Church of the Good Sheperd, Downham

Introduction

The Church of the Good Sheperd in Downham was built between 1961 and 1963, designed by Donald Plaskett Marshall & Partners. The church is a utilitarian portal framed design of the 1960s.

History

From April 1927, Mass was said at the Studio Club by Canon William H. Monk. The first resident priest, Father Joseph Simmons, arrived in December 1928. Two extra chapels were added to the church in 1934 and 1935. In the 1970s the sanctuary was reordered, moving the original altar further west and installing a stained glass window at the east end.

Architecture and furnishings

The church is built with a reinforced concrete portal frame and has a pitched roof with a short pinnacle above the sanctuary area. The church has a narrow one-bay lobby, a nave of six bays, a sanctuary of two bays, and an organ loft at the west end. Furnishings include black marble sanctuary furniture of altar, tabernacle stand, lectern and font. The Bromley Band returned to Good Shepherd Downham when a new hall was built in 1990 and remained until the new millennium.

Parish life

Both parishioners and non-parishioners may book the parish hall. Situated within the Downham estate, the parish hall is equipped for community events such as conferences, parties, wakes, and meetings. The parish hall includes an upper hall with a lift and a lower hall with stair-free access.

From October to Easter, the parish runs an RCIA programme in the Upper Hall. During the millennium year, the parish community had become cosmopolitan, with over fifty different nations represented. The parish has a history of a Corpus Christi Procession from the Convent of the Sisters of St Joseph of Annecy, led by three parish bands.

Sacraments and pastoral care

The parish requires six months' notice of intention to marry, as required by the diocese. The parish offers a series of instructions for couples preparing for marriage.

The parish requires regular Mass attendance before booking a baptism. Baptisms take place by appointment only, subject to time and season.

The parish offers a funeral Mass or funeral service. The parish offers confession at any time after Mass and by appointment with the priest.