Weekly Email – Assumption
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Dear friends,
Today is the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. There will be a High Mass this evening at 6.30 pm. The music will include Mozart’s Missa Brevis in D and the Offertory Anthem will be Palestrina’s “Assumpta Est Maria.”
I hope as many of you as are able will attend this beautiful liturgy to celebrate the feast. Our parish bar will be open after the Mass to serve refreshments.
Our celebrations of the feast of the Assumption then continue through this weekend. Sunday’s Masses will all be “green” and of Trinity 9, but by Sunday evening, our parish will be en fête in preparation for our special Assumptiontide Evensong and Benediction with procession of Our Lady down Oxford Street at 6.00 pm.
I am particularly grateful to Chris Self for his sponsorship of the music this Assumptiontide. It is as a result of gifts and donations such as these that we are able to offer the rich music programme which has characterises the liturgical life at All Saints’. Thank you so much for your generosity, Chris, and for all you have contributed to our keeping of the feast.
I am very pleased to report that the Bishop of Fulham will be with us on Sunday evening to preside over the office and procession, and to give Benediction. We will also be joined by Bishop Lindsay Urwin who will be sitting in choir.
The music will include Dyson’s Service in F, Rheinberger’s Ave Regina Coelorum and Widor’s Tantum Ergo. The liturgy will be followed by a parish party in our courtyard. Our preacher on Sunday evening will be Fr Philip Corbett, Vicar of St Silas’ and Holy Trinity, Kentish Town.
We still need volunteers who are willing to act as stewards for Sunday’s Procession of Our Lady. This task involves wearing a hi-vis vest and ensuring the procession takes place in an orderly and safe fashion. There is a full briefing before the procession so all the stewards know what to do. If you are able to volunteer, please email the office (office@asms.uk) or Fr Alan.
We recall in this feast of the Assumption that at the end of her earthly life, Mary, Jesus’ mother, was taken up into heaven to be with her son.
Early traditions of the church speak about the Apostles gathering at Mary’s grave only to find it empty and covered with flowers – her body having been taken into heaven.
The reason Christians have always believed in Mary’s Assumption is quite simple. Christians believe Mary to be unique and special. Only she was chosen to carry and give birth to Jesus, the Son of God. Because she was kept from all stain of sin, and because her vocation was so extraordinary, God did not let her experience death, but rather took her to heaven before her body could know earthly decay.
As well as being a opportunity to celebrate Our Lady’s vocation, it is also a time to give thanks for our own baptismal identity as members of the Body of Christ.
Baptism points to the thing Mary experienced at the end of her earthly life – the life of heaven. When we were baptized, our destiny became like that of Our Lady – to live for ever with God.
Mary experiences now the life of heaven. She is in a place where her earthly life is fulfilled and completed – and that is something all Christians hope for.
So when we celebrate tonight and take to the streets on Sunday evening, it is important to know what we are proclaiming to the world – the joyful news that through putting our trust in Jesus Christ, being baptized into him and by living according to the Gospel’s values and not the world’s, we are given the promise of eternal life.
Fr Peter
August Bible Study
Our August Bible study will focus on St Luke’s Gospel this year. The remaining sessions will take place on 20 and 27 August after the evening Mass. You can sign up for all the sessions, or just those you are able to make, here.
The first session of our August Bible Study met on Wednesday night. A wonderful time was had sharing our thoughts and seeking to understand Luke’s Gospel more deeply.
Courtyard Dinner
There will be a dinner for our younger adults on Thursday, 21st August after the 6.30pm Mass. Weather-permitting we’ll be in the courtyard. Please contact Fr Alan to sign up.
We are grateful to Chris Self for his generous sponsorship of the music for our keeping of the feast of the Assumption. Huge thanks to all those who contribute to the costs of our music programme through the year – our whole parish is very grateful.
Fidelium: the Oxford Movement
Fidelium, a new network for young adults who worship in parishes across the Fulham jurisdiction, will be organising a teaching mini-series this Autumn on the Oxford Movement.
This mini-series will involve a lecture given by Fr Peter at All Saints’, Margaret Street on Thursday 11th September at 7.00 pm introducing the main ideas and figures of the Oxford movement and Catholic Revival.
There will then be a day trip to Oxford on Saturday 27th September led by Fr Peter to put some of the ideas discussed in the lecture in context. The day trip will involved a visit to Pusey House, a tour of Oriel College, a pub lunch, possible punting party and then Evensong at Christ Church Cathedral.
You can sign up for the trip to Oxford here. A full list of Fidelium’s forthcoming events can be found here.
