About the Parish
PARISH
Hemel West
In 2019 the parishes of Hemel Hempstead and Hemel Hempstead West were merged to form a new parish: Hemel West.
Consequently the parish has two churches with a combined Mass count (2019) of 620.
Churches of St. Mary & St. Joseph and St Mark
We are a growing community and many of us have strong links with the John F Kennedy Catholic Secondary, St. Cuthbert Mayne Junior and St. Roses Infant schools, all of which are within the parish.
We invite you to play your part and get involved in the parish!
St. Mary and St. Joseph
The Catholic church of St Mary and St Joseph, Boxmoor, was established in 1898 and is the oldest Catholic church in Hemel Hempstead. We are a lively community of people from every walk of life and many different nations. We range across the generations from toddlers to seniors.
St. Mark’s Church
The Catholic parochial area of Hemel Hempstead West was created in 1967 when the John F Kennedy School opened. It was designated as a parish when St. Mark’s church was built within the grounds of JFK in 2000.
History of the Ss Mary & Joseph
A deeper dive into the history of our St. Mary and St. Joseph’s Church was written by the then parish priest, Fr Terry Tastard, around the time of the centenary of the earliest parts of the building.
It was originally published in booklet form but can now be downloaded here as a PDF.