2020 Impact Report

ANNUAL
REPORT

Candle in Memory of Covid victims
in St Joseph’s Chapel

ANNUAL
REPORT
Roman Catholic
Archdiocese of Southwark CIO
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Contents
IMPACT REPORT
About the Archdiocese of Southwark
Introduction by Archbishop John Wilson
Our Diocesan Mission
The Archdiocese of Southwark: Area Boundaries and Governance
The Archdiocese of Southwark in Numbers 2020
Clergy Reflections on 2020
Agency for Evangelisation and Catechesis
Marriage and Family Life
Safeguarding
Education Commission
Southwark Catholic Youth Service
Fundraising
Human Resources and Payroll

IMPACT
REPORT
About the Archdiocese of Southwark
The Archdiocese of Southwark is a Roman Catholic Archdiocese in England. The Cathedral is
St George’s Cathedral, Southwark. The Archdiocese covers the London boroughs south of the
river Thames, the county of Kent and the Medway Unitary Authority.
Registered Charity no. 1173050
Archdiocese of Southwark Curia Offices
Archbishop’s House
Bowen House
150, St George’s Road 59, Westminster Bridge Road
London
London
SE1 6HX
SE1 7JE
Trustees in office during the year and to the date the accounts were signed are as follows:
IMPACT
REPORT
The Most Reverend John Wilson BA, STB, STL, PhD, KC*HS,
Archbishop of Southwark and Metropolitan
The Right Reverend Patrick Lynch resigned 28 November 2020
The Right Reverend Paul Hendricks
The Reverend Monsignor Matthew Dickens VG
The Reverend Canon Richard Hearn VG appointed 3 December 2020
Mr Ben Andradi KSG
Dame Mary Ney
Ms Caroline Stockmann resigned 6 October 2020
Ms Sheila Wheeler
The Archbishop is ex officio a Trustee of the Archdiocese and has the power to appoint the other Trustees.
KEY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL
Chief Operating Officer Mr Paul McCallum
Finance Director
Mr John Charles Wilson
Director of Education
Dr Simon Hughes
Archdiocesan Property Manager Mr Christopher Millington
Head of Safeguarding Ms Mary-Jane Crowley
Head of Fundraising
Ms Roisin McLaughlin
PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS
Auditors
Bankers
Investment Managers
Solicitors
Insurance Managers
Haysmacintyre LLP, 10 Queen Street Place, London EC4R 1AG
NatWest, 40 Whitgift Centre, Croydon CR0 2EX
Barclays Wealth, 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP
Wedlake Bell, 71 Queen Victoria Street London EC4V 4AY
Catholic Insurance Services Limited, Suite 5, Oxford House,
Oxford Road, Thame OX9 2AH
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IMPACT
REPORT
Introduction by Archbishop John Wilson
Evangelisation and Mission
IN THE YEAR OF THE GOD WHO SPEAKS
“
While walking by the Sea
of Galilee, he saw two
brothers, Simon (who is
called Peter) and Andrew
his brother, casting a net
into the sea, for they were
fishermen. And he said to
them, ‘Follow me, and I
will make you fishers
of men.’” Matthew 4:18-19
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Welcome to the 2020 Annual Report
for the Archdiocese of Southwark.
I want to begin by paying tribute to all
who have laboured tirelessly during the
Covid pandemic, in our parishes and
schools, in our chaplaincies, and across the
departments of the Archdiocese. Thank
you for the outstanding pastoral care and
practical support you have provided. Thank
you, too, to everyone in our parishes and
schools for keeping in touch through livestreamed
liturgies and online learning, and
for putting faith into action by reaching out
to those in need. Parish groups, and our
seminarians, have all played their part in
praying for people and delivering essential
supplies to those who were shielding. To all
of our parishioners who have diligently and
graciously served in healthcare, education,
the emergency services, social care, and in
have offered themselves to make the lives of
others easier, a heartfelt thank you.
The impact of the Church in a given place is
not confined solely to the work of charitable
action, but is the service which members of
the Body of Christ undertake both in the world
and for the world.
The pandemic has left no one unaffected:
some have lost their lives, some are grieving;
others have experienced isolation, financial
want, or the loss of employment. The
Archdiocese, through its parishes, departments
and schools, has sought to address many of
these issues, though the strain on society
remains marked.
As Christians, we ultimately believe, in both
good times and bad, that knowing the person
of Jesus Christ, the face of God the Father’s
love and mercy, is the supreme benefit
that anyone can have. The Church exists to
the centuries, the Church has adapted to the
challenges it has faced and made use of new tools
to further its mission. This unusual time has often
called on us to be courageous and resourceful.
Like St Augustine, the Benedictine monk sent by
St Gregory to England to bring the Good News,
we have had to leave the comfort of our normal
routine, to take stock, to persevere and to find
new ways of undertaking the mission entrusted
to us.
Within a matter of weeks of the pandemic’s
arrival, a digital revolution had taken place. At
the start of the first lockdown, approximately
ten parishes were live-streaming Mass but, by
the end of the year, over 70 were online and the
numbers continue to grow. Meetings, sacramental
preparation and prayer groups moved to online
platforms and priests were soon releasing
inspirational spiritual podcasts and vlogs, updating
their websites and working with social media to
nurture faith and encourage a personal encounter
with Christ.
The Centre for Catholic Formation, transformed
into the Agency for Evangelisation and Catechesis,
has reached out to parishes on a virtual basis
with guidance and unique opportunities to grow
in faith. The Marriage and Family Life Team
moved online to prepare couples for marriage.
The Southwark Education Commission has
been tireless in its commitment to support
schools, staff, pupils and governors, through a
raft of changing guidance, and the Youth Service
focussed on helping young people with mental
health issues. Meanwhile our Fundraising Team
found new digital ways to keep the Archdiocese
and its parishes financially afloat. These are but
a few examples of all that has been undertaken.
The year 2020 had been designated as a year
of celebrating, living and sharing the Word of
God through ‘The God Who Speaks' project,
marking the 10th anniversary of Verbum
Domini: Pope Benedict XVI’s Apostolic
Exhortation on ‘The Word of the Lord’, and the
1600th anniversary of the death of St Jerome,
the great translator and promoter of the Bible.
This past year, many have experienced
isolation and the pain of hardship. This is
where our Church, through parish and school
communities, has stepped in, to provide
connection and the witness of presence.
