A Brief History of the Parish

1925 First church opened on 11th October in former “button factory” on corner of Lower Addiscombe Road and Brockenhurst Road.
1939 Fr James Barraud appointed Priest in Charge, living at
393 Lower Addiscombe Road.
1940 Church damaged by incendiary bomb on 6th September.
1943 Church repaired.
1944 Fr John McKenna appointed Priest in Charge on 1st December.
1949 No.s 147-151 Bingham Road purchased. Fr McKenna takes up residence in 147 in November.
1958 Parish Hall completed in June on site of 149 Bingham Road.
1964 New church completed on site of 151 and opened on 8th December. Addiscombe becomes a parish and Fr John McKenna the first Parish Priest.
1965 Ladies of Mary (subsequently renamed Daughters of Mary and Joseph) move into Shirley Court. In September Coloma School moves from Tavistock Road to new building in Upper Shirley Road.
1975 Daughters of Mary and Joseph establish Provincial House in Fitzjames Avenue. Church consecrated on 2nd October.
1978 Death of Fr McKenna 2nd February. Fr Martin Kensington appointed Parish Priest
1981 Death of Fr Kensington on 8th August. Monsignor John Moran appointed Parish Priest.
1992 Retirement of Monsignor Moran on 7th October (died 25th November 1995). Fr Peter Stodart appointed Parish Priest
2003 Fr Peter Stodart moves to be Parish Priest at Tunbridge Wells. Fr Joe O’Connor appointed Parish Priest
2017 Fr Joe O’Connor retires as Parish Priest in September. Fr Keith Sylvia is appointed Parish Priest.
2019 Fr Sebastian Jackson joins as Assistant Parish Priest.
2024 Fr Sebastian Jackson moves to Wimbledon as an Assistant Parish Priest. Fr Tomasz Margol joins us from Ham as Assistant Parish Priest.