St. Martin’s Vicarage

Upper Wellington Road

Brighton

BN2 3AN

May 2025

My dear friends,

Of course the prevailing theme locally this year is our 150th celebration, the front of the prayer card forming our cover photograph for this issue. The Prayer on the back has been carefully chosen to reflect this particular milestone in the Parish’s life. I say that because as well as looking back and giving thanks for the witness we have inherited, May 1st, as do all Dedication Festivals, will have many references to the Church being built up of “Living Stones” - in other words the Church is primarily ‘The People of God’ who are assisted in their mission by a place of worship.

My first purpose in writing those lines is to urge everyone to make the 7pm Mass on May 1st a priority—talk among yourselves about arranging lifts together or even sharing taxis. My second, is to look towards our Flower Festival. The School Inspiration boards reflect eight periods of time that our Church has served our community in the wider context of the world and the fifteen flower arrangements will be given over to the decades since 1875. For the Flower Festival to be a success, remember this is spiritual and financial (there is no Summer Fayer this year!), it depends on footfall and visitors need welcoming and the stalls staffing: Ange has prepared rotas for the four days and I urge everyone to help in this area.

The Prayer I referred to is that of Sir Francis Drake, it has been a favourite of mine for over 50 years when I learned it at Confirmation Class! It is a prayer that reminds us that the work of mission is ongoing and our part in it transient. It is my prayer that as part of this celebration we all pray for the guidance and strength of the Holy Spirit for those seeking to take our mission forward, sustained in a more robust, manageable and affordable house of Prayer.

With my love and prayers,

Fr. Trevor