Home Our Patron Saint Parish Office Parish News Parish Map Parish History Mass Schedule Baptism Children's Liturgy Reconciliation Holy Communion Confirmation Marriage Adult Initiation (R.C.I.A.) Child Protection Organisations Schools R. Challoner Boys School Links Contact Us

In 1961 after fifteen years at Worcester Park I asked the Bishop to split the parish as numbers had increased to over 2,500 practicing Catholics, and we had two churches, two large schools, two convents, and a total of five mass centres. The parish priest had become virtually an administrator and could not get to know many of his parishioners scattered over such a wide area. Finally in October, 1961, the Bishop did split the parish, and at my special request, appointed me parish priest of North Cheam, while Fr. Beausang took over Worcester Park. I freely offered and promised that North Cheam would contribute £6,000 towards the cost of the new St. Matthias church because, to save bank interest, some of Worcester Park’s collections had been used towards the cost of St. Cecilia’s. Fr. Beausang, the energetic new parish priest of St. Matthias, soon decided that a larger and finer church was urgently necessary in Worcester Park and set about the task urgently.   Previous page Page 37 Next page Index