The Prime Minister last night announced a new national lockdown to tackle the coronavirus crisis. Thanks be to God, this time our churches can remain open for prayer and the Sacred Liturgy. We can attend church for Mass! But of course we need to continue following the national guidance on the safe use of places of worship. We must not mingle with anyone outside of our own household or support bubble and we must maintain strict social distancing at all times. The clinically vulnerable should follow the guidance on shielding. Funerals can be attended by a maximum of 30 people. Linked ‘Requiem’ events, such as stone settings and ash scatterings can also continue with up to 6 people in attendance. Weddings are allowed with up to 6 people in attendance and should only take place in exceptional circumstances, for example, an urgent marriage where one of those getting married is seriously ill and not expected to recover or is to undergo debilitating treatment or life-changing surgery.
 
For clergy and parish staff, this week’s diocesan Team News will give a more detailed reminder of all the various guidelines.

Every year on 1st January, the Holy Father marks the World Day of Peace with a special message inviting all people to reflect on the important work of building peace. This year is the 54th World Day of Peace and you can read Pope Francis’s Message by clicking on the picture. The theme of this year’s Message is a culture of care as a path to peace. The US Bishop’s Conference offer a simple three-step response that we can all make. After reading the Message, they suggest we (1) pray for all those in need of peace in our community and around the world; (2) learn, seeking to understand the political and social issues that lead to poverty and conflict which threatens the lives of our brothers and sisters throughout the world. Learn about these issues and read stories of hope to learn how faith communities are answering the call to work for peace and justice; and (3) act, by joining tens of thousands of Catholics to advocate for the poor and vulnerable to our elected leaders that they enact policies that seek justice and peace at home and abroad.

Here is the homily I preached at the Cathedral on Christmas Day.
 
These last nine months have been for all of us very strange, and worse, in many ways devastating, with loved ones sick, businesses ruined and hopes dashed. On top of this has been the uncertainty and disruption of trade and travel, the inability to plan ahead. This Christmas we pray for a speedy resolution of the pandemic and for the success of the new vaccines. Yet in the midst of the gloom, today a great light dawns, a real hope, a Divine intervention. Prophet Isaiah, like a Fifth Gospel alongside Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, announces a Child born for us, a Son given: that on those who live in a land of deep shadow, a light has shone. That Saviour, that kindly Light in the pandemic, that Mighty God and Prince of Peace, we adore and gratefully welcome today: Christ the Lord...

To complete the questionnaire, click here. 

As a parishioner, a disciple of Christ, a member of the lay faithful, what do you think is good about our Diocese? What should we celebrate? What do you think is not so good? What do you think are the challenges we face as a Diocese? And what do you think would help to develop further our mission of Bringing People Closer to Jesus Christ through His Church? Some months ago, I asked clergy to share their thoughts on these questions. We now want to understand better what you the people and parishioners of our Diocese think and what you consider is important as we journey in faith together. This will help us to develop plans and priorities for the Diocese so that we can truly be faithful missionary people in a flourishing and vibrant Diocese that brings the joy and hope of the Gospel message to our communities and the wider world. To this end we have devised an online questionnaire. It has been running over Christmas and will run until the end of the month of January. We’ve now had over a thousand responses. The survey will take between 10 and 20 minutes of your time as there are a few areas to cover and I would like to receive as much detail as you are happy to give. The views and thoughts from people who no longer come to church are also important so please do encourage those you think might want to have a say also to complete as much of the questionnaire as is relevant to them. We will publish the results in the Spring and they will inform our thinking about priorities for the next few years. In advance, thank you for your help. Click above to begin it. The link can also be found on the diocesan website and there is a paper version for those unable to access the digital version: leave a message with name and address for Chris Smith our Director of Communications on 02394 216496.

Here is the homily I preached in the Cathedral at 12.15 pm Mass on New Year’s Day, 1st January 2021, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.
 
Today, New Year’s Day, we look backwards, and we look forwards. The month of January takes its name from Janus, the pagan Roman god, the god of gates and doorways. Janus was usually depicted with two faces, one looking backwards and one looking forwards, since a gate or a door allows you to come in as well as to go out. But leaving aside paganism, as a Christian New Year’s Day should fill us with gratitude and prayer: gratitude to God for all we received in the past year, and prayer for God’s blessing on the new year ahead. This past year 2020 with the pandemic has been for all of us very challenging, which is why, as we look ahead, we pray to God for better things, this coming year. So today, let’s entrust ourselves, our families and our friends, to the Lord and His providence...

