All Saints Margaret Street.

Dear Friends,

At the heart of our worship is ‘remembrance’, making present the past redeeming action of Christ and nourishing us for the future in that encounter. Remembering, recalling and reflecting on things, on ourselves, our behaviour, our achievements and our failures, and dealing with the present out-working of all these, is hard-wired into our faith. Our feasts and seasons are all ‘anniversaries’ and personal or community anniversaries have greater significance than the mere passage of time.

Fr Alan and Theresa are celebrating such an anniversary this week. They have given nearly a third of their lives to All Saints; their children have grown up here; they have inhabited a very particular corner of London and of the Church with enthusiasm and love. Fr Alan has already achieved a lasting legacy, in the restoration of a unique and significant church building, which bears witness to so much more than bricks and mortar, or even liturgical architecture.

Priests are not always delighted to be congratulated on saving buildings, but we mustn’t minimise the significance of these bricks and mortar in communicating the Catholic Faith. Without them we (London and the Church of England) would be impoverished spiritually as well as aesthetically. Fr Alan will not thank me for compliments: I understand that because Northerners and Australians share a suspicion of fuss. But it would be wrong to ignore a significant milestone in the relationship between priest and people. I haven’t discussed this with him, but I suspect that if he could choose some focal points in his ministry here they would include encouraging a sociable and relational community and the disciplined pursuit of holiness. Communities and relationship are a frequent topic in today’s Church, but discipline and holiness feature surprisingly rarely in our current preoccupations and debates. They are at the heart of the Gospel and of the Catholic faith and they are a vital counter-cultural witness in our day.

I cannot claim a twenty-year relationship with any community, but those I’ve had have taught me a number of (possibly predictable!) things. First among them is that, St Paul’s laudable aim to be all things to all people notwithstanding, that is beyond my personal resources to achieve. In each place of ministry I’ve had supporters, detractors and a (very) few devotees. I remember responding to a passionate and articulate critic in my last parish (who’d accused me of causing the parish to ‘slide’ – his word – into Anglo-Catholicism!) that I could only undertake the task the bishop had entrusted to me as me. I’m happy to say this produced a new and more constructive relationship with someone whose funeral requiem I later celebrated.

I hope that Fr Alan and Theresa will accept it as a compliment to say that they have modelled that quality of authenticity in this significant period of their lives here, and I am sure you will join me in thanking them for all they have given to the life and depth of this community.

Yours in Christ,

Father Michael Bowie
Assistant Priest,
All Saints Margaret Street

Please pray for those who have asked for our prayers: Asia Bibi. Ella Carroll, James Cary-Elwes, Ian Coull, Paul Curno, Michael Duggan, Helen Everett, Jonty Gordon, Fr Tony Halton, Yvonne Harland, Lewis Harvey, Hilary Hill, Alice Jullien, Andrew Laird, Dorothy Laird, Tom Leader, Anthea Lepper, William Lightening, Christine Loffty, Estelle Lovell, Simon MacGregor, Sister Martha (SMNC Tanzania), Hilary Morgan, David Pearce, Nick Russell, Jock Scott, Buzz Stokes, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Christine van Dyck and Joy Wright.

For the recently departed: Hugo Gralka, Peggy Leeman, Bruce Barnett- Cowan (Priest) and Audrey Lewis (former Lord Mayor of Westminster and good friend to All Saints). 

Remember past priests, benefactors, friends, and all whose year’s mind occurs this week including: Edward Reader (Priest), David Alan Sparrow (Priest and Tenth Vicar of All Saints Margaret Street), Jean Neighbour, Teresa Butler, Roy Ellis, Edward Hobson, Herbert Palmer (Priest), Helen Clark, George Maynard, Patricia Self, George Maryon-Wilson, John Gardner, Francis Woodlock, Margery Duce, Winifred Cratherne and John Welch. 

WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY 26 JULY – EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

Today the Vicar, Father Alan Moses, celebrates twenty years’ ministry at All Saints. Services feature music that he has chosen specially for the occasion and mark the beginning of a series of services in August highlighting music written for this church. 

