ST JOSEPH'S PARISH DORKING
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 latest parish weekly news, notices and events below
Download the parish Newsletter Here
By Webmaster
•
December 8, 2025
We take the opportunity to remind you that the collection at the Christmas Masses is your personal offering to Fr. Ian. This collection, along with the Easter Offering, is his major source of income for the year, through which he has to finance car depreciation and replacement, clothes, books, holiday etc. etc. As we now live in a ‘cashless society’ ( most people using bank cards and BACS ) any offering you might make in this way would be additional to any weekly or monthly standing transaction you have for the parish and would need to be clearly annotated ‘Christmas Offering’ or ‘Fr. Ian, Christmas’ for the parish bank statements and bookkeeping purposes. That said, there are ‘Christmas Offering’ envelopes available for cash or cheques as well, which are just as graciously accepted. In case you are going to be away over Christmas, you might like to use the ‘Christmas Offering’ envelopes which are readily available at the entrances to the church, these can be returned at any time. In whatever way you are able to contribute, we ask you to be as generous as you can. Many thanks.
By Webmaster
•
December 7, 2025
Christmas Mass Times Monday 22nd December: 9.30 am Tuesday 23rd December: 9.30am Christmas Eve Wednesday 24th Vigil / Children’s Mass: 6pm – 11.30pm Carols & Reading CHRISTMAS DAY 25th: 12.00 midnight (Midnight Mass) Dawn Mass at 8.00am 10.00am Mass of Christmas Day Friday 26th December: 10.00am Saturday 27th December: 9.30am Vigil for Sunday at 6pm  Sunday 28th December: 8.00am & 10.00am
December 2, 2025
Christmas Concert: 17th December at 7.30pm by the Dorking Choral Society
By Webmaster
•
December 7, 2025
Diocesan Pastoral Plan: -The Word Who is Life - You're Invited! Bishop Richard's Pastoral Plan is an invitation to everyone in the Diocese to live out the call, given to us in baptism, to spread the Good News of God's love in Jesus Christ. How do we best do this in the world of today? What are the unchanging treasures of the faith we bring to this mission? What changes will help us respond to the circumstances of our time and place? What gifts can you offer in all of this? Over the last few months, a team drawn from the nine existing parishes of the Epsom Deanery have been reflecting on how best to encourage and involve all parishioners in this task, which includes YOU. To that end, in the New Year, there will be a meeting in each of our parishes (St Joseph’s, Dorking: Sunday 25 th Jan, 11.30 am) to reflect on the journey so far and going forward. To help you, and us, prepare for these meetings, if you have not already done so, please pick up a “You’re Invited!” postcard and flyer. These give some sense of what we hope the Pastoral Plan will achieve as well as some consideration to how you might contribute to the changes getting underway. Please return the ‘postcards’ by Sunday 14th Dec. 2025 and make a note of the date for the meeting with Fr. Chris on Sunday 25th January after the 10 am Mass.  Although the Pastoral Plan is light on the detail of how we go about fostering the Mission of the Church, this is because it leaves space for individual communities to decide on what their particular priorities are and how best to achieve them.
By Webmaster
•
November 22, 2025
From SPUC on Friday last: “Today, the first (and only completed) grouping of amendments focused on coercion and pressure…… In Westminster, peers are clearly very unhappy with the Bill, and there are currently only two days left of committee stage in which to improve it (though this could change)….. But we cannot be complacent, and need to keep up the pressure on politicians to reject both bills. Please send letters to Peer asking them to oppose the Bill.” Please use the link:- Fight the Leadbeater bill - SPUC
By Webmaster
•
November 22, 2025
Charity Christmas Cards Various charities, one of which is, ‘Aid to the Church in Need’ (a charity which particularly supports the persecuted Church) produce beautiful Christmas cards, with both Greek icons and Renaissance images of the Nativity, which are available for you to purchase in the narthex / lobby/ church porch. Purchasing their cards supports the persecuted Church and reminds all of us, that it is the Christmas Season into which we will be entering after Advent. P.S. when buying stamps for your Christmas cards, do ask for the ‘Christmas stamps’ in doing so, others, over-hearing your request, will be reminded of the reason for the season. Christmas cards & cribs This weekend, 29th November and next, 6th December, the parish ‘Christmas’ repository will be selling items in the parish hall after the Masses. If you don’t have a Christmas crib for the family this would be an opportunity to buy one to use as a ‘centre piece’ at home, perhaps adding figures to it, year by year. Your purchases will support the work of ‘Aid to the Church in Need’, their work in the Holy Land and those parts of the world where the Church is supressed.