As we look forward to the new normal,
not entirely sure what that will mean; and
to attending Mass in person, and to being
physically be present to each another, we hold
fast to our mission to share the Good News
of our faith. God chooses people in every age,
like Andrew and Peter, James and John on the
shores of Galilee, like St Augustine who landed
in Thanet over 1400 years ago, like St Jerome,
to make him known. We are called to witness
and serve, at this time and for this place. I pray
that we will all be encouraged by the good
we have seen and the lessons we have learnt
during the pandemic. May we listen for God’s
will and resolve to use our gifts and resources
with wisdom so that as we follow Christ, with
us, others may be drawn to him.
essential retail; as well as all of those who make him known, in word and in deed. Over
Worship in Southwark during 2020 in line with
A wall of rememberance for
government Covid-19 safety guidelines
Victims of Covid-19 in London
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IMPACT
REPORT
Our Diocesan Mission
The Archdiocese of Southwark exists to establish, maintain and advance the Roman Catholic
faith in the geographical area of the Archdiocese, covering the London boroughs south of the
river Thames, the county of Kent and the Medway Unitary Authority. Our aim is to serve the
always
“
grassroots mission of the Church, based on our personal and communal conviction of faith.
Our passion is to share with the world the joy of the Gospel and the Good News of God’s
love for all people.
Go out and make disciples of all nations, baptising
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything
that I commanded you. And remember, I am with
you always, to the end of the age”. Matthew 28: 16-20
The Archdiocese of Southwark:
Area Boundaries and Governance
The Archdiocese of Southwark consists of three
Episcopal Areas: South-West London, South-
East London and Kent. Bishop Paul Hendricks
has Episcopal responsibility for South-West
London and, whilst awaiting the appointment
of an Auxiliary Bishop, Fathers Marcus Holden
and Victor Darlington currently hold Episcopal
responsibility for the South-east Area. Mgr. Canon
John O’Toole is the Episcopal Vicar for Kent.
Our clergy and lay-faithful serve and worship
Christ throughout 20 deaneries, 176 parishes and
174 schools across the South-east of England,
Southwark is where English Christianity was
born through St Augustine who, following the
ARCHDIOCESE OF SOUTHWARK
commission of St Gregory the Great, arrived in
what was the Isle of Thanet in 597 AD. He went
on to become the first Archbishop of Canterbury.
Today, Southwark consists of many diverse
communities that range from inner London
parishes, which may be located in areas of
deprivation, to pretty coastal churches and
remote rural town parishes. Southwark’s rich
history continues to evolve under the pastoral
leadership of Archbishop John Wilson, who
invites us all to collaborate in his vision for an
evangelising and missionary Diocese.
The Archdiocese of Southwark is a vibrant and richly diverse community of faithful Catholics;
a people of prayer, love and joy, striving for fullness of life in God. We believe that the love of
Christ is so enormous that it has redeemed our world and is the source of everything because
God is love. We therefore strive to live out the commandment of Jesus: “Just as I have loved
you, you also should love one another” (Jn 13:34).
In the Archdiocese of Southwark we proclaim and live the good news of Jesus Christ by:
• Awakening and affirming a vibrant Catholic faith through the celebration of the Eucharist,
which, when lived every day and celebrated in the liturgy, is both the living symbol of
Christ’s life, death and resurrection, and God’s redemptive love for us
• Strengthening the worship and sacramental life of our 176 Catholic parishes, the core of
Catholic life in our local communities
SOUTH-WEST
LONDON AND
SOUTH-EAST
LONDON AREAS
Cathedral
THAMESMEAD CENTRAL
WATERLOO
THAMESMEAD SOUTH
SURREY DOCKS
ST DAVID - ABBEY WOOD
CATHEDRAL
S. BERMONDSEY
WOOLWICH
WALWORTH
GREENWICH EAST
ST BENET - ABBEY WOOD
PLUMSTEAD
VAUXHALL KENNINGTON PK
PECKHAM
CHARLTON
SHOOTERS Plumstead Common
ITALIAN MISSION
ERITH
KEW
BARNES BATTERSEA PK
GREENWICH
HILL
BOSTALL
CAMBERWELL DEPTFORD
KIDBROOKE
PARK
GARDENS
BATTERSEA WEST
STOCKWELL PECKHAM RYE
WELLING
BATTERSEA ALTERNBERG
BLACKHEATH
MORTLAKE GARDENS
BRIXTON NUNHEAD
LEWISHAM
ELTHAM
CRAYFORD
WELL HALL Bexley
PUTNEY
EAST CLAPHAM HERNE HILL Lewisham
RICHMOND
LEE
WANDSWORTH
BRIXTON HILLCamberwell
ELTHAM
BEXLEYHEATH
EAST SHEEN
FOREST HILL
WEST
CLAPHAM PARK DULWICH BROCKLEY Greenwich
BLACKFEN
Mortlake
ROEHAMPTON BALHAM STREATHAM HILL
BEXLEY
CATFORD MOTTINGHAM
HAM
WIMBLEDON
EARLSFIELD
WEST SYDENHAM
COMMON
TOOTING
NORWOOD KIRKDALE DOWNHAM
BEC STREATHAM
SYDENHAM
SIDCUP
DULWICH
WIMBLEDON PK
WOOD PARK
BECKENHAM CHISLEHURST WEST
KINGSTON
Lambeth
HILL
HILL
TOOTING
WIMBLEDON
CHISLEHURST
UPPER NORWOOD
KINGSTON
SOUTH
TOOTING NORBURY
BECKENHAM
WIMBLEDON COLLIERS SE
ANERLEY
NORBITON
WOOD
SOUTH NORWOOD
BROMLEY
MITCHAM
NEW
MERTON
THORNTON HEATH
CRAY VALLEY
Bromley
MALDEN
POLLARDS HILL
HAYES
PETTS
Merton MORDEN
Common
SURBITON
WOOD
Kingston
NORTH CHEAM
ADDISCOMBE WEST WICKHAM
TOLWORTH WORCESTER PK Sutton
CROYDON WEST
Bromley
ORPINGTON
SUTTON
CARSHALTON
WADDON
FARNBOROUGH
GREEN SUTTON
WALLINGTON CROYDON SOUTH
CHESSINGTON
& HOOK
CHEAM
CARSHALTON
BEECHES
Croydon
BOROUGH
MELIOR STREET
BERMONDSEY
ROTHERHITHE
SELSDON
SANDERSTEAD
PURLEY
NEW ADDINGTON
BIGGIN HILL
• Promoting excellent Catholic education in our 174 Catholic schools and colleges through
the work of Southwark Catholic Education Commission
COULSDON
OLD COULSDON
CATHEDRAL
PARISH
Mass Centre
Deanery
• Encouraging the faith development of our young people through the Southwark Catholic
Youth Service
• Supporting Catholic formation, spiritual renewal and catechesis through the work of the
Agency for Catechesis and Evangelisation
• Safeguarding and promoting the human dignity of all people
• Serving and caring for all God’s people through the social outreach and good works
carried out by the faithful. Caritas (charity) is at the heart of what it is to be the Church
and to fulfil Jesus’s command to feed, clothe and visit ‘the least of these brothers and
sisters of mine’. We show these Gospel values to the world through the many charitable
