ST JOSEPH'S PARISH
DORKING

Mass & Meet

Mass Times

Reaching Out

Funeral Information

Mass & Meet

Mass Times

Reaching Out

Funeral Information

ST JOSEPH'S PARISH
DORKIN
G


You are very welcome!

Thank you for taking the time to visit our parish website. We are a very active Catholic community, seeking to share the gospel values as revealed to us by our saviour Jesus Christ. If you find yourself in the area, please do call in and celebrate Holy Mass with us. Our parish priest, Canon John Griffiths is very keen to meet with visitors to the parish.

You are very welcome!

St Joseph's is the Catholic Parish Church for Dorking and surrounding villages in the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton. 


We are an active welcoming community, offering spiritual and pastoral support for everyone, helping each other to grow in knowledge and love of our Catholic faith. We hope that you find the information on our Parish and its activities useful. 


Our Parish Mission Statement

Together with our Priest, we are united in our Catholic faith.

​We pray to the Holy Spirit to guide us in our service of God and our 

service of each other.

As a parish we strive to be a warm, welcoming and forward looking community.


Parish Halls

St Joseph’s is blessed with having two interconnecting halls, a large kitchen and toilet facilities. 

Either one or other of these halls is available for hire either on a regular or one-off basis typically at a cost of £35 per hour. 

Special dispensation to this charge is available at the discretion of the Parish Priest. 

If you are interested in using this facility please contact us or by phone on 01306 882433.




Our latest parish weekly news, notices and events below

Download the parish Newsletter Here

By Webmaster September 21, 2026
WELCOME to Fr. Stan Fortuna, who, while Fr. Ian is away, will be looking after Masses each day until the end of September and then for the first weekend of October, Fr. Kevin McDonagh, a missionary priest of the Colomban Missionary Society will be making a mission appeal. Please do make them welcome. Many thanks. Please be aware that the Mass schedule may change from the published if any eventuality should arise.
By Webmaster September 20, 2026
Ceilidh is on Sunday, 4 October 2026, 3pm to 6pm:- Live Music, Dancing, Fun and Community with Teas, Sandwiches, Cakes and Wine provided. Tickets are just £10 per adult, while children under 16 are free. Tickets on sale before and after Masses from the Welcomers at the front and rear of the Church - payment ideally by card. Everyone is welcome, so bring the whole family and enjoy an afternoon of music and dancing for all ages! Please note that there will be NO coffee after the 10 am Mass on 4 October as preparations need to be made for the Ceilidh in the afternoon (3pm to 6pm) Tickets before and after Masses via the Welcomers. See leaflets and Posters.
By Webmaster September 20, 2026
Parish Youth Group: Recommences on Thursday 24th September at 6 pm. Young people of Secondary School age are welcome. Registration will take place and, amongst other things, supper will be provided. Further details available via sj.youth.dorking@gmail.com
Show More
By Webmaster September 21, 2026
St Andrew's Catholic School is holding their Open Evening on Wednesday, 23rd September 2026 from 6.00pm to 8.00pm.The evening will give you an opportunity to have a tour of the school by the students and to meet staff in all departments. There will be an Address by the Headteacher at 8.00pm to give you a flavour of what St Andrew’s Catholic School is about, it’s expectations and vision for the education of the students. Mr. Brooks advises you to come between 6.00pm and 6.30pm to ensure you have time to have a good tour of the school before the 8.00pm Address. It is not necessary to book an appointment to visit on Open Evening.
By Webmaster September 20, 2026
