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Bishop Richard celebrated Mass for the inauguration of the new Parish of Brighton & Hove at St John the Baptist Catholic Church, Brighton, on Sunday 14 September 2025, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Bishop Richard issued a new Pastoral Plan for the Diocese The Word Who is Life: The Call to Mission in January 2024 and as part of that Plan, each of our 11 deanery communities is forming a new parish "community of communities".

The new Parish of Brighton & Hove is comprised of the communities of Brighton, St Mary Magdalen; Brighton, East; Brighton, Patcham; Brighton, Preston Park; Hove, Sacred Heart; Hove, St Peter; Southwick & West Blatchington; Rottingdean & Woodingdean.

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Dear brothers and sisters,

This is a significant moment in the life of our community here in the City of Brighton & Hove, as the new parish for the whole city is inaugurated. This is the first such celebration as the Pastoral Plan for the Diocese – The Word Who is Life – is implemented.

Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. This is timely, for – as St Paul reminds us in his letter to the Corinthians, we preach Christ crucified (1 Cor. 1:23). The Cross takes us to the heart of things: the Salvation that the Lord has won for us through his death – a death that leads to resurrection. Jesus calls each of us to take up our cross and follow him (Mt. 16:24). This is discipleship and every one of us, through our baptism, is called be a disciple. The disciple is one who learns. We learn what it means to be a follow of Christ when we stand before the Cross and gaze upon the Son of Man, lifted up for us (Jn. 3:14). This experience is one both of prayer and of formation. The more we are formed by the One who died and rose from the dead for us, the more we are enabled to carry out the mission that He has given to us. This is the very heart of our Pastoral Plan – the mission that is ours in Christ, called by Christ, accompanied at every moment by Christ.

Working together across the City, our parish communities – parishes of disciples and journeying on the road to the Kingdom, growing in holiness – our mission will be ever more effective.

It is often said, quite rightly, that it is always a good moment in history to be a Christian and a Catholic. This is certainly true today. We see many fresh shoots of faith across the Diocese, our schools carry out a wonderful mission with our young people, enabling them to take their place in the world as disciples. Our communities are seeing new growth as more people are finding their way to the welcome of Christ’s live in His Church.

As this Jubilee Year reminds us, we are Pilgrims of Hope – Hope that we bring to a world that is divided and so often in conflict; a world in which the dignity of every person is denied and where the weak and oppressed are so often rejected, sometimes – wrongly – in the name of Christ.

The mission of the Church – the mission of each of us, united in our communities, most especially in the celebration of the Eucharist – is vital, in the true sense of that word, for it is life-giving. It brings to the world the life that Christ won for us on the Cross.

Today’s inauguration of the new parish of Brighton & Hove brings us closer together in this wonderful adventure of the Gospel. Each community can look to a future supported even more effectively by the other communities across the City. Our priests, working in solidum will serve our communities together, assisted by our deacons. Already, one of the fruits of the work that has brought us to this day is a group of priests supporting one another in new ways in prayer and in collaboration for the development of our mission.

These are early days, but with this celebration today, we open – together, people and clergy – the door of new possibilities for the great work the Lord has given to us.

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Click the buttons below to read Bishop Richard's Pastoral Plan – The Word Who is Life.