The Revd Dr Hugo Adán, Rector at Holy Trinity with St Matthew, Southwark has initiated a Holy Communion course for Spanish speaking autistic children at St Matthews, Southwark. This is the first of its kind in London and Father Hugo kindly spoke to us about how the initiative came about and how it works for the children and their families.
We asked Father Hugo, how the group started: ‘The formation of the group was a happy coincidence. The parents originally came to hire St Matthew’s hall for a social event. During the conversation with the Parish Administrator, they shared their situation; no church had been willing to receive their children for First Holy Communion because of their autism. The Parish Administrator then connected them with Mónica our Youth Worker. Mónica asked if we could do it and I said ‘Yes!’. So, we advertised it through our existing networks. There are no churches offering this service in Spanish in London, so families applied from all over London.
Father Hugo described how the course is set up for autistic children. ‘The families were looking for a parish that would welcome their children, and this course is a response rooted in inclusion, dignity, and the Church’s mission. Although the initial contact happened at St Matthew’s, the sessions are held at our sister parish Christ Church, because there is significantly more space there. We have adapted the church to the children’s needs. It is a big space, so the children are able to move around if they want to. They can also sit on the floor and we have objects which they can feel and touch. We have a book they follow, which is full of textures and pictures that they can interact with. We want it to be a place where the children feel comfortable and safe. There are 15/20 families involved. The service is delivered in Spanish, as this is the first language of the children’s parents and gives the children a feeling of comfort and safety.’’
The first group met on 26 January 2026. Father Hugo was thrilled with how it went: ‘Mónica is leading the sessions, she has direct and recent experience of this work in Spain. My role is to support and accompany as much as I can, rather than leading the sessions myself. It was a joy, a fantastic and moving experience. I am amazed by the love of the parents and the link they have with their children.’
We asked Father Hugo about plans for the future and the impact of the sessions outside the group. ‘We plan to have monthly sessions each lasting for approximately 90 minutes. We could have had more, 50 families applied from all over London, but we have a limited amount of space for the children and families. Our plan is for those who were unable to attend this year will be able to attend next year. Due to how unique this group is we have had contact from Spanish speaking media wanting to cover this because it is such a big thing for the Spanish speaking community in London.’
Father Hugo is Rector at Holy Trinity with St Matthew, Southwark and Priest-in-charge for Christ Church, Brixton Road
