PARISH IN Focus: St Joseph's, Dorking.

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1995 HAS BEEN a momentous year for St Joseph's, Dorking. On 26 June, the Parish celebrated thcir centenary Mass, and this 100th anniversary year is being marked with a series of spiritual and social events.
St Joseph's is one of five Surrey churches built in honour to the five wounds of Christ.
The Duchess of Norfolk founded the parish in 1895 as a memorial to her late husband, and the close links with the Fitzalan-Howard family remain to this day. The present Duke and his son, the Earl of Arundel, came back to St Joseph's to join in the Centenary Day celebrations opening the new primary school and attending Mass.
For parish priest, Fr Martin Thompson, this has been "a year of renewal" for his parish. He is conscious of the history of the church but felt that the centenary year should celebrate the people "the living stones" and he is keen to build up the spiritual life of his parishioners.
The centenary, amongst a wealth of fund raising, prayer groups and discussion workshops, is focused on the Parish Mission which began on 2 September and will run for three weeks.
Led by the Sion community, the Mission will contact every Catholic in the area. There will be daily exposition of me Blessed Sacrament and private prayer. St Joseph's published their own prayer book for the Mission and parishioners have sent copies to friends and families overseas extending the parish boundaries!
The parish has a strong tradition of involvement in secular and spiritual activities.
Three years ago they held a Mission specifically for the youth of the parish. A senior and junior youth group now keep young people very much involved in parish life: a Passion play and a Nativity play were staged last year; barbeques, discos and sponsored walks raise funds for charities and church events.
But have the various Missions brought people, especially the young, back to church? "I wouldn't say in all cases that it has brought them back, but it has certainly stopped them from going away," said Fr Thompson.
"People confirmed in the parish by and large stay with us, they feel they are involved; we give them a profile we try to encourage everybody."
Fr Thompson taught at Wonersh before spending time at the English College in Rome; St Joseph's is his first parish and he feels very fortunate to have been blessed with a community that is committed and positive about their church. He is reluctant to see himself as a 'catalyst' and stresses that there are "a lot of very good people here.
"You could go somewhere, where no one wants to do anything. That must be very hard. You would feel as though you were hitting your head against a brick wall all the time...
"I do believe that if you can just get people to pray, then the rest begins to follow."
Christina White