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Bishop Richard issued a new Pastoral Plan for the Diocese in January last year. Called "The Word Who is Life: The Call to Mission", the Plan reiterates the vital role of Prayer, Formation and Mission across diocesan churches and schools, and highlights the fruits of greater collaboration between members of clergy and lay people. Central to the delivery of the Plan is the evolution of the Diocese's 11 deanery communities into 11 parishes, with three deaneries due to be constituted as parishes this Autumn.

The Council of Priests represents the body of priests in the Diocese and assists Bishop Richard in matters of governance, acting as a consultative body. At a meeting held earlier this month, Council members voted in favour of canonically establishing three new parishes: Brighton & Hove, Guildford, and Weybridge. This marks a significant and unprecedented stage in the development of the Pastoral Plan, with each of the three communities preparing to become a single parish under the care of a Moderator and priests working in solidum with him.

Responding to the news, Canon Kieron O’Brien, the Episcopal Vicar for Pastoral Planning, said:

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“This is an important step in our journey to become the Church that the world needs, organised in such a way that our focus can be directed outwards, to our mission to share the Gospel with those around us. Working in teams and in close collaboration with the lay faithful will free clergy for that which is essential to their ministry – especially the celebration of the sacraments – with our new parish structures recognising the call of all the baptised to be missionary disciples. Each new parish is to be ‘a community of communities, a sanctuary where the thirsty come to drink in the midst of their journey and a centre of constant missionary outreach’ (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium 28)."

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The new Parish of Brighton & Hove will be formally inaugurated on the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross on the 14 September during Mass at the designated parish church, St John the Baptist, the oldest Catholic Church in Brighton. It is expected that the new parishes of Weybridge and Guildford will be formerly constituted at the beginning of Advent - with the next Council of Priests meeting taking place this October.

You can find out more about the The Word Who is Life on our website.

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