All Saints Margaret Street.

Fr Alan Rimmer writes:

Dear friends,

“A shudder is the truest sign of humanity”

In his wise and kindly comment piece for The Times on Thursday, the feast of the Holy Cross (which you can read here), A.N. Wilson referenced this line from the second part of Goethe’s Faust. Its mood is not quite on trend, but surely not out of place for Christians, as we apprehend in the same week both the beauty of an unusually warm September and the tragedy of events in North Africa.

We’re here as clergy, and as a community, in both extremes, and in all those states between them. I hope that everyone feels able to ask for prayer and guidance; to feel our solidarity; to ask for private counsel, and to rely on the community of the Church, as we pray together.

I hope too that anyone who would appreciate a visit would feel able to be in touch. I hope that our own visitors go away from this place with a sense of their own belovedness. I hope that with the assurance of our prayers, and with the confident sense that together we might all make a difference to others, we might show the love of Jesus Christ to the people and places to which we are called.

It was a joy last Sunday to have with us Fr Michael Bowie, my predecessor as Assistant Priest, and to hear his wisdom once more proclaimed from the pulpit. His call to take seriously, and practically the language we’re used to hearing about being ‘brothers and sisters’ of Jesus Christ was a real call to – Christian – arms.

And for those who’ve been reading St Augustine in preparation for our mystagogy programme – come to Mass on Thursday, September 21st – as we look forward to initiating our formation series with a fulsome discussion of the Confessions.

with my sincere love and affection

Fr Alan

Congratulations and thanks, Fr Rowlands!

This weekend marks the retirement of Fr Graeme Rowlands as Parish Priest of St Silas’, Kentish Town. To mark this momentous occasion, there will be a special farewell Mass of Thanksgiving at 3.00 pm tomorrow, Saturday 16th September. It will be followed by drinks and a presentation. All are welcome to attend.

You can read the article written by A.N. Wilson about Fr Rowlands in the Times, which Fr Alan mentions in his letter above, here.

So many owe so much to Fr Rowlands’ for his remarkable and long ministry at St Silas’. We will be sure to keep him in our prayers as he enters retirement and embarks on new ministries and projects.

Parish Office Administrator

All Saints’ is seeking to appoint a new parish office administrator. The post is half time. Salary: £17,820 per annum. Closing date for applications: Sunday 17th September 2023. Interviews will be during the week beginning Monday 25th September 2023. More information available here.

Please be in touch with Fr Peter if you wish to apply for this post. Please let anyone know who might be interested in this role, and share our advert on social media if you are able.

Book launch this Tuesday

On Tuesday 19th September at 7.30 pm, a book launch will take place at All Saints’ for a work entitled, “Anglo-Catholic church planting: can it work?” by John Wallace.  He looks, in part, at the history of Anglo-Catholic parish planting in the 19th Century, and at the role All Saints’ played in the founding of new parishes in London. He then assesses a number of contemporary experiments in church planting within the Catholic tradition. All are welcome to attend.

Mystagogy Course

The first session of our mystagogy course is fast approaching on Thursday 31st September, taking as its focus Books VIII-XI of Augustine’s Confessions. If you have agreed with Fr Alan that you will be taking part in the course, please make sure you have read and prepared the set texts in order to get the most out of the evening.

The expectation is that those who sign up commit to attendance at all of the sessions – we’d like this to involve a sense of momentum and growing together as we study different areas of Christian life. Full details of dates and topics can be found  here.

Next Virtual Coffee Hour – 8th October

Our next virtual coffee hour after the High Mass will take place on Sunday 8th October (Zoom link here).

The idea behind this is simple: if you are an online worshipper, grab a cup of coffee and join us online via Zoom for a chat and catch-up directly after the end of the High Mass.

Visit to the London Cartoon Museum

On Thursday 5th October at 7.00 pm, there will be a parish visit to the Cartoon Museum, just a round the corner from All Saints’ on Wells Street. The cost of the evening is £15, which includes a glass of wine at the exhibition, and a buffet supper after the museum visit, back at the Vicarage. To book a place, please email the parish office.