By Webmaster
•
November 11, 2025
Bishop Richard: “For many of us, when we think of Rome, we think of St Peter’s Basilica. In a Jubilee Year such as this, the entry through the Holy Door of St Peter’s is a high point of any pilgrimage. It is from the Apostolic Palace, next to St Peter’s , that the Holy Father makes his Angelus addresses and it is there that the public audiences take place, as well as significant celebrations in the life of the Church: canonisations, the inaugurations of new popes and the requiem Masses for deceased popes.  Yet it is the Lateran Basilica, built originally by the Emperor Constantine, that is described as “the mother and head of all the churches of the City and the World.” It is the Cathedral Church of Rome, and popes lived in the Lateran Palace for hundreds of years. It is the Pope’s Cathedral, for he is the Bishop of Rome. It is for this reason that the whole Church celebrates this feast. It is a celebration of our unity with the Holy Father, the successor of St Peter.”
By Webmaster
•
October 7, 2025
Please donate to our Family Fast Day parish collection to share God’s abundant gifts with our global neighbours as they find lasting solutions to poverty and climate challenges. Your generosity offers “signs of hope” in this Jubilee Year, helping build more water tanks in communities like Waré’s in Ethiopia where people have to walk for hours to get water. Use the CAFOD envelope in church, donate online at cafod.org.uk/envelope or call 0303 303 3030. You can also text CAFOD to 70560 to donate £10.
Fr. Ian Prayer requests: Please remember those who are sick in your daily prayers: please pray for our recently bereaved
By Webmaster
•
December 8, 2025
We take the opportunity to remind you that the collection at the Christmas Masses is your personal offering to Fr. Ian. This collection, along with the Easter Offering, is his major source of income for the year, through which he has to finance car depreciation and replacement, clothes, books, holiday etc. etc. As we now live in a ‘cashless society’ ( most people using bank cards and BACS ) any offering you might make in this way would be additional to any weekly or monthly standing transaction you have for the parish and would need to be clearly annotated ‘Christmas Offering’ or ‘Fr. Ian, Christmas’ for the parish bank statements and bookkeeping purposes. That said, there are ‘Christmas Offering’ envelopes available for cash or cheques as well, which are just as graciously accepted. In case you are going to be away over Christmas, you might like to use the ‘Christmas Offering’ envelopes which are readily available at the entrances to the church, these can be returned at any time. In whatever way you are able to contribute, we ask you to be as generous as you can. Many thanks.
By Webmaster
•
December 7, 2025
Christmas Mass Times Monday 22nd December: 9.30 am Tuesday 23rd December: 9.30am Christmas Eve Wednesday 24th Vigil / Children’s Mass: 6pm – 11.30pm Carols & Reading CHRISTMAS DAY 25th: 12.00 midnight (Midnight Mass) Dawn Mass at 8.00am 10.00am Mass of Christmas Day Friday 26th December: 10.00am Saturday 27th December: 9.30am Vigil for Sunday at 6pm  Sunday 28th December: 8.00am & 10.00am
December 2, 2025
Christmas Concert: 17th December at 7.30pm by the Dorking Choral Society
By Webmaster
•
December 1, 2025
MASS & MEET LUNCH Following the very successful Mass & Meet Christmas lunch on Friday (5 December), donations received for the Leatherhead Youth Project (LYP) raised a very generous £215. LYP express their sincere thanks for such kindness in supporting this important work with the young people.