We now have available the ‘Mass attendance cards’ which will be required by parents as a record of weekly attendance at Mass. Initially the card needs to be filled in, a photo of the child attached to the card (c/o parents /guardian) and a parish register created. Once a card has been created for each child, the family will need to present themselves to the priest for the card to be signed and stamped each weekend. Someone suggested this would be somewhat like a loyalty card for a coffee shop! Well, it is, only you won’t get a free coffee after 10 stamps, but you will get a “Certificate of Catholic Practice” provided Mass has been attended weekly for two years, prior to making application to over-subscribed schools, such as St. Andrew’s, Leatherhead. A reminder then, to parents of the changes to school admissions policies where schools, such as St. Andrew’s, Leatherhead, are over-subscribed. PLEASE SEE THE DETAIL on the parish web-site at: https://www.sjcc.org.uk/schools A certificate of Catholic practice, will now be required, such certificate can only be given where there is weekly attendance at Mass for at least two years and the ‘attendance card’ has been stamped by the priest.
By Webmaster September 20, 2026
DEANERY WIDE: As has been mentioned, Fr. Charles Howell will be leaving Effingham and Fetcham for a sabbatical, and given there are no other priest to take his place, Mass times across all the churches in the Epsom Deanery are having to be adjusted to accommodate the situation, given the shortage of priests. Work is continuing to make the best provision possible, and it is hoped that details of adjustments will be available by the end of October, with the new Mass times coming into effect as of the first weekend of Advent.  Two fundamental principles of the adjusted Mass times are that a priest will celebrate a maximum of three Sunday Masses over the weekend and there will need to be a two hour gap between the start of one Mass being celebrated by a particular priest and the next Mass he would be celebrating. The two hours between the start times affords time for travel from one church to another, but more importantly, for the priest to be available, even though, for only a short time, to speak with people of the parish.
By Webmaster September 5, 2026
We think and pray for those who are making new beginnings, maybe leaving a first born at the school gate for the first time, for those starting at secondary school and the not so familiar surroundings, those going off to tertiary education and for those who are leaving their last born at an educational establishment.  These are times of change, concern, even worry, upset and apprehension, both for youngsters and for their parents in these new circumstances, we commend them to the intercession of the Holy Family of Nazareth, that they be consoled, strengthened and inspired by Jesus, Mary and Joseph. To quote St. Teresa of Avila “Let nothing disturb thee, nothing affright thee, all things are passing, patients gains all. He / She who serves God wants for nothing, for He alone is sufficient.”
By Webmaster August 31, 2026
Have created a new letter with more recent findings, with which you are encouraged to contact your MP regarding the ‘Assisted Dying Bill’ which has a ‘Second Reading’ on Friday 11th September. Amongst the findings presented is the following:- “Recent polling has found widespread support for the Prime Minister’s view. A landmark Whitestone Insight MRP poll commissioned by The Other Half, the largest poll on assisted suicide since the introduction of the assisted suicide Bill in the last session, found that 60% of the public believe, like the Prime Minister, that Parliament “should prioritise fixing the NHS and improving palliative, social and end-of-life care…” If you have not already done so, please contact your MP regarding this most serious of matters via:- https://righttolife.org.uk/Sept11vote Many thanks.