HIGH MASS, 11am
Preacher: Father Julian Browning 
Missa Omnium Sanctorum – Caplin 
Alleluya! This is the day – Harry Bramma 

Today’s Mass setting is by the late Norman Caplin (Honorary Assistant Organist from 1968 until his death in 2011). The Offertory Motet is by Dr Harry Bramma, (Director of Music 1989-2004), written for the All Saints Festival in 2009.

Much of the music written for the Choir, including this morning’s Caplin Mass and Harry Bramma Motet, has been recorded. CDs will be on sale at the back of Church after both High Mass and Benediction at a special price of £6 or two for £10.

Sunday Lunch is being cooked by Robin Clutterham and Alan Kimborough. Tickets on sale in the Parish Room before and after Mass – £5.

CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION, 6pm 
Preacher: The Vicar, Prebendary Alan Moses 
Collegium Magdalenæ Oxoniense – Leighton 
Hymn for the Dormition of the Mother of God – Tavener 
Benediction hymns this evening are by Paul Brough (Director of Music 2004-2013).

WORSHIP NEXT SUNDAY 2 AUGUST – NINTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY 
HIGH MASS, 11am 
Preacher: Father Michael Bowie
Mass in G – Rheinberger
The Baptised – Caplin 

There are no Sunday lunches during the month of August. Sunday lunch service will resume in September.

CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION, 6pm
Preacher: The Vicar, Prebendary Alan Moses 
The Edinburgh Service – Timothy Byram-Wigfield 
Ave Maria – Vale

PARISH NOTICES

Wednesday 26 August – Sunday 6 September 2015
The Parish Office will be closed during this holiday period. Voicemails and emails will be checked from time to time and dealt with.

EVENTS AT ALL SAINTS in AUGUST

Saturday 15 August, 12 noon
HIGH MASS OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY (with a circular outdoor procession of the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham from Church along Oxford Street and back to Church for the first time at All Saints).

Preacher: Father Simon Jones, Chaplain Merton College, Oxford

Missa Solemnis in C, K337 – Mozart
Salve Regina – Poulenc 

Please consider offering to help as a steward as well as attending the service. If you can assist as a procession steward (essential for safety reasons) or by playing a role in the procession itself, contact Dee Prior in the Parish Office on 020 7636 1788 or see Dee or Cedric Stephens, Head Server, after High Mass. The Corpus Christi procession this year (see photos on the All Saints website) was particularly successful with choir and small marching band (with drummer) accompaniment. It attracted a goodly number of friends of All Saints from a broad range of other parishes. We should like to establish in the annual calendar a similar profile for the Feast of the Assumption so do encourage friends to attend. The opportunity to be visible in Oxford Street at lunchtime during the summer is especially welcome.

EVENTS ELSEWHERE in AUGUST

Saturday 1 August 2015 – FESTIVAL OF THE EASTERN CATHOLIC CHURCHES at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family, Duke Street, W1. 10.30am Syro-Malabar Qurbana – Sung Liturgy in English. 4.30pm Ukrainian Catholic Great Vespers in English. The day includes: Films: Kerala, Cradle of Christianity in SE Asia,Aramaic, Jesus, India & Music: the Syro-Malabar Church; a Talk: The Music of the Syro-Malabar Church by Revd Dr Joseph Palackal; The Suffering Eastern Churches: Presentation from John Newton, Aid to the Church in Need. All welcome (requested Fee – £10, including donation for Aid to the Church in Need). Please bring a packed lunch – tea and coffee provided. Booking essential at – johnchrysostom@btinternet.com.

ALL SAINTS RESTORATION PROJECT UPDATE

The last of the long-awaited glass lampshades has now been fitted, so that all five pendant lights are fully illuminated. Still to come is the fitting of the specially made light fittings for the choir stalls (to be attached to the wrought iron grilles). When all are in place we will be able to fine-tune the settings of the overall lighting scheme, although some of this work will have to wait until the darker days of autumn.

As well as the lighting, the switchover of the complete new wiring above and below decks to new electric meters has now taken place. The smoke detection system has been installed and activated.

Funds for the project continue to be raised and the total received at the time of writing is now a splendid £410,000.

As this complex project reaches its conclusion, and the final invoices are received, we have recently had a number of generous gifts that have eliminated the loans of £35,000 that we initially relied upon for the project to get underway. Any more gifts will allow us a small reserve against the final cost of the works. If there are any surplus funds when all bills are paid, these will go towards future restoration projects at All Saints.

