Weekly Email – Lent 5 (Passion Sunday)
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Dear friends,
I want to express a huge thank you to all who so generously contributed to our appeal last week for £15,000 for the installation of new cameras in All Saints’ church. I am pleased to announce that at the time of writing, we have raised a total of £18,555 in just one week!
I was truly humbled and astounded by the speed with which donations poured in. The generosity of those who have contributed to this crucial work is remarkable and I want to thank you all personally for what you have contributed to the life of our parish through your donation.
We are now unquestionably able to proceed at speed in getting our new cameras fitted in time for Holy Week. As I write the engineers are already at work in the church. We will also be able to make substantially greater steps forward in renewal of the sound system with the extra money that was raised over the £15,000 mark.
On behalf of our whole parish, I want to express my gratitude to all those who contributed. I also want to say how much I am looking forward to being able to share with you all the liturgies of Holy Week, whether you worship with us in person or on-line, as we celebrate together the death and resurrection of Christ, and are able to connect with each other through the internet in ways that most of us could not have imagined just a year or two ago.
Many thanks indeed,
Fr Peter
How splendid it was to see so many parishioners in Laetare rose for the Fourth Sunday of Lent.
Liturgical Changes
I would like to announce a few minor changes to our liturgical arrangements from Easter onwards. These are all consequences of the relaxing of COVID restrictions and the gradual return to the “new normal” in our parish’s life.
Return of the Chalice
I am pleased to announce that the opportunity to receive the Precious Blood from the chalice at all Masses will return from Easter Sunday onwards. This means that we will revert to communion received kneeling at the altar rail at celebrations of the High Mass
I want to emphasise that nobody is required to receive from the chalice and that you should feel perfectly at liberty to carry on receiving in only one kind if you wish to.
The practice of dunking hosts in the chalice (sometimes referred to as ‘intinction’) will remain strictly forbidden at All Saints’. This is the most unhygienic way possible of receiving communion and has no warrant in scripture or church tradition. If you do not wish to receive from the chalice, the best way of making your communion is by continuing to receive the host alone.
The extra communion station by the Lady Altar will remain, however, as an option for people to receive communion who might find the steps up to the High Altar difficult, or who have trouble kneeling. A number of people have told me they would appreciate it if this remains as part of our practice. This will also be the place where gluten free hosts will continue to be available.
When it comes to communion from Easter Day onwards, therefore, you will be free either to make your communion at the High Altar, kneeling at the communion rails, or standing at the Lady Altar, whichever is your preference.
Saturday Evening Vigil Mass
We will experiment with restoring a Saturday evening Vigil Mass of Sunday at 6.15 pm from Saturday 23rd April onwards.
This 6.15 pm Saturday Mass will be a Mass of the Sunday each week. This means that if you are unable to get to Mass on Sunday morning, you can come on a Saturday night and fulfil your Christian obligation to be at the Mass.
We will run the Saturday evening 6.15 pm Vigil Mass until June and see whether this is a sustainable thing and if people support it. I will then make a decision in June as to whether this should become a permanent element of our service schedule.
Timing of Evening High Masses
It makes better sense to my mind to have all evening liturgies at the same time, so there is no confusion as to what time things are happening at. We have had evening High Masses at 6.00 pm for various reasons through the period of COVID, but the Low Mass has been at 6.15 pm.
From Easter Day onwards, all evening Masses whether Said Masses or High Masses will be at 6.15 pm. This means the High Mass for the Ascension on Thursday 26th May and for Corpus Christi on Thursday 16th June will be at the later time of 6.15 pm.
I hope we can continue to reflect on our liturgical practice so that by the autumn we have a fixed service schedule that we can then work with and settle as our permanent post-COVID practice.
Fr Peter
Last Friday we celebrated the Feast of the Annunciation. In his homily, Fr Peter reflected on various ancient traditions concerning what Mary was doing at the moment Gabriel entered and spoke to her. The rich symbolism of these artistic and narrative conventions tells us much about the mystery of the incarnation. Watch the sermon again here.
News from the Friends of All Saints
A huge thank you to everyone who has recently joined our renewed Friends of All Saints’ scheme.
Over the last month a total of 43 new people have become Friends. Of those, 29 are in the category of “Benefactor” and give £10 a month or £120 a year. This now brings our new list of Friends to a total of 128, of whom 47 are Benefactors.
