Clergy
St Thomas of Canterbury,
Sevenoaks
St Bernadette's,
West Kingsdown
Churches
Welcome to the Roman Catholic Parish of St Thomas of Canterbury, Sevenoaks. There are four churches in our parish. You are welcome at any or all of them.
The principal church is in the town of Sevenoaks itself. It is dedicated to St. Thomas of Canterbury (Becket).
Mass has been celebrated on this site since 1880. Our present church has been built since then with main additions in 1894, 1927 and 1994.
The Church of The Most Holy Trinity in Otford was completed in 1981. A previous building was aquired in 1944 for use as a Catholic Church and was inaugurated on Trinity Sunday and was dedicated to the Holy Trinity that year.
The Church of St. Bernadette's, West Kingsdown was completed in 1988. Previously, since 1947, Masses were held in private homes, particularly at Redcourt, West Kingsdown.
The Church at St. Joseph's, Borough Green was opened in 2017 and consecrated on 1st February 2020. Previously a hall was used for Masses. The site was purchased at an auction in 1957 for use for Catholic worship.
The Catholic Parish of Sevenoaks is part of the Latin Rite Archdiocese of Southwark.
All enquiries should be addressed to the Parish Office or to the Presbytery.
Fr. Piotr Kucharski
Parish Priest
Most Holy Trinity,
Otford
St Joseph's,
Borough Green
Maintenance Fundraising Project for St Thomas's Presbytery and Church
Project Aim –
To raise £200,000 for urgent and ongoing maintenance of St Thomas’s Presbytery and Church. To be utilised over years 2025/2026/2027 in conjunction with existing Parish reserves.
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Financial Overview Summary
Presbytery (year 2025)
* Replacement of front elevation windows £37,100
* Repairs to the chimney stacks and elevation £5,940
* Phased internal decoration £8,000
TOTAL £51,040
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Church (year 2025)
* Electrical works to the Church £10,000
* Roof repairs £3,600
* Phased redecoration/renewal of floors in the Nave/Sanctuary £10,000
TOTAL £23,600
Total of works (year 2025) TOTAL £74,640
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Presbytery and Church Expenditure (years 2026/2027)
Surveyor’s Fees – estimated £10,000
Total of projected works 2026/2027 – detailed summary of works/estimates
available upon request. £165, 360
TOTAL. £175,360
Utilised Parish reserves - £50,000
GRAND TOTAL (years 2025/2026/2027) - £200,000
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Questions/Answers
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Q1
What is the purpose of this fundraising project?
A1
To raise funds for urgent and essential repairs to St Thomas’ Presbytery and Church.
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Q2
Why are we being asked for money again? We recently donated to the Parish Centre…..
A2
This is an entirely separate project – It’s all about, making the Presbytery compliant with current Health & Safety regulations. There’s an urgent need to ensure that our Parish priests and visiting priests are provided with accommodation and facilities to an appropriate modern standard. St Thomas’s church also requires an upgrade to the electrical works to include a Healthy & Safety need for emergency lighting and fire exit signs on escape routes. So, this is about complying with current Health & Safety legislation, necessary maintenance and being Fit for Purpose.
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Q3
Can't we get funding from the Diocese? Isn't Southwark Diocese rich?
A3
Southwark Archdiocese is large and encompasses a number of affluent areas (like Sevenoaks) but also some very poor areas which need significant support. In fact, the cash flow goes the other way - we as a Parish send a monthly stipend to the Southwark Archdiocese to support the work.
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Q4
Can't we just pay for what needs doing right now?
A4
That has what has been done to date: what we are asking for now is to project forward, asking for funds both for current maintenance/remediation needs as well as for necessary remedial work identified for the next three years.
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Q5
What will happen to the funds which are raised but not utilised?
A5
Surplus parish funds are governed by rules that the archdiocese has around safeguarding of funds: the Finance Committee will oversee this, but essentially, funds have to sit on one or more time deposits and earn a market rate of return until utilised.
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Q6
Couldn't we get a grant of some sort?
A6
Essentially, no. We got a grant for the Parish Centre because it was for community (not just Catholic, but wider community) use; work on the Presbytery will be for a residence, and so not eligible. Also, given much of the money will be for remediation, this will not be available for a grant.
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Q7
How can I donate - does it need to be a lump sum? Or can I pay over time?
A7
Entirely down to you - a contribution can be in any form - whether lump sum or regular payments over time by payments made to the parish bank account (details of which are available from the parish office) or via the parish website and our JustGiving account https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sevenoaksparish
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Q8
I am not in a financial position to help - should I feel bad?
