Parish Profile
Westminster Record June 2011
St Thomas More Parish, Manor House
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This is such a friendly parish. That’s why I come here
By Jo Siedlecka St Thomas More’s Church, Manor House is set in a quiet street near Finsbury and Clissold Parks, the massive Woodberry Down housing estate and the West Reservoir now used for water sports. Founded in 1973, it once served as a chapel for the now demolished Catholic overseas student hostel and the then diocesan liturgy centre. The first parish priest was Canon Harold Winston who served on the diocesan liturgy committee. He was followed by Fr Aidan Sharratt who stayed for 28 years and wrote a book on his walking pilgrimage through Italy entitled ‘One Pilgrim's Story’.
of Africa who had strong links with the parish. Downstairs there is a large community hall and the parish is also home to the offices of CARJ (Catholic Association for Racial Justice). Parishioner Richard Zipfel is a trustee. Fr Clive Lee with members of his congregation outside St Thomas More’s Church
The parish is blessed with the Congregation of Maltese Ursuline Sisters of St Angela Merici who used to work in the Catholic hostel and now run a nursery. Mother Eugenia plays the organ at the 12 noon Mass and runs the Association of Our Lady Help of Christians. Sr Jacinta who is a Daughter of Divine Love helps with
project facilitated by London Citizens, to strengthen community connections. “We want our community to be more than just coffee after Mass” Tricia said. “We had six small groups of 40 parishioners which met to tell each other our stories. Then we had a session when we mapped all the issues. People discussed personal problems, we looked at issues in the neighbourhood and the wider community. As a result now we have begun more work with the elderly, housebound and isolated people.” The exercise also led to a collaboration with two local Anglican churches on youth groups for 10-16 year olds.
Deepen parish life
Children of the parish in the garden playhouse
The present parish priest, Fr Clive Lee, has been there eight years. Born in what is now Zimbabwe, his first degree and profession was agriculture. Before joining the diocese he was a Franciscan postulant and novice in Ireland and Zimbabwe. He studied theology at Kings College. Soon after his arrival in the parish, Fr Clive began converting the bleak concrete space around the church into a beautiful garden with Stations of the Cross, a dovecot, fishpond and a nursery play area, which is very popular with the children. The church, which has just been renovated, is an open prayerful space with several beautiful icons by award-winning artist Caroline Lees. There is also a statue of Our Lady of Aparecida, given by the Brazilian Chaplaincy who hold Masses there. The wooden crucifix over the altar was presented by the Missionaries
the children's liturgy at the 12 noon Mass. I began to get a feeling for the parish by talking to a few parishioners at the invitation of Fr Clive after the 10am Mass. I met Ingrid Bowie who turned out to be the catechetical coordinator. She runs Marriage Care and bereavement counselling sessions every Thursday and the marriage preparation course. The parish has a lively Justice and Peace group. Each week eight volunteers do a weekly food run, collecting donated food from a shop and taking it to the nearby Dorothy Day house and night shelter. English language classes for migrants were set up three years ago by Hilary Joseph and Suzanne Warr. Parishioners Barbara Kentish and Tricia Zipfel explained that last year they set up a ‘Listening Campaign’, a
Tricia added: “We are an incredibly diverse parish. We’ve been involved in Telco London Citizens for 15 years. We attend the assemblies but mostly we are working to strengthen and deepen our parish life and reach out to the wider community locally.” Increasing poverty and unemployment is affecting many parishioners. A major change to their lives has been the start of the demolition of hundreds of flats on the Woodberry Down Estate. Many people who bought flats under the Right to Buy are now being forced to sell under compulsory purchase orders - but are being given such low prices that they can’t afford to buy elsewhere in the area and are having to move away. Veronica Mensah, who is a catechist, does parish needlework and counts the collections, explained: “Some of us haven’t been asked to sell up yet – but because of the impending compulsory purchases in the next few years, we
can’t sell. I have three children in a two bedroom flat. I want to move but I am stuck.” One parishioner said: “I hope the diocese pays attention to the inequalities that many parishioners in this part of London are suffering more and more.”
Annual pilgrimage St Thomas More’s has strong ecumenical relations with all the local churches. The parish is a member of the Finsbury Park Interfaith group. On Palm Sunday each year they gather with the Anglican, Methodist and United Reformed churches for an ecumenical service and procession at Finsbury Park. They also go on an annual pilgrimage together. This year they are going to Ely Cathedral. “I spotted it when I did my charity parachute jump for the SVP” Fr Clive said. On 12 June at 7pm the parish will host a charity concert by Lyra, a Russian singing troupe who will perform church and folk music. People in Manor House come from around the world, but in the Church they find a common home and in
Altar Server feeds the fishes in the Manor House parish garden
Mother Eugenia
St Thomas More’s a warm welcome. Parishioner Richard Solly said simply: “This is such a friendly parish. That’s why I come here.”
Mass Times Sunday Mass (Sat 6pm, 7.30pm Portugese), 10 (Sung), 12noon (Sung) 2pm (Portugese) Holy Day Mass 7.15pm Weekday mass Mon, Thu, Fri 9.15, Wed 7.15pm; Confession Sat after evening Mass or on request.