acts that take place across our Archdiocese: supporting food banks, helping the homeless,
assisting refugees and immigrants, supporting and caring for vulnerable and isolated
people, promoting community cohesion and harmonious relationships, and many more
activities which express God’s love
KENT AREA
DARTFORD - St Vincent
EDENBRIDGE
NORTHFLEET
GRAVESEND
Denton
DARTFORD - St Anselm
Shorne
Chatham
Hoo
TONBRIDGE
PADDOCK WOOD
Headcorn
PEMBURY
SOUTHBOROUGH
Maidstone
TUNBRIDGE WELLS
GOUDHURST
CRANBROOK
Hawkhurst
Benenden
SHEPPEY
South Darenth STROOD ROCHESTER
SWANLEY HARTLEY
GILLINGHAM
WHITSTABLE
Gravesend
CHATHAM
MEOPHAM
RAINHAM
WALDERSLADE
PARKWOOD
SITTINGBOURNE
Lordswood
Teynham
& WIGMORE
FAVERSHAM
West Kingsdown
Aylesford
Otford
WEST MALLING
MAIDSTONE
SEVENOAKS
Preston Hall
BEARSTED
WESTERHAM
Borough Green
Harrietsham
Canterbury
MAIDSTONE SOUTH
Tunbridge Wells
Hadlow
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TENTERDEN
Minster
Wye
ASHFORD
ASHFORD SOUTH
Dymchurch
HERNE BAY
CANTERBURY
Dover
HYTHE
HERSDEN
THANET PARISH
Birchington
Aylesham
Kearnsey
BUCKLAND
Westgate
FOLKESTONE & CHERITON
MARGATE
BROADSTAIRS
Thanet
RAMSGATE
& MINSTER
Sandwich
DEAL
MONGEHAM
Walmer
St Margaret
DOVER
PARISH
Mass Centre
Deanery
Cliftonville

IMPACT
REPORT
The Archdiocese of Southwark in Numbers
Clergy Reflections on 2020
THE YEAR 2020 - THE YEAR
OF THE GOD WHO SPEAKS
176
Parishes
and Mass centres
34,803
Catholics attending
Mass
236
couples began life together
through the Sacrament
of Marriage
174
Catholic Schools
and Colleges with
72,179
students
137
Primary Schools
with 37,543 students
37
Secondary Schools
Like everyone else, I looked forward
to 2020 as a year to celebrate this
beautiful theme of ‘The God Who
Speaks’. Scripture is at the centre
of everything the Church does, and
my diary filled up so quickly with
invitations from deaneries, and
parishes to explore the richness of
scripture and our understanding of
it. Little did I know that God had a
completely different plan.
With a few days to go before delivering my
presentation to Extraordinary Ministers of
In the early stages of the pandemic, the
whole world watched the gruesome and
with 34,636 students
Holy Communion and Readers in the South
brutal killing of George Floyd. This was
East area of our Archdiocese, the gathering
followed by protests all over the world to
was called off. This was the beginning of
highlight anew the evil of racism. Archbishop
a new experience for me. “The God Who
John responded promptly, and spoke out
2,540
people entered the
Roman Catholic Church
through Baptism
1,606
283
priests serving in the
Archdiocese, including
Speaks”, henceforth, manifested a new
vision for his Church, not even the global
pandemic could stop the spread and the
teaching of God’s word. In Camberwell,
it was an easy transition even during
clearly against this form of discrimination.
This was a moment of grace that led to the
creation of the Commission for Promoting
Racial and Cultural Inclusion, and my
appointment as Episcopal Vicar to head this
people received
Confirmation
179
Receptions
of adults received
into the Church
64 Retired Priests
89
Permanent Deacons
10
Seminarians
lockdown, because our livestream camera
had already been in the Church for over
8 years; intended for our housebound
parishioners to follow Mass online. Since
COVID-19, our parish is truly international
in nature, as we have over 600 people
following our livestreamed services and
devotions from all over the world.
Commission. “The God Who Speaks” inspired
the birth of this Commission. Our primary
task, is to speak out clearly against racial
prejudice, using scripture as a foundation to
stress anew the sacredness of human life; that
we all are created in the image and likeness of
God (Gen 1: 27). Every life must and should
be respected, loved and valued by all.
Good works. Countless good works took place, both
seen and unseen, in our Catholic community during
2020. These ranged from providing sustenance to the
homeless and refugees, to supporting the young with
mental health issues and delivering prescriptions
and supplies to those shielding or isolating. This,
in addition to thousands of telephone calls made to
parishioners, especially the vulnerable and elderly.
For the first time, we ran a very successful
online catechetical programme for about
40 children preparing for First Holy
Communion and for about 55 Confirmation
candidates. Attendance at these sessions
was a remarkable 98%. As the programmes
were family oriented, the parents were
also able to participate in the catechetical
formation of their children. I found my
weekly sessions very uplifting and inspiring,
especially as we shared our struggles and
challenges and explored themes of our
faith and relationship with Christ.
The roadmap of the Commission is
very promising as we collaborate with
schools, through the Southwark Education
Commission, to highlight the immorality of
racism. I have had the pleasure of supporting
a number of secondary schools both online
and in person during the past year, and
have also had the opportunity to speak out
against racism and to share the vision of
our Commission with the faculty of Religion
and Theology of the University of Durham.
Writing this report in 2021, we are also now
beginning to engage with parishes remotely.
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IMPACT
REPORT
A great number of my fellow priests
have welcomed the Commission
and, at the time of writing, a clergy
questionnaire review of the parishes is
currently underway in Southwark.
As a Church, we are mapping out a
new route for digital evangelisation as
we adapt to these changing times for
Camberwell and for the Commission.
I believe this form of communication
will remain a blessing now and beyond
the pandemic. Even though, IT has its
limitations, and community is essential,
I see this as a new way forward: our
parish will continue to reach out to
people within Southwark and from
all over the world. Thanks be to God,
parishioners are returning to church in
person, but a huge number still follow
Masses and prayers online. Going
forward, I will continue to acknowledge
the presence of online parishioners
and non-parishioners following our
livestream Masses. I still receive emails
and Mass requests from people all over
the world, some even make financial
contributions towards the support of
the church online. Our catechetical
programmes will also continue online.
