St Agatha's Church

28/05/2026

The Friars have decided to dissolve their association. Bishop Egan has given those who are priests permission to continue to offer Mass at St Agatha’s for the time being. Their plan is to join with another association and relocate.

In light of recent news, the rosary rally will have to be cancelled. We are sorry for this late notice and any inconvenience this has caused.

BISHOP EGAN WRITES...

After a long period of prayerful discernment and having carefully considered their circumstances, the Priests of the Association of the Family of Mary Immaculate and St Francis, known as the Marian Franciscans, have asked me formally to dissolve the Association. I have agreed to this request after serious and careful consideration, and the appropriate canonical and practical steps are now being taken. The dissolution takes effect from 1st June 2026. From that date, the Marian Franciscans will no longer exist as an Association of the Faithful, and members may not continue to act publicly in the name of the Marian Franciscans.
It is the intention of the Friars to join another Association with a similar charism and in the coming months to relocate. During the past eleven years, members of the community have lived and
ministered not only in the Diocese of Portsmouth but, more recently, in the Diocese of Dunkeld in Scotland. The Diocese of Portsmouth will work with Bishop Andrew McKenzie, the Bishop of Dunkeld and those directly involved, to address the practical arrangements now required, and the pastoral needs of the lay friars and the community in Dunkeld. Further details will be provided once
arrangements have been finalised.
I know that this news will be a cause of sadness and concern for many people who have valued the ministry, prayer and pastoral presence of the Friars. During this period of transition, I have permitted those Friars who are priests of the
Diocese of Portsmouth, to wear a different Franciscan habit. Until further arrangements are confirmed, I have also granted the priests permission to continue the Masses, sacraments and devotions celebrated at St Agatha’s in
Portsmouth, St Joseph’s in Copnor, and St Thomas More’s, Iford. The Diocese recognises with gratitude the ministry of the Marian Franciscans, and the prayer, generosity and friendship offered to them by the lay faithful and others who have supported the community over the years.
Please pray for the members of the community as they discern the next steps, and for all those who have been supported by their ministry.

23/05/2026

EVENTS

🗓 CANCELLED!!!!!
Rosary Rally – Saturday 30 May
The Marian Franciscans invite all parishioners to attend the 3rd Annual Rosary Rally on Saturday 30 May 2026 in Portsmouth.

The day will include Eucharistic Adoration at St Agatha’s, Holy Mass at 1pm, and the Rosary Rally beginning at 3pm from the QE II Silver Jubilee Fountain on Commercial Road, with hymns, short talks and all three Rosaries prayed together.

Confessions will be available throughout the day.

All are warmly welcome to join in this public witness of prayer and devotion to the Immaculate Heart.

🗓 18th Century Vestment Display
1-6pm Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th June 2026
at St Mary’s Church, Upper Froyle GU34 4LB.
This unique vestments display coincides with the NGS Froyle Open Gardens Weekend. Delicious home-made teas will be served in the Village Hall, all excellent reasons to visit Froyle in summer!

30/03/2026

The following document, prepared by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith after the recent meeting in Rome with the Ordinariate bishops, offers a joyful and confident articulation of the Anglican patrimony as it is lived within the Catholic Church today.

10/02/2026

Patronal Mass 2026

'Rejoice we all in the Lord, keeping feast day in honour of blessed Agatha, Virgin and Martyr'

02/01/2026

Merry Christmas

16/12/2025

https://youtu.be/rh8xkWhnM60?si=KB4E9wiSbLwyhnUO

In 1896, Father Robert Dolling published Ten Years in a Portsmouth Slum — a memoir of beauty, courage, and faith amid poverty.This short film retells his sto...

15/12/2025

Pastoral Letter

Bishop David Waller has written a letter for Advent:

Dear Friends,

When my nieces were young they always enjoyed having stories read to them; to this day I can remember the names of all the farmyard animals who, having been consumed by Foxy Loxy, “never did get to tell the King the sky was falling in”! One of their favourite books began with the words “Once upon a time in a land far far away there lived a beautiful princess.” The opening words draw the listener into a different almost magical realm – the events happen “ once upon a time” they are not given a time or date; the place is far away – unidentified – away from and inaccessible to the child’s experience; the key character, the Princess, is someone the child longs to be but never will be and whose story is far removed from present or future real life experiences.

