The Diocesan Pastoral Plan  - entitled Go Out and Bear Fruit is the result of an immense amount of work and consultation that has been going on in the diocese in recent years. It is a statement of how we see ourselves as sharers of the Gospel and how we are to be as those for whom Christ’s word and teaching is absolutely central.

The Plan raised many important pastoral issues for the diocese, one of which resulted in the development Larger Pastoral Areas. which have replaced the old deanery structure.  In today's world with fewer priests and more mobile communities, we have to be even more effective as a missionary community.

Pastoral Areas, which are larger than parishes, and, in most cases, smaller than the old deaneries, serve to provide the following:

	To ensure that Sunday Mass is accessible to as many people as possible on a local basis
	To affirm and support priests in the essentials of their pastoral and sacramental ministry
	To endeavour to maintain the distinct identity of smaller pastoral groupings, e.g. churches, Mass centres, schools, hospitals
	To enable the continuing growth of hospital, prison and school chaplaincy teams, which may include priests, deacons, religious and lay people
	To provide pastoral care and catechesis more effectively
	To share gifts and expertise on a wider basis
	To be an opportunity for the further development of leadership skills by a larger group of people
	To promote efficient and coordinated use of resources, especially people and buildings
	To create more opportunities for ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue and shared initiatives
	To enable greater priority to be given to outreach, especially evangelisation and involvement in the local community

The parish of St Joseph and St Margaret Clitherow in Bracknell belongs to the  South Berkshire Pastoral Area which consists of Bracknell, Wokingham, Crowthorne and Sandhurst. 

Our co-ordinating Pastor is Rev. Mgr. Jim Joyce who is also parish priest at Corpus Christi in Wokingham.  Rev. Kevin Jones is parish priest for the RC Parish of Crowthorne and Sandhurst, and our own parish priest for the Bracknell Catholic Church of St. Joseph and St. Margaret Clitherow is Rev. Christopher Rutledge.

Please click here to link to the website for Corpus Christi in Wokingham

Please click here to link to the website of the RC Parish of Crowthorne and Sandhurst