Kenny Gordon

On the evening of the Feast of Christ the King Kenny Gordon was received into the Church confirmed and then received his first Holy Communion. These beautiful moments of God's grace remind us all of that pearl of great price, the faith of the Catholic Church. God bless you Kenny. Kenny's wife Chris shared in the joy of the occasion and Damien stood as sponsor. 

Father Hyacinth Ibau

Pictures taken with Father Hyacinth.

L to R Fr Richard, Tony Nwachukwu, Fr Aaron, Fr Hyacinth, Deacon Tom, Anna Nwachukwu

It was a great pleasure to have welcomed Fr Hyacinth to our parish this weekend.

Sharing the Body and Blood of the Lord

St John’s Horsham

Sharing the Body and Blood of Christ

New Guidelines for Commissioned Ministers of Holy Communion

PREPARATION

As with all ministries in the Church, it is important to prepare carefully by prayer.  This is the way we respond to the call of the Lord.  Preparing with prayer helps others to pray. We assemble in the sacristy to pray 10 minutes before Mass.

THE ROTA

If you are unable to take your turn, please ensure that a replacement is found in good time.  This must be a fellow Minister whose name also appears on the rota.

MIND YOUR LANGUAGE

We always talk about the Body of Christ, the Host, the ciborium, the Precious Blood, the Blood of Christ, the chalice.

ARRIVE IN GOOD TIME

Allow yourself time to compose your thoughts before Mass and to be available in case there are any necessary alterations you should know about

DURING THE LITURGY OF THE WORD

In the Liturgy of the word we listen attentively to the voice of the Lord as heard in the scriptures.

APPROACHING THE ALTAR

• Ministers should approach the altar as the priest receives from the chalice.
• Come quickly and reverently genuflecting individually.
• Please stand above the first step on the carpeted below the altar step on the lectern side and the organ side of the sanctuary. This will be close to the place where you will administer Holy Communion.
• Having received Holy Communion simply turn to take up your precise position to administer Holy Communion.
• The minister who will distribute the host receives from the chalice given to the minister standing by their side. Generally we will not go to the tabernacle.  If this is necessary the priest or deacon will go.

DISTRIBUTING HOLY COMMUNION

The words The Body of Christ or The Blood of Christ are the only words used.

The clergy will answer any questions or concerns. Please do not hesitate to share any concerns with them. 

FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION

The prayer at this point is not strictly speaking a blessing, therefore a commissioned minister of Holy Communion can say: “The Lord Jesus bless you and keep you”.

AFTER THE DISTRIBUTION OF HOLY COMMUNION

• The Minister distributing the Body of the Lord returns any remaining Hosts to the altar, genuflects and leaves the sanctuary immediately.
• The deacon or priest returns any unconsumed hosts to the tabernacle.
• If a deacon is not present, the minister distributing the blood of Christ from the principal (larger and more ornate) chalice also consumes the any of the Precious Blood remaining (if possible) and takes that chalice straight to the centre of the altar, (genuflects if any of the Blessed Sacrament remains upon the altar) and also leaves immediately.
• This means that the deacon or priest will purify the principal chalice and the ciboria at the altar with the assistance of the server.
• A longer, larger credence table is in place. The other three ministers distributing the chalice go immediately to the credence table. They consume the Precious Blood, add water to their chalice, drink the water and then dry the chalice with a purificator, this is then placed firmly inside the chalices.
• They arrange the chalices in a straight line to the back and in the middle of the credence table.
• Be conscious of the fact that this is a silent time for the congregation. 
• Return to your places in the church when you are ready.  Make your reverence individually.

Please note that the vessels are washed again once they are returned to the sacristy after Mass.

Would the minister of the ciborium continue to do this. 

TAKING HOLY COMMUNION TO THE SICK AND HOUSEBOUND

• Please place your pyx on the credence table before Mass begins with the right number card beside it.
• Please come to the altar step after the Prayer after Communion.
• The deacon or priest will return the pyx containing the Body of the Lord to you with a prayer.
• Go at this point through the side door of the church and make your way immediately to your sick communicant..
• Please do not make any other reverence and do not take holy water when you are carrying the Body of the Lord.
• Remember to cleanse the pyx with water (which is then consumed) once you have finished giving Holy Communion to the housebound.

