WHO'S WHO AT ST. GREG'S?

Fr Dennis F.P. Touw MA

Fr Dennis was appointed as parish priest of St Gregory the Great by Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor in September 2002, and moved into the presbytery with his elderly mother towards the end of that month. He came from the parish of St. Monica at Palmers Green where he had been an assistant priest for some eight and a half years, as well as chaplain to Finchley Catholic High School.

In 2005 Fr. Dennis was also appointed, by His Eminence, as the National Director of the Archconfraternity of St Stephen (the altar servers Guild). The parish of St Gregory the Great has one of the largest numbers of altar servers and Fr Dennis is very keen to encourage these youngsters in their committment to their Catholic faith. The guild of St Stephen has also long been a source of vocations to the priesthood and the religous life.

In 2006 Fr Dennis, after being requested to do so by the Cardinal, took on the role of Director for the annual Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes. As a regular visitor to the shrine he was very happy to do so, and although this is a huge undertaking, as well over 1,000 pilgrims travel out every summer, most of the work is done by a truly excellent committee who meet every month to facilitate the smooth running of the pilgrimage.

As a Canon Lawyer, Fr. Dennis also works about one day a week at the Diocesan Marriage Tribunal at Vaughan House.

Fr Dennis was born in 1949 in the Catholic south of Holland in the city of Eindhoven. The family moved to England and settled in the West Midlands. He was educated at Bromsgrove School before moving on to university to study medicine.

Before going up to university he worked for almost two years at St. Christopher's Hospice in Sydenham in south London. St Christopher's was at that time in the forefront of hospice care.

During that time his parents retired to the island of Malta, where they had long had holiday connections. So it was that Fr Dennis ended up going to Malta to study medicine.

The years in Malta were to have a profound effect on his faith and certainly enhanced the sense of vocation that he had had since his mid teens. After leaving the Royal University of Malta he worked for three years with the British Forces Broadcasting Service before coming back to England to train at Chichester for the ministry of the Church of England. In 1980 he was ordained to serve the Anglican community at St. John's in Pinner. This was followed by a curacy in Willesden Green before becoming vicar at Ss. Peter and Paul at Enfield.

It was from that parish that he was received into the Catholic church and begun his journey towards ordination in the Catholic church. He was ordained about a year after reception by the late Cardinal, Basil Hume in 1995.

Gillian Harrington - The Parish Secretary

I moved to South Ruislip in 1987 from Stonebridge. I previously worshipped at the Church of the Five Precious Wounds where I was an active member in the community, helping to run the Parish Youth Club and assisting in the various activities held in the parish.

I now live in South Ruislip with my daughter Charlotte who is at present at the School of the Sacred Heart at Hammersmith. I have been Parish Secretary at St. Gregorys since the summer of 2001.

Gillian can usually be contacted at the parish office on 020 8845 2186 on Monday and Thursday mornings. She is also in charge of the "Planned Giving" scheme in our parish.

This is an important and rewarding way in which we can support our church and community. If you are interested in joining and having a set of weekly offertory envelopes, contact Gillian!

Michael Conway De Waterford - Altar Servers Guild and Sacristan

Sheila and I were married at the church of St Thomas More in Eastcote on 29th August 1964, and came to live in a bungalow in The Croft, South Ruislip, which is behind the church of St Gregory. We, therefore, witnessed the blessing of the ground and construction of the church.

I took over the training of the altar servers when Mervyn Aggett left the parish in 1975. Prior to this I was still serving at the Sacred Heart church in Ruislip, where I had originally started in 1939. I was enrolled into the Guild of St Stephen in 1943.

Much to my surprise, Fr Michael Connor, during his time as parish priest, presented me with the Guild's Gold Medal in February 1996.

I have two children, Christopher and Catherine, who are both happily married, each having 3 lovely children. Once our children had married, Sheila and I moved to a bungalow in North Harrow in March 1996. In the same year I retired from work as a Projects Manager for a water treatment company. Most regrettably, my beloved Sheila died in May 1999 from liver cancer.

Anyone wishing to become an altar server should speak to Michael after the Parish Mass on Sunday morning.

Theresa Sullivan - Catechetical Co-ordinator

My husband and I came to London with our 5 children in 1998 from Boston, Massachusetts. It has been an adventure that has lasted not 2 years as planned but over 6 years and has widened our perspective of the world. We have had children in St Swithun Wells School , Field End School and St Joan of Arc school.

From 1984-88 I trained to become a nurse at a Benedictine University taking multiple courses in theology and have taught catechism to children who are from 3 to 13 years old. I had been a catechist for 4 years in the US and 6 years here in England at St Gregory's Parish. In the states I have worked as an Oncology and hospice nurse since 1988 and presently work as a staff nurse at Mt Vernon Cancer Centre.

Theresa is now also in charge of the parish "Walk With Me" programme. This programme is specifically designed to help those children who, unfortunately, have not secured a place at a Catholic school. Before such children start the 1st Reconciliation and Communion course they must attend "Walk With Me" for two years. For further information on this course please consult the weekly newsletter - everyone is most welcome. Post 1st Communion children - not in Catholic school - are encouraged to continue attending until their Confirmation.

Marie Fernandes, Co-ordinator - First Reconciliation and Communion

I moved to South Ruislip, with my husband David, in September 1993. The parish and community of St Gregory the Great have been an important part of my life since then.

I have two daughters who were baptised in the church, then attended St Swithun Wells and followed the First Sacraments programmes at St Gregory's before moving on to our local catholic secondary school The Douay Martyrs. I have been involved in the First Reconciliation and First Communion programme at St Gregory's since 2003 and took over co-ordination of the courses in 2006.