Fr. Ian Prayer requests:  Please remember those who are sick in your daily prayers:  please pray for our recently bereaved

You are very welcome!

St Joseph's is the Catholic Parish Church for Dorking and surrounding villages in the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton. 


We are an active welcoming community, offering spiritual and pastoral support for everyone, helping each other to grow in knowledge and love of our Catholic faith. We hope that you find the information on our Parish and its activities useful. 


Our Parish Mission Statement

Together with our Priest, we are united in our Catholic faith.

​We pray to the Holy Spirit to guide us in our service of God and our 

service of each other.

As a parish we strive to be a warm, welcoming and forward looking community.


Parish Halls

St Joseph’s is blessed with having two interconnecting halls, a large kitchen and toilet facilities.

Either one or other of these halls is available for hire either on a regular or one-off basis typically at a cost of £35 per hour.

Special dispensation to this charge is available at the discretion of the Parish Priest.

If you are interested in using this facility please contact us or by phone on 01306 882433.


By Webmaster September 21, 2026
WELCOME to Fr. Stan Fortuna, who, while Fr. Ian is away, will be looking after Masses each day until the end of September and then for the first weekend of October, Fr. Kevin McDonagh, a missionary priest of the Colomban Missionary Society will be making a mission appeal. Please do make them welcome. Many thanks. Please be aware that the Mass schedule may change from the published if any eventuality should arise.
By Webmaster September 20, 2026
Ceilidh is on Sunday, 4 October 2026, 3pm to 6pm:- Live Music, Dancing, Fun and Community with Teas, Sandwiches, Cakes and Wine provided. Tickets are just £10 per adult, while children under 16 are free. Tickets on sale before and after Masses from the Welcomers at the front and rear of the Church - payment ideally by card. Everyone is welcome, so bring the whole family and enjoy an afternoon of music and dancing for all ages! Please note that there will be NO coffee after the 10 am Mass on 4 October as preparations need to be made for the Ceilidh in the afternoon (3pm to 6pm) Tickets before and after Masses via the Welcomers. See leaflets and Posters.
By Webmaster September 20, 2026
Parish Youth Group: Recommences on Thursday 24th September at 6 pm. Young people of Secondary School age are welcome. Registration will take place and, amongst other things, supper will be provided. Further details available via sj.youth.dorking@gmail.com
By Webmaster September 5, 2026
St Joseph’s Church is an historic building in Surrey and the ‘Surrey Church Preservation Society’ was set up to help preserve such places of worship . Saturday 12 September 2026 is St Joseph's Ride & Stride Day – a fundraising event and a fun and interesting way to raise money for St.Joseph’s and other Churches in Surrey. All the money we raise goes to the Surrey Churches Preservation Trust and half of it is then returned to St Joseph's for the upkeep of our Church. Please support this event . Sponsorship forms to ride or stride are available at the Church entrances, so you can join the fun with a sponsored walk/cycle around our local churches to raise funds for Surrey Churches Preservation Trust . We will need volunteers to be available to assist with water supplies and showing people where the ‘facilities’ are as they ride or stride from Church to Church. THE WALKS - To begin at 10am Countryside (longer) walk , led by Louise Chenery, seasoned leader of A and B annual pilgrimage walks. Distance: approximately 8 miles. Time: approximately 4 hours. From St. Joseph's , up steeply to St. Barnabas, Ranmore, then down into the valley towards St. John the Evangelist, Wotton. Pause for refreshment at The Wotton Hatch pub. From there, onward to Holy Trinity, Westcott, and across the Nower back to St. Joseph's. This walk requires good footwear and is for regular walkers. Town, shorter and mainly level walk , led by Hazel Fitz-Gibbon. Distance approximately 4 miles return. Time: 2 1/2 -3 hours, with stop for picnic lunch. From St. Joseph’s into Dorking to the Friends' Meeting House opposite Waitrose. From there down Junction Road, calling briefly at the Crossways Baptist church. Across West St. to visit URC, before visiting St. Martin's. From St. Martin's along meadow Bank, across A24 to station, taking the footpath under the railway to Pixham, St. Mary. Picnic on the Pixham recreation ground before returning via the former watermill (public path through private garden) to Dorking and St. Joseph's. Everyone welcome and we hope for the opportunity to have a chat to members of the other churches.

 Please check the  current newsletter  for any changes to Mass times

By Webmaster September 20, 2026
Application forms for the next academic year’s respective programmes are available at the entrances to the church. If you have a child in year 3 or above (First Holy Communion) or in year 9 or above, (Confirmation) then, provided that you and your children are in regular attendance at Mass you and they will be able to join the programmes. The deadline for returning application forms is mid-night pm on Sunday 11th October 2026, once this deadline has expired for both programmes, no child will be accepted onto either the First Holy Communion or Confirmation programme until the following year, 2027/2028. If you know of families where children and young people should be preparing for these sacraments, PLEASE encourage them to be coming along to Mass and practicing their faith.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation / Confession

Available after the Saturday morning Mass and from 5.15 to 5.45 Saturday afternoon.

Each Saturday Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament & the Rosary follow on from Mass until 11.00am.


Our latest parish weekly news, notices and events

Keep informed about parish activities on a week by week basis. Our important activities can be seen featured below, and found on our Parish Newsletter - available online here, or in print at the back of the church.

Fr. Ian's  Prayer requests:  Please remember those who are sick in your daily prayers.

