St Joseph Church

Introduction

Downside monk Dom Bernard Bulbeck built the present Saint Joseph Church in Malvern in 1876. Saint Joseph Church in Malvern was considerably expanded during 1997/8 and blessed on 10 June 1998.

History

After the Reformation, Catholics in Malvern began regular Mass in 1871 in a room at Aldwyn Towers. Monks of Douai served the parish of Saint Joseph Catholic Church until 1996, when the Archbishop of Birmingham took responsibility for the parish.

Parish life

Altar servers hold affiliation with the Guild of Saint Stephen, and training followed by regular service leads to enrolment with a Guild Medal. Altar servers are vested in a plain cream alb gathered by a red cord cincture.

Parishioners help with Christian Aid's annual house-to-house collection in May, and occasional fundraising events are held. The One World Group works to build the parish's awareness of poor and excluded people and to support them with understanding, money and prayer.

A parish group for parishioners and their friends, from the first year of secondary school up to about 14, offers activities and a chance to meet friends from across Malvern. The parish meditation group forms part of the World Community for Christian Meditation. The Worcestershire meditation group is hosted by the parish.

Flower arrangers, working in pairs with a turn every five weeks, provide three arrangements: two near the altar and one in the narthex. Flower arrangers come together at Christmas and Easter to make a bigger display. Three teams of two, three or four volunteers clean the church every two weeks, and a turn usually takes up to about 1.5 hours every 4 weeks.

Sacraments and pastoral care

Altar servers look after the credence table and offertory gifts and clear up after weekly Sunday Mass, and they also assist at baptisms, weddings, funerals, bishop's visitations and confirmations. Parents preparing a child for baptism attend two small-group sessions about two weeks apart after Sunday Mass, and both are asked to come even when one is not a Catholic. Adults and older children who ask for baptism receive preparation adapted to their own needs. Each autumn, preparation begins for the Sacrament of First Forgiveness (Reconciliation).

Talks, demonstrations and social events for more mature parishioners, with refreshments after every meeting, are offered by the Thursday Group. Married couples in the parish who have experienced a Marriage Encounter Weekend meet regularly to support one another and enrich their relationships.