Next Zoom Theology Seminar

Our next Zoom Theology Seminar will take place on Tuesday, October 10th, 2023. It will be entitled, “Sitting on top of chaos: Dr Megan Dent on the religious life and times of Benjamin Disraeli.”

Historians have long assumed that the Victorian prime minister was indifferent to the various religious and moral changes of his time as he pursued political advancement. Yet in his novels Disraeli expressed a range of ideas about Judaism, Catholicism, and the Church of England. Sybil, or The Two Nations in particular explores the value of orthodoxy within contexts of economic inequality.

In this session, our discussion will be led by Dr Megan Dent, a published historian of this period, who will explore the novel’s treatment of various religious ideas, and how Disraeli drew on Scripture and historical tradition to posit a way forward for a struggling nation. Sybil is available in the Oxford World’s Classics line.

Forthcoming Guest Preachers

Sunday 1st October – 17th Sunday after Trinity
High Mass | 11.00 am
The Revd Katy Hacker Hughes,
Priest Pastor, St Marylebone Parish Church.

Wednesday 1st November 2023 – All Saints’ Day
High Mass | 6.30 pm
The Revd Richard Bastable,
Vicar, St Luke’s Uxbridge Road, and St Matthew’s, Kensington Olympia.

Tuesday 2nd November 2023 – All Souls’ Day
High Mass of Requiem | 6.30 pm
The Revd Dr Barry Orford.

Sunday 19th November 2023 – Trinity 24
High Mass | 11.00 am
The Revd Kathryn Bellhouse,
Assistant Curate, St Peter’s, Eastern Hill, Melbourne, Australia.

Friday 8th December 2023 – Immaculate Conception
High Mass | 6.30 pm
The Revd Canon Simon Morris,
Vicar, Holy Trinity, Winchmore Hill.

Friday 2nd January 2024 – Candlemas
High Mass | 6.30 pm
The Revd James Wilkinson,
Vicar, the Guild Church of St Dunstan in the West
and Chaplain to the Bishop of Fulham.

Holy Week Preacher 2024 – The Revd Preb Dr David Houlding

Monday 8th April 2024 – Annunciation
High Mass | 6.30 pm
The Revd Simon Buckley,
Rector, St Anne’s, Soho,
Sub Dean, Westminster (St Margaret’s) Deanery.

Sunday 19th May 2024 – Pentecost 2024
High Mass with Baptisms and Confirmation | 11.00 am
The Bishop of Fulham

Attendance last Sunday

Links for Sunday

Flowers

The flowers in church this week are given by Rebecca Hirst to celebrate Patrick Hartley’s birthday in the coming week.

If you would like to make a donation for flowers or the courtyard garden, please contact Shawn via the parish office.

Prayer list

17th – Henry Macey, Dirk Maney, Bp. Michael Marshall, John Martell, Robert Mason, Judith Mather
18th – Fr. Stephen McClatchie, Fr. Peter McGeary, Nigel McNeill, John McWhinney, Colin Menzies
19th – Anne Merritt, Hazel Miller, Thomas Moller, Barry Moore, John Morrell, Fr. Stephen Morris
20th – Inger Mosbery, Christopher Naylor, Fr. Philip Need, Brian Newman, Graham Norman, Elaine Norman
21st – Richard North, Fr. James Nuzzo, Priscilla Oakeshott, Anna and Fr. Peter Oesterby-Joergensen, Ray Oram
22nd – Fr. Barry Orford, Samantha Parker, Malcolm Parr, Bhaven Patel, Alma Pearson, Pat Phillips
23rd – Colin Podmore, Nick and Cecilia Powell, Simon Pusey, Simon Rainey, Carlos Remotti-Breton, Steve Rice
24th – John Rick, Hilary Rodger, Fr. Jim Rosenthal, Mossman Roueche, Greg Round, Mary Sherred