I recently received an email from Pat Gaffney, Vice President of Pax Christi reminding us about Peace Sunday which this year falls on 17th January. Here’s what she says:
 
Dear Bishop Philip, Greetings from Pax Christi. You will be aware that Pax Christi's celebration of the Holy Father's World Peace Day message takes place on 17 January 2021, Peace Sunday. As in past years, we have created a wide range of resources to help parishes, communities and families reflect and celebrate peace-making on that day. Aware of the restrictions on gatherings and the limits this has put on parishes, many of the resources have been created for use in a family or community setting. We hope that you will help us to promote the day and the resources in your Diocese. While special collections are more unlikely this year, we very much hope that parishes might make a donation to help us continue with our work. Details and links to our resources can be found here and here. With thanks and best wishes for the year ahead.

In next Sunday's Gospel (Mark 1:7-11) we hear how Jesus seeks baptism from John, his forerunner, and is revealed as the Son of God with whom the Father is well pleased. But if Jesus is God and therefore without sin, why does he seek baptism when he does not need it? Having come to live with us in solidarity as a human being, the logic of the Incarnation spurs Jesus to join the crowd at the banks of the Jordan as a fulfilment of justice. John obeys this command of his Lord in trusting faith and is witness to a revelation of the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Spirit, into whose life of love and blessedness our own baptism draws us. You can read Scott Hahn's reflections on the Sunday Readings here. You can register to watch our Diocesan Wednesday Webinar here, or join us via Facebook live. If you can’t join us, you can subscribe to the podcast here.

Sunday 27th December was the Feast of the Holy Family and Fr. Elijah Fru, assistant priest at the Cathedral, offered the reflection below. Recognising the difficulties and brokenness of many families today, Fr. Elijah presents the model of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph as an inspiration and an example for us to aspire towards.
 
Today my dear friends in Christ, is a very privileged day when we celebrate that aspect of the Church, which is foundational and fundamental, the basic unit of the Church, which the Church calls, the Domestic Church (LG. 11, Familiaris Consortio 71 par 1). The Church really begins with the family, not this massive building. Minus the family, the Church cannot have its existence. As it is with the Church, so it is with society. Without the family, there would be no society; deprived of the family, there would be no increment or progression of people, and therefore a replacement of persons especially when they die. It is only in the action of the family in one way or another that human communities continue to exist. Today we celebrate the reason of the Incarnation. God in his all-powerfulness would have just made Jesus to appear from the skies as the Israelites thought because they kept thinking that the Messiah would just appear or “fall down like some snow.” But God decided in a mystery beyond human comprehension to bring Jesus into a human family as a baby born. Two days ago, we celebrated Christmas here represented in the Crib, and we are still celebrating the child Jesus born, born into a natural human family that has all the characteristics that your family and mine have in one way or another. And therefore, the Church calls us to reflect: “Why did God decide to choose a human family for his son? Why did he not just appear? Why was God born? Why did he become human? Why did he not just save mankind rather than taking up the pains upon himself to be incarnate, to be born and then go through that journey of the Cross, which we shall journey with him at Lent?

I’ve been asked to speak at an online conference organised by Sr. Margaret Atkins of Bourbank Hall called Living Laudato Si: Your Planet and Your Parish. The conference comprises a long weekend of talks and discussions on Zoom, with practical activities, about living the message of Laudato Si’ in and through your parish. Any interested parishioner is most welcome to join. The weekend is aimed especially at people with parish responsibilities or who are part of, or want to start, a relevant parish group. The sessions will be on Friday night, Saturday morning and Saturday night, Sunday afternoon and Sunday night and Monday night (leaving people free during the day on Monday). The ecological crisis, Pope Francis writes, is a summons to profound interior conversion, to renew our relationships with God, one another, and the created world. Speakers include Trish Sandbach, who worked in Oxfam Education for many years and led to St Benedict’s, Garforth, in the Leeds Diocese, winning a Livesimply award. She is also an assessor for the LiveSimply award, John Paul de Quay, a founder member of the Ecological Conversion Group and Journey to 2030 and Sr Margaret Atkins, an Augustinian Canoness at Boarbank Hall, a teacher of philosophy and theology, with a lifelong interest in the natural world, and author of Catholics and Our Common Home: Caring for the Planet in a Time of Crisis (CTS). There will be a panel discussion for sharing advice on practical projects. The Diocese of Portsmouth is to be a special focus over the weekend, and I have been asked to speak at the Concluding Session on Monday evening 25th January at 7.30 pm. I’ll give more details next week, including how to register.

