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
St. Martin’s Vicarage Upper Wellington Road Brighton BN2 3AN April 2025 My dear friends, Ange’s gentle reminder that I had not sent the April Newsletter that needed to be published with three days to go included , “The first weeks of Lent have gone very quickly!” So they have and this issue, published on Refreshment Sunday, is a timely reminder to all of us to make sure that we keep a Holy Week. Of course one of the greatest ways of keeping Holy Week is the sacramental Preparation for the renewal of our Baptismal Promises on Holy Saturday. Fr. Andrew will be available after the morning Mass on Holy Monday and Fr. Trevor before the evening: on Holy Tuesday Fr. Trevor will offer 12.00 and 17.00. All the priests are happy to make appointments. In a unique way the celebration of our 150th will begin on April 3rd at the School Mass at 2pm to which you are cordially invited. Coincidentally this is the Feast of S Richard as for the week of Inspiration based on the Diocesan Year of Faith the young folk have been looking at the roll that S Martin’s has played in the life of the Diocese these last years. The usual school boards will return telling the story; please be sure to visit them and reflect on what they reveal. There will of course be another issue of this publication before May 1st but this is an opportune time to stress the importance of this day in our life as we give thanks for that which we have inherited and seek strength and guidance for the future. Frs. Andrew, Nick and Robert join me in wishing you a Holy Week and a Blessed Easter! Happy Lent everyone! With my love and prayers,Fr. Trevor
St. Martin’s Vicarage Upper Wellington Road Brighton BN2 3AN March 2025 My dear friends, With the date of Easter being so late this year the arrival of Ash Wednesday and the annual fast of Lent may be a bit of a shock for some! As a precursor once again this year our first Parish Lunch of the Year will be on March 2nd. At this, following last year’s invention, the pre-covid pancake parties will be replaced this by the desert. Writing this letter in the heart of Cornwall so as it can be published the previous week brings us to the closing of bookings—not to mention the settling of your account. Thanks in advance to those who will be preparing for this celebration both physically and culinarily: it is great to welcome Fr. Robert’s wife Paula to the latter team. There will be two Masses on Ash Wednesday: Solemn at 12noon and said at 17.30. As usual the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed fifteen minutes before the Solemn Mass on Ash Wednesday and also before the Parish Mass on Sundays. We shall also (as local custom has evolved) walk the Stations of the Cross on Saturdays at 11am as the penitential rite of the Saturday Mass. If there is any reason that you can not attend a Mass on Ash Wednesday you will be welcome at the School ’Ashing Service’ at 2pm that afternoon: it may be that you might make supporting that celebration as well as coming to Mass your Lenten offering! On a final note Bradley has been the principal attender of Mass on Wednesday for some time. As he now has to deliver on line teaching on that day I have moved the regular time for celebration on Wednesdays to 17.30—we would welcome more company at that celebration. Happy Lent everyone! With my love and prayers,Fr. Trevor
St. Martin’s Vicarage Upper Wellington Road Brighton BN2 3AN February 2025 My dear friends, February opens with the wonderful celebration of the Feast of Our Lord’s Presentation in the Temple. Fondly known as ’Candlemass’ due to the ceremonial attached to the liturgy, in the Book of Common Prayer it is called ’The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary’. Prior to the Second Vatican Council this day marked the end of the Christmass Season that is now marked by the Feast of Our Lord’s Baptism on the Sunday after Epiphany: however in some churches and ironically in the City of Rome you will still find some tired Nativity Scenes in place until this day. This year is the one designated that the Parish Electoral Roll be totally renewed. The required notice is at the Church door and, to fulfil the requirement to make every effort to inform people on the existing Roll of the need to apply again, letters are at the back of Church and in Pigeon Holes. We ask you to help deliver these and thus avoid a heavy post bill. Ange or her deputy will supply the application forms. Last Year in the hope of avoiding wintry weather we held the first Parish Lunch of the Year on the Sunday before Lent and we plan to do so again this year: that is Sunday 2nd March: tickets will soon be available. Invitations to the 150th Anniversary Mass (May 1st 7pm) have been sent to past Assistant Priests and some Civil Officers so make sure the date is in your diary. At the same time a small group has met to share responsibilities for the Flower Festival: please remember our appeal for memorabilia for this and the presentation at the Celebration Lunch: on that latter point have you and yours booked your tickets? Lastly, for fear of a shortage of egg sandwiches, let the reader understand, please support the Jumble Sale on February 8th. With my love and prayers,Fr. Trevor
