The Work of Parish Pastoral Council
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“A talking shop”; “I went to the AGM this year and it doesn’t seem to have done anything”; “The Parish Council is just making our lives more difficult”; “I really do not know what the Parish Council does”. These are just some of the comments I have heard recently about the Parish Council. Do I agree? Well yes and no.
Firstly let us just look at ourselves. We have in our Parish a large Church and a Friary, part of which, thanks to the work of previous Friars and Parish Councils, is a community centre known as the Becket Centre. We have also several priests serving the Parish. But they are now ageing, many should have retired and those that are still working are increasingly frail. In this we are not unique - other parishes have the same or worse problems, so much so the Bishop is planning to partner parishes throughout the diocese. In our case the intention is to connect us to St Anne Line (S. Woodford) and Our Lady of Lourdes in Wanstead.
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If you have any questions for the Parish Council, please email parishcouncil@stthomaswoodford.org and we will forward your question to the appropriate team.
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Parish Council Members
Father Michael Copps
Mike O'Sullivan
Deanery Pastorial Council
Having been brought up in Dagenham and moved to Gants Hill when i got married in 1965 I am married to Julia and have two boys Mark & Neil and three granddaughter Evie,Ella and May I have been part of Parish for 5 years and on the parish Council for 2 years as Deanery Representative I am also involved in other Ministries within the Parish
Deacon Matthew Ives
I was born in Woodford Green, baptised at St.Thomas' and have been a parishioner throughout my life. I have been married to Julia for 38 years and we have had three children. Recently I retired from full time employment having spent 40 years practising law. In 2012 I was ordained as a deacon by Bishop Thomas who I am happy to say allocated me to serve in this parish.
Paul Turpin
Parish Council Member
Born in Chingford I moved to Woodford in 1953 aged 7. Active in the Movement for a Better World in the late seventies and eighties, both in the parish and elsewhere. Was the parish representative on the Diocesan Pastoral Council in the early eighties, and was part of the steering group which meet regularly with the bishop in Brentwood. Now back on the parish council and involved in the becket centre and adult formation through its sub-groups. 3 children, 8 grandchildren (aged 15 to 1).
Bernard Hunter
Chair of PPC
Sheelagh and I moved to the parish in 1978, just as Fr Brian was starting his time as PP.
Two of our three children were born here, and all went to St Antony's, so we're starting to feel quite well established.
I have been active in the Parish from the start, but never on the PPC.
I look forward to contributing to the exciting times ahead, building on the foundations of an inclusive parish with proper lay involvement that have been laid by Fr Quentin and Kit.
Rob Fernandes
Parish Council Member
Kit Tramner
Parish Council Member
Peter Robson
Parish Council member
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