Last Monday 25th May, Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical letter, Magnifica humanitas, was presented in the Vatican’s Synod Hall. Professor Anna Rowlands, a theologian and Professor at Durham University, was one of the speakers at the presentation. Following the launch event, Professor Rowlands reflected on this significant day and what it means for the Church and for the world: “The day has been pretty exciting, intense and momentous, as you would expect. This is the first time that a Pope has attended in the modern era, at least, the launch of a papal encyclical. Today there was a sense of a really important issue and set of topics being addressed, but also of a real gathering together with a spirit of appropriate celebration of a text that I think is a gift to the world.” Turning to the encyclical, Professor Rowlands noted that Pope Leo has been focused on AI as a central issue since the beginning of his papacy. She explained: “I think he genuinely feels that we’re living on the cusp of a new phase of the industrial revolution, and that we’ve entered a new moment where those same issues, in an intensified way, are now present to us again.” Describing the urgency with which Pope Leo is approaching the topic, she said: “[The Pope] thinks that this is an issue we should have been thinking about yesterday, and I think he worries, genuinely, that people don’t feel confident to tackle the AI conversation. He wants people to feel confident; their expertise doesn’t need to be in science or tech to engage with this issue. We do need the people with those bodies of expertise, but we are experts in humanity. We know what it is to inhabit a human body, to desire real human relationships rather than mere artificial connection with each other.”  The central focus of Magnifica humanitas is the dignity of the human person, and the need to ensure “the genuine flourishing of human beings.”

There is a global debt crisis causing immense suffering for our brothers and sisters in low-income countries. Money that should be spent on healthcare and education is flowing out from countries that can least afford it. Complex factors have caused this crisis and now governments have an impossible choice between serving their people or paying their creditors. Often, they have paid their original debt back, but spiralling interest means they will never break the cycle. There are practical solutions are available. Please sign the petition at: www.cafod.org.uk/cancelthedebt

The musings of one of God’s smallest creatures on events in and around the Parish over the past seven days . . . . A time of being all over the place for Fr D this week and two requiem Masses to celebrate as well . . . . . At our 11.00 Sunday morning Mass last weekend Fr D celebrated the ‘Rite of Welcome’ for a toddler who will be baptised in June. The ‘Rite of Welcome’ is the front part of the baptism ceremony that used to be celebrated at the church door when parents brought their child for baptism. The Rite enables the community in which the child will be baptised to acknowledge that they are preparing to join the community. On Bank Holiday Monday Fr D had lunch with two former parishioners from Reigate his (first parish as a Parish Priest), one of whom used to be his cleaner. Lunch took place at a local hostelry and many, many old times were called to mind. Tuesday morning Fr D celebrated the first of two requiems this week and following this he went to the Tilt Cemetery to celebrate the burial. By the time that he returned home afterwards he thought that he was melting and quickly changed out of ‘the black’ and into shorts and a t-shirt. It still took copious amounts of drinking cold water from the fridge before he felt anything approaching human again. Wednesday morning saw another blistering day weather-wise and another requiem for Fr D to celebrate. This time after the service Fr D went off to Randalls Park Crematoria with the family afterwards. Once again he was overheating by the time he returned and the shorts and another t-shirt appeared, along with several bottles of water from the fridge. On Thursday Fr D did not have a Mass to celebrate in the Sacred Heart owing to the annual Jubilarians celebration down at Arundel Cathedral. This was an opportunity for all the clergy of the diocese to celebrate with this year’s Jubilarians 60, 50, 40, and 25 years of ministry as a priest in the diocese. After the Mass there was a photocall for the Jubilarians in the Cathedral precincts before a nice lunch in the Cathedral Hall, just along the road. Because there was a reasonable breeze on the day Fr D took his time driving home what he called “the scenic route” - involving no motorway driving at all.  After Morning Prayer and Mass on Friday, Fr D had just a few bits to do for the newsletter this week before handing it over to Sarah in the Parish Office. In the evening he went out for a meal with two parishioners . . . .

