Church Groups
There are a number of varied Groups both in St Teresa’s and in the Parish as a whole. You are always welcome to come along and be part of what these groups do to help build our community, and to reach out beyond to those in need.
50/50 Club
The club is one of the regular major fund raising activities in the year. Members pay £12 per year for each number they purchase. Draws take place monthly in the community room, usually on the last Sunday after the 10.30am Mass. As the name suggests, 50% of the income is returned in prize money and 50% goes to Church funds.
Those interested in joining do so for a full year and subscriptions are collected in November and December each year in time for the first draw in January.
For further details contact Richard Franklin by email.
Union of Catholic Mothers
There are 14 foundations in the Diocese of which Merstham is one.
A brief history of the Merstham foundation. It was founded in 1959 when the church of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus was built originally under the diocese of Southwark. This changed to A&B when the diocese boundaries changed in the 1970s.
A large number of national officers are originally from the Merstham foundation, a fact of which we are proud, particularly as we are a small unit currently with only 24 members. We would like to expand our membership and also help other parishes to establish their own foundations - we see the web as a possible source of this.
The objectives of the UCM are briefly:-
- To help catholic married women to appreciate the sacramental character, responsibilities and permanence of marriage and to live in unselfish love observing the laws of God and his church.
- To assist them to bring up their children as practising Catholics and public spirited citizens.
- To teach and defend Christian values in family life and to ensure a Catholic education for their children.
- To offer love, sympathy and practical help to the family in difficulty.
- To foster vocations to Life especially in Christian marriage and family life and in the priesthood and religious life.
Our help in the parish is wide and varied, including visits and help to the sick and needy, help with transport, catechism, church flowers, ministering and the traditional roles such as manning the tea & cake stalls at various fetes, openings, jumble sales etc.
Fundraising is both a local and national objective including many overseas projects.
We have a recollection day, Annual Pilgrimage to Walsingham in Norfolk which is held every July and attracts UCM members from all over the UK. Click here to view pictures of past UCM events.
To view our current programme dates click here and for further information please contact one of the following committee members:-
President: Anne Ager - Tel: 01737 767204
Secretary: Linda Corcoran - Tel: 01737 763922
Treasurer: Patricia Wilding - Tel: 01737 279080
Or by Email or by link to
National UCM Website
SVP (The Saint Vincent de Paul Society)
The SVP was founded over 170 years ago by some Parisian students. The society is now one of the largest lay organisations within the Church with over 900,000 members in 131 countries.
St Teresa's SVP is a small group who are involved in visiting people in their own homes, in hospital and residential and nursing homes. Person to person contact is of the essence of our work. We help anyone in need in our community regardless of race or religion.
The SVP operates a twinnage scheme whereby a group in a richer country is linked in the third world through prayer, correspondence and money. St. Teresa's is twinned with a SVP group in Kerala in southern India and we support them by sending them some money four times a year. We exchange letters and we are amazed at how much they achieve with so little. It is very humbling and an inspiration for us in Merstham.
We have recently sponsored the training of two student nurses in India. We help to pay for essentials like chiropody in the care homes we visit, and help youngsters have a holiday.
SVP has recently introduced a friends scheme where full membership is not compulsory but you will be able to support the work of the Society by donating an annual sum of £15.
For further information contact Pamela Schwenk or visit the SVP Website.
Catenians
The Catenian Association is an international body of Catholic men, mainly (but not exclusively) from the professions and the world of business. Bound together by their Catholicism, members seek to increase the faith through personal and collective example; to foster friendship amongst the members and their families; to provide spiritual, financial and moral support for those in difficulty or need; to provide support to the Catholic clergy; and to help young Catholics in their early careers.
The Catenian Bursary Fund recently provided financial support for three St. Bede's students in Tanzania during the summer vacation.
Founded in 1908, the Association now has about ten thousand members in the UK, South Africa, Australia, Ireland, Hong Kong, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malta. Members belong to 'Circles', the Reigate circle being our local one. In addition to monthly meetings, sometimes followed by a dinner, each Circle has a range of social and spiritual activities, often involving other family members. Local Circles, such as Reigate, also raise money for individual charities.
To find out more, please contact or visit the Association website.
Music at St. Teresa's
Music at St. Teresa's is an important ingredient which, under the direction and management of Pat & Vivienne O'Byrne consists of a music group which plays at the 10.30 am Mass every Sunday and it is they who deal with this aspect of the liturgy.
The Group has been in existence since 1980 and is always looking for new members. The threshold level is not an issue and, over the years, there have been members as young as five. If you are interested or know of anyone that is, please contact Pat on 01737 643297. As before, new recruits are always welcome.
Our principal cantor, Philip Schwenk, often leads the parishioners at the Sunday morning Mass, for the Gloria and the Psalm.