Westminster Record September 2012
Parish Profile - West Acton
United in Christ: We are Family By Anita Boniface Lush green trees and mock Tudor Houses give a quintessentially English feel to the streets surrounding the Holy Family church in West Acton. Built on land formerly owned by a country club, with a presbytery built on a former bowling green, the church is an setting for the unusual multinational gatherings that come together to celebrate Mass during the course of each month. Fr John Wiley has been parish priest here since 2000. He explains that on some Sundays, international Masses are celebrated in five different languages – English, Polish, Iraqi, Aramaic and, every other month, in French. To give me some idea of how diverse and busy the parish can be with different communities, Fr John describes how on Holy Saturday there is Polish blessing of the bread at 2pm, Easter Vigil in English language at 8pm, Iraqi Easter Vigil at 10pm which sometimes finishes after midnight. On Easter Sunday English language Mass is at 9am and 11am, Polish Mass at 10am and Iraqi Mass at 12.30pm. The Iraqi Mass attracts around 150
worshippers, while Polish service attracts around 70. These are relatively high numbers, considering the parish itself is fairly small. Parishioners consist of around 250 people and Fr John is friendly and welcoming to all worshippers. Born in Watford in 1947, Fr John experienced the call to priesthood while studying Law at Trinity College Cambridge. He was later ordained to priesthood in June 1975 at Sacred Heart church in Bushy. Fr John who is himself a published author, draws great inspiration from a book he once read and reviewed for the Heythrop Journal. The book is called ‘Mission or Maintenance’ by Michael Winter, and Fr John says it taught him that it is not enough to maintain a system, ie: parishes and the Church, but rather it is necessary to behave “a little more as a missionary” . Asked what this means, Fr John says that he wishes to share the Good News with the many non-Christian groups in the neighbourhood, and present the Christian Gospel to a multicultural society. Doing so, he says, means uniting in Christ with other Christian denominations. To do so, Fr John meets two Anglican Vicars from the Ascension and St Gabriel’s Anglican Churches on a regular basis. They produce their Mass service time
Interior of Holy Family Church, West Acton, with pews around the altar
bulletins together, and every Christmas they organise a joint Carol singing service at West Acton tube station, raising hundreds of pounds for charity. Reflecting on his ecumenical work, Fr John says “the differences are less important”.
Looking towards the Altar
Blue skies above Holy Family Church
As well as welcoming the increasing multinational aspect of his church and community, Fr John also reminds me that families are a central part of Holy Family Parish. “Many people move to West Acton from Central London. Houses are large and more affordable and suitable to growing families.” As we speak of growing families Fr. John shows me the foundations of a school that is being built on the parish grounds. Holy Family Primary School is opening this September 2012 and Fr John is delighted to be hosting the first two reception classes in the parish hall which has been converted to classrooms, with state of the art equipment. The actual school building will be completed in Summer 2013. Showing me the site, Fr John says : “It will be a blessing to have a
school so close to the church. It will form a natural connection between the education and the spiritual life of the children.” As he speaks, we return to the Church. I look around, and I see pews where people who have migrated and travelled great distances, come to Mass. The pews form a kind of semi-circle around the altar and crucifix suspended above. Fr John says that many people like this shape of the Church. It is inclusive, and allows everyone to be close to the priest celebrating Mass. I get the feeling this is what makes Fr John happy. Bringing people of all different ages, denominations and nationalities close together in the name of Christ. I ask Fr. John if this is true. He does not answer. But he gives me a broad grin.
Fr John Wiley with Holy Family statue
FOR MORE INFORMATION Address : Vale Lane, W3 0DY Phone : 020 8896 9393 www.rcdow.org.uk/actonwest Sunday Mass: (Sat 6pm), 9, 11, 12.30pm (Iraqi, Chaldean Rite), 7pm (Polish)