The rector writes
Dear sisters and brothers,
Today in the life of the church we remember John Mason Neale, priest and hymn writer
(1818-1866). In our worship you will recognise many of the hymns which he translated,
including, 'O come, O come, Emmanuel', 'All glory, laud, and honour', and 'Good King
Wenceslas'. He is also someone with very local connections, being warden of Sackville
College in East Grinstead from 1846 until his death.
More local to us his sisters lived in Haywards Heath; two of them, Susanna and Cornelia
Neale, lived opposite St Wilfrid's Church, and are both buried in our churchyard. We can
still see their impact on our church building, as in 1867 they gave the first stained glass
windows in the building, in the south side of the tower in memory of their brother,
depicting St Wilfrid and the archangels Gabriel and Michael.
Another sister, Elizabeth Neale, established the Community of the Holy Cross, working in
the East End of London, caring for the sick and poor, but with their Convent located here
in Haywards Heath down Bolnore Road. From 1886 in Haywards Heath the Community
sisters lived and prayed in a corner of our parish while they continued in their work, until
1978 when they moved, eventually, to Costock in Nottinghamshire.
This one Victorian family still impacts upon our life today, in our worship, in our church
building, in the architecture of our town, and in the prayer life of the wider church. The
question for us is how can we follow in their footsteps and work to bring the joy of faith to
this current generation, through art, music, and architecture, but also through witness to
the God who loves us and who redeems us.
What will you do?
With all blessings
Fr Edward
