S Giles supports the work and aims of the Additional Curates Society

The Additional Curates Society was founded in 1837 by a layman, Joshua Watson, who was deeply concerned about the spiritual and social needs of people who were moving into the new towns of England brought about by the Industrial Revolution . Joshua Watson was a close associate of all the leading figures of the Tractarian Movement.

His principal concern was that there were no priests to minister to these people. He founded ACS to ensure these new parishes should have priests. In those days only parishes with financial resources could have parish priests; there were no diocesan or provincial funds available. ACS appealed to wealthier parishes and individuals to help ensure that poor and populous parishes would not be denied the ministrations of a priest for want of financial resources.

The Industrial Revolution resulted in large numbers of people moving from country to towns and cities, where living conditions were very poor and where over population caused great social problems. The Church, prompted by Joshua Watson, became concerned about the spiritual and social welfare of these people.

Joshua Watson sought to do something ablout all this by founding three societies. One was The National Society, which build schools for the education of children in these new industrial estates; the second was The National Incorporated Church Building Society which built churches where people could worship; and the third was the Additional Curates Society.

ACS continues this work as there are still poor and populous parishes up and down the country today. The spiritual and social needs of the people still require the ministrations of a parish priest.

The Additional Curates Society is a missionary society which helps the Church to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus to the people of England and Wales by providing parishes with priests and by encouraging vocations to the priesthood.

It does so by ensuring that parishes have priests; first, by giving grants to hard pressed parishes for the employment of assistant priests, and secondly, by fostering and encouraging vocations to the priesthood.

Every penny given to the ACS by way of donation; from parishes or individuals, is used to put a priest in a parish.  Legacies are invested and the income used to supplement donations, encourage vocations to the priesthood, and to pay for the day to day running of the Society.

Grants are made to parishes which are populous and/or socially deprived. One important condition is that the assistant priest is licensed by the bishop and he approves of the parish having a grant. The size of the grant is determined by the income of the parish, the costs involved, and is used to offset the cost of the curate to the parish.

The Society also fosters and encourages vocations to the priesthood by organising voactions conferences, and by financing 'placements' in parishes, so that those considering a vocation to the priesthood can gain an insight into priestly ministry by working alongside a parish priest.