People are in different places in their
journey through life, and Camberwell
parish is prepared to accompany them
by meeting them where they are. Those
who are now wishing to come back
to Church will be warmly welcomed,
whilst those who are still struggling
with health issues, or discouraged or
simply contented with online services
are welcome too: we all are encouraged
to receive Jesus at whatever stage of
our journey through life. He walks this
challenging road with us, as He did with
the disciples on the road to Emmaus.
This new vision of Church is a blessing
within this global pandemic and beyond.
Fr Victor Darlington
Episcopal Vicar for Promoting Racial
and Cultural Inclusion / Parish Priest of
Sacred Heart RC Church, Camberwell
FUNDAMENTAL PARISH ACTIVITIES
DURING LOCKDOWN
In some ways, lockdown was like a great wave capsizing
a boat full of people. Our first task was to reach out to
as many as possible and get them back onboard.
If people couldn’t come to us, we had to find a way of getting to
them. We moved our Masses online and asked parishioners to
send photographs of their Sunday celebrations. Photos arrived
from all over the world, often accompanied by accounts of how
this new experience of Mass helped them enter more deeply
into its meaning. In years to come children will remember that
during the pandemic the celebration of Sunday Mass was a special
moment of family togetherness and intimacy.
Three activities are fundamental to parish life: evangelisation,
nourishing God’s people through Word and Sacrament, and the
witness of charity. We offered Mass online but had to close our
Night Shelter so what about the witness of charity? How could we
reach out to those who might not have the internet or who might
be alone and isolated in their homes. We developed a network
of Guardian Angels, parish volunteers who telephoned everyone
without internet access. Often the people they called were well
looked after, sometimes they were lonely and welcomed a friendly
conversation, occasionally they needed help with shopping or
collecting medication. It was a simple and practical way of living
the charity that binds us together as a Christian community.
What about evangelisation and formation in this Year of the
Word? Lockdown gave us opportunities to do things in a new way.
Once we learned to harness the power of social media, the reach
of our online ministry grew exponentially: Alpha, Bible Studies,
Prayer Courses, Catholicism 101. Our ‘Digital Monastery’ enables
people to come together for Morning and Evening Prayer and for
daily Rosary. We even developed an online youth ministry!
We will never go back to the way things were. Our “hybrid church”
is here to stay.
Fr Stephen Langridge
Parish Priest of St Elizabeth
of Portugal RC Church
REFLECTION ON MINISTRY
The fight against the virus
continues and I continue to
stand resolute, as a priest, to
serve in all possible ways my
congregation, local community
and all people I can reach
through social media.
It is an understatement to say we live in unprecedented
times even as the pandemic and its effects lessen. The
pandemic hit when I was serving as an assistant priest at
St Teresa’s Parish in Ashford. Within three weeks of the first
lockdown, I felt everything had been stripped from me: my
congregation had been taken away and a flourishing youth
ministry I was five months into running, and was at a crucial
stage of its development, had suddenly ceased.
However, I was energised by a webinar for priests and lay
leaders that I had recently joined. Someone made the point
that we, as a Church, have always had people come to us,
but as they were now unable to come, we would have to go
to them.
I saw it as necessary to seize these times to effectively
evangelize, to give hope to people in these gloomy days and
to let them know that their priests think about them and
care for them. I therefore became intentional with
our online streaming of Masses. I started making and
sharing short videos on social media. Lengthy and strenuous
work went into shifting my youth ministry online, which
included ensuring all measures were in place for young
people to be entirely safe.
Within the pandemic, I was transferred by Archbishop John
Wilson to Holy Family Parish in Thanet as parish priest. As
everyone has had their share of difficulties, the pandemic
continues to put a strain on my role as a priest, but I remain
positive and hopeful as I continue to seek to serve.
I don’t live each day waiting for the pandemic to end before
I seek to roll out my vision for this new church, but find
possible ways to do it. I am currently engaged in an online
evangelisation process with a group of parishioners, and in
future I hope it will be possible to reach out both online and
in person.
Fr Joseph Owusu-Ansah
https://www.instagram.com/frjoeowusu_ansah
Fr Joseph Owusu-Ansah
Parish Priest of Holy Family RC Church, Thanet
HOSPITAL CHAPLAINCY
DURING A PANDEMIC
When COVID-19 was first identified
in China in December 2019 it seemed
quite a distant problem as some of us
in Britain had hoped. This suddenly
changed for our chaplaincy one morning
in early February 2019 when news of
the first cases of COVID-19 infection in
Britain had begun to spread.
We suddenly had to empty and seal the holy
water stoup in our hospital chapel to avoid risk
of people cross infecting one another when they
used it. The notion of being one world had been
brought home. Reflecting on this, these words
of Pope Francis words’ in Fratelli Tutti come to
mind:
“… a worldwide tragedy like the COVID-19
pandemic momentarily revived the sense
that we are a global community, all in the
same boat, where one person’s problems are
the problems of all… The storm has exposed
our vulnerability and uncovered those false
and superfluous certainties around which we
constructed our daily schedules, our projects,
our habits and priorities.” (Fratelli Tutti, n.32)
Indeed, hospital visits by relatives stopped,
and they had to rely on chaplains to visit their
loved ones. Chaplains had to adapt to aprons,
gloves and masks that made interaction with
patients difficult. Attentive presence and
empathy that often characterise the mission of
chaplains proclaiming the Gospel to the sick was
challenged. The idea of being a herald of the
Gospel increasingly became more than the use
of words and facial expressions. Simply being
quietly present and allowing the Holy Spirit to
intervene in such a difficult situation was often
all that a chaplain could do.
Dcn Alfred Banya
Bishop’s
Healthcare
Advisor,
Southwark / Head
of Chaplaincy at
Kings College,
10 11
London

IMPACT
REPORT
Evangelisation, Catechesis and Formation:
A Year in Three Parts
Twenty-twenty represented a change
in direction regarding the work of
evangelisation, catechesis and adult
formation in Southwark.
Personnel changes, a fresh working model as
well as practical responses to the Coronavirus
pandemic made the year both atypical and notable.
In a very real sense, for what was the Centre for
Catholic Formation, 2020 was the end of an era.
The work that the Centre had undertaken for 52
years (as the Christian Education Centre and the
CCF), however, is being taken up by a new Agency
for Evangelisation in Catechesis.
Part 1 JANUARY to MARCH 2020
The Centre for Catholic Formation, based in
Tooting Bec, sought to supply training for
catechists and children’s liturgists in parishes;
and offered many further hours of training and
formation to Readers, Extraordinary Ministers of
Holy Communion and others in liturgical ministry
such as Master of Ceremonies, sacristans and
musicians. The CCF also provided parishes with
consultation on catechetical programmes and
evangelisation initiatives, helping catechists and
priests to determine useful parish resources.
