Weekly Email – Epiphany 4
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Dear friends,
The past few days have seen a number of significant announcements, events, and occasions in the life of the wider church, that I am sure many parishioners of All Saints’ will want to commit to their prayers.
You may have heard that it was announced a few days ago that Fr Kevin Smith, the Administrator of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, has been appointed as the new parish priest of St Augustine’s, Belvedere, and will be leaving the Shrine. Fr Kevin is well known by All Saints’ pilgrims and will be sorely missed. We all owe him a great debt of thanks for the exemplary way in which he led the Shrine through the very complicated years of the COVID pandemic. His calm, kind and prayerful presence as a priest, confessor and pastor have been appreciated by so many pilgrims and clergy. We all say a huge thank you to him for his service to Our Lady’s shrine, and wish him well in his new post, assuring him of our prayers.
The new Archdeacon of Charing Cross was also announced in the past few days, and will be the Revd Katherine Hedderly. The Archdeacon of Charing Cross is one of the two Archdeacons who work within the Two Cities Area of our diocese and is a key role of contact, support and advice for our parish. Katherine has been vicar of All Hallows-by-the-Tower since 2019 and before that worked at St Martin-in-the-Fields. We look forward to meeting our new archdeacon when she assumes her new role later this year. I have been in touch with Katherine to congratulate her on her appointment, and have invited her to preach at All Saints’ at some point in the next year.
As we welcome Katherine as the new Archdeacon of Charing Cross, we must publicly record our thanks for the service and ministry of her predecessor, Adam Atkinson, who became the Bishop of Bradwell last year. Adam played an especially important role in the life of our parish during the interregnum that preceded my appointment as vicar, and he has been a good friend to All Saints’. We are grateful to him for his hard work, companionship, wisdom and support
A further important development in the life of our diocese took place last Sunday when the Bishop of Berlin-Brandenburg, Dr Christian Stäblein, was made an honorary ecumenical canon of St Paul’s Cathedral. Many will remember his splendid visit to our parish two years ago, when he came to London for the first time after his appointment as bishop. Bishop Stäblein leads the Evangelical church in Berlin-Brandenburg, which stands in the Lutheran and Calvinist theological tradition. Our diocese has a long standing ecumenical partnership with the Berlin Church, and exchanges and visits take place through the year between our two communities.
It was a great honour and delight for me to be invited by Bishop Sarah to attend a reception last Sunday for Bishop Stäblein at the Old Deanery, which was attended by, amongst other dignitaries, the German Ambassador. I was also present for Bishop Stäblein’s installation as a canon in the Cathedral. Please keep our German brothers and sisters in your prayers, as we ask God to help us grow in ever closer unity of faith, life, and mission.
I hope that you will all be able to pray for all these individuals as they live out their various vocations in the life of God’s church, and that as the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity comes to a close, we might give thanks for the bonds of communion that bind us all together in Christ.
Fr Peter
Lunch held in honour of Dr Christian Stäblein, Bishop of Berlin-Brandenburg, at the Old Deanery last Sunday, hosted by the Bishop of London, and in the presence of his Excellency the German Ambassador.
Incense sponsorship
In an attempt to reduce costs in our annual sacristy bill, we are inviting parishioners to sponsor the cost of key items that we have to buy each year.
We have just received a year’s supply (18 boxes) of incense from Mucknell Abbey. Each box can be sponsored for £15. Please be in touch with our parish office if you wish to sponsor one or more boxes and want to pay electronically by PayPal. It will also be possible to sponsor incense on Sunday morning and pay in cash.
This will make a huge difference to balancing our budget and we are very grateful for any support we receive!
What a splendid time a group from All Saints’ had on our parish outing to the British Library last Tuesday to see the exhibition, “Fantasy – Realms of Imagination.” We are so grateful to Rachel Foss for giving us a fascinating introduction to the visit and for guiding us through the exhibition (of which she is one of the curators).
Recital this Sunday
An organ and cello recital will take place this Sunday 28th January at 3:30pm given by Julian Collings and Rebecca Hepplewhite
Programme: Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ – J S Bach; Elegie from Three Pieces Op.150 – Joseph Rheinberger; Humoresque – Joseph Jongen; Adagio – David Bednall; Trois Pieces – Nadia Boulange
All Sunday afternoon recitals are free to attend, with a retiring collection for the All Saints’ Choir and Music Trust.