We have spent some time in trying to find a good core programme for the children to follow and have now settled on the We Believe and Celebrate series from Sadlier. These books have been written with a specific focus on preparation for First Reconciliation and Communion.

At St Gregory's we have a strong team of catechists to guide our children through the programme as well as to supplement learning where necessary and offer practical help and guidance. Being part of the programme offers a way to be more involved in our parish community and share our faith with our children.

There is always a place for new catechists in the First Sacraments programme as well as in other roles such as assisting with the children at Saturday and Sunday masses and the Walk With Me Course for those attending non Catholic schools. To find out more please contact Fr Dennis in the first instance.

Bridget Jansen - Our Child Protection Officer

I qualified as a registered nurse in 1977, and have worked for the past 20 years in the acute area of the NHS. My current position is that of Senior Nurse/Modern Matron for the Transplant Unit at Harefield.

My experience as a Senior Nurse has allowed me to be privy to some very special moments with patients and their families. These experiences have had a deep emotional impact upon my faith. I always believe in following commitments through to completion.

I am approachable and experienced at dealing with confidential issues; all components that I hope will enable me to fulfil the role of Child Protection Officer to the best of my ability.

When I married Barry in 1986, I made a commitment then to God to bring our children up as Catholics. From the time they were born, I accompanied Barry to Mass. It was this sharing of our faith that made me convert eight years ago.

I have often wondered afterwards why I ever took so long.

CHILD PROTECTION POLICY STATEMENT We recognise that each person is made in the image and likeness of God, and is therefore endowed with immense dignity.
In the Old Testament, both the Law and the Prophets challenge God's people to respect and safeguard the rights of the most vulnerable.
In the New Testament, Jesus shows a special tenderness and regard for the rights and well-being of the child.
The Church is called to be a community that gives witness to the love of God by valuing and caring for the most vulnerable.
It is therefore the policy of St Gregory's Parish to protect children and young people from physical, emotional, or sexual abuse and to provide a safe environment for them.
Child protection procedures have been established to minimise the risk of harm to our young people and to help parish workers and volunteers in identifying ways of safeguarding the best interests of all entrusted to their care.

Barry Jansen - Confirmation Programme Co-ordinator

I have been a member of the St Gregory's parish community since 1990 - after a job re-location from rural North Wales though originally very much a West London lad. My dad had a phrase that you "must give something back".

I think that is particularly pertinent in a one man parish such as we have, and my main contribution over the past few years has been co-ordinating our confirmation program - not always the easiest of tasks but immensely rewarding. We normally get around 25 young people enrolling, and only very rarely do candidates drop out.

This year after the tremendous response to Father Dennis' appeal for volunteers to assist with the various catechetical activities undertaken at Saint Gregory's - I gained a wonderful team of catechists in the form of Theresa Sullivan, John Forde, Katrina Thomas and Dolores Roddy.

We are currently "resting" but will start our next program later on in the Autumn.

Bernard Luis - Chair of Governors at St. Swithun Wells School.

My wife, Bertha and I moved into the Parish almost 20 years ago, and our family has grown in the warmth and security of this welcoming community. Our two sons, Francis and James attend the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School in Holland Park. I work in the water supply industry, looking after control and instrumentation systems and both Bertha and myself have been actively involved in various aspects of parish life throughout our time here. I have been a governor at our parish school since 1992, and am currently officiating as Chair of Governors.

St. Swithun Wells School was built on the same founding principles of St. Gregory's and has consistently striven to provide a stimulating environment for generations of children from neighbouring parishes and ours. As Chair, I am part of a dedicated team of governors that assists the Head Teacher, Tom Campbell and his staff to deliver a wholesome education, underpinned by strong Christian values. Of the twelve governors on the Board, seven are Foundation Governors that have been nominated by the Diocese to uphold the Catholic ethos within school life. Our Parish owes a great debt to our founding parishioners, who had the foresight to form a Catholic primary school within the parish, and I hope that I can serve our community in the same manner that my predecessors did.

Tom Campbell - Head Teacher at St. Swithun Wells School.

St. Swithun Wells Roman Catholic School is a Voluntary Aided Co-educational Day School.

At St Swithun Wells School, we aim to create a caring, welcoming Christian environment in which the love God is present, so that all members of our community - children, parents, teaching and non-teaching staff, can grow spiritually, and to create an industrious and stimulating learning environment in which the potential of each child can be fully developed. We do hope that all our families will participate fully in the life of our school.

As we are a Catholic School, we seek to foster the beliefs and traditions of the Catholic Church. This will call for adequate education in the Faith so that children can learn to live by it.

Diversity resulting from age, gender, racial and social origins is regarded as enriching to the school community and consequently, all members of that community shall be held in equal esteem. This school is concerned that all its members will respect and appreciate each other's cultural background and heritage. It affirms that any form of racism is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Positive steps will be taken to ensure that no aspect of the curriculum will reflect discrimination against any race or culture. Members of staff will encourage children in their awareness and appreciation of the many cultures which contribute to the richness of the society in which we live.

All pupils attending St Swithun Wells School are regarded as being of equal value. Each has a right to an education which will contribute to personal, social and intellectual fulfilment and preparation for adult life in terms of citizenship and the world of work. Moreover, it is expected that all school staff will take positive steps to ensure that each pupil regardless of race, gender or ability has this entitlement.

The picture to the right is displayed on the front wall of our school and shows St. Swithun Wells - Martyr of the Reformation.

Born at Brambridge, Hampshire, about 1536; hanged at Gray's Inn Lane, London, opposite his own house, 10 December, 1591. Our martyr was a follower of Blessed Thomas More and jested both at his apprehension and at his execution; but his last words were of pardon to his persecutor, Topcliffe: "God pardon you and make you of a Saul a Paul. . .I heartily forgive you."