The first three months of the year saw a
continuation of this work in parishes and
deaneries as well as the valuable centralised
courses: the Diocesan Catechetical Certificate
(DCC), the Catholic Certificate in Religious
Studies (CCRS) and the training course for the
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS).
In collaboration with the Cathedral and the
music committee of the Liturgy Commission,
the Centre staff organised the Rite of Election
on the first Saturday of Lent. 196 catechumens
(those seeking baptism) and 167 candidates
(those, already baptised, who are preparing
to receive the
final sacraments
of initiation,
confirmation
and Eucharist) as
well as around
400 godparents,
sponsors and
guests were in
attendance.
At the end of
February, the
St Augustine
Shrine, Ramsgate
by Marcin Mazur
Bishop Patrick Lynch calls out the names
of Candidates at the Rite of Election
Centre hosted an event with André Regnier, the
founder of Catholic Christian Outreach (CCO).
This proved to be start of an ongoing relationship
with CCO which has supported the changes to a
new model for ‘grassroots’ support of our parishes
in terms of evangelisation, catechesis and adult
formation.
Part 2 APRIL to AUGUST 2020
As the pandemic crisis deepened, changes that
were in their infancy came to term. Over the spring
and summer months, a review and consultation
on a new model and structure took place. This
model, entitled Some Definite Service, proposed
a shift from geographical responsibility for the
diocesan advisors to three portfolio positions
(Evangelisation, Catechesis and Formation). It
also highlighted the benefit of bespoke parish
plans, supported by the Agency, and a volunteer
missionary network characterised by intentional
accompaniment, training and support.
Although the majority of the team were on
furlough in this period, a series of webinars were
hosted, on evangelisation and catechesis in
lockdown, as well as individualised parish support.
The Diocese also entered into a partnership
arrangement with the Catechetical Institute
(Franciscan University Steubenville) through the
Centre for Catholic Formation.
Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic,
the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd training
programme was concluded during the summer
with potential for 15 new ‘atriums’ for children
throughout Southwark and the surrounding
dioceses.
The trustees made the painful decision to close the
Centre for Catholic Formation, a part of diocesan
life for over half a century, and established a
new Agency for Evangelisation and Catechesis
which will implement the positive vision and plan
contained in Some Definite Service.
https://youtu.be/v3BLlU3OaSM
Part 3 SEPTEMBER to DECEMBER 2020
With the advent of the new academic year, the official
announcement of the new Agency for Evangelisation
and Catechesis was made. The new posts proposed in
Some Definite Service were advertised and filled, and
the new team started the twin processes of contacting
parishes to offer concrete support and putting the
foundations in place for the new volunteer network
(featuring Deanery Mentors and Parish Leads).
With the ongoing challenges facing parishes, a variety
of courses were offered using video conferencing. In
support of Holy Innocents parish, the Agency provided
practical assistance for a Scripture series with Fr
Nicholas King SJ. Again, mindful of the Bishops’
Conference Scripture initiative, ‘The God Who
Speaks’, the Agency collaborated with Come and See
Ministry’s Bible Timeline course which garnered over
2000 registered participants over its seven weeks.
Disruption in the delivery of a typical RCIA process,
led the Agency to offer an online Evangelium course
with over 180 registered participants. The CCRS was
moved to online delivery with a fresh set of students.
At the request of our parishes, regular resources for
parish faith-sharing and devotion, which can be used
online, have been produced and circulated every week
since September 2020.
To support all of this and to provide a strong
foundation for the future, a new website and social
media channels were developed and the year
culminated in the filming of a video: Some Definite
Service. All of this will showcase the purpose and
mission of the new Agency, in support of Archbishop
John Wilson’s vision for an outward focused,
missionary and evangelising Archdiocese.
The task of the Universal Church and, as the particular
Church in South London and Kent, the Archdiocese
of Southwark is the communication of the Good
News of Jesus Christ. The Agency’s role is one of
training, support and articulation of this task; assisting
parishes and other parts of the diocesan family to help
those we meet to accept, understand and share in a
relationship with Jesus.
https://aec.rcaos.org.uk/
12 13

IMPACT
REPORT
Marriage and Family Life
How did we manage to live through
the pandemic, meet 400 plus couples
online for Marriage preparation and
remain cheerful?
Facing the reality of not meeting in venues for
our Marriage Preparation courses throughout
the Diocese, we contacted the diocesan IT
team in March 2020 and asked them what
the possibilities were to deliver Marriage
Preparation and Building a Better Marriage
(BABM) marriage enrichment courses online.
The patient and inspirational Aaron Dennis set
up MS Teams for us so that we could at least
have our initial team meeting.
Despite all couples intending to get married
in the Catholic Church having to attend a
Marriage Preparation course, the opportunity
is so much more to us as a team. This faith
encounter is crucial to form the expectations of
what the future could hold for these individual
domestic churches. The very experience of
meeting other couples who are going through
the same process gives encouragement –
nourishing all who come at wherever they may
be in their journey of faith to those who have
little or no faith at all.
Overcoming our own hesitancy to ‘perform’
online – and we fully acknowledge the grace
of the Holy Spirit – the MFL teams in each
of the 3 Pastoral Areas re-worked the kernel
of our message for marriage and then ran
our Marriage Preparation (which included
married couples as well as priest / deacon copresenters
and newly recruited lay presenters)
and BABM courses online.
We missed not meeting the couples face to
face but we have realised by experiencing the
online course that we can develop our future
courses by running hybrid courses which will
save both the team and couples costs. In our
team meetings we discussed strategies for post
Marriage Preparation course evangelisation
and were encouraged to attend the online
courses we would publicise to the couples.
Of note in particular was the online Lenten
2020 retreat at Walsingham led by Mgr John
Armitage, the online SycamOre videos made by
Fr Stephen Wang, the online Alpha course
led by Stephen Walsh and the team at Holy
Innocents, Orpington. We attended the online
SycamOre course run by Deacon Neil Philipson
and the team at St Thomas of Canterbury,
Sevenoaks. Viewing Bishop Barron’s various
talks, resources from our own diocesan
Agency for Evangelisation including talks from
Archbishop John Wilson and reading Sherry
Weddell’s ‘Forming Intentional Disciples’ and
‘Walking with God’ –
A journey through the Bible by Gray and Cavins
which accompanied the online course presented
by Mauro Iannicelli, all inspired us to envisage
an ongoing evangelisation experience for
couples. These resources fuelled our spiritual
lives so that in the short encounter with those
hoping to get married in the Catholic Church we
were able to rejoice and celebrate that the Lord
has worked marvels and holy is his name.
