All Saints Parish Newsletter
Dear Friends,
On Wednesday in Holy Week, we had the Hampden Gurney School mass as the Annunciation; the church filled with children, staff and parents. We had to fit most of Holy Week into the space of an hour, and anticipate Easter by a few days.
At All Saints, we are able to give rather more time to our observance of the days of our Lord’s passion,m death and resurrection.
In an age of short attention spans and instant gratification, long services might seem to be a bad idea. When novelty is prized, the re-telling of the old, onld story might seem merely repetitious.
Why don’t we think of something new and exciting to do each year, rather than rehearsing the same old rites and ceremonies, prayers and readings, year after year?
But the inexhaustible mystery of Christ takes time and repetition if we are to even begin exploring it. So, we make no apology for spending time over this, the heart of the Church’s year and of the Christian faith. We invite people to join us hearing those readings, singing those psalms and hymns, carrying out those ceremonies, as we do every Holy Week.
There is never a time when they do not yield more meaning. When Peter and the beloved disciple found the tomb emoty on Easter morning, they went home again because they did not yet understand the scriptures. We are all in the process of being brought by the Spirit to understand the scriptures..
When we have been drawn into something of the depth of the passion of Jesus, then we can sense something deeper of the reality of the resurrection.
With blessings for Easter.
Fr. Alan Moses.
This Week
Easter Monday is a bank holiday, so there will be only one celebration of the Mass: at 1.10pm.
The normal service routine resumes on Easter Tuesday.
SATURDAY EVENSONGS
At St. Cyprian’s 6th at April 3pm with the choir of St. Cyprian’s.
At All Saints 13th April at 4pm, sung by former choristers.
Each year, former choristers from the days of the Choir School gather for na reunion and to sing Evensong in All Saints under the direction of Louois Halsey, one of their number. This year they will sing a setting of the evening canticles specially composed for them by Dr. Harry Bramma who will be playing the organ at the service.
FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION
This is one of those years when Lady Day falls during Holy Week and has to be transferred. The official date in 8th April.
as this falls during the school holiday, Fr. Gerald has transferred it again to Tuesday 16th April.
High Mass and Procession at 7.00pm.
Preacher: the Very Revd. David Ison. Dean of St. Paul’s.
ANGLICAN CATHOLIC FUTURE LAUNCH
Thursday 18th April at 6.30pm
Church of the Annunciation, Bryanston St.
Mass
Celebrant: The Bishop of Ely
Preacher: The Revd. Dr. Peter Groves, Vicar of St. Mary Magdalen, Oxford.
The mass will be followed by refreshments and introduction to Anglican Catholic Future.
It will be helpful if those who intend to come could let us know, either through the events page on the website -www.anglicancatyholicfuture.org or be email to the Parish Offcies of All Saints or St. Matthew’s, Westmi9nster.
VOCATIONS DAY Saturday 20th April, 10.30am-4pm
for men and women in the catholic tradition who are considering a vocation to the priesthood.
with the Revd. Lucy Winkett and the Revd. Bernard Silverman.
Those wishing to attend should contatct St. Matthew’s, Westminster.
ALL SAINTS CABARET NIGHT.
Sunday 21st April at 7.30pm.
The choir will be staging another cabaret night in aid of the All Saints Restoration Fund. It will be at the Phenix Pub in Cavendish Square, within easy walking distance of the church.
Tickets (£15 each p-lus optional further donation which will allow you to Gift Aid your purchase) are on sale online or in the courtyard after High Mass.