Westminster Record | February 2015 Follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/diocese.westminster Follow us on Twitter at: twitter.com/RCWestminster Parish Profile Page 9 In the shadow of the great arch over the new Wembley Stadium sits the Church of St Joseph. The parish of Wembley 1 is under the pastoral care of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI), whose founder, St Kuriakose Elias Chavara, was canonised in November. I met Fr John Menonkari CMI, Parish Priest, and two ‘elders’, Pat McLoughlin and Victor Gabriel, to talk about the parish just a stone’s throw away from the national stadium. Founded in 1831 by St Kuriakose in Kerala, India, the CMI’s growth since then has been impressive. Interestingly, St Kuriakose is widely acknowledged in India today for his work to reform the caste system, education and social care, and so his reputation extended beyond the Church. The order was both the first Syro-Malabar Catholic to be founded and the first in India, although it did not expand beyond Kerala’s borders until 1962. And why Kerala you may ask? According to legend and tradition it was visited by St Thomas the Apostle who sailed to India in 52 AD and brought Christianity to the sub-continent. Thus a strong tradition and devotion to him grew in India; his remains are buried in Chennai in the San Thome Basilica. Kerala Comes to North London Since 1962, the order has spread across the world and continues to grow. Currently there are nine CMI Bishops, over 1,750 priests and nearly a thousand more in formation. The Order serves 12 parishes in England and Wales, and also works in hospitals, children’s homes, institutes for the mentally and physically challenged, homes for the aged and universities. It seems ironic that at one time the Western Orders of old would send missionaries to the sub-continent but now the sub- continent is sending missionaries back to the West to reinvigorate a continent that Pope Francis recently called ‘somewhat elderly and haggard’. It is because of the Asian character of the Order that its partnership with Wembley seems perfect. An area once dominated by Irish migrants has given way to a new wave of migrants from Asia. My hosts estimated around 85 to 90% of parishioners come from Asian communities: Goa, Sri Lanka, India and the Philippines especially. Although liturgies are in English, the parish also hosts ethnic chaplains who say Mass for the Tamil, Konkani and Malayalam communities as well. Victor and Pat reported that since the CMI priests arrived in Wembley in 2006, Mass attendance has doubled, with around 2,000 people each weekend in the pews. At Christmas they estimated 4,000 people attended Mass. Even during the week, it is not uncommon to see 350 people for Mass. And to what did they attribute this? They told me that in the last 10 years the parish has become so welcoming to all peoples and a great place to support families, something which St Kuriakose stressed and wrote extensively about in his lifetime. Families are a large part of the congregation and are ‘very devout worshippers’. Victor reported that around five new families a week are registering as parishioners, such is the love for the Faith and community. What Fr John has Founded: 1901, 1957 Mass Times: (Sat 6.30pm), 9, 12noon, 7.30pm Address: 339 High Road, Wembley HA9 6AG Telephone: 020 8902 0081 Website: parish.rcdow.org.uk/ wembley created, they said, was a ‘prosperous environment’, which is reaping benefits for the life of the parish. The Church itself is deceptive. It was built in 1957 to replace the 1901 original which had become too small for the growing number of Irish migrant parishioners. The current building has a capacity of 850, nearly three times more than the original. It has a tall, rectangular front which gives a false impression that it will be long and tall inside. Instead the nave is low and domed, making the building feel much more intimate. The walls are a dark shade of green, with side chapels and arches with statues of the saints. There is one statue which my hosts were keen to highlight for me. It was donated by the CMI community from Kerala and is an 80kg solid teak wood statue of St Kuriakose. It took a central place at the recent Mass celebrated by Cardinal Vincent on the occasion of the saint’s canonisation, but needs a new plinth because of its weight. Connected to the parish are a pastoral centre, which serves as a place for catechetical activities and as a meeting place for many groups in the parish, and St Joseph’s Primary School, shared between Wembley 1 and Wembley 3, St Erconwald’s parish. The school’s playground was where Pope St John Paul II’s helicopter landed in 1982 when he said Mass in the old Wembley Stadium. Looking to the future, the parish is building a new catechetical centre from ‘Growing in Faith’ money on a lawn in front of the church because they are running out of space in the current pastoral centre. It is certainly a parish where the Faith is alive and well for the next generation. I always thought that one of the mysteries of the diocese was the need for three parishes in Wembley; surely you could consolidate them all into one? But after visiting St Joseph’s and hearing about the number of people that come through the doors each week, putting all those parishes together would be impossible. Unless, of course, they used the nearby Wembley Arena for Mass. But By Chris O’Callaghan how refreshing it was to leave the parish knowing it is full to bursting point. Maybe the combined prayers of 2,000 people might improve the fortunes of the England national team next time they play at Wembley though? The interior of the church with its low domed ceiling and green interior. Statue of St Kuriakose gifted to the parish from the CMI community in Kerala, India The exterior of the church Page 9 PP Wembley 1_Layout 1 22/01/2015 14:32 Page 1