A usual the Diocese asks all Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist to renew their commitment to their important ministry on the feast of Corpus Christi. At present we only receive the chalice at the 09.00 and 11.00 Masses on Sunday so the renewal will take place at these two Masses on Sunday 7th June (Corpus Christi). Ministers will be asked to come and stand at the front of the sanctuary by Fr Daryl when they are required, renew their commitment and then return to their places in the congregation (except for those who are ministering at the Mass that day). Immediately after Mass those who have renewed their commitment are asked to go to the sacristy and sign next to their name.

OUR PARISH SUPPORTS THE COBHAM AREA FOODBANK Please can you help local people in crisis by purchasing items on the list below and placing them in the Foodbank’s collection point in the narthex when to come to Mass at the weekend? 

The musings of one of God’s smallest creatures on events in and around the Parish over the past seven days . . . . Quite busy around The Presbytery this week as more immediate preparations begin for our celebration of First Eucharist (14th June) and Fr D starts to look at the timings for next year’s sacramental programmes within the Parish . . . . . . Last Saturday Fr D was at a reunion of the children’s group that he went to Lourdes with just after Easter this year. He was delighted to meet up with the children once more, who were all desperate to come again next year! Canon Tony Churchill was kind enough to celebrate our 18.00 Saturday Mass so that Fr D could attend. Monday, Fr D was up and breakfasted by 08.30 to meet the plumber who was fitting a new kitchen tap. The previous ceramic tap had been dripping for a little while and being over twenty -five years old was not repairable. Fr D had spent some time researching and generally asking around and decided that as well as the hot, cold, and filtered water, the new tap should deliver boiling water (hopefully replacing the constant need for a kettle which uses a fair amount of electricity ever time it is turned on). After it had been fitted Fr D was very pleased with the results and now makes his pots of tea without a kettle straight from the kitchen tap! After celebrating Morning Prayer, Mass, and Exposition on Tuesday Fr D met with the diocesan IT engineer to ‘tidy up’ the cables etc from the IT projects that have taken place to reduce our telephone bills (two lines now working as one and billed accordingly) and improve our internet connections across the whole site (again a reduction in billing). When (if) Openreach decide to bring fibre to the premises (anticipated but no date yet) there will be another improvement in quality of connection. On Thursday afternoon Fr D had to attend the doctors for one of his six-monthly check-ups before going off in the car to a board meeting of the Bosco Catholic Education Trust in Haywards Heath. He did have an Infant Baptism preparation meeting in the evening but he got delayed on the motorway and had to reschedule the meeting.  On Friday Fr D went off after Mass to the Diocesan Offices to deal with two marriage annulment judgements of cases that he had been working on. In the evening he went to the Deanery 24 hour Prayer Vigil, over in St Joseph’s, Epsom, where he was able to help out celebrating Reconciliation for some of the attendees . . . .

The musings of one of God’s smallest creatures on events in and around the Parish over the past seven days . . . . A slightly less ‘full-on’ week around The Presbytery this week, but still full of meetings . . . . On Saturday evening Fr D was delighted to celebrate our own Parish Candidate’s Confirmation for them. Although a priest celebrating the sacrament of Confirmation is possible it does not happen very often (this time, of course, because of the lack of our own bishop at present). A total of five candidates were involved in the celebration, four of whom had been prepared by Fr D over the past few months here in the Parish and one who lives in the Parish but attends a boarding school during the week and was prepared in another parish. It was very affirming to see the candidates, their sponsors, and their families alongside them entering into this new stage of their journey of faith - please remember to keep them in your prayers as they go forward. Straight after Morning Prayer, Mass, and Exposition on Tuesday Fr D picked up Canon Tony and went off to St Joseph’s, Epsom, for this months Deanery Clergy Meeting. The meeting was also attended by three of the Diocesan Schools Team who were talking about the new schools admissions procedures coming into effect in the next year or two. There was also an update on the 24 hours Prayer Vigil preceding Pentecost next Friday and Saturday. Wednesday after Morning Prayer and Mass, Fr D started work on a funeral service for a couple of week’s time before going to have his monthly lunch with Fr Ruslan (Walton-on-Thames). In the evening he was in Tadworth for a meeting of the (Shadow) Parish Leadership Team - again discussing the Prayer Vigil next weekend. Thursday, of course, was the Ascension Holy Day of Obligation, so Fr D celebrated Mass at 09.30 and at 19.30 in the church. Between the Masses he got most of his parts of the newsletter completed and emailed off details of the coming requiem to relatives of the deceased. After Morning Prayer and Mass on Friday Fr D was seeing relatives for the upcoming requiem and also blessing a new car for a parishioner. In the Afternoon he was celebrating Mass at St Andrew’s School, Leatherhead.  Canon Tony Churchill celebrated the Saturday vigil Mass because Fr D was at his Lourdes Group Reunion . . . . .