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 Prayer
Father we thank you for all you blessings to us as a parish.
Build us up up to be your people who reflect the love and joy of Jesus your Son.
Send your Holy Spirit to renew our faith, inspire our work, and bring many to know and love you,
Through Christ our Lord
Amen
St Joseph, pray for us.
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 £30 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 at https://www.sjcc.org.uk/contact-us211e36d2 or by phone on 01306 882433.
If there is anything else you would like to know please do not hesitate to contact us via the Parish Office on 01306 882433 or email us
Please check the current newsletter for any changes to mass times
By Webmaster
•
December 7, 2025
Diocesan Pastoral Plan: -The Word Who is Life - You're Invited! Bishop Richard's Pastoral Plan is an invitation to everyone in the Diocese to live out the call, given to us in baptism, to spread the Good News of God's love in Jesus Christ. How do we best do this in the world of today? What are the unchanging treasures of the faith we bring to this mission? What changes will help us respond to the circumstances of our time and place? What gifts can you offer in all of this? Over the last few months, a team drawn from the nine existing parishes of the Epsom Deanery have been reflecting on how best to encourage and involve all parishioners in this task, which includes YOU. To that end, in the New Year, there will be a meeting in each of our parishes (St Joseph’s, Dorking: Sunday 25 th Jan, 11.30 am) to reflect on the journey so far and going forward. To help you, and us, prepare for these meetings, if you have not already done so, please pick up a “You’re Invited!” postcard and flyer. These give some sense of what we hope the Pastoral Plan will achieve as well as some consideration to how you might contribute to the changes getting underway. Please return the ‘postcards’ by Sunday 14th Dec. 2025 and make a note of the date for the meeting with Fr. Chris on Sunday 25th January after the 10 am Mass.  Although the Pastoral Plan is light on the detail of how we go about fostering the Mission of the Church, this is because it leaves space for individual communities to decide on what their particular priorities are and how best to achieve them.
By Webmaster
•
November 22, 2025
From SPUC on Friday last: “Today, the first (and only completed) grouping of amendments focused on coercion and pressure…… In Westminster, peers are clearly very unhappy with the Bill, and there are currently only two days left of committee stage in which to improve it (though this could change)….. But we cannot be complacent, and need to keep up the pressure on politicians to reject both bills. Please send letters to Peer asking them to oppose the Bill.” Please use the link:- Fight the Leadbeater bill - SPUC
By Webmaster
•
November 22, 2025
Charity Christmas Cards Various charities, one of which is, ‘Aid to the Church in Need’ (a charity which particularly supports the persecuted Church) produce beautiful Christmas cards, with both Greek icons and Renaissance images of the Nativity, which are available for you to purchase in the narthex / lobby/ church porch. Purchasing their cards supports the persecuted Church and reminds all of us, that it is the Christmas Season into which we will be entering after Advent. P.S. when buying stamps for your Christmas cards, do ask for the ‘Christmas stamps’ in doing so, others, over-hearing your request, will be reminded of the reason for the season. Christmas cards & cribs This weekend, 29th November and next, 6th December, the parish ‘Christmas’ repository will be selling items in the parish hall after the Masses. If you don’t have a Christmas crib for the family this would be an opportunity to buy one to use as a ‘centre piece’ at home, perhaps adding figures to it, year by year. Your purchases will support the work of ‘Aid to the Church in Need’, their work in the Holy Land and those parts of the world where the Church is supressed.
An Act of Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.
Amen.
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.
