St Richard, Haywards Heath Feast of St Wilfrid 12.10.22

Our Church building has stood here for almost a century. I have seen a picture of the laying of the foundation stone by the Bishop accompanied by Fr Wyatt from St Wilfrid’s.

On his feast we recall how this Christian community was raised up by St Wilfrid in two aspects. Our mother Church historically is up on the hill but that church and its own mother, our grandmother, at Cuckfield trace back to St Wilfrid.

It was St Wilfrid who led the first Christian missionaries to Sussex in 681 AD. 

For 50 generations Jesus Christ has been made known in Sussex through “the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayer” (Acts 2.42). 

The story of St Richard’s is part of the story of Jesus making himself known to each generation through the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayer. To this day in Haywards Heath the Christian faith is being taught, the body of Jesus Christ is being built up, the sacraments are being celebrated and people are praying and serving.

Our story is the story of Jesus Christ making his mark on the world and Sussex tracing back to the energetic mission of today’s Saint to the South Saxons, a brief excursion from his main ministry in the north, so extraordinary was the man.

The Christian faith is always a generation away from extinction. Today’s feast reminds us we are torch bearers in a relay race handing on the fire of the Holy Spirit.

Our Church is a building, yes, but the story of our founder St Wilfrid is a reminder that the Church is primarily a people and a movement.

Through this community, with all its strengths and fragilities, the Christian faith is being taught, the body of Jesus Christ is being built up, the sacraments are being celebrated, people are praying - and serving.

The story of St Wilfrid’s seventh century mission to the Saxons is now our story as surely as Bishop Martin is his successor 1400 years on. 

May the Holy Spirit kindle our hearts at Wilfrid’s prayer this evening so that, through us, others in our circle and our parish may find the purpose for life in Jesus Christ reaching beyond death into the immortal kingdom where today’s saint joins our other patron, Richard, on the throne of God cheering us on our way. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. Hebrews 12:1-2