If you would like to add someone to the list, please email the parish office   through this link or email the parish direct  (on the newsletter)

New Paragraph

By Webmaster September 21, 2026
St Andrew's Catholic School is holding their Open Evening on Wednesday, 23rd September 2026 from 6.00pm to 8.00pm.The evening will give you an opportunity to have a tour of the school by the students and to meet staff in all departments. There will be an Address by the Headteacher at 8.00pm to give you a flavour of what St Andrew’s Catholic School is about, it’s expectations and vision for the education of the students. Mr. Brooks advises you to come between 6.00pm and 6.30pm to ensure you have time to have a good tour of the school before the 8.00pm Address. It is not necessary to book an appointment to visit on Open Evening.
By Webmaster September 20, 2026
We now have available the ‘Mass attendance cards’ which will be required by parents as a record of weekly attendance at Mass. Initially the card needs to be filled in, a photo of the child attached to the card (c/o parents /guardian) and a parish register created. Once a card has been created for each child, the family will need to present themselves to the priest for the card to be signed and stamped each weekend. Someone suggested this would be somewhat like a loyalty card for a coffee shop! Well, it is, only you won’t get a free coffee after 10 stamps, but you will get a “Certificate of Catholic Practice” provided Mass has been attended weekly for two years, prior to making application to over-subscribed schools, such as St. Andrew’s, Leatherhead. A reminder then, to parents of the changes to school admissions policies where schools, such as St. Andrew’s, Leatherhead, are over-subscribed. PLEASE SEE THE DETAIL on the parish web-site at: https://www.sjcc.org.uk/schools A certificate of Catholic practice, will now be required, such certificate can only be given where there is weekly attendance at Mass for at least two years and the ‘attendance card’ has been stamped by the priest.
By Webmaster September 20, 2026
DEANERY WIDE: As has been mentioned, Fr. Charles Howell will be leaving Effingham and Fetcham for a sabbatical, and given there are no other priest to take his place, Mass times across all the churches in the Epsom Deanery are having to be adjusted to accommodate the situation, given the shortage of priests. Work is continuing to make the best provision possible, and it is hoped that details of adjustments will be available by the end of October, with the new Mass times coming into effect as of the first weekend of Advent.  Two fundamental principles of the adjusted Mass times are that a priest will celebrate a maximum of three Sunday Masses over the weekend and there will need to be a two hour gap between the start of one Mass being celebrated by a particular priest and the next Mass he would be celebrating. The two hours between the start times affords time for travel from one church to another, but more importantly, for the priest to be available, even though, for only a short time, to speak with people of the parish.
By Webmaster September 5, 2026
We think and pray for those who are making new beginnings, maybe leaving a first born at the school gate for the first time, for those starting at secondary school and the not so familiar surroundings, those going off to tertiary education and for those who are leaving their last born at an educational establishment.  These are times of change, concern, even worry, upset and apprehension, both for youngsters and for their parents in these new circumstances, we commend them to the intercession of the Holy Family of Nazareth, that they be consoled, strengthened and inspired by Jesus, Mary and Joseph. To quote St. Teresa of Avila “Let nothing disturb thee, nothing affright thee, all things are passing, patients gains all. He / She who serves God wants for nothing, for He alone is sufficient.”

Latest News

Prayers of the Saints

Important Notices

By Webmaster September 21, 2026
Sadly, this year we have a much smaller crop than last year. Therefore, to ensure everyone who wants a jar can get one, we are going to initially limit orders to one per family. We will post a notice at the front and back of the church for you to sign up for a jar and let us know which Mass you go to. Alternatively, you can email Bernie Smith at bmsmith2204@gmail.com to place your order. We will then deliver honey to you at your Mass when we have it jarred up and labelled (within the next couple of weeks). Jars will be the same price as last year (in fact no increase since we started up) @ £8.00 per jar. Thank you for your support!
By Webmaster September 20, 2026
Children’s Liturgy at 10.00 am Mass:- Continues next Sunday, 27th Sept. If you are bringing your children to the liturgy for the first time, personal details will need to be given for administrative purposes. Thank you for your understanding. A calendar of dates will be available next weekend.

NEWS ADDITIONS, UPDATES & FEEDBACK

We encourage parishioners to submit articles or information that you feel  appropriate for our news section. Please send details to the parish office through the link below.

