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Fr Simon gave a talk on "The Paschal Mystery – a reflection on Jesus Christ as the wounded healer” recently in Guildford. Take the time to Read Fr Simon's Talk

Pope Francis 17th December 1936 – 21st April 2025.

On Easter Monday morning, the Vatican announced the death of His Holiness Pope Francis. The Catholic Parish of St Joan of Arc, Farnham joins all Catholics and indeed the whole world in praying for the repose of his soul and is grateful for his apostolic and Petrine ministry:

Eternal Rest grant unto His Holiness Pope Francis, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him may he rest in peace.

O God, faithful rewarder of souls, grant that your departed servant Pope Francis, whom you made successor of Peter and shepherd of your Church, may happily enjoy for ever in your presence in heaven the mysteries of your grace and compassion, which he faithfully ministered on earth. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Our Parish Requiem Mass for the Holy Father will take place on Monday 28th April at 7.00pm here
at St Joan of Arc.

2nd Sunday of Easter C 2025

“Like new born infants, you must long for the pure, spiritual milk, that in him you may grow to salvation.’

The Second Sunday of Easter has several names to choose from. It is the ‘Octave Day’, meaning that we still celebrate it as Easter Sunday itself, but call it ‘Low Sunday’ to distinguish it from last Sunday. Pope St John Paul II designated this Sunday as ‘Divine Mercy Sunday’ and many choose to pray the devotion revealed to St Faustina. Perhaps, we may call today, ‘Thomas Sunday’, recalling the profession of faith made by Thomas: ‘My Lord and my God!’

My personal favourite is to call today ‘Quasimodo Sunday’, a play on words of the entrance antiphon “Quasi modo geniti”, meaning ‘as new-born infants’, to mark that this Sunday the newly baptised take their place in our community as full and ordinary members of our parish, now one with us at the Table of the Lord in the Eucharistic Banquet. Now, then, is the time for unbaptised adults or adults baptised in another Christian tradition to consider whether they are now being called into full Communion with the Catholic Church. The next RCIA course – being run in conjunction with Holy Family and Holy Angels, will begin on Friday 23rd May 2025 with a view for the celebration of the Sacraments at Easter 2026.

Although the Octave of Easter ends this Sunday, the celebration of this ‘joyful Eastertide’ continues until Pentecost when we will gather at 5pm on Saturday 7th June for the ‘Vigil of Pentecost’, which we will celebrate in its extended form, as a mirror to the Easter Vigil and at 6.30pm on Pentecost Sunday itself, we will welcome the choir from St Thomas on the Bourne for ‘Evensong on Tour’, as a fitting way to end the season of Easter.

With my thanks to everyone who has made our Easter celebrations a wonderful expression of our faith and community. Thank you also for all your kind greetings, cards and offerings supporting me in my pastoral ministry here at St Joan of Arc.