Rev Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica 2011

 

Fr Peter Andrews Birthday Boy

Fr Peter ceebrated his 63rd birthday on Sunday. Many happy returns!

Don't you just love this picture?

Fr Gerard Hatton's Homily for Life

By popular request, the text of Fr Gerard Hatton's Friday homily

The Sacred Heart is an image that quite blatantly tells people that a household is Catholic. My grandparents would face their enthroned image to pray every day; the whole family consecrated and their names added. There were so many that they had to write at the back of the picture! Just a few a weeks ago I had the honour of doing the same for my mum and dad and brothers. The Sacred Heart is also an image with which we are so familiar: we stop to see beneath the Catholic kitsch.

What lies beneath? It is the Heart of Jesus.  In his humanity he shows that flesh and blood are worthy of bearing God, so much so that His Body and Blood becomes the means of our salvation, the means of our communion with God. The divine praises remind us, ‘Blessed Jesus Christ true God and true Man’. This union has a knock on effect for our humanity; we are chosen and called, anointed and united to him at our baptism. This means that all life is sacred and all life is a gift given to us by God, our Father and Creator. 

The Heart of Jesus reminds us of the need to uphold the beauty and dignity of life. I have been struck by the 40 days of life movement, where people pray outside abortion clinics, they steadfastly pray and diligently witness. This does not highlight their madness as some would see it, but rather that their hearts -focused in witness to the simple fact that God is love- love as an extension of God’s will for people who find themselves at the doors of these places. This protest has changed many lives, saved many beautiful babies and even closed clinics.

Our presence in matters of morality and injustice are a crucial part of who we are as Catholics. I do wonder what it might have been like if protest had found itself outside the Cathedral of  the Most Precious Blood Westminster. I could only help think that there would be dialogue, that they would have been given soup and that the doors of the cathedral would be open. Open wide to sanctify and bring people into the presence of God and consecrate our problems and nation to His Sacred Heart and an outpouring of his Precious Blood.  

Sometimes these actions, which are simple and from the heart, are missed. Words can only be effective if we pray. Charity can only work if it is founded in truth, our Home is with God in his Holy Church.

This month of the Holy Souls helps us to ponder deeply, not only our way on the journey and decisions we need to make in order to see heaven a reality, but it also reminds us of our Christian duty to pray for those in purgatory. For people whose sins have been forgiven need to work out the effect of their sin: those in this beautiful state need our prayers, and amongst them those who had been involved in the culture of death, those who procured an abortion or helped someone to die. Our prayers are surely effective.  

True devotion to the Sacred Heart is a devotion to Jesus Christ. His Heart reminds us of the need for God to become man and his pitching his tent among us, his body, his flesh and heart is present to us through this sacrifice of Mass tonight and time we will spend with him adoration!

Jesus is calling us to come to him.

Before the Lord of Life and Love

After Holy Mass tonight we keep vigil before the Lord of Life and Love.

That the dignity of human life at all its stages will be upheld.

That abortion will end

and frail and vulnerable life will be especially cherished.

All Hallows

Our All saints celebrations began on Sunday. Whilst many in Horsham were dressing as spooks and witches, the children of St John's took the opportunity to dress as saints, the hallowed ones. We had George and Bernadette, Dorothy and Philomena, Christopher and John the Baptist and many more besides. The parachute game was a big hit! Fr Peter returned to lead it and it was great to see him. Fr Aaron compared the procession of saints with consummate professionalism and I used the excuse to wear my biretta (I need no excuse) and came as St Philip Neri. I am edified that 3 year olds in my parish not only know what a biretta is, they can also spell it!
Thanks to Celia and her team for the fun and food and to Peter for the photos.
As we keep our novena for life culminating in the all night vigil before the Blessed Sacrament this Friday, so we are so grateful for the young lives -saints in the making- the All Hallows of St John's.

St Philip did odd things with his beard to disarm the pompous!