Young Adults Group – hiking trip
Weather permitting, our next Young Adults Group walk will take place on Saturday, February 3rd, in Epping Forest. This is aimed at our younger folk, but anyone who feels up to 10-12 muddy miles is very welcome to join! We’ll stop for lunch half way. Be in touch with Fr Alan if you would like to take part.
Our parish group enjoys supper together at Pizza Express on Tuesday night after our visit to the British Library.
Candlemas 2024
Friday 2nd February 2024
6.30 pm – High Mass
Preacher: The Revd James Wilkinson, Assistant Priest, St Andrew’s Holborn, and Chaplain to the Bishop of Fulham.
We will be joined on Candlemas by members of our wider deanery, and there will be a parish supper after the High Mass, to which all are invited.
Confessions: Fr Rowlands
Fr Graeme Rowlands will be available to hear confessions and/or offer spiritual counsel at the following times: Tues 30th Jan – 5.30 pm; Tues 13th Feb – 5.30 pm; Tues 21st Feb – 5.30 pm; Wed 28th Feb – 5.30 pm; Wed 6th March – 5.30 pm; Mon 11th March – 5.30 pm; Mon 18th March – 11.00 am.
A splendid supper at Pizza Express after our parish visit to the British Library on Tuesday evening.
Pusey House comes to Margaret Street
The Chapter of Pusey House, Oxford, invites friends of Pusey House to a special High Mass at All Saints’, Margaret Street, at 4pm on Saturday January 27th 2024. The Ven Dr Edward Dowler, Archdeacon of Hastings will preach. All Saints’ parishioners are welcome to attend and are invited to this Mass too.
Confirmation classes
Anyone interested in being baptized, and/or confirmed should be in touch with Fr Peter or Fr Alan. Confirmation classes will begin in the New Year. Our confirmation next year will take place on Pentecost Sunday, 19th May 2024, when we will be joined by the Bishop of Fulham to administer the sacraments of initiation.
You can watch last Sunday’s Solemn Mass for Epiphany 3 here. Music included: Missa Brevis by Sir Lennox Berkeley; and O Thou, the central Orb by Charles Wood. In the sermon, Fr Peter encouraged us to embrace our evangelistic mission in the world with a spirit of eucharistic abundance and generosity. You can watch his homily again here.
Walsingham Pilgrimages 2024
Now is the time to sign up for our two main pilgrimages to Walsingham over the next year. Please be in touch with our parish office to book a place and to make payment electronically:
National Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham
Monday 27th May 2024 – leave All Saints’ Margaret Street at 7.30 am.
This is a day pilgrimage to Walsingham which takes place on the last Bank Holiday in May each year. We travel together in a coach from Margaret Street, setting off first thing, and return late in the evening of the same day. The pilgrimage includes a large outdoor Mass in the Abbey grounds of Walsingham, with sermon and procession in the afternoon. The cost is £20 and the coach leaves All Saints’ at 7.30 am.
Annual parish weekend pilgrimage to Walsingham
Friday 19th July to Sunday 21st July 2024
A weekend pilgrimage away in Walsingham involving: Pilgrimage Mass at the Shrine Church; evening processions; sacraments of healing; sprinkling at the holy well and finishing with procession of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction. Cost: £190 Friday pm to Sunday evening (including full board plus mini-coach from Kings Lynn – pilgrims need to book their own train ticket to Kings Lynn). There is an option for pilgrims who wish to stay on until the Monday and return on 22nd July – this costs £280.
The Bishop of Berlin-Brandenburg with the Bishops of London and Stepney, the Dean of St Paul’s, and the Archdeacon of London, after his installation as an honorary ecumenical canon of St Paul’s last Sunday.
Zoom Theology Seminars
What a tremendous evening we had on Tuesday evening with our online Zoom Theology Seminar series. We were joined online by over 60 people, from every known continent except Antarctica! Fr Robin Ward gave us a wonderful conspectus of the theology, history, culture and politics of the Patristic period. We are grateful to him for a fascinating account of how the church’s faith was defined and agreed in its earliest centuries.
