St Joan Of Arc Catholic Church | Catholic Church Farnham | Catholic Church Farnham Surrey | Mass times at St Joan of Arc Farnham

2nd Sunday of Christmas A 2026

‘May God be pleased to fill the world with His glory.’

In 2006, the Church in England & Wales responding to developing universal norms transferred the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord on the Sunday falling between 2nd & 8th January. In 2017, the Bishops of England & Wales, having heard requests from many people in the territory, petitioned and received Vatican approval to move the Epiphany of the Lord back to its proper day of 6th January (unless this day falls on a Saturday or a Monday).

Cardinal Robert Sarah, the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship said, ‘The Bishop’s Conference is to be lauded for taking this decision which goes to underline the importance of liturgical time. Many people will no doubt rejoice that they can once again mark this day as they had been marked until 2006.’
The Epiphany of the Lord is a Holy Day of Obligation, and in the Farnham & Ash Hub, these will be the Masses for this Feast of the Manifestation of the Lord’s Divinity:
• A Vigil Mass at 7pm on Monday 5th January in St Joan’s.
• Mass of the Day at 9.30am on Tuesday 6th January in Holy Family, Heath End.
• Mass of the Day at 11am on Tuesday 6th January in St Joan’s.
• Mass of the Day on Tuesday 6th January at Holy Angels, Ash. www.holyangels.org for Mass time.
• And a Mass for St Polycarp’s School.

Last year on the Feast of St Joan (30th May) we celebrated 95th anniversary of our Church of St Joan of Arc. This Wednesday, 7th January is the anniversary of the Parish of St Joan of Arc, founded in 1932. As Wednesday is my day off, I will transfer the anniversary Mass to Thursday. While we have become part of the new Parish of Guildford this anniversary is still a moment of great significance for our community of faith. Perhaps, we might reflect that the life of the Catholic community has evolved and changed many times over the years, through recusant times, to its reestablishment in Frensham and later as St Polycarp’s at Bear Lane in the Town Centre before moving to our current site under the auspices of Fr. Etienne Robo. No doubt, it will evolve again according to the pastoral needs of God’s people in these parts.

With my prayers and best wishes, Fr. Simon.