St Raphael's Church

Stunningly beautiful Roman Catholic church by the river Thames. Really friendly inclusive congregation and inspiring, compassionate and approachable parish priest. Open for quiet prayer. Mass said daily.

Very nice community, beautifull church. Father reverand give good preachings stripped of patronising, full of truth and faithful to Bible. Highly recommended.

Beautiful. Lovely church. Limited parking. Local on street, pay and display.

I'm a regular parishioner. I love this beautiful little church and the rest of the congregation who are all so friendly and welcoming. And the church decor is stunning to boot. Also the history to this church is extremely interesting.

Another top Church. Very beautiful inside and out!
Ideal situation opposite the River. Only spoilt by the excess of traffic due to contemporary men and women's obsessive and irrational use of the motor car!

I need to update my review after having a horrible experience with the priest of this church.

I had the worse experience today at St Raphael's Catholic Church in Kingston. This morning, I went with all my faith to a supposed 'interview' or 'meeting' with the Father of the church, Fr Michael.

My husband is muslin from Turkey and I am catholic from Venezuela. I went to the church today as the Fr indicated for a face to face meeting. He directed me and my son to a private room, where nobody could hear our conversation (in his words), the room was a part of the church and locked. He started asking me questions about my religion, why I wanted to do the baptism in this church, my family, my education from Kingston University, and so on. Then, he started asking about my marriage, if I was married by the church and if I knew how the 'muslin rules' work.

He told me several times that marriages between those two religion never work, that they always end in divorce. That always was a catholic women with a muslin man. Started talking about how 'muslin are with women', how they 'deprived' their wives, also comparing and generalising with Afghanistan, and also stated that they can have more than one in the muslin world, thing that it is not true by the Turkish law. Anyway, I literally thought this was a joke and tried to move on but he continue ignoring the xenophobic comments.

Then after a while, he just started to touch my son in a very uncomfortable way, squishing his little arm hard and provocing that my poor 1 year old little boy reject him from that action. This 'Father' looked at me and said that my son, the one I am trying to get baptism and bring the love of God into his live, was rejecting anything catholic and he was probably muslin inside!... I cannot describe the frustration and the disgusting feelings these words meant to me... I am taking my son for his baptism, to introduce my religion and my faith to him and I find this kind of xenofobia and racism inside the house of God.

I needed to say something... I cannot just shut down my feelings and do not report this kind of behaviour. How at this times the Vatican, the catholic church, have someone like that running one of their institutions?

I do not tolerate the way he refer to my son as rejecting 'everything catholic and being muslin inside’, he is a 1 year old baby!

I do not permit xenofobia and racism for my family and anyone in this world. This kind of behaviours are just unacceptable!

I left the church crying, thinking why I should baptism my son? Is the house of God open for everyone who need it? It felt so hypocrite with all the things I know and I believe after listening this 'Father', the representation of God on Earth. How can I trust in the Catholic Church with specimens like this Mr. Michael.

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Old review:

It's great to have such as nice Catholic Church close to home. Very pretty and well care.

One of the most beautiful Churches ever! Had my daughter babtised here twenty five years ago now! It's still stunning to this day!

The church is nice but the Priest is one of the most egotistical and rude people I have ever encountered. The arrogance would be shocking from anyone, let alone a man who supposedly serves Christ. He brings shame on the entire catholic religion.

Don’t visit unless you enjoy being condescended to.