St George and the English Martyrs, Shoeburyness

Introduction

St George and the English Martyrs in Shoeburyness, within the Diocese of Brentwood, was completed by 1938. Bishop Arthur Doubleday opened and dedicated the church to St George and the English Martyrs on 30th July 1939. The first church dedicated to St George and the English Martyrs was constructed in 1891.

History

The first church was a small square corrugated iron and wooden structure erected where the Parish garage stands. The corrugated iron roof of St George's first church was extended in length and a transept was added for use as a Sacristy.

Father John Moore succeeded Father Last in 1862 and tended Southend and Shoeburyness Catholics. By 1908, the Shoeburyness Catholic population had grown large enough to warrant its own Parish Priest, namely Father Frederick Ingle.

The first Baptism was 6th July 1908 and the first Marriage 19th December 1908, both officiated by Father Ingle. The Parish Hall, another galvanised iron and wooden structure, appeared in 1920. After his appointment in 1924, Father William Toft undertook the building of St Gregory's Chapel of Ease in Thorpe Bay and the Presbytery, both completed in 1928. The first church building served as the Parish Church until the present church was built in 1938/39, when Canon Toft was Parish Priest.

Parish life

The parish supports the twin parish of Mpuluzi in prayer and by financing a special project to provide washing and showering facilities at the Mayflower crèche and day centre. HCPT Group 192 is based in the parish, with the group leader and some helpers being parish members.

Teams of Greeters welcome people at all major Masses at both St George's and St Gregory's. The parish has a Repository shop at St George's and a more restricted one at St Gregory's. The parish is involved in two Churches Together Groups covering Shoeburyness, Thorpe Bay and Great and Little Wakering, with a clergy fraternal called C.A.M.E.

The parish Justice and Peace Group participates in local, national and international events and addresses issues such as food poverty, trafficking, genocide, climate change, recycling, energy conservation and pollution. The parish supports the SVP in helping the vulnerable in the Southend area, including providing food for homeless and vulnerable guests.

Regular events

Annual training sessions for altar servers are held each week during October and November. The parish AGM usually takes place yearly in November as an open forum for parishioners.

Sacraments and pastoral care

Parents planning a child's baptism must attend a one-off Baptism Course. The parish usually requires at least six months' notice for marriage preparation, including completing all documentation, whether the wedding is in the parish or abroad. Confirmation takes place every year in the parish, with the Bishop attending every three years; preparation courses run from September and include a weekend retreat. A small team of Sacristans shares responsibility for preparing liturgical services, each accountable for a particular service or day.