All Saints Margaret Street.

Dear friends,

I write with an extraordinary sense of gratitude and joy this week to let you know where we have got to with the campaign launched last week to raise sponsorship for this year’s music budget. I have been astounded by the generosity and kindness of the huge number of people who have written to our parish office, donated funds, or pledged sponsorship.

You may remember that we set ourselves last week the target of raising £15,000 over the next year to help balance our music budget. I am thrilled to be able to reveal that within just one week, we have already raised half the total amount!! Pledges of financial support for music now stand at £8,250. This is an extraordinary achievement and the fruit of immense generosity.

That sum of just over £8,000 is made up of substantial donations where individuals have sponsored the cost of a whole liturgy, but it is also made up of a large number of smaller donations of £100 or £50 on the part of parishioners who contributed to the sponsorship of costs for Easter Day. A huge number of donations have been received, with very many sacrificially contributing according to what they are able.

Donations have come in from parishioners in London, as well as across the country, and also from America, using our new American Friends. Our American account (available here) means US tax payers can contribute in dollars and receive the tax back on their donation in the US.

We now need to put our minds to raising the rest of the funds needed. There are two main ways in which we are appealing for funds.

The first is contributing to the cost of a High Mass or Evensong.  The music at a liturgy with full choir costs around £1,000 per service. You may wish to sponsor the music at a particular liturgy in memory of a love one or friend whose anniversary of death it is. You might want to give thanks for a significant birthday by covering the music costs of the Sunday nearest the Big Day. Or you may feel prompted to give thanks for a particular blessing, or answer to prayer by making an offering to help cover the music on a specific feast day. Please be in touch with our parish office (office@asms.uk) if you wish to contribute in this way.

The second way in which we are appealing for donations is through smaller contributions of £50 and £100 in order to cover the cost of one Sunday in particular, Easter Day 2025. I am pleased to report, that in just one week, we have already raised £1,050 in this way! This means we are already half way to achieving our goal of raising £2,000 through smaller donations. From Sunday morning again, you will be able to contribute to this in the courtyard after the High Mass. Alternatively, you can simply email the parish office and let us know you would like to contribute to this through a gift of £50 or £100 made electronically through our CAF account available at the link here.

I want to say a huge thank you to all who have contributed to this appeal and to say what a huge difference this will make to the life of our parish, and the music tradition of which we are so proud. It sends a heartening signal about how much we value our parish’s musicians, and how proud we are of the faulty of their musical output and significance of what they contribute the liturgy of the People of God in this place. Many thanks indeed to all have contributed – and if you have not yet got round to it, or have been pondering making a contribution, please be int ouch so that we can make the final target of £15,000 which we have set ourselves.

With gratitude, joy and many prayers of thanksgiving for your generosity,

Fr Peter

Jack de Gruiter RIP

The funeral rites of Jack de Gruiter will take place on Tuesday 4th February at All Saints’. This will consist of a Low Mass of Requiem with hymns, which all parishioners are welcome to attend. This will be followed by a private cremation. There will be drinks in church directly after the Funeral Mass and all who have attended the liturgy are invited to stay for this. Rest eternal grant to him, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon him!

Music sponsorship last Sunday

We are very grateful to Simon Rainey for sponsoring the music at last Sunday’s High Mass in memory of his Mother-in-Law, Teresia Loidl, whose anniversary of death fell this past week. We thank him for his generosity and assure him, Christiane his wife, and his wider family of our prayers for them and for the repose of Teresia’s soul.

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

There will be a special Carol Service for Candlemas on Sunday 2nd February at 6.00 pm. The liturgy will conclude with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. The Carol Service’s music will include:  Maria wallt zum Heiligtum, Eccard;  Long since in Egypt, Parry; Richte mich, Gott, Mendelssohn; Hail Gladdening Light, Wood; Hodie Beata Virgo, Philips; Tantum Ergo, Victoria.

The Society of King Charles the Martyr

The Annual Commemoration by the Society of King Charles the Martyr of the saintly death of Charles I will take place at All Saints’ on Thursday 30th January 2025 at 12 noon with a Solemn High Mass. The preacher will be Fr Christopher Johnson, Vicar of Horbury. This will be followed by the opportunity to reverence the Society’s relics of the Royal Martyr. All parishioners of All Saints’ are welcome to attend the liturgy.

The commemoration is taking place at All Saints’ this year because the Banqueting House in Whitehall is once again unavailable because of restoration and building works.

Homeless Shelter

Our second evening staffing the winter homeless shelter at the American International Church on Tottenham Court Road will take place during the evening and night of Wednesday 5th February/Thursday 6th February 2025.

There is an array of different duties that need filling: we need volunteers to prepare and make beds; cook a meal; spend time with our homeless guests; sleep overnight; and then prepare breakfast in the morning.

Please be in touch with the parish office (office@asms.uk) if you would like to volunteer, letting us know what job you would like to do and how long you can volunteer for.

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Party

Fr Alan will be hosting a pancake party for our young adults after the 6.30 pm Mass on Shrove Tuesday. Please be in touch with him if you would like to attend.

Attendance last Sunday

Flowers

If you would like to have flowers put in church to mark a special occasion or if you would like to make a contribution to the flowers or sponsor an arrangement for the Altar of Repose on Maundy Thursday and for Easter, please contact Shawn directly or via the office.

Saturday 25th January – Conversion of St Paul
12 noon Low Mass
6.00 pm Confessions
6.30 pm Vigil Mass of Sunday

Sunday 26th January – Epiphany III
8.30 am Low Mass
11 am High Mass
5.15 pm Low Mass
6.00 pm Evensong and Benediction

Monday 27th January – Feria
12 noon Low Mass
6.30 pm Low Mass

Tuesday 28th January – St Thomas Aquinas
12 noon Low Mass
6.30 pm Low Mass

Wednesday 29th January – Feria
12 noon Low Mass
5.30 pm Holy Hour
6.30 pm Low Mass

Thursday 30th January – Charles I, K.M.
12 noon High Mass
6.30 pm Low Mass

Friday 31st January – St John Bosco
12 noon Low Mass
6.30 pm Low Mass

Saturday 1st February – Feria
12pm Low Mass
6.00 pm Confessions
6.30 pm Vigil Mass of Sunday

Sunday 2nd February – Candlemas
8.30 am Low Mass
11 am High Mass
5.15 pm Low Mass
6.00 pm Candlemas Carol Service