Have your say | Epsom Deanery Newsle

Thank you to everyone who submitted opportunities, challenges and questions on postcards, on-line forms and by e-mail, during Advent 2025. A summary of those contributions is included on this page, below details of what we are doing in response.
If there is something you would like to see on this website or in a future Deanery Newsletter, please let us know using the email address at the bottom of each page.

Listening to your views

As published in Deanery Newsletter #6, Lent 2026

Firstly, ‘thank you’ again to everyone who took the time in the busy run-up to Christmas to contribute to our discussions, whether by completing one of the ‘You’re invited’ postcards available in our churches, or electronically through the ‘Have your say’ page on our deanery website, or by e-mail for longer messages.

Some facts & figures

Three hundred and thirty separate comments were received, of which 40% were labelled as ‘opportunities’, 34% as ‘challenges’ and 23% raised specific questions.

Almost exactly half of the ideas were on the physical postcards (166, compared with 164 on-line or in e-mails). The split between categories was very similar across the different channels.

We cannot be sure exactly how many different people made contributions, as some people clearly used all three channels, but we are confident that the figure was over one hundred. Around 60% of contributors gave their name.

Note: ten contributions were deemed ‘out of scope’. It is not for us to decide on subjects such as whether allowing priests to marry or letting women serve as either priests or deacons should be part of the Church’s plans.

Categories of comment

Structural Change (74)

Local Issues (18)

Being considered by the Leadership Team

Local issues – a small number of points were very specifically about something in an individual church or community: all of these have been passed to local leaders for consideration.

Issues (mostly questions and concerns) driven by the proposals for structural change envisaged in Bishop Richard’s Pastoral Plan and particularly the idea that our deanery was likely to become a single parish during the first half of 2026.

The appointment of Bishop Richard as the new archbishop of Westminster and his departure from Arundel & Brighton in February, means that the immediacy of these issues has gone. As Fr Chris explained in our last newsletter, no structural changes can proceed while we have no bishop and we simply don’t know what will happen as and when a new bishop takes up his post. At this stage, therefore, we have ‘parked’ these comments until such time as we may need to come back them, when they will be a valuable resource as we plan for whatever comes next.

The topics arising most frequently, across all categories, were:

Collaboration (20+ mentions), showing a clear desire to collaborate more closely – sharing expertise, facilities, liturgies, catechetical programmes and pastoral outreach, which could help strengthen the Church’s witness.
Mission & Evangelisation (20+), with an appetite to use talk about the Pastoral Plan as a moment of mission and a desire to hear more about what members of our communities are being asked to do.
Parishioner Engagement (20+), mainly concerns on what we need to do to motivate disengaged Catholics and help people move beyond a ‘Sunday-only’ participation in their busy lives.
Priests & Clergy Team (18), mostly concerns about what would have happened under the planned canonical changes, but demonstrating that parishioners greatly value the relationship with their priest.
Young People (16): recurring comments about the need to make sure we are reaching out to and engaging young parishioners – children, teenagers, young adults, young families – through the liturgies and other activities in our communities; finding leaders to sustain youth ministries is a key challenge.
Formation (16): there is a clear appetite for deeper formation, not just sacramental preparation, but providing opportunities for everyone – adult catechesis, bible study, talks, teaching evenings, parish missions, … – to help people to encounter Jesus more personally and deepen their discipleship. Building such a programme of activities may be more achievable with communities working together.

A fuller version of this analysis is available below

In-scope: that leaves 228 suggestions that are relevant irrespective of parish structures:

The Leadership Team has begun the challenge of working through these – see below.

Recurring themes

What we're doing in response

As promised previously, the Leadership Team has been considering all the comments and has discussed them at meetings in February and March. The team is agreed that, just because Arundel & Brighton does not currently have a Bishop (and, therefore, one aspect of the Pastoral Plan – the structural change – cannot be enacted), this does not mean that we should not press ahead with doing all the other things identified as ways to improve our ability to deliver the Church’s mission. Specifically, the team has agreed some priorities:

• To demonstrate that we are listening to parishioners’ views by providing both an account of what was said and details of what we are doing in response.

• To try to engage more parishioners in the activities that already go on in our communities, both to improve those and develop others.

• To communicate more with each other about what we are doing and to encourage parishioners to support and engage with each other across all our communities:

o You may have noticed that local newsletters are promoting events elsewhere (even) more actively.
o A Lenten calendar of activities across all our communities was added to the deanery website at the start of Lent: it is still available here. As we approach Easter, we are creating a new consolidated calendar of upcoming events across our communities which you will find at here.

