Arundel & Brighton Diocesan Festival

Hand in Hand Drama Group

The Diocese of Arundel & Brighton held a wonderful Festival Day at St Wilfrid's Catholic School in Crawley on Sunday 23 June. Despite the cool and overcast weather the hundreds of parishioners from around the Diocese had an uplifting and joyful day. More than 700 people passed through the doors during the Festival from babes in arms to pensioners and from many nations joined together in a common faith in God.

The day was led by Bishop Kieran Conry who began the day with prayer, offered a presentation on praying through art and ended by leading all of those gathered in Mass. He said, during the Mass: "We are here today because we belong; we are here today because we come together as a Christian Community; we are here today to give to the world at large a model of what humanity can achieve."

Apart from the activities with the Bishop there were more than 30 workshops and group sessions for people to attend, all focussed on prayer from praying the Bible to praying with children. For families there were a host of games to play, together with face painting, bouncy castles and extensive grounds to explore. For those adults with and without learning difficulties there was a special drama group, Hand in Hand who played a special part in the Mass at the end.

One of the highlights of the day was a Blessed Sacrament procession around the school grounds led by recent First Communion children dressed in their First Communion outfits and then Bishop Kieran displaying the Blessed Sacrament followed by hundreds of Festival attendees, all singing as they went. It finished with a time of prayer and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the school chapel.

People who came from parishes all over the diocese across Sussex and Surrey also enjoyed looking at stalls with activities of Catholic organisations from the diocese, to listen to music from bands and musicians, and the opportunity to chat and eat with friends old and new.

Simon Parr from Our Lady and St Peter's parish, East Grinstead, East Sussex said: "Today has been a fantastic opportunity to come together with other people from the diocese and to join together in celebration of the Mass."

The co-ordinator of the event, Monsignor Tony Barry reflecting on the day said: "It was a lot of hard work getting here, but there was a wonderful team of people to help and to see people enjoying themselves so much and deepening their commitment to God and prayer meant it was well worth the effort."

He continued "This is the first of a series of events leading up to Golden Jubilee celebrations of the diocese in 2015. Sunday was just a foretaste of what is to come then when thousands not hundreds of Catholics and others from across the diocese will come to celebrate the Golden Jubilee in recognition of what the good news of Jesus Christ means to the people of Arundel & Brighton."