Unlike Marriage Preparation we could not easily
continue the care of the bereaved during lock
down other than give support where needed
to those working in the parishes. At least one
group used an online outreach whilst others
continued via the telephone to support those
bereaved within the parishes.
At diocesan level we had the Archbishop’s
permission to extend the Bereavement Ministry
and are currently expanding the training team to
reach out further into the Diocese. This is being
accomplished by an online course plus a faceto-face
meeting as we ease out of lockdown.
The ministry will be led by our new dynamic
couple Deacon Javier and Susan Elderfield.
We look forward, with confidence, to
developing our ministries further in 2021.
“
A family that discovers and
experiences both the joy of
having a gift and of being a gift
of the church and society can
become a light in the darkness of
the world”. Pope Francis, Amoris Laetitia AL.66
Fr Graham Preston, Episcopal Vicar for Marriage and Family Life (2020)
14 15

IMPACT
REPORT
Safeguarding
Protecting children and adults at risk
from harm is an absolute priority for
the Archdiocese of Southwark.
The Diocese is committed to continual
improvement of our safeguarding practices
to ensure that victims and survivors of abuse
receive a compassionate, responsive and
caring service. We will continuously listen to
survivors and work with statutory services
to ensure robust safeguarding practices are
embedded across the Archdiocese.
The Southwark Safeguarding Commission
has the responsibility of ensuring
that the Archdiocese of Southwark is
compliant with the national policies and
procedures. The service also provides
the practical functions to enable the
parishes of the Diocese to create a safer
environment, including case management
of allegations and complaints,
management of safeguarding plans,
supporting safe recruitment practice,
supporting volunteer Parish Safeguarding
Representatives, training and
development and listening to survivors.
“
care
To ‘care for the other as a person for whom God has made
us responsible’ is at the heart of the Church’s responsibility
to safeguard all the people she encounters in the exercise of
her mission, particularly those who most at risk of abuse
or exploitation in any form.” Mary-Jane Crowley, Head of Safeguarding
National Standards in Safeguarding are set by the
National Catholic Safeguarding Commission (NSCS)
and through the Catholic Safeguarding Advisory
Service (CSAS) who also have a role in auditing
compliance to the national standards on behalf
of the NCSC. The NCSC and CSAS are mandated
by the Bishop’s Conference and the Conference
of Religious and they are within the Department
of Citizenship and Christian Responsibility of the
Catholic Trust for England and Wales. CSAS are
the Registered Body for the Disclosure and Barring
Service (DBS) and ensure that all DBS Disclosure
applications comply with the national policies and
the conditions set by the DBS.
In-line with the Charity Commission guidance
to improve safeguarding arrangements within
charities, the Archdiocese has appointed a named
Safeguarding Trustee to ensure the reporting
of critical incidents to the Commission. The
safeguarding team continues to learn, develop
and improve the safeguarding function of the
Archdiocese. This progress included:
• Recruited 3 new posts – a Head of Safeguarding,
Safeguarding Officer and a Case Review Officer
• The implementation of an electronic case
management system
• The completion of the review of all
Safeguarding Plans and ongoing monitoring
arrangements
• An on-going historic case review
• An improved DBS system
• Programme for the commencement of
volunteer DBS re-checks
• Development of improved training strategy
and programme
• Implementation of mandatory requirement for
clergy to complete “Educare” training modules
• The development of a data set to allow
oversight of performance
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual
Abuse (IICSA) published their findings
relating to the institutional response of the
Catholic Church of England and Wales in its
duty of care to protect children from sexual
abuse and exploitation. The Catholic Church
welcomed the IICSA report and will ensure
that the report will now inform the ongoing
reform and improvement of safeguarding in
all aspects of the Church’s life. The Church
recognised an important aspect of the
Inquiry’s work was the voice given to
victims and survivors of abuse, including
the accounts which they gave of their
subsequent engagement with the Church.
Listening attentively to their witness
testimony has brought into sharp focus the
importance to learn from those most directly
affected as to how we can improve the
Church’s safeguarding standards, policies
and procedures. This report is an important
moment in the safeguarding journey of
Catholic Church and we will continue to
integrate the findings into the life and
work of the Church in order to consistently
safeguard children and the vulnerable.
An Independent Review of the Structure
of Safeguarding in the Catholic Church in
England and Wales was also commissioned.
Recommendations have been made to
further improve the safeguarding service
and will be included into the Archdiocese
Improvement Plan during 2021 to include all
actions arising from this review. The reviews
recommendations included;
• Re-structure of national model
• Audit and review function
• Defining safeguarding standards
• Restructuring of Institutes of
Consecrated Life and Societies of
Apostolic Life
• Training
• A National Tribunal Service
There has also been the introduction of ‘Safe
Spaces’, a collaborative project developed
between the Catholic Church and the
Church of England to provide a space for the
voices of victims and survivors to be heard.
16 17

IMPACT
REPORT
Education Commission
The Education Commission is responsible
for carrying out the work of the Archbishop
in relation to the 72,179 pupils attending
174 schools and colleges within the
Archdiocese, stretched across 14 local
authority education areas. Of this number,
52 are Academies, 8 are Independent
Schools and 11 are in the Trusteeship
of Religious Orders. The remainder are
Voluntary Aided Schools.
Our vision is that all our Catholic schools should
provide an authentically Catholic education, in a
setting in which all children flourish, governors,
leaders and staff are effectively supported, and
where the quality of education is exemplary.
Catholic schools in Southwark were celebrated in
2020 for their:
• Extraordinary commitment to staying open
for key worker children and those who are
disadvantaged or vulnerable
• Transformation of curricula to enable and
account for opportunities for pupils to learn
online
• Contribution to providing food to disadvantaged
pupils through the voucher scheme, distribution
of food parcels and the provision of foodbanks
• Work with pupils in examination cohorts to
ensure that they received awards commensurate
with their previous performance
The Education Commission is now supporting our
schools and colleges in a number of areas, including:
• Developing our commitment to ensuring that
there is no place for racism within them
• Strengthening governance, through training and
development, as well as creating new systems
and structures to aid the expansion of MATs
• Revising admissions policies in partnership
with the Office of the Schools Adjudicator and,
enabling appeals panels against the background
of the pandemic
• Preparing for the mandatory inspection of
Relationships and Sex Education
SUPPORT FOR SCHOOLS
In addition to a variety of informal or ad hoc pieces
of support for schools on a wide range of issues from
the delivery of Religious Education to specific human
resources and legal matters, the Education Commission
has, since September 2020:
• Conducted 24 virtual visits to schools using Zoom
to analyse aspects of the provision and leadership of
Religious Education. All visits stopped when the first
lockdown was enacted and the advisory team was
furloughed
• Conducted 172 pastoral phone calls to the
headteachers of all our schools and colleges in the
context of the second lockdown
• Re-modelled all of its training offered so as to provide
courses online. This has become a cost-effective
way of reaching many more governors, leaders and
school staff. This led to 14 courses delivered in the
Autumn term, all of which at least broke even. 272
participants joined one or other course
• Organised and delivered a broadcast Advent service
which drew over 1000 attendees from across the
Diocese
• Facilitated the participation of 246 Diocesan
Foundation Governors representing 72 schools in
online training using the Firm Foundations app.
