Welcome to Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Acton led by the Spiritans Congregation. Our parish is supported by our Parish Priest, Fr. Patrick Adusei Poku CSSp, Assistant Priest Fr. Jude Kurumeh CSSp and Parish Deacon, Rev Tito Pereira.
“We are a Roman Catholic Religious Congregation founded in 1703. Over 300 years on, over 3000 professed and lay Spiritans, drawn from all continents, today carry out their mission of evangelization in more than 60 countries throughout the world”
Our Lady of Lourdes is a wonderful community for both priests and laity to respond to the challenge of the gospel and the call of Jesus Christ in His mission statement to be ‘good news’ to the poor, which here in Acton we too hear in our hearts.
Emmaus House
Next door to the presbytery is Emmaus House – a drop-in centre for the poor and homeless where those who Western society would choose to ignore or institutionalise can be met with dignity, fed, clothed and receive other services. Emmaus House began as the response of the Sacred Hearts Community and a group of parishioners who worked as volunteers, and although it is now funded by the local Council and the Irish Government together with continuing generous donations from parishioners and individuals in the area.
A new development of Emmaus House has been the purchase by the parish of a property just round the corner from the church to provide a place of welcome and companionship during those hours when Emmaus House is closed. Known as the Damien Centre it was opened and blessed on 5 November 1999 by Bishop Patrick O’Donoghue. The Centre is open from 4-8pm on weekdays and is staffed by a paid project worker and volunteers from the parish. It provides a much-needed shelter from the harsh weather for those who are homeless or inadequately housed, or indeed for anyone who would like light refreshments and to socialise. (For further information on Emmaus House and Damien Centre – including photographs – see specific pages on this web site.)
Many of the clients of Emmaus House are or have been drug or alcohol abusers. At present there is little to support them after a programme of detoxification, and they return to the streets where they are forced back into the company of others who are drinkers or drug addicts for companionship. With the support of the London Borough of Ealing and the help of a Housing Association, a six unit house has been acquired to provide a supported ‘half-way house’ which is being used as ‘dry’ accommodation to which clients of Emmaus House can be referred when no longer drinking.
Justice and Peace
Peace and Justice issues are well supported by the parish generally. The Peace and Justice Group led to the formation of a local ecumenical Peace and Justice Group representing all the local churches. This group has campaigned vociferously for the plight of asylum seekers, lobbying parliament against unjust legislation, and raising public awareness through the street collection of signatures to petition the government about the reduction/cancellation of International Debt.