The music at last Sunday’s Solemn Mass included Ireland’s Service in C, and Fauré’s Cantique de Jean Racine. Fr Alan was the preacher. You can watch the liturgy again here.
Advent retreat at Walsingham
The Advent Retreat takes place from Friday 5th December to Sunday 7th December 2025 at the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham.
All those who gather for the retreat go into silence on Friday evening after supper. Silence is then kept in the Shrine grounds through the whole of Saturday until after the Solemn Mass on Sunday morning which takes place at St Mary’s parish church.
The retreat this year will consist of four addresses spread over the time retreatants spend together. This year’s retreat conductor is Fr Chris Irvine. His talks will focus on three works of art featuring John the Baptist. It will be entitled, ‘Pointing the Way: John the Baptist and the priestly task.’
The cost of the retreat is £260. This covers the cost of a room with full board for two nights and a transfer from Kings Lynn to Walsingham. We will follow our usual routine of asking retreatants to buy their own train tickets. We will set off around midday on Friday 5th December and travel by train to Kings Lynn, returning to Kings Cross on Sunday evening around 7.00 pm.
You can sign up via the eventbrite link here. Nearer the time, our parish office will then be in touch with you asking you to settle the balance of what you owe.
Attendance last Sunday
For your prayers
The Friends of All Saints Margaret Street
17th – Sue Feakin, Adrian Felaar, Elizabeth Ferguson, Daniel Fielden, Janice Fielden, Julia Fielden, Nigel Fisher, Mark Fleming
18th – Stuart Fletcher, Christopher Forman, Matthew Foster, Antony Fox, Dr Ralph Donald Fram, Dr Jason Frost, Derrick French, Derek Gatherer, Celia Gather, Charlotte Gauthier, Dr Rebecca Gibbs, Margaret Goddard, Paul Golding, John Goldsmith
19th – Genevieve Gomi, Canon Michael Gudgeon, Sheelagh Gudgeon, Ginger and Del Hall, Monica Joan Hall
20th – Paul Hannah, Jillian Hargreaves, Christopher Harlow-Jennings, Patrick Hartley, The Rev’d Canon Jeremy Haselock
21st – Eoghan Healy, Rebecca Hirst, Fr David Hobden, James and Gwendoline Holdcroft, The Rev’d Canon Graham Holcombe, Edwin Holmes, Rosy Holt, Bishop David Hope
22nd – Richard Hoskinson, Marissa Howard-McNatt, Fr David Hutt, Alfred Imhoff, David James, Andrew Jervis, Powell Johann, Stephen Jury, Malcolm Kemp
23rd – Alan Kimbrough, Brenda Koupis, Stanislav Kudryashov, Christopher Laws, Margaret Leggett
The sick
Jean Castledine, David Craig, Yvonne Craig, Fr Michael Gudgeon, Fr Harry Hodgetts, Carol Lyman-Price, James Rodger, Ingrid Slaughter, Juliet Windham
The recently departed
Lynn Persey; Gwyn Clement, priest; Mark Everitt, priest; Biddy Baxter.
Anniversaries of death
17th – Dorothy Lane
19th – David Russell
20th – William Cargill Pr, Harry Allan
21st – George Jeynes, Leroy Lawes
22nd – Marion Ginger
23rd – Elsie Faithfull, John Hawkins Pr, Patricia Jones, Peter Vickers, Geoffrey Hughes, Lily Caplin
Services this week
Saturday 16th August – Feria
12pm Low Mass
6.00 pm Confessions
6.30 pm Vigil Mass of Sunday
Sunday 17th August – TRINITY IX
8.30 am Low Mass
11 am High Mass
5.15 pm Low Mass
6.00 pm Solemn Evensong and Benediction with Assumptiontide Procession
Monday 18th August – Feria
12 noon Low Mass
6.30 pm Low Mass
Tuesday 19th August – Feria
12 noon Low Mass
6.30 pm Low Mass
Wednesday 20th August – Feria
12 noon Low Mass
5.30 Holy Hour
6.30 pm Low Mass
Thursday 21st August – St Bernard of Clairvaux
12 noon Low Mass
6.30 pm Low Mass
Friday 22nd August – Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
12 noon Low Mass
6.30 pm Low Mass
Saturday 23rd August – Feria
12pm Low Mass
6.00 pm Confessions
6.30 pm Vigil Mass of Sunday
Sunday 24th August – TRINITY X
8.30 am Low Mass
11 am High Mass
5.15 pm Low Mass
6.00 pm Solemn Evensong and Benediction