This app is free at the point of use and developed in
partnership by officers of the Diocese with Anspear
BUILDING PROJECTS IN 2020
The buildings team has had two new members join,
an Administrator and a new Lead Buildings Officer.
The additions to the team will give us a more hands
on approach with schools and projects. Last year we
operated a fully criterion-referenced programme for
allocating projects. This has led to us successfully
managing 85 projects undertaken at a cost
of over £10.5 million under the school condition
allocation for 2020 – 2021.
In addition, we are
currently progressing
a new school build
at St John Fisher,
THE SOUTHWARK BLESSING
One of the Education Commission’s most notable
successes of 2020 was the production of the now
famous ‘Southwark Blessing’. Working with schools
individually and the power of technology, our friend
and music advisor Natalie Christian John, assembled
an exceptionally diverse range of singers from
across the Diocese to put
together this emotionally
challenging and profound
piece of choral worship.
The video has become a
centre piece of Diocesan
events and is used to
show our commitment
to equality, diversity
and inclusion. We are
very proud of all the
singers who took part,
a small proportion of
whom can be seen in
the image here.
Southwark Catholic Schools – Key Facts and Figures
White British 31.5%
Traveller of Irish/Gypsy/
Roma Heritage 0.17%
Chinese 0.49%
Unknown 1.46%
White Irish 1.48%
Other ethnic group 3.95%
Asian/Asian British 7.62%
72,179
pupils attending 174
Southwark Catholic
schools and colleges
40+
https://youtu.be/Gg55az3YlW4
Black/Black British 30.01%
White Other 13.67%
Mixed/Dual 9.64%
• Preparing schools for the new National
Chatham. An artist’s
teachers attended events/
Framework for Catholic School Inspection that impression of the
languages spoken in training hosted by the capital projects successfully run with the
comes into effect in September 2022
new build is here:
our Catholic schools Education Commission. support of the Education Commission
18 19
11.87%
of pupils eligible for free
school meals
175
4.87%
of teachers in our schools
are specialist teachers of
religious education
73

IMPACT
REPORT
Southwark Catholic Youth Service
Fundraising
Twenty-twenty was the year that brought
the most significant and unpredictable
challenges to us all.
The pandemic has had a particularly negative
impact on the lives of young people, limiting their
opportunities and disrupting plans in all areas. The
uncertainty and anxiety have led to a rise in mental
health issues and highlighted many areas of inequality
within our society.
For the Youth Service it has been a time of significant
challenge and change, most markedly with the closure
of St Vincent’s Residential Youth Retreat Centre,
Whitstable. St Vincent’s has been home to Southwark
Catholic Youth Service (SCYS) and their peer
ministry community for the last 17 years, welcoming
residential groups from the across the Diocese. Over
30,000 young people have benefited from residential
and day retreats; we are very sad that this work is
unable to continue at St Vincent’s Centre.
We give thanks for the many blessings received: for
each moment of encounter with Christ; for each
young person; each member of the peer ministry team
who has given a year in service to the Diocese and
for the hospitality and encouragement received by
visiting teachers, catechists, youth workers and clergy.
In response to the COVID-19 lockdown, SCYS
developed its online presence, most notably the
adaption of a planned resource: ‘Christ is Alive’.
As part of the process SCYS worked with a group
of young people to produce five short films and
reflections on Christus Vivit (Christ is Alive) - The post
Synod Apostolic Exhortation written by Pope Francis for
young people and for the whole of the Church.
The programme acknowledged the difficulties of the
COVID-19 restrictions for young people. Using short
films alongside journaling, we offered a format for young
people to think about what is really important, to ponder
some of the big questions about life and faith and also
focus on staying healthy spiritually. We know many
young people accessed this resource through our schools
or self-directed via YouTube.
We all know the negative impact of Coronavirus and
the effect on individuals, families and communities.
Throughout the lockdown and time of restriction,
SCYS has heard many positive stories of young people
reaching out and making a difference through social
action. We captured some of these through our work
on the CYMFed Faith in Action award; examples
included young people shopping for older neighbours,
helping with SVP and foodbanks, supporting other
young people struggling in lockdown and writing to
older parishioners in parishes.
Looking ahead, we acknowledge that SCYS needs to
adapt and develop in response to the changing needs
of our young people and parish communities. We
will be taking time to develop programmes, training
and new opportunities for our young people and
those supporting them in parishes and schools. This
will include an emphasis on training, support and the
development of networks in our parishes and deaneries.
Moving forward, Southwark Catholic Youth Service
continue to provide opportunities for young people to
encounter Christ, to live life to its fullest (Jn 10:10).
https://youtu.be/mFVdZNY2DQw
The Fundraising Department is a team
working within the central services of the
Archdiocese of Southwark. It exists to
support the mission and ministry of the
Archdiocese, its parishes, and entities,
through an active, comprehensive, and
professional programme of fundraising.
Fundraising will always involve the highest
ethical standards and will comply with all aspects
of UK law and the standards set out by the
Charities Commission, Fundraising Regulator and
in accordance with data protection rules (GDPR).
The Archdiocese of Southwark recognises the
great responsibility it has to carry out fundraising
in ways that are consistent with the principles
of Christian stewardship and in the spirit of
generosity. Catholic priest, theologian and writer,
Henri Nouwen aptly described fundraising as:
“
a confident, joyful and hope-filled expression of
ministry. Fundraising is proclaiming what we
Fundraising is a rich and beautiful activity. It is
giving
believe in such a way that we offer other people an
opportunity to participate with us in our vision and
mission. Whether we are asking for money or giving
money, we are drawn together by God, who is about
to do a new thing through our collaboration.”
In the Archdiocese of Southwark, the
Fundraising Team therefore strives to take a
dignified approach, rooted in respect for donors
and parishes, all within a framework that is
transparent and efficient. Fundraising seeks
to invite supporters to share the gifts God has
given them: prayer, time and talents, and their
financial blessings. Our activities are built on
personal relationships and approaches, which
seek a proportionate response from parishioners
to fund the projects and programmes that
are the official priorities of the local parish or
Archdiocese.