The musings of one of God’s smallest creatures on events in and around the Parish over the past seven days . . . . Fr D has been away at the annual Canon Law Conference for the past week; this time held in Glasgow . . . . . Mon. - Flight to Glasgow from London Heathrow - Arrivals and Check-in - Registration and Afternoon Tea - Opening of Conference - Session 1 ‘Marriage Preparation and the Validity of Ecclesiastical Marriages Today.’ - Dinner Tue. - Breakfast - Mass - Group Photograph - Session 2 ‘The Canonical Implications of Assisted Suicide.’ - Session 3 ‘Conscience, Ecclesial Communion, and Canon Law.’ - Session 4 ‘Diocesan Marriage Tribunals or Inter-Diocesan Tribunals.’ - Dinner Wed. - Breakfast - Mass - Session 5 ‘Canonical Considerations for Parish Governance after an Unplanned Priestly Absence.’ Thu. - Breakfast - Mass - AGM Canon Law Society of Great Britain and Ireland. - Session 7 ‘Comparative Analysis of the Penal Judicial Process and the Metropolitan Police Service Gross Misconduct Procedure.’ - Session 8 ‘Q & A Session Marriage Tribunal and General Canonical Matters.’ - Drinks Reception and Gala Dinner Fri. - Breakfast - Flight from Glasgow to London Heathrow After all of this he came back exhausted! . . . . . .

The musings of one of God’s smallest creatures on events in and around the Parish over the past seven days . . . . A very busy week this time around as Fr D gets ready for the celebration of Confirmation next weekend . . . . Following Morning Prayer, Mass, and Exposition on Tuesday Fr D had to get up to the Dr’s Surgery for a six monthly diabetic check-up. When he got back (having had lots of blood taken for tests!) he was working hard on the Confirmation booklet for next weekend. He also started work on this week’s newsletter. In the evening he met with the parents of this year’s First Eucharist Candidates to look at the next section of the preparation programme. Fr D has the parents on the Tuesday evening to make sure that they are ‘up to speed’ before they talk about the material with their child on the Saturday morning. This time they were looking at the Eucharistic Prayer used at every celebration of Mass - remembering all that Jesus did to redeem us and thanking him for doing so. Wednesday, after Morning Prayer and Mass, Fr D had an appointment with a parishioner in the Parish Centre. The next edition of the Parish Mass Book (beginning with Trinity Sunday 31 st May) was delivered in the morning - it seems to have come around so quickly? In the evening for a short while Fr D joined the music group in the church who were practicing the music for the Confirmation Mass - we are so lucky to have such a group to support our various liturgies. On Thursday, after Morning Prayer and Mass, Fr D was off down to Crawley to try and clear his ‘in-tray’ before going off to the Annual Canon Law Conference next week. Whilst there he was able to ‘sign-off’ on a couple of Documentary Marriage cases as well. In the evening Fr D was meeting with a young couple who are preparing to have their infant baptised in the near future. Friday, after Morning Prayer and Mass, Fr D was straight off to Notre Dame School for their Patronal Feast Day Mass (St Jeanne), not quite on the day but public examinations take place from next Monday which necessitated a move of the date. Later in the afternoon Fr D was able to pack for the trip to the Canon Law Conference. On Saturday morning Fr D was meeting with parents and candidates on the First Eucharist programme. At the end of the meeting he went through the ‘Rite of Signation’ with the families which was scheduled to be celebrated at the Saturday evening Mass. During this the candidates are presented with a simple wooden cross (which Fr D brought back with him from his Easter Lourdes trip . . . . .)