Weekly Email – Easter 6
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Dear friends,
We have come to that time of our parish’s year where we are preparing for our Annual Parochial Church Meeting on Sunday 12th May after the High Mass. The APCM is an opportunity for us to take stock of the past year, receive important reports, to elect church officers, and to choose PCC members.
Although an APCM has several important bureaucratic pieces of business that need to be transacted, I hope it will principally offer an opportunity for us to thank God for all that he has done to bless our parish over the past twelve months, and to commit our plans to him for the next year.
I want to thank all those who have served our parish in certain key roles: especially our church wardens and our treasurer. Without the immense hard work and commitment that Kate, Huw and Patrick devote to our parish, we’d be in a pickle! We are so grateful to them not just for their hard work, but also for their generosity, humour and selflessness in exercising these crucial roles.
I also want to thank those who have served on our PCC. This is a vitally important role in our parish’s life. I am so grateful for the skills, experience and wisdom they have brought to discussion of parish business over the past year, and for the important role they have played in strategic direction of our church’s life. The discussion and reflection which resulted in our five year Mission Action Plan were particularly impressive and heartening. This year there are four places which have fallen vacant on our PCC which need filling at the APCM.
You will find attached to this email a copy of the Annual Report, which will be presented at the APCM, for you to read. I hope you will agree that it makes encouraging and impressive reading, and sums up all we have been able to accomplish together. The agenda and further papers will be circulated next week in this parish email.
I pray our APCM will be an opportunity for us all to take stock, give thanks, and look ahead with renewed confidence as we seek to do the Lord’s will and respond to his call to us.
Fr Peter
The Ascension of the Lord
Thursday 9th May 2024
12 noon Low Mass
6.30 pm High Mass
Preacher: The Revd Mark Woodruff,
Priest of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family of London.
Music: Missa Brevis – Neil Cox; Ascendit Deus – Peter Phillips.
Voluntary: Transports de Joie, from L’Ascension – Olivier Messiaen.
Sacristy Supplies
If you would like to sponsor the cost of our annual sacristy supplies of altar bread and wine, please make a donation here. Alternatively, you can simply buy a few bottles of wine, bring them to church with you, and drop them by the sacristy. We use this Moscatel de Valencia which is available at Waitrose.
We are grateful to everyone who contributed last Sunday to our efforts to cover the costs of sacristy supplies through sponsorship of hosts and altar wine. We received a very generous response indeed. Our sacristy supplies stall will be available this Sunday once again to receive donations.
SOM May Devotion
The Society of Mary May Devotion will take place at S. Silas’, Kentish Town, tomorrow, Saturday 4th May at 12 noon. The principal celebrant at the Mass will be the Bishop of Fulham, and the preacher at the afternoon devotion will be the Bishop of Oswestry.
We offer congratulations to our parishioner Aiden Hargreaves-Smith upon his appointment as a lay canon of Chelmsford Cathedral last Sunday. We assure him of our prayers and best wishes.
Master’s Organ Recital
Our Organ Scholar, Hamish Wagstaff, will be presenting his Masters’ Recital to mark the conclusion of his studies at the Royal Academy of Music on Monday 13th May at 4.45pm in The Duke’s Hall. His programme will feature Widor’s monumental Symphonie Romane alongside works by Lübeck, Alain and Francis Pott. It would be wonderful to see as many parishioners and friends of the parish there for what promises to be a first-rate programme.
Coffee in our courtyard after the High Mass: an opportunity to catch up with friends, chat with visitors and welcome newcomers.
Bring and Share lunch
We will be having a bring and share lunch on Pentecost Sunday (19th May) after the 11.00 am High Mass and Confirmation. We need people to volunteer to bring food. Please speak to Kate Hodgetts and let her know what you might be able to provide.
Zoom Theology – texts now available
Our next Zoom Theology Seminar will take place on Tuesday, May 14th, 2024. It will be entitled, “The Scapegoat: James Alison, René Girard and Scapegoating.”
Thomas Miles will lead us in a study of Fr James Alison, a Catholic priest and theologian influenced by the ideas of René Girard (1923-2015).
Girard’s thought focusses on how Jesus’ death calls into judgement the human tendency to create social cohesion through scapegoating, and how, conversely, the resurrection invites Christians to courageously seek truth in unity.
Thomas has suggested that participants might wish to read Chapter 4 of James Alison’s book, “The Joy of Being Wrong: Original Sin through Easter Eyes.” If you don’t have a copy of the book, please be in touch with the parish office and we can easily send you an electronic scan of the text.
The Zoom link for this week’s seminar can be found here.
Fr Peter preached on Sunday about the story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch from our first reading. In that narrative, we find a model for how we should accompany and encourage those seeking faith. You can watch the sermon here.
Online Zoom Coffee Hour
An online Zoom Coffee Hour is planned for this Sunday 5th May at 12.45 pm for our house bound and/or online parishioners and will be hosted by Fr Alan. The Zoom link for Sunday 5th May is here.
