A Parish Shaped by Mercy

Forgiveness is not weakness; it is the courage to choose love again. Jesus invites us not to count how often we forgive, but to allow mercy to shape our relationships.

As the Psalm reminds us: “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and rich in mercy.”

May St Ann’s always be a community where people find welcome, understanding, forgiveness and a place to belong.

Welcome to Our Visiting Priests

We are delighted to welcome Fr Ambrose, Fr Jeyapalan, Fr Douglas and Fr Selvaraj to St Ann’s.

They are spending part of their two-week holiday with us following their visit to Scotland and will be enjoying some time exploring London.

We wish them a very happy and restful stay and assure them of a warm welcome from the whole St Ann’s parish family.

First Holy Communion 2026/27

Our preparation programme for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion begins on Monday, 21 September 2026 at 5.30 pm at St Ann’s.

The programme is open to children aged 7 years and over, and the first meeting will be for parents and children together.

Families wishing to enrol their child are invited to complete the online application form.

Fr James, Nicci and Sr Ursula look forward to welcoming all our children and families as we begin this important journey of faith together.

Website button:
Register for First Holy Communion

Blessing of Pets

Sunday, 4 October 2026 at 10.30 am

To mark the feast of St Francis of Assisi, we warmly invite parishioners, families and their pets to our special Pets’ Blessing Mass at St Ann’s.

The celebration will take place in the side garden, and all pets and their owners are very welcome. After Mass, each pet will receive an individual blessing and a small gift.

A joyful opportunity to thank God for the animals who bring companionship, affection and happiness into our lives.

Parish Hall Renewal & Extension Project

Planning Application Submitted

We are delighted to announce that the St Ann’s Parish Hall Renewal and Extension Project has now reached an important milestone.

Our planning application has been submitted to Kingston Council, neighbouring properties have received their consultation letters, and the full proposals are now available through the Council’s planning portal.

Planning Application: 26/01632/FUL

The project seeks to transform our present hall into a welcoming, accessible and flexible community space capable of serving children, families, parish groups and the wider local community for many years to come.

The proposed design includes significantly improved facilities and a brighter, more adaptable hall. The plans and visualisations in this week’s newsletter show the transformation from the present hall to the proposed new building.

Celebrating Barry and Tom – Surrey County Honey Show

Congratulations to Barry and Tom, who achieved an impressive 12 awards at the Surrey County Honey Show.

The show attracted more than 200 entries celebrating locally produced honey, beeswax products and the craft of beekeeping. Their Spring and Summer honey received several awards, alongside their honeycomb, honey cakes and beekeeping photographs.

A wonderful achievement – and a lovely recognition of the dedication behind their beekeeping.

A Special Tribute to the Late Tom Ferncombe

We warmly congratulate Anne Ferncombe, the Ferncombe family and the Cappagh Group of Companies following the special naming of Class 60 locomotive No. 60028 – Cnoc Mhaoldomhnaigh / Knockmealdown in honour of the late Tom Ferncombe, founder of the Cappagh Group.

The ceremony took place on Thursday, 10 September 2026, a particularly meaningful occasion as the day also marked the 60th wedding anniversary of Tom and his beloved wife, Anne.

It was a beautiful tribute to Tom’s life, vision and remarkable contribution, and a proud occasion for his family and all those associated with Cappagh.

We continue to hold Anne and the whole Ferncombe family in our prayers, with affection and gratitude as they cherish Tom’s memory and legacy.

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year A

Matthew 18:21–35 | “Not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

My dear brothers and sisters,

Peter asks Jesus a very human question:

“Lord, how often must I forgive my brother? As many as seven times?”

And Jesus replies:

“Not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

Peter wants a limit. Jesus gives him a way of life.

Then Jesus tells the parable of a servant who owes his master an enormous debt – a debt he could never repay. He begs for patience. The master does something astonishing: he does not merely postpone the debt; he forgives it completely.

But that same servant walks outside, finds a fellow servant who owes him only a small amount, seizes him and says:

“Pay what you owe.”

That is the uncomfortable mirror of today’s Gospel.

Before God, we want understanding.
We want patience.
We want another chance.
We want Him to know our circumstances, our weakness, our tiredness, our wounds.

We say:

“Lord, you know why I did it. Please understand me.”

And God does.

Yet when another person makes one small mistake against us, suddenly we become very exact. We remember the words, the date, even the tone of voice – sometimes for years.

We ask God for a wide heart towards us, while offering another person a very narrow heart.

There is a beautiful story from the Desert Fathers.

A monk was called to a meeting where another brother was to be judged. The great Abba Moses came carrying a basket filled with sand. But the basket had a hole, and the sand was falling behind him.

The others asked:

“Father, what does this mean?”

He replied:

“My sins are running out behind me, and I do not see them; yet I have come today to judge the sins of another.”

What wisdom!

We see another person’s handful of sand, but forget the trail behind ourselves.

Today’s Psalm tells us what God is like:

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy.”

Slow to anger.

What a beautiful quality.

God does not react to us as quickly as we react to one another. He gives space. He waits. He understands. He comes down into our weakness and meets us there.

This does not mean everything is acceptable.

Forgiveness is not pretending that the wound never happened.

Forgiveness is having a heart larger than the wound.

And this is what saves relationships.

In every marriage, every family, every friendship and even every parish, people will disappoint one another. If every mistake becomes a permanent case against someone, no relationship can breathe.

Someone has to become bigger than the offence.

And this Gospel is for me too.

I too need forgiveness. And I too need to forgive.

I cannot stand before God saying, “Lord, please understand me,” and then turn to another person and say, “I will never understand you.”

Perhaps holiness is simply this:

allowing the mercy we receive from God to pass through us to somebody else.

So today, do not count the debt.

Remember how much you have been forgiven.

Remember how patient God has been with you.

And then make your heart a little wider.

Seventy-seven times means:

Do not allow the smallness of another person’s mistake to make your own heart small.

Because the heart that becomes like God’s heart is

compassionate,
slow to anger,
and abounding in mercy.

Amen.