The Church of England parish of Saint John with Saint Andrew, Peckham, lies south of the River Thames within the London Borough of Southwark. Peckham sits between Camberwell to the west and Deptford to the east, with Bermondsey to the north and Nunhead to the south.
The Church of England operates a parish system and this parish is in East Peckham. It forms a fairly compact, fat L-shape within the area bounded by the Old Kent Road (A2), the elevated railway line from London Bridge, Peckham High Street (the A202, which continues eastward as Queen’s Road) and Peckham Hill Street (which turns into Willowbrook Road as it heads north).
This is an inner city parish in the heart of Peckham. There is increasingly mixed housing and in the last 7 years almost all available land has been built on; a new development at the end of Meeting House Lane is expected soon which will have considerable impact upon the church.
The church is seen as an equal partner within the community and has an important voice in urban regeneration in Peckham. Within the Parish are the regional office of The Children’s Society and The Peckham Settlement. There are a number of nurseries, two primary schools (one Roman Catholic, one community), both with nurseries, and one special needs primary school. Deprivation continues to be an issue in the area: the church is involved in migrant issues (over-stayers, refugees, lack of official papers, irregular or no employment).
The style of the worship at Saint John’s is modern catholic. The Congregation is ethnically diverse with a majority from West Africa, especially Nigerian and also a strong element from the Caribbean. There is a good age range with the number of young families increasing. The congregation are loyal to their catholic heritage and enjoy ritual as well as exploring some modern elements in the liturgy.
The life of the church community is firmly rooted in our Eucharistic fellowship. The Parish Mass at 9.45am on Sundays is the focus of our liturgical life. Incense is used each week and priests present at the service concelebrate. A developing choir enriches the liturgy, exploring both traditional and contemporary music.
Services during the week are considered very important. A weekday mass is held on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and a Requiem Mass is held on Mondays in Advent and Lent; feast days are also observed. A faithful group of people gather to support the said masses and it is hoped that this will continue to grow over time. A short homily focused on the gospel is an important part of these midweek masses. The regular pattern of morning and evening prayer in the chapel is a priority for the clergy.
The occasional offices form a central part of our pastoral concern for the parish as a whole. Requests for the Sacrament of Baptism and Marriage are increasing rapidly.