We are blessed and grateful to have thousands
of committed and generous Catholics within
Southwark, many of whom give their time
and financial support, week in and week
out, to further the mission of their parish
and the wider work of the Archdiocese. The
20 21

IMPACT
REPORT
running costs of the parishes are mostly
met through the regular giving of the
faithful in the offertory collections and
supplemented, on occasion, by legacy
gifts. Parishes also undertake various
fundraising activities, events, and apply to
trusts for grants to support parish projects
or capital building projects. The diversity of
cultures and traditions within the parishes
of the Archdiocese also drive a variety of
approaches and responses to fundraising.
The fundraising team support parishes
with their fundraising in several ways.
Primarily this takes place through planned
giving and stewardship drives, which
seek to encourage parishioners to share
their financial and personal gifts. We also
provide parish legacy leaflets, making
it easy for parishioners to remember
the Church in their Will. Every so often
parishes need funds for projects and
repairs, so our team provides Trust
fundraising support, in order that parishes
can apply for grants that require capital.
In 2020 the fundraising team shifted their
focus to helping parishes set up online
giving and contactless donation devices,
to enable them to respond to the new and
changing ways in which parishioners give.
At diocesan level, there are ministries
and services, including statutory
responsibilities, which are supported
through the contributions made by the
parishes through their levies. Other
ministries, such as the training of priests
and the care of retired and sick clergy,
are also supported through fundraising
efforts, including appeals to parishioners
via direct mail or announcements at Mass
accompanied by Gift Aid envelopes.
Great care is taken to administer legacy gifts
received by the charity, to ensure executors
and family are treated compassionately,
professionally and with dignity and care. A
few years ago, the Archdiocese undertook
fundraising for the Clergy Support
Campaign, with thousands of individuals
committed to regular donations over 4 years.
The fundraising team continue to steward these
supporters, providing them with regular updates
and information on how they might continue
their support, should they wish to do so.
The Trustees have systems in place to
monitor and respond to due diligence issues
surrounding gifts received by the charity.
The Trustees also have systems in place
to monitor and respond to any complaints
received. We are pleased to say that in 2020,
the Archdiocese of Southwark received
no complaints about fundraising and no
complaints were received by the Fundraising
Regulator about the Charity.
Fundraising is an integral part of supporting the
life and mission of the Church, but it is a means
to an end, and that is in building up God’s
Kingdom through service to God’s people. The
Archdiocese of Southwark is committed to
exhibiting the best fundraising practices in all
its activities, showing respect for people first
and foremost, and ensuring donated funds are
used accountably and responsibly.
BBC On The Map series, visits Hartley, Kent.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p09kzpg5
The village boasts the unusual feature of a Roman Catholic
Church with a thatched roof. The Fundraising Team offers
grant advice to parishes for building and repair purposes.
Please contribute to the
mission.Thank you for
your generosity.
www.rcsouthwark.co.uk
Fr John
Howard
Fr Dermott
O’Gorman
Fr Giovanni
Prandini
Priest Training Fund 2021
Your gift will support the
formation of men for the
Roman Catholic Priesthood
and Diaconate in the
Archdiocese of Southwark.
Thank you for your generosity.
FUNDRAISING FOR VOCATIONS
Priesthood is essential to the life of the
Church. In the Archdiocese we have been
blessed to welcome several men answering
the call to serve; choosing to dedicate their
lives to Christ and to the Church.
In 2020 Southwark welcomed 5 new priests and 3
deacons, all of whom have been supported through up
to six years of formation by the Diocese.
Ecclesiastical education costs £30k per candidate per
annum and we are grateful for each donation to the
Priests’ Training Fund. The Fund means that those
who aspire to bring God’s love and healing to this
world through ordination can receive instruction over
a period of 5-6 years. Investing in the training of our
priests and deacons in an investment in the future of
our Church.
http://www.rcsouthwark.co.uk/
vocations.htm
22 23
Fr Peter
Sebastian

Human Resources and Payroll
Twenty-twenty was, without doubt, one of the
hardest ever years for employees of the Diocese.
The Coronavirus crisis brought unprecedented challenges for
everyone. At the start of the first lockdown, when churches
were closed, we furloughed over 90% of our staff. Many
remain on furlough today. We also had 78 employees leave us
in 2020: 33 were unfortunately made redundant, 45 retired or
resigned for other reasons, many as a direct result of the Covid
crisis. We were fortunate that we lost none to the virus itself.
Those people who remained in work, worked harder than ever
before. We became experts overnight in remote working and
have all experienced the plethora of meeting platforms that
now exist online. When the churches reopened, staff in the
parishes became experts in PPE, social distancing, one-way
systems, safety notices and deep cleaning and we thank them
all for their efforts to get the churches safely reopened and to
keep them that way.
For HR and Payroll the Covid crisis created a monumental
volume of work. The furlough and flexi-furlough rules were
constantly changing, which frequently meant one step forward
and three back and generated significant ‘behind the scenes’
administrative pressures. We saw the amount of payroll
transactions increase by over 1000% per month for the period
that the furlough scheme was in place. We also brought the
payroll in-house as part of a cost saving exercise, which added
to the already massive workload. But everyone was paid and
the money we were able to reclaim via the Job Retention
Scheme has helped enormously across the whole Diocese in
these very difficult financial times.
We look to 2021 with hope that things will improve this year.
Thank you to all our employees who have supported the
clergy, parishioners and each other through these challenging
times and we pray for a return to something resembling
normality soon.
24

Corpus Christi Blessing of Southwark
Diocese by Archbishop Wilson
Volunteers hand out food and blessings on Christmas Eve at Marston Airport, Kent
Southwark
in 2020
Parish Covid safety training in Morden
Christmas presents for the homeless, undertaken by
a Croydon parishioner, 400 parcels were sent in total
Consecration the Church and Altar at
St Joseph’s, Borough Green (pre-pandemic)
PPE been organised for Southwark parishes
Pupil at St Joseph College, Norwood, uses 3D printers to create PPE equipment
Covid-19 safety: volunteer cleaning
church pews
Cover image: St Augustine Shrine in Ramsgate used with permission from Fr Simon Heans © Marcin Mazur
Please note that the cover image and other internal photos were taken before the Covid-19 emergency.
Internal Images: © Marcin Mazur & Archdiocese of Southwark © Sutterstock.com
Produced by Redemptorist Publications, Design by Emma Repetti

In loving memory
21st October 1943 – 6th March 2020
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark CIO
Bowen House, 59, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7JE
Website www.rcsouthwark.org.uk
Facebook www.facebook.com/ArchdioceseOfSouthwark
Twitter twitter.com/RC_Southwark
Instagram www.instagram.com/rcsouthwark
Registered Charity no. 1173050