Anglican Catholic Church

Church of Our Lady of Walsingham and Saint Francis

Within the grounds of Fort Pitt Military Cemetery, City Way, Rochester, Kent

Contacts

Parish Priest - The Very Revd Raymond Thompson Tel: 01634 319860 Email: FrRay@dotmlf.co.uk

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Check the times of upcoming Masses and read the prayer list ...

Profile ...

The Mission was established in Strood in the Medway Towns in 1993 and originally dedicated simply to Saint Francis. Confusion sometimes arose because there was another church in that area with the same dedication, so the decision was made to add an additional Patron. This is how Our Lady of Walsingham was added to the dedication of our Mission.

In City Way, Rochester, there is a Military Cemetery close to the Napoleonic Fort Pitt. The cemetery was founded in the 1850s and the earliest graves are of soldiers killed in the Crimea. Its Chapel is owned by the Army and in 2001 the Father (now Bishop) Damien Mead, who was parish priest at that time, obtained permission for us to use the chapel. We have transformed the inside of the chapel into a fitting place in which to offer traditional Catholic worship, and our congregation has seen slow but steady growth over the last few years.

Annual occasions, such as the blessing and rededication of individual graves for those who request it are popular events and further the good relationship we have with those who come to visit the last resting places of their loved ones.

Our Patronal Festival each October is always very well attended and we are fortunate in having lovely grounds in which to have (weather permitting) an outdoor procession and picnic.

Father Raymond Thompson became parish priest in June 2003, and in October 2008 Bishop Mead appointed him Dean of the Southern deanery of the Diocese of the United Kingdom.

Service Times

Sunday

The following services will be held at our Lady of Walsingham & St Francis of Assisi, Rochester, Kent:
Ash Wednesday (17th February) 7.30pm Mass with Ashing
On the First & Third Sundays in March and April
Lent III (7th March) 4pm Mass
Passion Sunday (21st March) 4pm Mass
Easter Day (4th April) 4pm Mass
Easter II (18th April) 4pm Mass
The Bishop will provide cover for these services whilst Father Raymond Thompson (The Parish Priest) continues to recover from his recent major operation. All questions or enquiries regarding Rochester should be directed to the Diocesan Office on 01797 321704 for the time being.

Tuesday & Friday

See above

Holy Days of Obligation

See above

Notices

- We usually have tea, coffee and biscuits after Mass on Sundays

- Car Park & Toilet within the cemetery grounds

- Rail Stations – Rochester and Chatham stations are both about 20 minute walks

- We are about 5 minutes from M2 motorway

Map

Gallery