We welcome our two new Curates, Joy Beauchamp and Sarah Rae, and their families, as they begin their 3-year curacy with this parish. And we also say goodbye and thank you to Sr. Margaret-Thomas and Debby Johnson who have now finished their training here and been a wonderful part of our community.  Please keep them all in your prayers as they move to new chapters with our love and blessings.

Keep scrolling for brief introductions from both Joy and Sarah, and a goodbye message from Sister:

Photo: Joy (left) and Sarah (right)

Joy: Hello! My name is Joy! I have lived in the borough for 25 years and we, my husband Richard, two boys, William (15) and Nathaniel (12), and foster cat called Karma, are all excited to now be living in Teddington, such a beautiful and vibrant part of London.

My first (academic) love was science and I have a degree in Biological Natural Sciences. Work roles include medical research, youth work, and work around diversity, equality and inclusion. Most latterly, I qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant, working for Price Waterhouse Coopers, then IBM. Voluntary roles include Hospital Chaplaincy, and involvement with Special Educational Needs at my boys’ primary school and more widely within the borough.

As well as the joy of church life and worship, the things in which I most delight are being with friends and family or spending quiet time in the beauty of Creation - particularly the river. I enjoy reading, singing and playing my flute.

We are all looking forward to getting involved with parish life at St Mary with St Alban, meeting members of the local community and getting to know Teddington.

Sarah: Hello, my name is Sarah. I have lived in Teddington for over 25 years and worshipped at St Mary with St Alban for fifteen of those.  I live in the parish with my husband Ian.

We have two children, Peter (25) and Flo (24), who no longer live at home, and I studied Physics at University before joining PricewaterhouseCoopers to train as a Chartered Accountant .

My voluntary roles include hospital chaplaincy which is something I hope to continue during my curacy.  Also I was involved in establishing and volunteering at Teddington's Community and Bereavement Cafes, and was the church bookkeeper for over twenty years.

When not working or involved in church life, I enjoy walking, slow running and swimming.  I also try to read most evenings which might then turn into enjoying a bit of television too.

I look forward to returning to parish life at St Mary with St Alban, as part of Teddington's community, in my new role within the clergy team.

Sister Margaret-Thomas: a Word of Thanks

As my time here draws to a close, I find myself reflecting with deep gratitude on everything this parish has offered — not just in ministry experience, but in wisdom, welcome, and shared faith.

Some of the most meaningful ministry I’ve experienced has happened over coffee — listening, laughing, sometimes sitting in silence. It has been a privilege to share in those conversations, to hear your stories, and to be welcomed into the ordinary, sacred rhythms of daily life in this community.

Likewise, simply being a presence at the church door has been a powerful part of my formation. Week by week, standing there as people arrive — sometimes joyful, sometimes grieving, sometimes just tired — has taught me the quiet strength of the ministry of showing up. Of making space. Of being present and available, without needing to fix or solve. These moments have offered me a glimpse into the heartbeat of parish life, and I carry them with me.

One of the highlights of my time here has been the outreach cafés where care, connection, and dignity are extended to all who walk through the door. In these spaces, I’ve seen the Gospel lived out not in lofty words but in cups of tea, steady companionship, and the grace of simply being with one another. It has been a privilege to be part of those gatherings and to witness the love that animates them.

I want especially to offer my heartfelt thanks to Fr. David. His example of thoughtful, person-centred ministry has shown me a model of church leadership that I hope to carry forward in my own way. I have been especially moved by the reverence and compassion he brings to funeral ministry — quiet, dignified, and always full of care. His trust and encouragement have helped me grow in confidence, and I leave with a clearer sense of how I might live out my vocation as a child of God, an Anglican, and a Benedictine, with integrity and compassion. His pastoral example has not only deepened my understanding of ministry but has also helped me grow more fully into the person I am called to be.

And there's been the behind-the-scenes work, where I’ve had the joy and responsibility of helping to refresh the parish’s printed and digital communications. A creative and meaningful task to help express the life and faith of this community in ways that are clear, beautiful, and true to its spirit. I’m especially grateful to the parish office team, whose patience, good humour, and tireless support have made that journey possible.

Thank you, each one of you, for letting me walk alongside you — for your warmth, your stories, and your faith. I leave changed, and full of gratitude.