This coming January, Sr Hyacinthe invites you to join the Formation for Mission Team for a Back to Basics Course on the Mass in 6 sessions to refresh our understanding and deepen our love for the Mass. After lockdown, some of our friends and family, and even ourselves, may find it difficult to return to the sacramental practice of our faith. Taking time to discover or rediscover what we believe in our faith, how this is celebrated in the Mass, and how we are called to live it may be just what we need at the beginning of the year, to re-ignite our love for the Mass and find the words to encourage others to practice. Each session will end with a time of prayer. They will be led by Sr Hyacinthe and Angela Wood. This course will be especially helpful to catechists, readers and parents of First Holy Communion children, but it is open to everyone. It will be taking place on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 pm, from 11th January to the 15th February. Sign up for the course here.

 

On Saturday 23rd January from 11am until 12.30pm Dom Henry Wansbrough will be presenting a live stream talk entitled ‘The Adventures of a Biblical Translator’. Dom Henry is the editor of the New Jerusalem Bible and the recently published Revised New Jerusalem Bible. The event will be presented by Dr Sean Ryan, chair of the Catholic Biblical Association. The event can be accessed live by going to www.ssppilford.org.uk and will be available to download subsequently on www.whatgoodnews.org  Questions for Fr Henry, and other queries, may be directed to catholicbiblicalassociation.gb@gmail.com

Sacred Heart Hook and St Michael's Tadley are collaborating with to provide ALPHA in the New Year.  The course will be lead by Geoff and Gina Poulter and Jon Kent will be hosting it through Zoom...
 
Are you interested in getting together with like minded individuals to learn more about the Christian faith and have "an opportunity to explore the meaning of life"?  Come and journey with us in this 10-week course, learning about the Christian faith through a series of talks and discussions starting on Monday 18th January at 7:30pm.  To register your interest and for more information please contact geoffpoulter@hotmail.com. For a short introductory video click on the picture.

The Centre for Applied Carmelite Spirituality, Boars Hill, Oxford invites you to to join them for a new three session online course Prayer, Virtue and Discipleship: Keys to Pastoral Ministry...

This course aims to enrich the pastoral ministry of participants and to make accessible to them the formative wisdom of Christian mystics and spiritual masters. The short course is therefore, suitable for a wide range of people: those who work in pastoral settings (hospitals, chaplaincies, prisons, in ministry) and those who are simply interested in understanding more about the spiritual life and pastoral ministry. You can find out more here.

Valerie Oxenham, Treasurer of the Winchester Catholic History Society shares news of the Society's Silver Jubilee in 2021 and some of the exciting events they have planned to celebrate...

The Winchester Catholic History Society celebrates its Silver Jubilee in 2021. It was founded in 1996 to encourage interest in Catholic, local and English history.  The Society has grown considerably since its inception and has Speakers on wide ranging historical topics without losing its core values. This special occasion is being celebrated on Wednesday 7th July 2021 at Winchester College, with the kind permission of Dr Tim Hands. The Winchester College Caterers have been booked for drinks and canapés...!

We begin this week an occasional series describing some of the administrative structures and bodies of our Diocese established by the Church’s Canon Law and by the Diocesan Operating Procedures.
 
First of all, we hereby express immense gratitude to all those across the Diocese who volunteer as members of their Parish Finance Committees! The Church’s canon law makes it obligatory that every parish has a Parish Finance Committee (Can. 537). The parish priest, under the Bishop, is ultimately responsible for the proper financial administration of the parish, but, as Can. 532 points out, without the support of experienced, qualified laity, the burden of work involved in this task would prove intolerable. The Parish Finance Committee, therefore, is established in order “to help the parish priest in the administration of the goods of the parish”...

You’ll remember well the Sisters of Mary, the Morning Star, who until eighteen months ago were in Grayshott parish. In summer 2019, they were given a monastery for their use, a former Poor Clare Convent in Lynton, North Devon. We remain in touch. They have just given me as a gift a most beautiful icon of the Sacred Heart. It is truly amazing! It took the iconographer, one of their community, eight months to complete. Making an icon – sometimes called ‘writing’ an icon - is more a form of prayer than art. It is believed that God guides the iconographer's hand, and every brushstroke is like a form of meditation. This icon, the Sacred Heart, given to me because of my episcopal motto In Corde Iesu, ‘In the Heart of Jesus’, has been made with egg, tempura and gold on canvas and Lynden wood. Click below to see it.

Nathan King is one of our students at Sacred Heart House, Fareham, the house of discernment for those discerning a vocation to the priesthood. Here, he offers some reflections on how the year so far has been going for him.
 
