Latest News
(October 2026)
For details of how our clergy addressed the challenge and the proposals that have emerged, follow this link.
Recent News
(September 2026)
How do you pray when you don't know how to pray? In this video, Fr Stephen Wang offers a simple and practical introduction to prayer for anyone who is new to prayer, has stopped praying, or is curious about Christianity and spirituality.
Celebrating our Communities
(July 2026)
Taking time to celebrate what has happened amongst us over the last twelve months
It is just twelve months since the initial meeting of our “Leadership Team” – that is, a group of clergy and laity drawn from each of the existing parishes across our Deanery, in line with the direction from Bishop Richard (as he was at the time) that each area should have such a group to help develop local plans for responding to the Diocesan Pastoral Plan: The Call to Mission. There is much to celebrate around our communities since then, including:
Engaging our communities through ‘Have your say’ in Advent 2025
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One of the things identified in early discussions of the Leadership Team was the need to engage parishioners across all our communities, not just to share plans as they began to form and explain how everyone could get involved, but also to understand what is important to parishioners in their life as part of the Church. Towards the end of last year, the Team put together the proposals for a series of local meetings at the start of 2026 and ran the associated 'Have your say' process in Advent to capture as many views as possible through postcards and on-line contributions.
The Team had no idea what sort of response we would get to the request for views in the busy run-up to Christmas and we were delighted with both the amount of input and the range and frankness of the views expressed. Even though the planned ‘roadshows’ were then deferred (following the announcement in December of Bishop Richard’s new appointment), this feedback provides a wonderful base for understanding what is important to people and – whatever the local organisation structure turns out to be – what we should be doing together. A summary of the feedback – and the initial actions taken in response to it – was included in Deanery Newsletter #6 (Lent 2026) and you can still read it on our Deanery website [see below]; the Leadership Team will continue to work through the material over the coming months.
And you can continue to have your say: if there is something you want to hear about in the newsletter and/or on the website, please let us know at epsomdeanerynewsletter@gmail.com.
Improved collaboration
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One of the clear priorities identified from parishioner contributions was a desire to get better at working together. Many of you will have noticed an increase in the way we promote each others’ activities and events in our local newsletters and websites. Parish secretaries / office managers across the Deanery have met more than once to discuss how they can better work together. The way in which Bereavement Teams have been working together was covered in Newsletter #6 and the communities of Effingham & Fetcham combined with Ashtead in preparation for this year’s Confirmations.
Developing our Deanery identity
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In the past, the existence of the local Deanery was rarely mentioned and many people simply did not know which other churches were in the same Deanery as them. This is our seventh Deanery Newsletter and we hope there is a growing understanding of our collective identity and how we are working together.
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Our inaugural ‘Deanery 24-hour Adoration with the Lord’ took place at the end of May at St Joseph’s, Epsom, with parishioners from across our communities coming together to maintain an uninterrupted vigil between Mass on Friday morning and Mass on Saturday morning. The Friday evening included an hour of sacred music sung by ‘Epsom Deanery Singers’, with members from the choirs of many of our constituent parishes.
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There is another Deanery celebration coming up on Tuesday 28th July, to mark the visit of the relics of St Gerard Majella as part of the nationwide tour marking the 300th anniversary of his birth. [‘Epsom Deanery Singers’ will be re-forming, with old and new members, to lead the music at the concelebrated Mass.]
This went live at the start of Advent 2025 to support the 'Have your say' initiative and now includes:
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A Parish Directory, with details of all our churches / clergy / parish office hours & contact details / regular weekly Mass times & other regular opportunities to pray and meet together
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Latest news and a rolling calendar of up-coming events across the Deanery and beyond
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Past editions of the Deanery Newsletter, including
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More information about the Pastoral Plan and how we have been responding to it in this area, plus excerpts from scripture / Church teaching, with many external links, for those who want to explore further
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New local groups have been activated, including:
Youth Group
St Michael’s, Ashtead
Every Friday
6:30-8:30pm
Social Hub
St Clement’s, Ewell
Every Friday
2:00-4:00pm
incl. July & August
Youth Group
St Joseph’s, Dorking
Thursday fortnightly
restarts 24th September
Family Faith Formation Group
St Joseph's, Epsom
Saturday 25th July
& last Sat. monthly
3:00-5:00pm
Please check local newsletters – some groups may take a summer break!
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Improving the ways we manage our money
We have established a new Deanery-wide finance group, with lay representatives from each of the nine local finance teams, plus three clergy members. Irrespective of any structural change, this group has already been getting to know each other and identifying opportunities for shared efficiencies and cost savings across our communities. In due course, if we become a single parish, this group will become the Finance Committee and will be responsible for developing the relationship between the new single Finance Committee and local finance teams who will continue to advise the clergy about matters in their community.
More reasons to celebrate
Baptism
More than 240 infants & children baptised this year
First Holy Communion
Some 260 children have made their First Holy Communion
Confirmation
120 young people received the sacrament of Confirmation this May
Adult Reception
More than 60 adults have been received into full Communion with the Roman Catholic Church
Milestone anniversaries:
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Canon Bill Davern: 45th Anniversary of Ordination (July 1981)
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Fr Ian Vane: 40th Anniversary of Ordination (July 1986)
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Fr Alexander Lucie-Smith: 30th Anniversary of Ordination (April 1996)
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Fr Simon Iduh: 20th Anniversary of Ordination (July 2006)
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and not forgetting … Fr Gary Carter: 1st Anniversary of Ordination (July 2025)
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St Joseph’s, Epsom: 25th Anniversary of Consecration of the new church (1st May 2001)