Welcome to the Parishes of Our Lady Immaculate & St Philip Neri, Uckfield &
St John the Evangelist, Heron's Gyhll
Founded in 2007, this adult discussion group meets every two months or so with the aim of hearing from qualified guest speakers, or leaders drawn from among the regular NF participants from the parishes of Uckfield and Heron's Ghyll. It is well attended and offers a range of historical or topical issues that should be of interest or concern to all Catholics wishing to deepen their knowledge of the church in its many facets. Apart from lectures and discussions tracing the chronological history of the church, we have covered one-off topics as diverse as 'Scripture as the Word of God', 'Christianity and Science', 'Private devotions and Mary', 'John Henry Newman', 'Christian Art' and the 'Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement'. The format of introductory talk followed by group discussion has proved popular. The NF is open to all. It offers an environment in which participants can not only learn and be stimulated but express freely and candidly their experience and concerns about being Christian in the modern world.
Sessions are announced in the bulletins of both parishes, and usually take place in the Uckfield Church's Lourdes Hall mid-week between 6 and 8 p.m. For further details please contact Mr Esme Howard at howardadp@fastmail.fm
Sphere was born in the spring of 2006 following the joining of our two parishes to provide a forum for ladies of all ages to share faith and friendship. Meetings are on the first Wednesday of each month from 2 pm to 4 pm in the Lourdes Hall at St Philip's Church, with occasional outings in the warmer weather. Activities include prayer, discussions, talks, DVDs, an annual lunch, an annual coach trip and some gentle fund raising, together with time for chatting and getting to know each other. Lifts are arranged for those unable to drive/or who are out of walking distance of St Philip's Church.
Everyone is welcome and there is no membership fee. Participants share the cost of each outing and a small contribution towards refreshments and incidental expenses is collected at each meeting. Please contact Chris Tutt on 07968 749953 for further information and for details of our current programme.
The Justice and Peace Group in Uckfield is one of hundreds around the country which make up the Justice and Peace Network. This was originally a Catholic lay organisation but many of the groups now operate ecumenically. The aim and outlook of the Network is to make us all more aware of the injustice in the world and the causes of it, and to encourage assistance for people who are poor and disadvantaged. The impetus for this work is that we believe it to be God's will, that it comes from the Christ's command to love, and that it is in accordance with the Church's teaching.
Depending on size and location, different J&P Groups become involved with different campaigns and activities, which might be global eg persecution of Christians, or local eg homelessness. Our Group consists of about nine people and meets every six weeks. Current activities include assisting Parish involvement with the El Salvador community of Puentecitos, as part of the CAFOD Connect 2 Campaign, encouraging Fairtrade- principally by running the Traidcraft stall once a month and running occasional shared lunches. New members and helpers are very welcome - meeting dates are advertised in the parish newsletter. Contacts are: Michael Pulman 01435 862451