Our next Zoom Theology seminar will take place onTuesday, March 19th, 2024 and will be entitled, “Holy Murder”! (Please note this is a week later than the date advertised in last week’s parish email!) Fr Alan will be leading us in comparing detective novels with a religious context. We’ll focus particularly on P.D. James’ classic Death in Holy Orders, and The Rev’d Richard Coles’ Murder before Evensong.
More information about our online Zoom Theology Seminars can be found here.
Parishioners of All Saints’ order their pizzas after a wonderful evening at The British Library on Tuesday.
Shrove Tuesday Crêpes Suzette dinner
To celebrate Shrove Tuesday, we will be hosting a special Crêpes Suzette dinner at Le Beaujolais restaurant on Litchfield Street in Soho on Tuesday 13th February 2024 at 7.30 pm. The cost will be £50 for three courses. Instead of the usual cheese trolley, you are welcome to choose, as a special treat for Pancake Day, the restaurant’s famous Crêpes Suzette as a way of finishing Ordinary Time and preparing for Lent. To book a place, please email the parish office.
Flowers
The flowers this week in front of Our Lady of Margaret Street are given by the Wright family and Pat Phillips in loving memory of Clive Wright, who died at Candlemas in 2020.
If you would like to mark an occasion with flowers, please contact Shawn Welby-Cooke.
Attendance last Sunday
Prayer List
The Friends of All Saints’ Margaret Street:
January 28th – Fr. Peter and Anna Oesterby-Joergensen, Fr. Barry Orford, Samantha Parker, Malcolm Parr, Bhaven Patel, Alma Pearson
29th – Pat Philips, Colin Podmore, Nick and Cecilia Powell, Simon Pusey, Simon Rainey, Gordon Reid
30th – The Sisters of All Saints’ Margaret Street
31st – Friends in special need
1st – Carlos Remotti-Breton, Dr Steve Rice, John Rick, Fr. Peter Roberts, Hilary Rodger, Mossman Roueche
2nd – Greg Round, Fr. Jim Rosenthal, Jamie Rundle, Mary Sherred, James Shrimpton, William Shufflebotham
3rd – Gabriel Simerson, Brad Singer, Ingrid Slaughter, Naomi Slippe, Vaughan Snook, Harvey Solomon-Brady
The sick:
Javier Barbetta, Martin Berka, David Craig, Jason Dunlop, Clara Exton, Frances Gayler, Gill Hargreaves, Fr. Harry Hodgetts, Elizabeth Lyon, Lionel and Lynn Persey, James Roger, Bruce Ross-Smith, Paul Sturgul, Doreen and Melvin Warren, Jean
The faithful departed:
Brian Clifford, Deidre Laing, G. Venkatramani, Rodney Whiteman Pr
Those whose anniversaries of death fall at this time:
January 28th – Annie Benniston, Vera Martin, John Brackley, Barbara Niemyska
29th – George Flack, Norah Lawrence
30th – Doris Foster, Judith Pulteney, Florence Akers
31st – Leonard Forsyth, Reginald Oxley, Jean Phillips
February 1st – Sarah Hutchinson, John Rose, John Pollard, Richard Vann
2nd – Florence White, Pamela Powis, Alfred Buhagiar, Clive Wright
3rd – Sydney Barradell, Cecilia Gamble, Cyril William Mason
4th – Agnes Theobald, Vera Aspinall, Marjorie Hague
Service times this week
Saturday 28th January – Our Lady on Saturday
12.00 pm Mass
6.30 pm Vigil Mass of Sunday
Sunday 28th January – Fourth Sunday of Epiphany
11.00 am High Mass
5.15 pm Low Mass
6.00 pm Evensong and Benediction
Monday 29th January – Feria
12.00 pm Mass
6.30 pm Mass
Tuesday 30th January – Charles Stuart, M
12.00 pm Mass
6.30 pm Mass
Wednesday 31st January – S. John Bosco, Pr
12.00 pm Mass
6.30 pm Mass
Thursday 1st February – Feria
12.00 pm Mass
6.30 pm Mass
Friday 2nd February – Feria
12.00 pm Mass
6.30 pm Mass
Saturday 3rd February – Feria
12 noon Mass
6.30 pm Vigil Mass of Sunday
Sunday 4th February – Second before Lent
11.00 am High Mass
5.15 pm Low Mass
6.00 pm Evensong and Benediction