All Saints Margaret Street.

Dear friends,

I’m writing to you all from New York City, where we are preparing for the launch of the American Friends of All Saints’. I have been in America for a week already, however, and have spent the past few days in North Carolina, where I was invited to preach and lead a weekend of teaching and formation at St Timothy’s Church, Winston-Salem.

I can’t begin to describe the warm welcome I have received and how impressive St Timothy’s is. It has been a great delight to have Huw Pryce with me over last weekend, who is also travelling in North America at the moment. We have enjoyed participating in the worship of St Timothy’s together and have got to know many of their parishioners at a number of events over the past few days.

It has been a particular delight to see Fr Steve Rice, the Rector of St Timothy’s again. He has preached at All Saints’ on a number of occasions and is a good friend of All Saints’.

St Timothy’s is a wonderful parish with a vibrant life of worship, service and fellowship. They have just finished a programme in which they have completely renewed the worship space of their church. The whole building is simply stunning, and a delight to worship in. Their parish has an array of impressive mission programmes which includes a homeless shelter, as well as significant formational programmes. There is so much we at All Saints’ can learn from St Timothy’s and I hope the links between our two parishes continue to grow.

This weekend I am in New York City for the launch of the American Friends of All Saints’. This is a new venture aimed at strengthening connections with our North American supporters. It means US citizens can now claim tax back on their donations to All Saints’ and make contributions in dollars. If you are an American tax payer and are interested in joining the American Friends, more information is available here.

The launch party of the American Friends of All Saints’ will take place tonight at our sister church in New York, St Mary the Virgin, Times Square – 145 46th Street – at 6.00 pm. All are welcome, even if you haven’t signed up! A group of parishioners from All Saints’ will be present and I am particularly grateful to them for the effort and expense they have gone to in order to be in New York for this important event.

I pray that the links, connections and friendships which our parish has with so many people across different countries will continue to grow and deepen as we seek to nurture those bonds of love. I am very grateful indeed for the warm welcome I have received in Winston-Salem, to the people of St Timothy’s, and especially to Fr Steve for his friendship and kindness. I also look forward to our launch party tonight in New York, and to spending time with friends and parishioners from St Mary the Virgin. May God bless these many links and friendships, and draw us closer to each other and to himself in love.

Fr Peter

Zoom Theology Seminar: Faith in Berlin

The first online Zoom theology seminar of our new formational programme will take place on Wednesday 25th September at 7.00 pm and will have an ecumenical and international focus.

Our Diocese has a long-standing ecumenical partnership with the Evangelical Church of Berlin-Brandenburg. Our German partners will be visiting London in October for a biennial conference. This Zoom seminar will be an opportunity to learn more about the particular history and theological traditions of our brothers and sisters in Berlin, and to find out more about the partnership between our two churches.

We will be joined from Berlin by Dr Christof Theilemann, the Director of the Berlin Church’s principal Missionary Society and an experienced ecumenist. He will be in dialogue with Dr Brian Leathard, Vicar of St Luke’s Chelsea, and coordinator of the London- Berlin Partnership.

You can find out more about our Zoom theology programme for the whole year along with the Zoom links for the seminars here.

Diocesan Partnership with Berlin

A group of visitors from Berlin will be visiting the Diocese of London over the weekend of 11th-13th October as part of our biennial theological ecumenical conference. If you are interested in hosting a German guest, please speak with Fr Peter.

Please put Sunday 13th October in your diary as the German delegation will be joining us for Evensong and Benediction. There will be a parish drinks party after Evensong in their honour to which all are invited.

Homeless shelter

An important part of being a Christian is to show our faith through practical action and love of neighbour. All Saints’ will be collaborating this year in the running of the winter homelessness shelter at the American International Church on Tottenham Court Road, which is organised under the aegis of the homelessness charity C4WS.

Homeless guests are given a bed for the night at the American Church, and on a two occasions this winter All Saints’ will staff the shelter for the night. A number of volunteers are needed to prepare beds, cook, serve and share a meal, staff the shelter over night and then prepare breakfast in the morning.

The two dates on which All Saints’ staffs the shelter this winter are: Wednesday 6th-Thursday 7th of November 2024; and Wednesday 5th-Thursday 6th February, 2025.

If you wish to volunteer for this important work, please be in touch with our parish office (office@asms.uk).

Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham:
24th September

All are welcome to join us for a said Mass with hymns at 6.30pm on Tuesday 24th September 2024. There will be a brief meeting of the Parish Cell of Our Lady of Walsingham, followed by refreshments. The Cell is essentially a group of prayer and fellowship, centring its members on the example of Mary through her manifestation at Walsingham – ‘England’s Nazareth’. Should you like more information, or to be admitted to the Cell, please contact Fr Alan, or Sheelagh Gudgeon.

In person formation: Pearl with Dr Charlotte Gauthier

Join us for the first of this Autumn’s in-person study opportunities on Wednesday 16th October at 7.00 pm. A light supper will be provided.

Pearl is one of the most important literary survivals of the 14th century: a beautiful meditation on love, loss, death, and grief that still possesses the power to move the modern reader. Together we’ll explore some of the major theological themes and images of Pearl – including grace, sanctification, and the Eucharist – which the anonymous author has drawn largely from the Gospel of Matthew.

Dr Charlotte Gauthier is an historian of church and state in late medieval/early modern England. She is also Assistant Director of Discipleship – overseeing lay training – for the Diocese of Southwark.

She recommends the translation by Jane Beal, but this is not essential.

Please register for this event here.

Flowers

The flowers are given in celebration of Patrick Hartley’s birthday.

If you would like to make a donation for flowers for the All Saints Festival, please contact Shawn directly or via the office at office@asms.uk.

Music sponsorship

The music for the High Mass on Sunday 22nd September is sponsored by Antonietta Russomando, in loving memory of David Robin on the second anniversary of his death.

Attendance last Sunday

Prayer List

The Friends of All Saints’ Margaret Street:

September 22nd – Richard Hoskinson, Fr David Hutt, Alfred Imhoff, David James, Andrew Jervis, Stephen Jury, Malcolm Kemp
23rd – Alan Kimbrough, Brenda Koupis, Stanislav Kudryashov, Christopher Laws, Margaret Leggett
24th – Cornelius Logue, Frau Dr Christiane Loidl-Rainey, Nigel Lynn, Henry Macey, Bishop Michael Marshall, Robert Mason, Graham Mather
25th – Judith Mather, The Ven Fr Stephen McClatchie, John McWhinney, Colin Menzies, Amanda Miller
26th – Thomas Moller, Barry Moore, Deacon Christopher Morash, Grace Morgan, Dr John Morrell, Fr. Stephen Morris, Inger Mosbery, Lachlan Moyle, Carol Mundell
27th – Christopher Naylor, Brian Newman, Barry Newsome, Elaine Norman, Richard North, Fr. Paul Ockford
28th – Fr. Peter and Anna Oesterby-Joergensen, Daniel Oliver, Fr. Barry Orford, Nicholas Page, Samantha Parker, Malcolm Parr, Bhaven Patel, Alma Pearson, Gladys Pearson
29th – Pat Philips, Dr Colin Podmore, Nick and Cecilia Powell, Susan Prain, Vasileios Psomas, Simon Rainey, Heikki Repo

The sick:

Theresa & Augustina Baier, Stewart Buckingham, Fr John Burniston, David Craig, Tony Hawkins, Fr Stephen Heard, Fr Harry Hodgetts, Arthur Johnson, Katherine Lee, Elizabeth Lyon, James Rodger, Christine Vaughn-Lillie

The faithful departed:

John Donvan, Caroline Gibbons, Bruce Ross-Smith, David Weller

Those whose anniversaries of death fall at this time:

September 22nd – Anthony Alsopp, Andrew Braybrooke
23rd – Jean Hobbs, David Shearer, Pamela Herbertson
25th – Eric King, Irene Bevan
26th – Evelyne Steele, Mickaël Charbonneau, Lilian Exten, Lynn Evans
27th – Sister Mary OHP
28th – Marjorie Gaskell, Evan Windham, Mark Bushby
29th – Alfred Davis

Service times this week

Wednesday 25th September – Feria
12.00 noon Mass
5.30 pm Holy Hour
6.30 pm Mass

Thursday 26th September – Feria
12.00 noon Mass
6.30 pm Mass

Friday 27th September – St Vincent de Paul
12.00 noon Mass
6.30 pm Mass

Saturday 28th September – St Wenceslas
12.00 noon Mass
6.00 pm Confessions
6.30 pm Vigil Mass

Sunday 29th September – ST MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS
8.30 am Low Mass
11.00 am High Mass
5.15 pm Low Mass
6.00 pm Evensong and Benediction