St. Barnabas, Hawkhurst

Introduction

Saint Barnabas, Hawkhurst, was built and opened in 1964 on a site that the Archdiocese of Southwark had purchased in 1943.

History

Before World War II, Hawkhurst was served occasionally by the travelling mission, with Mass said at the home of Sir Reginald and Lady Tyrwhitt at Ellerslie House, Gills Green. The organ was acquired from Goudhurst Methodist church.

Architecture and furnishings

The church is a variation of a standard portal frame design by Messrs Lanner Ltd of Wakefield. The church is of rustic brick under a tiled roof for the main part, with flat roofs elsewhere. The church comprises a small nave, sanctuary, side chapels, a large sacristy, small baptistery and porch. The interior is dominated by laminated timber arched trusses of boomerang shape. Parishioners support the liturgy as altar servers, lectors and musicians, and lead the Children's Liturgy.

Parish life

The parish holds courses during Advent and Lent and a parish retreat towards the end of these seasons. Parishioners help practically by arranging flowers, cleaning the church, cutting grass and maintaining the gardens. The parish is run by volunteers, with a parish secretary, treasurer and finance committee supporting the priest in charge.

Adults seeking baptism participate in instruction individually or through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). The parish offers Confirmation preparation for older children or teens, and adults enrol in the RCIA. Couples are asked to attend a marriage preparation course approved by the Church.