Holy Family Parish Sanderstead
Part of the Archdiocese of Southwark
"I wish all our visitors to this website, great peace and joy.
I hope you enjoy exploring our site and discovering the varied life of our vibrant parish.
If you would like to join us for the celebration of Holy Mass, you will be welcomed with open arms.
So too, if you would like to join in any of our events and meetings, it will be a pleasure to see you.
If there is anything I can do to help or support you, please let me know.
With assurance of my prayers and warmest best wishes"
Fr Malachy
Our History
The parish of The Holy Family in Sanderstead was the brainchild of one remarkable priest; the Rev. William Pritchard, parish priest of St. Gertrude's, South Croydon, 1933 - 1955. Until 1921 the only two Catholic churches serving the whole of Croydon were St. Mary's, West Croydon, which was founded in 1863 and St. Gertrude's in 1903. Fr. Pritchard carried through an earlier idea that such a large area should be broken into smaller parochial units. So it was that Mass centres were formed in Selsdon (1921), Purley (1931), Waddon (1933) and Sanderstead (1942). In a very real way, St. Gertrude's church is the 'Mother Church' of all the above.
Plans for the acquisition of a plot of land, for the future of our church, began in 1946 when Misses Cox and Richardson gave up property and Father Hanrahan arranged for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Southwark to buy the land and the property. In February 1951, the first resident parish priest Father Michael Moriarty and the mission church began and then It was not until December 1956 until the church was opened and blessed by Bishop Cyril Cowderoy.
After all these years the parish is still thriving. Our parish priests during this period have been:-
Fr. Michael Moriarty (RIP) 1951 - 1953
Fr. Thomas Cambourne (RIP) 1953 - 1954
Fr. Joseph Ward (RIP) 1954 - 1970
Fr. Gerard Furey (RIP) 1970 - 1973
Fr. John Byrne (RIP) 1974
Fr. Terence Quinlan (RIP) 1974 – 1984
Fr. John Hartley (RIP) 1984 – 2013
Fr. Augustine Kinnane 2013 – 2017
Monsignor. Malachy Keegan 2017 - NOW
Our parish was blessed to have Monsignor. Malachy Keegan appointed as our shepherd and Parish Priest in 2017. He and the parish community community warmly welcomes all with open arms, to join us for the celebration of Holy Mass and the building of our Family Community here at Holy Family.
Our Purpose
The Holy Family in Sanderstead, Surrey is a Christian Catholic community serving the Sanderstead community and seeking, engaging, and encouraging others through a life-changing Christian journey.
We seek to be a loving, friendly community that worships God. We love and follow Jesus.
We strive together to build a community of disciples ready to be loved, to love and to serve based on the knowledge that we all have a purpose; having been masterfully designed by God.
We have been designed for mission, created for mission. We have been placed on this earth at this time to fulfil a specific mission and it is up to each and every member to embrace and fulfil their mission.