For the past four months I have been living in Fareham at Sacred Heart House. I have been so warmly welcomed. Thanks to the great hospitality and kind people at Sacred Heart House it is clear to see and learn what the life of a parish priest entails. I have had the wonderful privilege of discerning the priesthood with two fellow brothers, Francis Ezeani and John Ni. The time I got to spend with John, before he moved back to his home town in China, has been an invaluable experience. Learning about his culture has given me new knowledge and a fresh outlook on life. He also mentioned to me how much he had enjoyed his stay, and how grateful he was for his time here. Working with Francis has helped me develop, as a person, in numerous ways. I have a better understanding of who I am, and I constantly strive to be better, although some days It can be quite challenging. Community living with these two fellow brothers has been a great experience and incredibly rewarding.

Fr. Chris Rutledge has sent us prayers and best wishes from the parish of Our Lady and the saints of Guernsey, including news of the renewal of enrolment of the parish altar servers in the Guild of St. Stephen on 26th December, the Feast of St. Stephen:
 
The Clergy of Guernsey wish you every blessing for the New Year. We pray for an end to the pandemic. Yesterday at Vespers we prayed for you and the Diocese. The Bailiwick of Guernsey was the only place in the Diocese where we could gather as a community without any restrictions. All the Christmas Masses were full to capacity. The picture was taken after the St Stephen Altar Servers Mass. In it, three new servers were enrolled into the Guild of St Stephen and two Silver medals were presented to those of 10 years’ service. Also present in the congregation was a man who has proudly worn the St Stephen medal for 50 years.

Whilst we are still in Christmastide, we share another Christmas Poem composed by Peter Ranson from Ryde. This one is called His Mother’s Joy.

At this time God was born as man,
This Child was to fulfill a plan.
The good Lord in a manger lay
Kept warm by the swaddling and the hay.
His mother looked on in joy,
At our true God, her new Baby Boy.
 
The shepherds rejoiced and prayed;
Gifts of omen three wise men made
To our God the divinity
One God, one love, one Trinity.

Jo Lewry asks what is your New Year resolution? Make a real difference in 2021 by volunteering for CAFOD!

We have many volunteering opportunities in the Portsmouth Diocese so if you would like to make a difference and help your brothers and sisters living in poverty overseas then please volunteer! Our fantastic parish volunteers help promote our Lent and Harvest family fast days in their parishes. Most parishes have at least one parish volunteer but would always welcome more! We would love to have parish volunteers at Holy Family  Southampton, St Boniface  Southampton, Sacred Heart  Bordon, Immaculate Conception Liphook, St Gregory’s’ Alresford, St Thomas More Stockbridge, Our Lady of Peace & Blessed Dominic Barberi Reading, Corpus Christi & St Joseph, and Our Lady of Lourdes & St Swithun in Portsmouth.

We are looking for  school volunteers  in Guernsey and the Isle of Wight who can visit Catholic primary schools to share assemblies and workshops about CAFOD’s work.

2021 will be a very important year for campaigning as the UK hosts the G7 meeting in the summer and COP26 on Climate Change in November. So please consider joining our campaign volunteers and MP Correspondents (who write to their MPs a couple of times a year.).

For more information on any of these roles please contact me by email portsmouth@cafod.org.uk or telephone 07710 094447

“A society without religion cannot prosper. A nation without faith cannot endure, because justice, goodness, and peace cannot prevail without the grace of God.” The 29th December was the 850th anniversary of the murder of St. Thomas Becket (d. 1170) in Canterbury Cathedral. To mark the occasion, President Trump issued the following Proclamation on 850th Anniversary of the Martyrdom of Saint Thomas Becket, in which he speaks of the crucial importance of protecting religious freedom.
 
Today is the 850th anniversary of the martyrdom of Saint Thomas Becket on December 29, 1170. Thomas Becket was a statesman, a scholar, a chancellor, a priest, an archbishop, and a lion of religious liberty. Before the Magna Carta was drafted, before the right to free exercise of religion was enshrined as America’s first freedom in our glorious Constitution, Thomas gave his life so that, as he said, “the Church will attain liberty and peace.”

This month we are asked to pray for Edward Hauschild, a fourth-year Seminarian at the Venerable English College in Rome. He writes...

I am a “home grown” seminarian: I was born in Poole, Baptised at St Michael and All Angels Leigh Park (before the Church burned down: make of that what you will) and grew up in Chandlers Ford (attending Mass and serving as an Altar boy at St Edward the Confessor’s Church). When not studying in Rome, I live in Southampton and serve Mass at St Edmund’s and Holy Family churches. This summer I received the ministry of Acolyte from Bishop Philip, and will (God willing) be admitted to Candidacy for Holy Orders this coming July...

Opportunities in our Diocesan schools can be found here.