Young Adults Group
An Eastertide rambling day trip will take place on Saturday May 25th. We’ll meet at Victoria Station at 0930, ready for the 0946 Littlehampton train to Hassocks. A circular route of around 12 miles – involving some abrupt changes in relief; some fine Sussex churches; and a pub lunch will follow. All welcome! Be in touch with Fr Alan if you want to know more or come along.
You can watch last Sunday’s High Mass for Easter 5 here.
New from the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham
Parishioners of All Saints’ will be pleased to hear that Fr Ben Eadon, currently Vicar of St Bartholimew’s and St Paul’s, Brighton, has been appointed as the new Administrator of the Shrine. He will begin his role there in November.
Until then, Fr Graeme Rowlands will be running the Shrine as interim Administrator.
It has also been announced this week that Fr Philip Barnes, Vicar of St Stephen’s, Gloucester Road, has been elected the Master of the Guardians.
The National Pilgrimage to Walsingham on Monday 27th May will be an opportunity for us to say farewell to Fr Kevin Smith and to thank him for his service to the Shrine. Please keep the Shrine and its staff and Guardians in your prayers at this time of transitions, change, and new beginnings.
Confessions
Fr Graeme Rowlands will be available to hear confessions at the following times over the coming weeks: Wednesday 15th May at 5.30 pm; Wednesday 22nd May at 5.30 pm.
One of our parish clergy is also regularly available in one of the confessionals in church on Saturday evenings each week at 6.00 pm to hear confessions.
Attendance last Sunday
Flowers
The flowers are given by the Spencer and Howson families in remembrance of Patrick and Margaret Spencer. Forever in our hearts and thoughts.
If anyone would like to make a donation for flowers, please contact Shawn or the office.
Prayer List
The Friends of All Saints’ Margaret Street:
May 5th – Sebastian Taite-Ellis, Michael Taylor, Kitty Thompson, Charles Thomson, Dr James Thomson, Jeremy Thorp, Dr Christine Vaughn Lillie
6th – Sam Walsh, Christopher Walsh, Christopher Waterhouse, Philip Wayne, Fr. Benjamin Weitzmann, Fr. Mats Wendt, Michael Westcott, Dr Roger White
7th – Matthew Whittaker, Tim Widdowfield, David Wilcox, T. Bradford Willis, Ian A. Wilson, Juliet Windham
8th – Dr Philip Wood, Martin Woods, The Rev’d John Wylam, William Yale, Catherine Young, Michael Young
9th – Mark Allan, Martin Amherst-Lock, Mary Attenborough, Robert Austen, Richard Ayling, James Babington Smith, Ruth Baker
10th – Stephen Baldwin, Stephen Barber, Dr William Benefield, Fr. Adrian Berry, Charlotte Black, Graeme Bloom, Colin Bodkin
11th – William Bonnell, John Bristow, Eric Broglé, Paul Brough, David Blunden, Fr. Michael Bowie, Dr Graham Burns
The sick:
Martin Berka, Dave Carcosia, David Craig, Roger Dilks, Fr. Harry Hodgetts, Peter Hoyle, Lesley Lee, Wendy Leech, Elizabeth Lyon, Frank Ottwell, James Roger, Bruce Ross-Smith
The faithful departed:
Javier Barbetta, Julian Clark, Sarah Lauren Grube, Michael Morena
Those whose anniversaries of death fall at this time:
May 5th – Alfred Adams, Paul Curno
6th – Kathleen Wolfenden, Melinda Powell, John Norman, Jack Symes
7th – Odo Flunt, Norman Sandwith, William Faithfull, Phyllis MacKenow, Dorothy Faithfull
8th – Florence Hope, Richard Masheder Pr, Fred Bramma, Charles Cunnington, John Mather
9th – Marygdd Snowden, Martin Cooper
10th – Gertrude Thorpe
11th – Barbara Watson, George Corbett, N.P. Williams Pr, Ellen Markey, Beverley Ward
12th – John Finnie
Service times this week
Saturday 4th May – The English Martyrs
12.00 noon Mass
6.30 pm Vigil Mass
Sunday 5th May – EASTER VI
11.00 am High Mass
5.15 pm Low Mass
6.00 pm Evensong and Benediction
Monday 6th May – Feria
12.00 noon Mass
Tuesday 7th May – Feria
12.00 noon Mass
6.30 pm Mass
Wednesday 8th May – Feria
12.00 noon Mass
5.30 pm Confessions with Fr. Graeme Rowlands
6.30 pm Mass
Thursday 9th May – THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD
12.00 noon Mass
6.30 pm High Mass
Friday 10th May – Feria
12.00 noon Mass
6.30 pm Mass
Saturday 11th May – Our Lady of Walsingham
11.30 Rosary
12.00 noon Mass
6.30 pm Vigil Mass
Sunday 12th May – EASTER VII
11.00 am High Mass
5.15 pm Low Mass
6.00 pm Evensong and Benediction