Arundel & Brighton: Bishop Moth announces autumn pastoral plan

Seven Sisters, Sussex - image ICN

Bishop Richard Moth, in a Pastoral Letter to be read in all Catholic churches in Sussex and Surrey in the Diocese of Arundel & Brighton on the weekend 14th and 15th July, has announced that he will visit every part of the Diocese in the autumn to outline the new Diocesan Pastoral Plan.

Bishop Richard in the Pastoral Letter reflecting on the Gospel of the Sunday said: "We too, as individuals, as families, as parishes, as Diocese, are sent out by the Lord Himself to do a work so vital for our world that we dare not shrink from it."

Bishop Richard visited every area (Deanery) of the Diocese in the autumn of 2017 to offer a vision for the diocese based on Prayer, Formation and Mission. Clergy and people then went away to think about this around a series of questions and then came back and feed their responses back to Bishop Richard during a series of meetings in early spring 2018. In the light of these responses Bishop Richard with assistance from others is preparing a Pastoral Plan to present this autumn to the Diocese.

In his Pastoral Letter Bishop Richard goes on to say: "The call of Jesus in His Gospel is for every one of us. His Real Presence in the Eucharist calls us to Him, to receive His Life, to adore Him and to share His life with others … Just as Jesus spent time with His disciples, teaching them and forming them, so He calls us to be taught and formed by Him. In this way, we become His people. Then, with real purpose we become effective witnesses."

Bishop Richard continues: "In recent months, in parishes and deaneries, we have been considering the future life of the Diocese and this Mission to which we are called. In the autumn, the Pastoral Plan for the Diocese will be presented in each Deanery. This is an important moment in the life of us all. Pray for our Diocese, that this work may be truly blessed."

For the full Pastoral Letter see: www.dabnet.org