Seventh Sunday of Easter – Sunday 1st June 2025

Theme: “That they may all be one” – Living Christ’s Prayer for Unity
“Unity is not uniformity; it is the fruit of love, patience, and shared purpose in Christ.”

🔔 Upcoming Highlights at St Ann’s – June 2025

🌿 Sunday, 8 June – Children’s Gardening Day (Session 3)

After the 10:30 am Mass, children are warmly invited to participate in our third parish gardening session. Gardening kits and snacks provided. A beautiful way to nurture faith and creation together!

🔧 Sunday, 8 June – 3:00 PM – Parish Synodal Team Meeting

All members are reminded to gather in the parish hall for a focused session on planning and evaluating our parish journey.

🎉 Sunday, 15 June – Father’s Day Mass & Summer Garden Party

Join us for a special Mass of thanksgiving at 10:30 am followed by:

• International barbecue
• Face painting and children’s games
• Community fellowship in the garden

Bring a dish to share – sign-up sheets are at the back of the church! Speak to Anne King, Julissa, or Carman for more info.

🍕 Saturday, 5 July – Pizza & Campfire Evening for Children

5:30–8:30 PM – Music, laughter, food and friends! Parents, please email kingstonhill@rcaos.org.uk to confirm attendance.

Jubilee 2025: Weekly Pilgrimage Devotions

As a Pilgrimage Church for the Jubilee Year, we invite everyone to encounter the Lord through:

Every Tuesday:

• 6:15 PM Adoration & Confession
• 7:00 PM Holy Mass

Every Saturday:

• 11:15 AM Adoration & Confession
• 12:00 Noon Holy Mass

Rosary Walks in Richmond Park (starting at St Francis Fountain):

• Saturday, 7 June – 9:45 AM
• Saturday, 21 June – 9:45 AM

Offering Details

To contribute to the parish:
Account Name: RCAS Kingston Hill
Sort Code: 60-50-01
Account Number: 79124429
Bank: NatWest

Homily – Seventh Sunday of Easter, Year C

“That They May Be One” (John 17:20–26)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today we are invited to listen in on Jesus’ prayer — not a sermon, not a parable, but a prayer to His Father. As He prepares to return to the Father, He lifts His eyes to heaven and prays:

“I pray not only for these but also for those who will believe in me through their word… that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you.” (John 17:20–21)

This is Jesus’ final prayer before His passion — and He prays for unity. Not for power or prestige. But that we — His disciples, His Church — may be one. One in heart, one in spirit, one in mission.

This unity has two dimensions.

First, it is vertical — our union with God. Throughout His life, Jesus often withdrew to pray. At the beginning of His ministry, in moments of decision, before the Cross — always, He turned to the Father. In these forty days after the Resurrection, He stays close to the disciples — not with grand teachings, but by His presence, strengthening them. He promises, “I will not leave you orphans” (John 14:18). And He promises the Holy Spirit — the Advocate — to guide and strengthen them.

Second, this unity is horizontal — our communion with one another.

“May they be brought to complete unity so that the world may know that you sent me.” (John 17:23)

Our unity is the most powerful witness to the world that Jesus is alive. And unity is not about uniformity — we may differ in age, culture, background — but our oneness in Christ is what binds us. As St. Paul reminds us,

“There is one body and one Spirit… one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.” (Ephesians 4:4–6)

Dear friends, true unity doesn’t happen automatically. It takes prayer, humility, and a shared purpose. This is what we see in the Acts of the Apostles:

“All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with Mary, the mother of Jesus…” (Acts 1:14)

That Upper Room became a place of unity — and because of that, it became the place of Pentecost. It is when we come together — despite our wounds and differences — that the Holy Spirit descends.

In our own parish journey, this is also our calling. In June, we have our Confirmation, First Holy Communion, Gardening Day, Parish Synodal Meeting, and the Parish Summer Celebration on Father’s Day. These are not just events — they are invitations to communion. Moments where we go beyond “me” and live as “we”.

Let us not reduce our parish to a building or a routine. Let us make it a true community of prayer, a place of belonging, a witness of love.

And as Jesus prayed for us — we too must pray for one another. That we may be one — in Christ, through the Spirit, for the glory of the Father.

So, as we wait for Pentecost, let us be people who draw strength from God and reflect unity with others — vertically and horizontally.

May the love with which the Father loved the Son be in us too, and may Christ dwell within us always.
Amen.

Important Dates for the Diary