Deacon Paul Pole-Baker

Paul (Paul Cecil Pole Baker) was born in Herne Bay, Kent on 6th November 1931, the first child of Cecil and Eileen Baker. He was educated at the local convent school and at Chatham House School, Ramsgate. At the age of 17 when he was called up for National Service,...

Continue reading

50 Years Celebration Cake

50 years to the day since our lovely church was officially opened on 24th September 1975, those at weekday Mass celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham and afterwards were treated to a delicious cake baked by Liz Rose. Amongst those present were quite a number of our ‘elders’...

Continue reading

50th Jubilee Opening Mass

On Saturday 20th September 2025 at 5.30pm we held our inaugural celebration for the Parish’s Jubilee year with a Mass concelebrated by Fr Gerry Briody the Salesian Provincial (GBR).  Present were several  hundred parishioners, religious orders and clergy, and we had the pleasure of attending a very uplifting and joyful...

Continue reading

National Relic Tour comes to OLSD

“The National Relic Tour 2025 is an extraordinary occasion for all Catholics to come together, be inspired by the lives of the saints, and experience the power of faith,”  Michael Akinrele, Supreme Knight of the Order of the Knights of Saint Columba. On Sunday 21st September 2025 our parish hosted...

Continue reading

Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency Survey into the Church’s engagement with abuse survivors

The Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA) is conducting a thematic inspection on survivor engagement and support across Religious Life Groups and Dioceses. The purpose of the public survey is to invite survivors to contribute their experiences of contact with a Religious Life Group or Diocese following abuse. The experiences may...

Continue reading

Volunteers Thank You Meal & Social Evening

A happy gathering of parish volunteers took place in the Church Hall last on Saturday 30th August 2025.  After a couple of short presentations on safeguarding and ChurchSuite, they were treated to food, drinks and games as a ‘thank you’ for their contribution to church life throughout the year.  The...

Continue reading

End of Pastoral Year Message from our Priest

Dear Parishioners, As we wrap up the 2024–2025 pastoral year and step into a new one, I want to say a heartfelt thank you to each of you. Your active presence, participation, prayerful spirit, hard work, union with me as your Priest and steadfast commitment have been instrumental in enriching...

Continue reading

OLSD Cricket Season Review

The OLSD Cricket team played five matches this year with one match being cancelled. We had some enjoyable moments and the nicest part was welcoming some new players to the team, especially Ginto and Tyson. We play local sides on Thursday evenings in the summer and this year generally the...

Continue reading

Sea Sunday

Seafarers and fishers play a vital role in all of our lives, but they often work in difficult, hazardous conditions. Also, when seafarers and fishers arrive in a port, they are strangers in a foreign land. They do not know the locals and often don’t know who to turn to...

Continue reading

A Joyful Celebration at Farnborough Hill Chapel

On Saturday 14th June, a day filled with reverence and joy, 30 children from our parish received their First Holy Communion in the beautiful setting of Farnborough Hill Chapel. This special celebration marked an unforgettable moment in the spiritual lives of our young communicants and their families. Father Anthony celebrated Mass...

Continue reading