Saint
Ignatius
Loyola
Pray as if everything depends on God, and work as if everything depends on you
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)
Prayers of the Saints
New Paragraph
By Webmaster
•
December 7, 2025
Diocesan Pastoral Plan: -The Word Who is Life - You're Invited! Bishop Richard's Pastoral Plan is an invitation to everyone in the Diocese to live out the call, given to us in baptism, to spread the Good News of God's love in Jesus Christ. How do we best do this in the world of today? What are the unchanging treasures of the faith we bring to this mission? What changes will help us respond to the circumstances of our time and place? What gifts can you offer in all of this? Over the last few months, a team drawn from the nine existing parishes of the Epsom Deanery have been reflecting on how best to encourage and involve all parishioners in this task, which includes YOU. To that end, in the New Year, there will be a meeting in each of our parishes (St Joseph’s, Dorking: Sunday 25 th Jan, 11.30 am) to reflect on the journey so far and going forward. To help you, and us, prepare for these meetings, if you have not already done so, please pick up a “You’re Invited!” postcard and flyer. These give some sense of what we hope the Pastoral Plan will achieve as well as some consideration to how you might contribute to the changes getting underway. Please return the ‘postcards’ by Sunday 14th Dec. 2025 and make a note of the date for the meeting with Fr. Chris on Sunday 25th January after the 10 am Mass.  Although the Pastoral Plan is light on the detail of how we go about fostering the Mission of the Church, this is because it leaves space for individual communities to decide on what their particular priorities are and how best to achieve them.
By Webmaster
•
November 22, 2025
From SPUC on Friday last: “Today, the first (and only completed) grouping of amendments focused on coercion and pressure…… In Westminster, peers are clearly very unhappy with the Bill, and there are currently only two days left of committee stage in which to improve it (though this could change)….. But we cannot be complacent, and need to keep up the pressure on politicians to reject both bills. Please send letters to Peer asking them to oppose the Bill.” Please use the link:- Fight the Leadbeater bill - SPUC
By Webmaster
•
November 22, 2025
Charity Christmas Cards Various charities, one of which is, ‘Aid to the Church in Need’ (a charity which particularly supports the persecuted Church) produce beautiful Christmas cards, with both Greek icons and Renaissance images of the Nativity, which are available for you to purchase in the narthex / lobby/ church porch. Purchasing their cards supports the persecuted Church and reminds all of us, that it is the Christmas Season into which we will be entering after Advent. P.S. when buying stamps for your Christmas cards, do ask for the ‘Christmas stamps’ in doing so, others, over-hearing your request, will be reminded of the reason for the season. Christmas cards & cribs This weekend, 29th November and next, 6th December, the parish ‘Christmas’ repository will be selling items in the parish hall after the Masses. If you don’t have a Christmas crib for the family this would be an opportunity to buy one to use as a ‘centre piece’ at home, perhaps adding figures to it, year by year. Your purchases will support the work of ‘Aid to the Church in Need’, their work in the Holy Land and those parts of the world where the Church is supressed.
By Webmaster
•
November 11, 2025
Bishop Richard: “For many of us, when we think of Rome, we think of St Peter’s Basilica. In a Jubilee Year such as this, the entry through the Holy Door of St Peter’s is a high point of any pilgrimage. It is from the Apostolic Palace, next to St Peter’s , that the Holy Father makes his Angelus addresses and it is there that the public audiences take place, as well as significant celebrations in the life of the Church: canonisations, the inaugurations of new popes and the requiem Masses for deceased popes.  Yet it is the Lateran Basilica, built originally by the Emperor Constantine, that is described as “the mother and head of all the churches of the City and the World.” It is the Cathedral Church of Rome, and popes lived in the Lateran Palace for hundreds of years. It is the Pope’s Cathedral, for he is the Bishop of Rome. It is for this reason that the whole Church celebrates this feast. It is a celebration of our unity with the Holy Father, the successor of St Peter.”
Latest News
Important Notices
By Webmaster
•
December 8, 2025
To all who have kindly agreed to distribute the annual bowl of flowers to the housebound and others :The bowls of hyacinths will be available from Saturday 13th December after 11 am.They will be at the front of the church, together with a Christmas card for each person, signed by Fr. Ian.  Please take them as soon as you can. If you have any concerns, please contact Hazel on 01306 711562 leaving a message if necessary. Thank you very much.
