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IMPACT<br />
REPORT<br />
2021 in a <strong>Southwark</strong> Parish: sorrow turned to joy.<br />
Corpus Christi Catholic Church, Brixton<br />
This proved to be quite a challenge<br />
since we were only welcoming around<br />
50% of our pre-lockdown congregation,<br />
however, that has steadily improved.<br />
It was great to have people back<br />
despite reduced numbers: to celebrate<br />
weddings, Baptisms, First Holy<br />
Communions and plan forward with our<br />
Parish AGM.<br />
While the experience of living in lockdown is one that none of us<br />
want to repeat, 2021 also brought with it the vaccination programme,<br />
reduced hospitalisations and a return to “normal” parish life which<br />
was welcome. In looking back I note items in the Calendar such<br />
as “removal of barriers from Church” indicating the end of social<br />
distancing and also the online booking system to attend Mass which -<br />
while serving as a useful tool for public safety - did have the effect of<br />
discouraging attendance.<br />
As people gained confidence we experienced an - albeit slow - return<br />
from the sofas to the pews in greater numbers and a change from<br />
catechesis via Zoom to in-person which<br />
was so very welcome. There were the<br />
usual programmes of preparing children<br />
for the sacraments of initiation and<br />
adults through the RCIA but also a new<br />
Sunday youth group for those in year<br />
6-8. It was the beginning of something<br />
significant as we now welcome over<br />
thirty children on a Sunday afternoon<br />
and run a post- Confirmation youth<br />
group on Friday evenings too. Our<br />
live-stream service across Facebook<br />
and YouTube proved popular in<br />
attracting parishioners to stay with us<br />
but we disconnected it once public<br />
Mass became the norm in order to<br />
encourage people to “come home” as<br />
the Archbishop invited us to do.<br />
Our plans were somewhat undermined<br />
at the end of the year by the pre-<br />
Christmas concerns around Omicron<br />
and the cancellation of events. It did<br />
seem that this would be temporary,<br />
however, and so - thanks be to God - it<br />
proved to be. 2021 was, therefore, a<br />
year of two halves in which sorrow<br />
turned to joy and - despite the<br />
disappointment of dreaded restrictions<br />
returning in December - we had<br />
experienced the joy of being together<br />
again in Christ and so never lost hope.<br />
Fr Matthew O’Gorman is Parish Priest of<br />
Corpus Christi Parish in Brixton Hill.<br />
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