Statement of Aspirations
At St Joseph’s, we show God’s love to the world. This means that we:
- are a welcoming community, where all can explore, develop and deepen their faith;
- help everyone to discover how much they are loved by God;
- participate in spiritually enriching liturgies and celebrate sacraments as signs of God’s love for us;
- empower people to use their individual talents and skills for the service of others;
- put the Gospel into practical, loving action by reaching out to help others, especially the poor and disadvantaged in the local community and beyond.
What is the coordination team?
The coordination team is a group of parishioners appointed by Canon Bill. The group acts as an advisory body to him about the best way to make the parish statement of aspirations a reality. This work also involves building parish capacity to achieve the aspirations and facilitating the work of parish groups.
There are eight parish groups, each one addressing a key area of parish life:
- welcoming;
- faith development;
- liturgy;
- outreach;
- sacramental life;
- young people;
- social life;
- fundraising (for charity and parish).
The leaders of these groups make up the coordination team, together with its chair, Harvey Bradshaw.
You can read the terms of reference for the coordination team by clicking here.
You can contact the coordination team via the parish office.
Latest Meeting
The Coordination Team meets every two months with Canon Bill. The last meeting on 13 January, agreed a revised programme of church activities for 2025. They include events aimed at welcoming new parishioners, a Lent course in March and April, visits to religious sites and celebrations of our different cultures. Our intention is to create a vibrant community where people meet their fellow parishioners and develop a greater understanding of their lives and experiences. We have many parishioners from different cultures and we want to celebrate and share this blessing. After the success of our carol service, the next event is a cheese and wine welcome for new parishioners on Sunday 2 February after 10.30am Mass. Everyone is welcome! Ultimately, we hope this approach will lead to everyone feeling more valued and involved in parish life. If you think you can help, please contact the parish office.
Parish in partnership
Following the Diocesan pastoral plan, the Epsom deanery has just embarked on the process of forming a moderated parish. The parishes involved are those in Epsom, Ashtead, Banstead, Cobham, Dorking, Effingham & Fetcham, Ewell, Leatherhead and Tadworth.
The Synod on Synodality
The Coordination Team closely follows the on-going Synod on Synodality and keeps abreast of developments. This Synod began in October 2021 and is due to conclude in October 2024. Pope Francis is asking us to look at how the early Church operated and see whether we could operate in a similar way.
About one hundred parishioners participated in discussions at the start of 2022. A summary of what was said can be read here. Subsequently, the Diocese produced a synthesis of views expressed across the Diocese; you can read this here. The Bishops of England and Wales reflected on all the Diocesan views, which resulted in a national synthesis in June 2022. Finally, views were shared across Europe, leading to a final discernment document for the continent (February 2023).
In October 2023, there was a large gathering of bishops, clergy, religious and laity in Rome to reflect on the work of the last two years. All Catholics had been invited to contribute to a global listening exercise as we attempt to learn how God wants the Church to develop. This latest discernment led to the publication of this synthesis document: A Synodal Church in Mission. You may be interested in reading a short article about Austen Ivereigh’s visit to our parish when he talked about the recent Synodal gathering in Rome. You will find that here.
Pope Francis opened the second (and final) session of the Synod on Wednesday 2nd October 2024. Speaking about the synodal process, the Pope highlighted that it was not just a momentary event but a continuous journey, one in which the Church can learn to better understand herself and discern the most effective ways to carry out her mission. Pope Francis described the synodal assembly as a ‘plural subject’, where bishops, laypeople, priests, and consecrated men and women work together in service to God’s mercy.
Please continue to pray for all those involved in the Synod.
The Holy Spirit bends the stubborn heart and will, melts the frozen, warms the chill, and guides the steps that go astray. The Holy Spirit wipes away our tears and comforts us because he communicates God’s gift of hope.’
Pope Francis
You can keep up to date with all the latest Synod developments by clicking here (Bishops’ Conference) or here (Vatican).
Diocesan Pastoral Plan: The Word Who is Life
Bishop Richard has prepared a pastoral plan for the Diocese. This is called ‘The Word Who is Life’ and was based on discussions he held across the Diocese. The Coordination Team endeavours to ensure that our parish aligns with this Diocesan pastoral plan, which you can find on the Arundel and Brighton website.
The plan is currently in its third version, published in January 2024. This represents a significant update from version two. It is subtitled ‘The Call to Mission’, as Bishop Richard is now calling on all the baptised to take a greater role in the life of the Diocese. Bishop Richard talks about this version in his most recent pastoral letter, which you can find here. You can read or download the latest version here (with an abridged version available here).
The Jubilee Year: 2025
The Holy Father has announced that 2025 will be a year of Jubilee, something which happens every 25 years – the theme for the year is ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. ‘Jubilee’ is the name given to a particular year offering an opportunity to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation. In the Catholic Church, the concept of Jubilee or ‘Holy Year’ has been used to declare special years for forgiveness and reconciliation.
The Jubilee of Hope will begin in December 2024 with Pope Francis opening the ‘holy door’ in St Peter’s Basilica, offering the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics the possibility of obtaining a plenary indulgence and a year of special graces. The Jubilee of Hope will end on the feast of the Epiphany in 2026.
Information on the celebrations and events to mark the Jubilee in our Diocese will be shared in the coming months, if you have questions or suggestions in the interim please contact the Diocesan Communications Team (communications@abdiocese.org.uk). The Bishops’ Conference will be producing resources for the preparatory year of prayer, focusing on the Our Father, as well as resources about Jubilee in the Catholic Church, for use by parishes, priests, religious, lay people which will help guide people as they ready themselves for this most vital year in the Church’s life.
To find out more about the Jubilee please click here to visit the Bishops’ Conference website. To access the Vatican Jubilee Events Calendar click here.