Rector's Notice of Departure
Dearest parishioners,
After five very wonderful years in your midst, it is time for me to leave these parishes, beautifully tucked under the South Downs. During the May half-term, our family will say goodbye to you—our friends and neighbours—and to our home at Cocking Rectory.
My final services here will be:
April 26th, 11.15am at St Mary the Virgin, Bepton; a special service of Rededication of the Church Tower and Bells after our significant repairs
May 3rd, 10am at St Catherine of Siena, Cocking with West Lavington; for the Patronal Festival, and
May 10th, 10am at St James the Great, Heyshott, after which there will be a leaving party at Cocking Rectory (~12pm)
I hope that you will join us for one of these services, and the leaving party.
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My sincere hope is that I have served you well, and in so doing, reminded you of the absolute and unconditional love of God, who takes utter delight in each and every one of you. The parish church does many things: but, really, its singular mission is to proclaim to all that they—you—are loved beyond imagining. This conviction that God loves you has been the driving force behind everything I have tried to say and do here, amongst you all.
A parish church is a most precious thing. Yours—ours—have each stood here for nearly a thousand years. Families, pubs, shops have all come and gone; but the church has remained, ever offering a place, for anyone who enters, to sit in stillness, to weep in sorrow, to shake fists in indignation, to laugh in joy and gratitude. It is here for you to celebrate births and marriages, to mourn deaths; to offer prayers, to visit the dead. And so, my second hope is that it will remain here for you, for the times when you might need it. For some of you, this will be rare; perhaps you will never need the church. But for others—perhaps even most of you—there will be times in your life when the open doors of the church, which reflects the open heart of God, will be a welcome thing.
Therefore, as I depart from this place, may I please ask that you take good care of this most precious thing, not only for yourselves but also for those who come after you. Come, sometimes even if not all the time, and join this faithful community to worship on Sundays: they pray for this village, for all of you, every week. Volunteer to keep the church tidy and beautiful and safe. Contribute regularly, as you are able, to the material needs of the church. For more information about how to do this, please contact one of our dedicated Churchwardens (their information is included below). Whatever you do, do not take your beautiful church for granted. Its future is very much in your hands.
Even as we move on, please be assured of my continued prayers for all of you, for these villages, and their churches. I shall certainly be praying for a good priest to come, who is, first and foremost, one who will love you at least as much as I have. And I ask, of your charity, to pray for me too, and our family, and the parish of Oxford St Mary Magdalen where we will be going. Please do not be shy to stay in touch with me, and to call upon us if you ever find yourselves in Oxford. You are, of course, all welcome to come for my installation at 6pm, 27th May 2026 and my first high mass in the parish 1030am, 31st May 2026.
With enormous gratitude and love, yours,
Fr Jonathan
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To contact the Churchwardens and Assistant Churchwardens:
Cocking with West Lavington
David Imlach dsimlach@aol.com
Denise Barre denisebarre@hotmail.co.uk
Bepton
Jenni Rigby jmrigby15@cgmail.com
Alan Sadler sadleralanr@gmail.com
Heyshott
John Murray johnmurray0905@gmail.com
Nick Sherwin nick.sherwin@me.com