By Webmaster September 20, 2026
Application forms for the next academic year’s respective programmes are available at the entrances to the church. If you have a child in year 3 or above (First Holy Communion) or in year 9 or above, (Confirmation) then, provided that you and your children are in regular attendance at Mass you and they will be able to join the programmes. The deadline for returning application forms is mid-night pm on Sunday 11th October 2026, once this deadline has expired for both programmes, no child will be accepted onto either the First Holy Communion or Confirmation programme until the following year, 2027/2028. If you know of families where children and young people should be preparing for these sacraments, PLEASE encourage them to be coming along to Mass and practicing their faith.
By Webmaster September 20, 2026
Ceilidh is on Sunday, 4 October 2026, 3pm to 6pm:- Live Music, Dancing, Fun and Community with Teas, Sandwiches, Cakes and Wine provided. Tickets are just £10 per adult, while children under 16 are free. Tickets on sale before and after Masses from the Welcomers at the front and rear of the Church - payment ideally by card. Everyone is welcome, so bring the whole family and enjoy an afternoon of music and dancing for all ages! Please note that there will be NO coffee after the 10 am Mass on 4 October as preparations need to be made for the Ceilidh in the afternoon (3pm to 6pm) Tickets before and after Masses via the Welcomers. See leaflets and Posters.
By Webmaster September 20, 2026
If you haven’t already done so, but would still like to commit to praying a decade of the Rosary each day during February, then please do put your initial or a tick in one of the boxes on the ‘Rosary Circle’ chart in the church porch.  The ‘Chart’ lists the 20 decades of the Rosary and a number of columns for people to put their initial or a tick in a box to indicate they will commit to praying the particular decade each day for the month of February, and hopefully, this will create a number of ‘circles’ praying for this intention. This is a very simple spiritual exercise many of us could join in with; at least 20 people praying one decade of the Rosary each day, so the whole of the Rosary is prayed for this particular intention, thus creating a ‘Rosary Circle’. Let it be said, however, that anyone can join the Rosary Circles at any time.
By Webmaster September 20, 2026
Parish Youth Group: Recommences on Thursday 24th September at 6 pm. Young people of Secondary School age are welcome. Registration will take place and, amongst other things, supper will be provided. Further details available via sj.youth.dorking@gmail.com

Parish Events

OUR EVENTS CALENDAR

Remember to check our events calendar for all of the activities happening within the parish

By Webmaster September 20, 2026
Application forms for the next academic year’s respective programmes are available at the entrances to the church. If you have a child in year 3 or above (First Holy Communion) or in year 9 or above, (Confirmation) then, provided that you and your children are in regular attendance at Mass you and they will be able to join the programmes. The deadline for returning application forms is mid-night pm on Sunday 11th October 2026, once this deadline has expired for both programmes, no child will be accepted onto either the First Holy Communion or Confirmation programme until the following year, 2027/2028. If you know of families where children and young people should be preparing for these sacraments, PLEASE encourage them to be coming along to Mass and practicing their faith.
By Webmaster September 20, 2026
Ceilidh is on Sunday, 4 October 2026, 3pm to 6pm:- Live Music, Dancing, Fun and Community with Teas, Sandwiches, Cakes and Wine provided. Tickets are just £10 per adult, while children under 16 are free. Tickets on sale before and after Masses from the Welcomers at the front and rear of the Church - payment ideally by card. Everyone is welcome, so bring the whole family and enjoy an afternoon of music and dancing for all ages! Please note that there will be NO coffee after the 10 am Mass on 4 October as preparations need to be made for the Ceilidh in the afternoon (3pm to 6pm) Tickets before and after Masses via the Welcomers. See leaflets and Posters.
By Webmaster September 20, 2026
If you haven’t already done so, but would still like to commit to praying a decade of the Rosary each day during February, then please do put your initial or a tick in one of the boxes on the ‘Rosary Circle’ chart in the church porch.  The ‘Chart’ lists the 20 decades of the Rosary and a number of columns for people to put their initial or a tick in a box to indicate they will commit to praying the particular decade each day for the month of February, and hopefully, this will create a number of ‘circles’ praying for this intention. This is a very simple spiritual exercise many of us could join in with; at least 20 people praying one decade of the Rosary each day, so the whole of the Rosary is prayed for this particular intention, thus creating a ‘Rosary Circle’. Let it be said, however, that anyone can join the Rosary Circles at any time.