Year of St Paul    

   "I want you to be happy, always happy in the Lord"

Phil 4:4

Fr. Tom Lavin writes:

Welcome to the parish of SS. Peter & Paul's, Ilford.   We are a worshipping community of nearly one thousand people, from many different countries.  At SS. Peter & Paul's, because of our Catholic faith, we are dedicated to:

• Worshipping God and celebrating the Sacraments
• Growing in knowledge of  Jesus Christ and sharing him with others
• Supporting each other and anyone in need
• Supporting the wider community via the Cardinal Heenan Centre

The Church is open

8.00 am – 10.00pm, Monday - Friday

8.00am – 12.00 noon Saturday.

On Sundays the Church is open 8.00 am - 1 pm

with Rosary and Benediction at 4.00pm

The church then remains open until after 6.00pm Mass. 

For full details of our additional Parish Liturgy and Devotions (Morning Prayer, Daily Rosary and Novenas) please see the Sacraments and / or Newsletters page.

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament 

 Mon to Fri from 8 am till 10 pm

SS.Peter & Paul's parish is situated in the London Borough of Redbridge and has at present a Mass attendance of approximately 1000 each Sunday. It is estimated that the actual Catholic population is around 4000. The parish supports four schools, two primary and two secondary, but these have a multi-parish intake. In general it is a multi-faith, multi-cultural area and several organisations exist to promote ecumenism (e.g. Town Centre Churches Forum) and multi-cultural events. Communications for travel are excellent and the area is served by both buses and over-ground rail services. Central London (Liverpool St.) is about 20 mins by rail from Ilford Station. Several new affordable housing developments have taken place and this, together with recent immigration from Easter Europe, has increased the population and therefore the need for further pastoral initiatives. In the early summer of 2009 the parish will experience a mission given by the Redemptorist mission team from Clapham, South London and some of the preliminary work has already been undertaken.  The parish also has responsibility for the Cardinal Heenan Centre which is situated next to the church. It provides accommodation for a number of organisations that offer social and pastoral support to the wider community.  We are at present negotiating with CAFOD to provide administration space for their activities in the diocese. In addition there is a sizeable Parish Centre which comprises two halls, a kitchen, two offices and three meeting rooms. Two of these are in the process of being leased to the Cardinal Heenan Centre but for youth activities space should not be an issue.   As a community, the parish of SS. Peter and Paul's values a collaborative model of Ministry and we feel it is important that young people are given the opportunity for and expectation of involvement in parish life in all its forms and variety.        

SS. PETER & PAUL'S

History

1896 - The church a corrugated iron structure near Ilford Hill was given parochial status and Rev. Bede Wrigley hands over to Fr. Patrick Palmer.

1898 - Cardinal Vaughan lays foundation stone of present church.

1899 – Church opened by Cardinal Vaughan.

1900 – Work starts on SS.P.P. High Road School.

1906 – Tower added to the church.

1925 – Lord Mayor of London opens The Guildhall.

1927 – St. Vincent's Becontree becomes a parish

1928 – St. Augustine's Church opens

1930 – Fr. John Carmel Heenan ordained at SS.P.P. (In 1965 he became Cardinal)

1948 – Canon Palmer died. Bishop Beck acts as parish priest.

1951 – Work starts on St. Theresa's at Newbury Park on land bought by Canon Palmer.

1956 – Fr. Martin Hancock takes over the parish.

1961 – Canon Palmer's School opens.

1966 - St. Cedds opens and takes over part of parish

1967 – Canon John Walsh takes charge

1967 – St. John the Baptist Church opens

1973 – Fr. Kieran Dodd becomes P. P

1985 – SS.P.P. New School opens in Gordon Road

1988 – Fr. Pat Cavanagh becomes P.P

1993 – Adoration Chapel opened

1994 – Ilford Catholic Club 75^th Anniversary

1996 – Parish Celebrates Centenary

2001 – Fr. Cavanagh dies

2001 – Fr Tom Lavin becomes P.P.

2001 - Church Tower Bell installed Click for details

2006 – Parish Celebrates 110 years

Historical detail taken from
"The First Hundred and Ten Years"
by Peter Foley 

 "Without God we cannot, without us God will not"

St. Augustine