2017 Annual Report & Accounts
Diocese of Westminster
Report of the Directors of the Corporate Trustee – Year to 31 December 2017
Introduction The Directors of the Corporate Trustee (i.e. the Trustees) present their statutory report together with the consolidated accounts of Westminster Roman Catholic Diocesan Trust (the Charity) for the year ended 31 December 2017. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies on pages 61 to 65 of the attached accounts and comply with the Charity’s Trust Deed, with applicable laws and applicable United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice) and with the requirements of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
Purpose and Activities The Purpose of the Charity The Charity’s Trust Deed states that the purpose of the Westminster Roman Catholic Diocesan Trust is ‘advancing the Roman Catholic religion in the diocese by such means as the Archbishop may think fit and proper’. The diocese comprises 212 parishes located within the boroughs of London lying north of the Thames and west of the Lea River, within the Borough of Spelthorne in Surrey, and within the County of Hertfordshire. The Catholic religion is a practical faith that reaches out to care for those in need. Through its schools, it forms children into responsible citizens to take an active role in society and to work for the common good. It builds community cohesion and brings about peace and reconciliation where they are needed, all the while respecting every human person’s intrinsic human dignity. Its advancement is achieved most effectively when Catholics, fully living their faith, reflect the love of God to all around them: to their families and friends, to their local communities, and to the stranger in their midst.
P A G E 30
Religious and Pastoral Services provided through Parishes and Chaplaincies Parishes are communities whose daily activities contribute, both directly and indirectly, to the moral and spiritual wellbeing of everyone living and working within them. They are hugely diverse, in their culture, in their resident population (one particular parish has nearly 100 nationalities), and also in their individual needs. Where they do not differ, however, is in having a place of worship where parishioners can gather to pray, attend Mass each week and conduct sacramental ceremonies (such as baptisms, weddings and funerals), and which provides a solid foundation for carrying out important and necessary social and pastoral work as a practical expression of the Catholic faith. All places of worship are open to the general public for prayer, for quiet and peaceful reflection, for access to burial grounds, and to experience the rich history and beauty of their architecture and the numerous devotional artefacts, stained glass windows and other religious works of art located in them. Parish-led Activities One of the principal activities within each parish is the celebration of Mass by the parish priest. Approximately 146,000 people across the diocese attended this sacred liturgy each Sunday last year. But parish priests do far more than just celebrate Mass. They are active leaders within their communities. They are teachers of the faith. They are responsible for preparing eligible candidates to receive, and then for conferring upon them, the sacraments. With the assistance of nearly 4,850 lay catechists and roughly 600 pastoral assistants, parish priests prepared approximately 8,700 catechumens for Baptism/Reception into the Church. They presided at around 9,000 First Holy Communions, celebrated approximately 850 marriages, and conducted approximately 3,500 funerals. During the year, diocesan Bishops also conferred about 5,750 Confirmations.
The Charity therefore fulfils its purpose by offering religious and pastoral services and educational programmes both to the approximately 430,000 self-identifying Catholics and to the roughly 4.2 million other residents within its borders, of other faiths or of none, principally through its parishes and chaplaincies, through its schools, and through its social outreach agencies coordinated by Caritas Westminster.
Reflecting on these statistics for a moment, the number of Baptisms/Receptions into the Church demonstrates the vibrancy of the Catholic Church in the modern world. Baptisms in infancy (up to 1 year) and childhood (between 1 and 7 years), in which parents present their children for baptism, of which there were about 7,750 in 2017, show the importance parents place on transmitting the Catholic faith to their children, integrating them fully into the sacramental life of the Church, and bringing them into the welcoming Catholic community.
When setting the Charity’s aims and planning its work for the year, the Trustees give careful consideration to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit.
The fact that a significant number of Baptisms/Receptions into the Church (about 950 in 2017) take place for people over the age of 7 years, people who actively choose to