigil Masses are always counted as Sunday Masses  Taking account of Fr Charles Howell leaving the area to go on a sabbatical (knowing that he will not be returning nor being replaced)  Taking account that we have two priests who will be retiring in the near future (and are unlikely to be replaced)  Minimum of two hours between the Masses a priest celebrates on a Sunday  A Priest can celebrate a maximum of three Masses on a Sunday  The necessary changes should be made now and not piecemeal over the next few years  Trying to value the important connection between priest, people, and place  Working together to share the impact of the changes that are necessary  Our own community will be losing the 18.00 Saturday evening Mass and Fr D will be celebrating a 18.00 Saturday evening Mass in Effingham . . . . . .

The musings of one of God’s smallest creatures on events in and around the Parish over the past seven days . . . . We are now eagerly looking forward to the ordination of Fr Stephen Wang as the sixth bishop of Arundel & Brighton. The ordination will take place at Arundel Cathedral on Monday 19th October (the feast of our patron St Philip Howard). We look forward to working with him in the mission of proclaiming the Gospel. No doubt his ‘in-tray’ is going to be rather full to begin with, but we can expect, in due course, to his thoughts on the priorities for the Diocese and in particular on the Pastoral Plan. Also at more or less the same time Fr Charles Howell will be leaving the area to undertake a sabbatical. Our Diocesan Administrator (Canon Jonathan Martin) has explained to us that there is no plan for a priest to be appointed to Effingham and Fetcham and that the Deanery Clergy will need to work out together how pastoral provision should be offered to these communities, and indeed all the communities in the area. Although we have not yet been formally re-constituted as one single parish, served by all the priests together, we have been encouraged to think and plan in this way. This is what is meant by the concept, rooted in Canon Law, that the clergy serve in solidum. Simply put, this means that all the priests are individually and collectively responsible for the pastoral life of all, working with our deacons and lay faithful. The clergy together become the Parish Priest, or perhaps better put, the parish priests. The benefit of working together in this way is that it promotes an approach that builds collaboration and support, and where the gifts and talents of each are offered in service to the whole area. This willingness to think across the board has been evident in the discussions that the clergy have been having in the past three months about pastoral provision and the generous sense that we, and the people in our communities, should share the impact of change. As thoughts about Sunday (including Saturday vigils) Mass timings began, it seemed both sensible and wise to acknowledge that, at some point in the not-too-distant future, some of our priests will be moving into a well-earned retirement (though no dates have yet been mentioned). The clergy’s task, then, was to draft a schedule of Masses for the area that was capable of being served by eight priests (it is hoped that there will continue to be retired priests able to offer supply on occasion but this cannot be relied upon).  Finally, rather than make the changes piecemeal - some this Autumn, and then more in the next couple of years - it was decided that the whole schedule should be worked now. The new Sunday schedule (due to commence on the first weekend of Advent this year 5/6 December) will be announced next weekend.

Pope Leo appointed Fr Stephen Wang as sixth bishop of our Diocese on 2nd July. In a video recorded recently: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnVi7K8bWJE  Bishop-elect Stephen offers a simple, practical introduction to prayer. “Prayer is wonderful,” he says, “prayer is so important, but prayer can be hard as well. How many times have people come up to me as a priest and said, ‘Father, I want to pray, but I don’t know how to start. I don’t know what to do, and I feel a bit stuck…’ “I remember the first time I prayed as an adult, I didn’t really know what to do, but I was in my bedroom. I closed my door. I sat on the edge of my bed and… just talked to God and said something like, ‘Dear God, I’m not sure if you're there. I hope you’re listening. These are the things on my heart, on my mind…’”