There is much about Christmas celebrations that is “magical” : the shop window displays; street lights; office parties; visits to Santa (who then brings presents from afar). Most of that is harmless fun but at the heart of Christmas lies a different story – not a fairy tale but truth. It never ceases to amaze me how St Luke, in the early chapters of his gospel, goes to great lengths to root the incarnation in human history. There is nothing “once upon a time” about the Incarnation, it happens in real time: Herod is on the throne, Augustus is the emperor, Quirinius is governor of Syria. The places are real – Nazareth and Bethlehem. God takes our human nature – Jesus is not removed from human experience but identifies with it: And he feeleth in our sadness and he shareth in our gladness.

Those fundamental truths which St Luke sets before us are truths we need to hold on to as we celebrate Christmas. Not as kill-joys: there is nothing wrong with all the tinsel and trimmings. But the reality of our celebration is that there has been born a Saviour, Emmanuel, God With Us.

It is Jesus who comes to live and die and rise for us; to do so in
our flesh, in human history in order to release us from the confines of temporality and open for us the gates of eternity.

The World needs to hear this truth – myths and legends – crossed fingers and wishes – wealth or credit card debt – do not bring salvation. But God has acted, the Word became flesh annd dwelt among us; in the womb of the Virgin Mary he took our humanity and he has raised it now to the glory of Heaven.

Be assured of my prayers as we journey through Advent and come to celebrate Christmas; may this Christmas rekindle in us joy that God has been born among us and that thereby hope can never be a distant thing like a fairytale but is immediate, life transforming, the pledge of immortality.

With blessings this Advent and Christmas

In Christ
+ David

14/11/2025

Thanks to AI, these historic images of the High Altar and Lady Chapel have been colourised. Enjoy




fans

12/11/2025

The Server, 1955
An interesting article about the closure of the church

11/11/2025

A Pastoral Letter from Bishop David

One of the things I miss least not being a Parish Priest is funerals.

I don't mean the privilege of celebrating the requiem of a faithful parishioner, rather the funerals of the lapsed or even regular worshippers whose next of kin had no idea what the deceased would have wanted. By the time I met with the loved ones they had often selected poems and secular music and composed a eulogy that would have had us believe that the deceased was of greater holiness that the Angel Gabriel whilst at the same time having gained salvation by culinary skills and always being nice to the family. Death was “nothing at all”; the deceased had simultaneously become a “star in the sky”, whilst “living forever in our hearts”. Musical choices ranged from “Delaney's Donkey” (at least whimsical) to “My Way” (if it really is “My Way” not “Thy Way” it is something for repentance not celebration.) Orders of Service were produced titled “A Celebration of the Life of N”, with no understanding that life continues beyond death.

I hope that I managed to bite my tongue and to engage with those families as they mourned the death of a loved one; they were genuine in their desire to do the best they could by ensuring a decent and personalised funeral. There was a tightrope to be walked, not alienating the bereaved but at the same time introducing into their plans the good news of our Salvation; of God's love and mercy; and of prayer for the souls of the departed.

Whilst the Church continually prays for the living and the dead, November is designated as a month particularly identified with such prayer. It is important that we offer our prayers and masses this month for the dead because there is a real danger that we might so easily fall into the trap of honouring them with nice words; happy stories; thanksgiving for their lives (all of which have their place) that we forget to pray for them.

This November let us rejoice in Our Lord's victory over death and the promise of eternal life bestowed in baptism. Let us pray for our departed loved ones, for those who nurtured us in the faith, and for all the departed – especially for those who leave nobody behind who will pray for them. We do so confident that God hears our prayers and thankful that Christian death leads to sharing in the resurrection: they live, not simply in our memories, but with the Lord.