• To arrange and promote more opportunities to pray together: as the Lenten calendar has highlighted, there are lots already. There will be more after Easter, including:

o Holy Hour for Divine Mercy Sunday, at the Church of the Holy Spirit, Fetcham, on 12th April.
o 24-hour Vigil for Pentecost, running from 10:00am on Friday 22nd May, at St Joseph’s, Epsom: this will begin and end with concelebrated Mass, will include readings, prayers and the opportunity for private adoration and will be followed by a social event. Look out for more details after the Easter weekend.

• To develop a consolidated directory of volunteers and encourage people to get together with others who serve in similar roles in other communities. This is in response to the strong call for collaboration and we think this will help people develop individually and together as they fulfil their ministries: in Deanery Newsletter #6, you can read about how our Bereavement Teams have already been doing this. Also, steps have begun to co-ordinate the visiting of sick and housebound parishioners across all our communities.

These are just the first few steps. As the Leadership Team continues to work through all the suggestions, there will be more initiatives. Please look out for ways in which you can get involved and can use your own unique gifts and skills to support the Church’s mission.

Together in Faith: key themes & recommendations for collaborative initiatives across the communities of Epsom Deanery

Based on Parishioner Contributions received in December 2025

Initial draft produced by AI, edited to ensure consistency of terminology

Background

Epsom Deanery comprises nine parishes in the diocese of Arundel & Brighton. The diocesan Pastoral Plan, The Word Who is Life – The Call to Mission, is mostly about the renewal of the Church, with an emphasis on prayer, formation and mission; it also included proposals for the constituent parishes in each deanery to become new single parishes, led by moderated teams of priests. As part of the preparation for this canonical change, parishioners were invited to contribute ‘opportunities’, ‘challenges’ and ‘questions’ during the first half of December 2025.

1. Introduction

Across the nine parishes, a wide range of parishioners contributed. The collective voice reflects both enthusiasm for renewal and an honest acknowledgement of the challenges ahead. This report highlights the central themes that emerged and outlines recommendations for initiatives that can be pursued collaboratively across the communities.

2. Key Emerging Themes

A. Opportunities Identified

1. Growing Collaboration and Sharing of Resources

The strongest theme across all parishes was a desire to collaborate more closely – sharing expertise, facilities, liturgies, catechetical programmes, and pastoral outreach. Many parishioners noted that working together could break down territorial boundaries, build unity, and strengthen the Church’s witness.

2. Enhanced Formation for All Ages

There is a widespread appetite for deeper formation: adult catechesis, Bible study, talks, local missions, teaching evenings, formation at religious houses, and shared sacramental programmes. Parishioners expressed the need to offer formation at every stage of the faith journey and to use this moment for spiritual renewal, where individuals can encounter Jesus more personally, deepen their discipleship and experience revitalised communal prayer and worship.

3. Renewed Mission and Evangelisation

Many parishioners sensed that the restructuring is a moment of mission. Themes included: responding to the “change in era,” reaching the unchurched, becoming outward‑facing, strengthening charitable outreach, and being “fishers of men” – especially among the young.

4. Youth Engagement

Many mentioned the need to focus on young people – from children to young adults. Suggestions included shared youth groups, employing a youth worker, youth‑focused Masses, joint activities, and school partnerships. Young people were consistently identified as the future of the Church.

5. Strengthening the Role of the Laity

Parishioners saw opportunities for expanded lay leadership, including administration, governance, pastoral care, catechesis, and liturgical ministries. Many explicitly supported freeing priests to focus on sacramental and pastoral responsibilities.

6. Supporting Priests

There is hope that a team‑based model will reduce stress on clergy, foster mutual support, and allow priests to focus on mission and sacraments rather than administration.

7. Cost Efficiencies and Improved Processes

Shared procurement, streamlined administration, updated IT, and centralised systems were seen as opportunities to increase efficiency and free resources for mission.

B. Concerns Identified

1. Managing Change and Preserving Identity

The most frequent concerns involved adjusting to change, fear of losing community identity, and worry about how parishioners will respond. Some expressed anxiety about previous initiatives that “sounded good but achieved little.”

2. Maintaining Personal Connection with Priests

Parishioners value their relationship with their priest. Concerns included rotating celebrants, reduced availability for home and hospital visits, and loss of pastoral familiarity.

3. Parishioner Engagement and Participation

Many questioned how to motivate disengaged parishioners, overcome apathy, and help people move beyond Sunday‑only participation. Time constraints, health issues, and competing priorities were also raised.

4. Elderly and Less Mobile Parishioners

Transport, mobility, and access to Mass or events across the larger parish were recurring concerns. Parishioners worry about isolation of the elderly or housebound.

5. Communication

There were repeated calls for clearer and more consistent communication across all the constituent communities. Some emphasised that not everyone has internet access and that clear, regular updates are essential.