By Webmaster
•
December 8, 2025
We take the opportunity to remind you that the collection at the Christmas Masses is your personal offering to Fr. Ian. This collection, along with the Easter Offering, is his major source of income for the year, through which he has to finance car depreciation and replacement, clothes, books, holiday etc. etc. As we now live in a ‘cashless society’ ( most people using bank cards and BACS ) any offering you might make in this way would be additional to any weekly or monthly standing transaction you have for the parish and would need to be clearly annotated ‘Christmas Offering’ or ‘Fr. Ian, Christmas’ for the parish bank statements and bookkeeping purposes. That said, there are ‘Christmas Offering’ envelopes available for cash or cheques as well, which are just as graciously accepted. In case you are going to be away over Christmas, you might like to use the ‘Christmas Offering’ envelopes which are readily available at the entrances to the church, these can be returned at any time. In whatever way you are able to contribute, we ask you to be as generous as you can. Many thanks.
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
•
December 8, 2025
Our Advent Course begins this Tuesday at 11am in the main hall. "ILLUMINATE" looks at Christ coming as the Light of the World and asks us to reflect on what this means for us and for the world. Meetings will last about an hour for four weekly sessions.
By Webmaster
•
December 7, 2025
The programme will continue in the New Year, do check the newsletter for updates.
By Webmaster
•
December 7, 2025
There is a new ‘Rosary Circle Chart’ on the noticeboard, to encourage us all to pray for vocations to the Priesthood.  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 November, 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.
Parish Events
By Webmaster
•
December 8, 2025
Our Advent Course begins this Tuesday at 11am in the main hall. "ILLUMINATE" looks at Christ coming as the Light of the World and asks us to reflect on what this means for us and for the world. Meetings will last about an hour for four weekly sessions.
By Webmaster
•
December 7, 2025
The programme will continue in the New Year, do check the newsletter for updates.
By Webmaster
•
December 7, 2025
There is a new ‘Rosary Circle Chart’ on the noticeboard, to encourage us all to pray for vocations to the Priesthood.  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 November, 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
•
December 7, 2025
THE SEASON OF ADVENT: A penitential season in which the Church calls us to conversion of mind and heart as we begin to focus our thoughts upon the humble birth of our Lord in Bethlehem. So, like the season of Lent, the liturgical colour is purple, reminding us that prayer, fasting, abstinence and the opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Confession, should be part of our preparation for the of the birth of our Lord. Just as we might clean and tidy our homes, investigate the Christmas decorations so we should make the spiritual preparation to celebrate the great feast of the Incarnation. It is a celebration which reminds us that ‘God sent His Son into the world so that everyone who believes in him, may not be lost, but may have eternal life.’ (Cf. Jn 3:16) So, for all of us then, to make the effort to have a penitential season, with prayer, fasting, abstinence and almsgiving, our self-denial, saying ‘no’ to self for the sake of Christ, offering our penance so as to be more conformed to the person of Christ and for the conversion the world, then we will be truly able to rejoice in the real meaning of Christmas, the birth of Christ Jesus, our Lord and God become a man like us in all things but sin. To help us in our spiritual preparation we will have a Penitential Services on Sunday 21st December at 3.00 pm . Additionally, there will be Penitential Services on16th Dec at Epsom at 7:30 pm;19th Dec in Cobham at 7:30 pm.  We should remember and be reminded that in this Sacrament, it is the grace and mercy of our Lord which is being offered, and that it is through His priests, both worthy and unworthy, that He chooses to minister to us.
OUR EVENTS CALENDAR
Remember to check our events calendar for all of the activities happening within the parish
LATEST ADDITIONS TO THE GALLERY
VIEW OUR LATEST ADDITIONS TO THE PARISH PICTURE GALLERY