We are indebted to all those donors who gave so generously to replace the out-dated electrics and to relight the church so that all the achievements of earlier phases of restoration work are now revealed. Thank you! 

HOW YOU CAN HELP………. please make cheques payable to: All Saints Church Restoration Appeal and send them to: The Parish Administrator, 7 Margaret Street, London W1W 8JG. 

Please indicate where Gift Aid may be applied or send in a completed Gift Aid envelope from in church, as it increases the value of your contribution by 25% at no cost to yourself. Thank you!

ONGOING SUPPORT for HOMELESS PEOPLE through:
MARYLEBONE PROJECT run by the CHURCH ARMY – A Day Centre, Residential and Transitional accommodation provider, re-settlement project and Educational and Training Unit for women. The Emergency Bed Unit – for which we have for some years helped to provide the funds for one of the 4 beds – offers a safe haven and refuge for women escaping domestic violence, financial crisis, sexual exploitation and mental health issues.

Seasonal Appeals – The grand total collected at All Saints for mission activities in 2014 was £6,463 through the All Saints Festival and Lent Appeals. £3,463 went to the Marylebone Project and a further £3,000 to Us (formerly USPG).

Year Round Support – we also support the Marylebone Resettlement Project with non-perishable food and toiletries or household necessities like cutlery or bed linen/blankets.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed so generously recently – a good number of parcels and bags of food and household essentials have been left in Church or handed in to the Parish Office recently and we shall need to arrange a drop off to the Project to deliver them. Thank you!
Please continue to donate these so we can help more people in need.

Day-to-day Support – we respond to the needs of homeless people who visit the church, providing luncheon vouchers for the West London Day Centre for rough sleepers who apply to the office and allowing a few individuals, who need a place to shelter or sleep during the day, to rest in the back of the church. We have created an information resource for Church Watchers, giving useful advice to homeless and vulnerable people seeking particular support or services. In the face of a rising tide of homelessness in London, please help us fund and support people in need through our Mission project.

Want to help someone sleeping rough but don’t know how?
Call Streetlink on 0300 500 0914 and they will get a visit from the local Street Team who can put them in contact with the services they may need.

FURTHER COMMUNICATIONS OR ASSISTANCE FROM ALL SAINTS MARGARET STREET:-
* If you would like to encourage others to take an interest in All Saints/keep up with what is happening here, please forward this email on to them, or to people you would like to invite to services or tell them about our website www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk, which has a full colour 360 virtual tour for viewing the wonderfully restored interior of the Church – see www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk/history/virtualtour – before a visit or if unable to travel.

* If you know of others who would like to receive this correspondence please encourage them to sign up for the email on the All Saints website – see the tab News & Events> Weekly Newsletter.

* If you would like prayers offered at All Saints, please email the Parish Administrator Mrs Dee Prior at: astsmgtst@aol.com. Or make use of the prayer request facility on the website at: www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk/prayer.

If you would like any pastoral assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the Vicar, Prebendary Alan Moses: alanmoses111@gmail.com. Or Assistant Priest Fr Michael Bowie: mnrbowie@hotmail.com.

DAILY SERVICES AT ALL SAINTS
On major weekday feasts, High Mass is sung at 6.30pm

SUNDAYS in Church
Low Mass 6.30pm (Saturday), 8am and 5.15pm. Morning Prayer 10.20am
HIGH MASS AND SERMON, 11am and   CHORAL EVENSONG, SERMON and BENEDICTION, 6pm.

MONDAY – FRIDAY
Morning Prayer 7.30am
Low Mass – 8am, 1.10pm and 6.30pm
Evening Prayer 6pm
(Except Bank Holidays – 12 noon Mass only)

SATURDAY
Morning Prayer 7.30am
Low Mass – 12 noon and 6.30pm (First Mass of Sunday)
Evening Prayer 6pm

Confessions
A priest is available for confessions/counsel Monday – Friday from 12.30-1pm and at 5.30pm Monday – Saturday, or by appointment. (Special arrangements apply in Lent and for Holy Week.)

www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk and e-mail: astsmgtst@aol.com