Christ the King, Wimbledon Park

Introduction

Christ the King church in Wimbledon Park was designed by Sir Gilbert Scott and completed in 1928. The church was officially opened on 7th October 1928.

History

The Jesuit priests originally served Wimbledon Park from the Sacred Heart parish. In 1913 Father O'Gorman was appointed to look after the Wimbledon Park District. The original church, known as Saint Austin's, was started but never completed and was referred to as the Tank. In 1926 the go-ahead to build the new church was given by the Jesuit superior and the Bishop. The break with the Jesuits came in 1959 when the parish was returned to the direct control of the Bishop.

Parish life

The Depaul UK group was set up in this parish in 1992 to help young homeless people in London, mainly by raising funds. The parish has a twinning arrangement with the parish of Our Lady of Missions in Lima, Peru, spearheaded by the Justice & Peace group.

The parish runs a private Facebook group with over 192 members for parishioners and friends. The parish has a group of men and women who clean the church on a weekly basis.

The parish has a Catholic Formation Group, a Scripture Group, a Prayer Group, and a Maintenance Group, among its parish groups. The parish holds a very popular annual Christmas Fair, its only fundraising event, supported by locals and parishioners.