6. Youth Retention

While youth engagement is seen as an opportunity, there were also concerns about keeping young people involved and finding leaders to sustain youth ministries.

C. Questions Raised

Many parishioners seek practical clarity in several areas – particularly around implementation and governance. The main questions include:

Sacramental programmes: How will First Holy Communion and Confirmation preparation be organised? Where will celebrations take place?
Identity and belonging: How will community identity be preserved or fostered across a large geographical area? How will existing local mission statements align?
Role of schools: What does it mean for schools to be “at the heart” of the plan, and how will collaboration work in practice?
Formation: What programmes will be developed to help parishioners encounter Jesus, grow in discipleship, and share their faith?
Mission and evangelisation: How will the new evangelisation look? What changes are expected? Will the church need structural or pastoral adaptation?
Leadership structure: Who is on the Parish Leadership Team? How were they selected? How long will they serve? What is the balance of clergy/laity and gender?
Clergy roles and future: What is the outlook for vocations? Will churches close? Will priests have more capacity for pastoral contact?
Lay involvement: How will the laity be meaningfully included in shaping the parish and supporting clergy?
Transport and access: What provision will be made for elderly or less mobile parishioners to attend Mass and events?
Synodality: How does this change relate to the synodal process begun in 2021, and what became of earlier submissions?
Finances: How will offerings and local finances be managed if the number of priests is reduced?

3. Recommendations for collaborative initiatives across the nine parishes

Drawing on the consultation themes, this section identifies potential collaborative initiatives that align with parishioner hopes and address identified concerns.

A. Collaboration & Shared Ministry

1. Establish Parish‑Wide Ministry Hubs

Create cross‑parish groups for areas of common interest, including:

catechesis
bereavement support
safeguarding
youth ministry
music and liturgy
social outreach

This directly responds to calls for shared expertise and resource pooling.

2. Launch Joint Liturgical Events

Host joint deanery‑wide liturgies (e.g., seasonal penitential services, feast day celebrations, Holy Hours). These build community identity while respecting local traditions.

B. Formation & Discipleship

3. Create a Parish‑Wide Formation Programme

This could include:

regular talks or speaker series
Bible study tracks in multiple locations
Life in the Spirit seminars
faith initiatives with local schools
annual mission weeks

This directly reflects high demand for deeper formation.

4. Develop Shared Sacramental Preparation

A centralised structure for First Holy Communion, Confirmation, Baptism preparation, and RCIA – delivered locally but coordinated across all the communities – will increase cohesion and share workloads.

C. Mission & Outreach

5. Coordinated Charitable Outreach

Form a collaborative outreach network focusing on:

homelessness
loneliness and the elderly
housebound visitation
local charities
youth social action

This responds to parishioners’ desire to “look outward” and serve the vulnerable.

6. Evangelisation Initiatives

Develop shared evangelisation efforts such as:

invitational events
seeker-friendly non‑Eucharistic liturgies
Alpha‑style programmes
public witness events

Addressing the repeated call to become more missionary.

D. Youth & Schools

7. Create a Cross‑Parish Youth Network

Includes:

shared youth groups
a combined 16+ group
youth leadership training
music and service opportunities
joint retreats and trips

Possibly supported by a shared youth worker, as requested by many parishioners.

8. Deepen Partnerships with Schools

Develop joint programmes with local schools:

chaplaincy events
service projects
youth liturgies
joint mission or retreat days

This aligns with strong feedback requesting clearer school involvement.

E. Support for Elderly & Marginalised

9. Transport & Accessibility Strategy

Consider:

volunteer transport teams
minibus sharing
livestreamed events
rotating local prayer gatherings

Addresses significant concerns from and about less mobile parishioners.

10. Housebound Pastoral Team

A shared team of Eucharistic ministers, visitors, and pastoral volunteers across all constituent communities.

Builds continuity even in a team‑based clergy model.

F. Communication & Engagement

11. Parish‑Wide Communications Hub

Implement:

a unified website
a monthly newsletter
coordinated announcements across all churches
coordination of non‑digital communication (noticeboards, printed bulletins)

This meets a strongly expressed need for consistent, clear communication.

12. Annual Community Assembly

A yearly gathering of representatives and parishioners to:

share updates
set priorities
build relationships
evaluate progress

Responds to concerns about transparency, trust, and follow‑through.

4. Conclusion

The consultation demonstrates both the richness of the communities and their readiness to embrace renewal. Parishioners hope for deeper unity, more effective mission, stronger formation, and a vibrant, engaged Catholic community. At the same time, they seek reassurance—especially regarding identity, clergy connection, and care for the vulnerable.

The suggested initiatives may help to translate parishioners’ hopes into practical actions that build connection, faith, and mission across the whole area.

Structural Change (74)

Local Issues (18)

Being considered by the Leadership Team

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