A8
Absolutely not. Give what you can - funding, prayers, support in other ways.
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Q9
What do we currently have in parish reserves, and why do we need to raise additional funds?
A9
We currently have £200,000 in parish reserves which after completion of the work on the St Thomas’ Presbytery and Church will reduce to circa £125,000, and the projected budget for further building work required in 2026 and 2027 is £175,000. The Parish Finance Committee has recommended maintaining at least £150,000 in reserves to meet the ongoing needs of our parish with its extensive building footprint and activities, hence the need to raise £100,000 in 2025 and a further £100,000 in 2026 to sustainably deliver such projected building remedial works over the coming three years. (£200k-£75k+100k-£175k+£100k = £150k)
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Q10
What happens if costs overrun?
A10
A 10%+ contingency has been built into the cost for such an eventuality.
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Q11
How are we making sure that we are getting the best value for money for this?
A11
The Finance Committee has oversight of all expenditure; a chartered surveyor and a project manager will be employed - every stage will have to be signed off by the project manager. Fr Peter will also be keeping a sharp eye on things that are ongoing!
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Q12
Surely, given what is happening in the world now, as Catholics, we need to help people who really need support, rather than spending money on improving things for ourselves?
A12
The sentiment is understandable but maintaining acceptable living conditions for our priests and ensuring our church buildings are fit for the purpose of our liturgies is not an optional extra but needs to be seen as absolutely essential maintenance. As we all experience with our own homes, there are issues with buildings that become dangerous/invalidate insurance over time. The fundraising is for exactly such issues. We appreciate it is difficult to ‘square it’, in a world where so many are suffering for want of funding, but we also need to recognize that our parish raises thousands of pounds every year in support of good causes and we need to invest in our parish, to ensure we can continue providing such support in future years.
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St Thomas’s Building Maintenance Committee Updated Estimate of Expenditure for 2025
Update in the light of meeting held on
3 April 2025
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Application for Parish Projects
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Gift Aid Scheme
What is Gift Aid?
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Gift Aid is the method used by the Government to allow charities, including the Church, to obtain a tax refund on donations made to them.
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At present we receive £25 for every £ 100 of donations made through Gift Aid.
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The Gift Aid scheme is simple, involves few formalities and is an essential source of revenue for the Church.
What is involved in joining the Gift Aid Scheme?
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To join the scheme you have to pay sufficient tax to cover the tax reclaimed on all your Gift Aid donations.
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You have to sign a standard declaration that your donations are to count for Gift Aid.
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Thereafter you only have to make sure that your donations are made in such a way that they can be recorded as made by you to the Church. The most common methods are
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By Standing Order
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By using special numbered weekly envelopes which are provided free of charge.
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Any amount as long as the donation shows your name and the church as recipient.
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What donations can be included?
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The Gift Aid declaration that you sign is in favour of the Diocese rather than the Parish, so all donations to the Parish and the Diocese can be included, for example: Offertory Collections, Easter and Christmas offerings, mass stipends, Parish and Diocesan second collections.
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Excluded are collections for charities that are separate from the Diocese, for example CAFOD and missionary societies. These may ask you to make Gift Aid declarations in their favour.
Other practical points
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As long as donations are made in an identifiable form there is no further action to be taken by donors. The actual tax recovery is made by the Diocese on behalf of the Parish. Donors who are liable to tax at the higher rates should keep a note of their donations, as they can obtain personal tax relief for the higher tax suffered.
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As and when payments are made by cheque the cheques should be made payable to RCAS St Thomas of Canterbury ( RC Diocese of Southwark is also acceptable).
You can obtain further information from the Parish Gift Aid Organiser. Email: Sean Corrigan
Or pop a note in the Offertory Collection.
Two pdf files to view or download:
Parish Safeguarding
The parish reps for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults are:
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Sevenoaks Parish Safeguarding Officer: Ken Baines (phone 0776 6171972 or email Sevenoaks Safeguarding Officer).
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Most Holy Trinity, Otford Safeguarding Rep (and Deputy Parish SO): Sally Kelly.
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St Joseph's, Borough Green Safeguarding Rep: Margaret Briggs.
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St Bernadette's, West Kingsdown Safeguarding Rep: Theresa Hood.
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St Thomas of Canterbury, Sevenoaks Safeguarding Rep: vacant.
If you think a child or adult is in immediate danger dial 999 and ask for the police. You can always contact the Archdiocese of Southwark Safeguarding Office on 020 7261 1606 or Safeguarding Office.
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For an urgent but not emergency matter contact Ken Baines as above. For advice or to raise a non-urgent concern contact the relevant rep listed above.