Parish surgery
Each week Fr John is available to meet
parishioners with no appointment.
The time and day varies each week and is given
in the current weekly newsletter.
(This time also includes the opportunity for
confession.)

The care of those who are housebound, elderly or sick is a
priority in our parish.
If you know of someone who is not receiving visits or who is
going into hospital please let Fr John know.
 

Syro-Malabar Community
Our community at St Joseph’s is privileged
to have as part of our parish life, the Syro-Malabar
community who trace their origins to the preaching of
St Thomas. According to tradition, St Thomas landed
on the Malabar coast of south-west India in 52 AD. Also
known as St Thomas Christians, Syro-Malabar Catholics
make up the second largest Eastern Catholic
Church in communion with Rome.
In St Joseph’s then, we represent in a very real way
the rich diversity and shared history of the story of the
followers of Jesus Christ from the earliest times to today
here in Derby. We have in our church a special statue
representing St Thomas as a reminder of this amazing
heritage in our midst.

St Ralph Sherwin
St Ralph Sherwin, our local saint, was born nearby
at Rodsley, Derbyshire in 1550. He moved to the
English College, Douai where he was ordained priest
and returned to England with 13 companions in
April 1580 in November of that year he was arrested, imprisoned
and sent to the Tower of London. He consistently refused to renounce
his faith and a year later he was hung, drawn and quartered
at Tyburn.He was canonised in 1970 and is one of the 40 Martyrs of
England and Wales.
St Ralph's feastday is 1st December the day of his martyrdom.

St Ralph is venerated in our small side chapel which has a
beautiful stained glass commenrative window and the relics
of the saint.