The present list of Friends will be formed into a new month long prayer cycle from April onwards so that all newly registered Friends can be remembered in turn at the 12 noon celebration of the daily Mass. Any names on the old list of Friends who have not renewed their subscription and were on the old prayer list will be removed from that point on.
We are immensely grateful to everyone who has joined the Friends. Your contributions make a huge difference to the life and mission of our parish and to the way in which we are able to keep in touch better with our parish’s wide family of faith.
If you have not yet joined the Friends of All Saints, more information can be found here on our parish website, along with the link for subscribing to the scheme. Many thanks indeed for your generosity.
Fr Tom Sander was our preacher last Sunday. He spoke about the Parable of the Prodigal Son. He urged us to consider the way that story speaks to us of the Christian vocation as less about mechanically making “correct” moral choices, and more about being reconciled in Christ. Watch his sermon again here. We look forward next Sunday to welcoming Sister Gemma Simmonds CJ to give the homily.
Lent Lecture
Our Lent Lecture will take place next week on Friday 8th April at 7.00 pm at All Saints.
This in-person event will focus on the thought of St Augustine of Hippo, and will be given by the Revd Dr Dominic Keech, Vicar of St Nicholas’, Brighton.
His lecture will be entitled, “The Infinite Vision: Augustine and the formation of the Western mind.” The evening will be an introduction to the life and thought of the great fourth century North African theologian, exploring his influence on Western Christianity’s understanding of the human person in time and eternity, and probing his continuing presence in contemporary crises of self and society.
Fr Dominic Keech, our Lent lecturer, has undertaken extensive research in the realm of Augustinian patristics. He is the author of an excellent monograph on St Augustine entitled, “The Anti-Pelagian Christology of Augustine of Hippo.”
Parish Office Administrator
All Saints’ Margaret Street is seeking to appoint a new half-time Parish Office Administrator. Please see here for further details, including the job description and person specification.
Closing date for applications: Sunday 10th April 2022
Interviews in the week beginning Monday 25th April 2022
For an application form, please write to Fr Peter Anthony: vicar@asms.uk
All Saints’ Lent Appeal 2022
In the light of exceptional events in Ukraine, all our fund-raising will be devoted this Lent to helping refugees fleeing from the conflict.
The outward giving committee and PCC have, therefore, agreed that all our Lent Appeal money this year should be donated to the joint USPG/Diocese in Europe appeal for the people of Ukraine. Read more about that appeal here.
Parishioners of All Saints’ can now know that every penny they donate to our Lent Appeal will now go to help those involved in the conflict in Ukraine and will support refugees fleeing from the fighting.
The appeal closes on Sunday 1st May.
How to Donate
Please give generously online via our parish website and following the link to the donation page. Or you can send a cheque to the Parish Office, made payable to: “Parochial Church All Saints (Lent Appeal)”. If you qualify for Gift Aid, please write ‘Gift Aid’ on the back of the cheque.
Lent boxes will not be issued this year.
Confession times in Holy Week
Two priests will be available each evening to hear confessions in Holy Week on Holy Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, from 5.00 pm-6.00 pm.
Holy Week and Easter Liturgies
Please note that, in a small change to what has previously been advertised, Bishop Rowan will not be preaching for us on Holy Tuesday evening, as he now needs to be away. He will, however, continue to offer the homily at all other Holy Week liturgies as planned.
Palm Sunday 10th April 2022
11.00 am High Mass with sermon
N.B. Meet at 11.00 am in Oxford Market for the procession of palms.
Holy Monday 11th April 2022
5.00 pm Confessions
6.15 pm Low Mass with homily
Holy Tuesday 12th April 2022
5.00 pm Confessions
6.15 pm Low Mass
Holy Wednesday 13th April 2022
5.00 pm Confessions
6.15 pm Low Mass with homily
7.30 pm Tenebrae
Maundy Thursday 14th April 2022
6.00 pm High Mass with sermon, followed by watch at altar of repose until midnight
Good Friday 15th April 2022
3.00 pm Solemn Liturgy with sermon
Holy Saturday 16th April 2022
9.00 pm Easter Vigil with baptisms, confirmations and sermon.
Easter Day 17th April 2022
11.00 am High Mass with sermon
5.15 pm Mass
6.00 pm Evensong and Benediction
Maundy Thursday Watch
A list has been placed at the back of church for people to sign up for slots to watch at the altar of repose on Maundy Thursday. Please sign up for a period of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament on this holy night so that the Lord’s sacramental presence is attended the whole time.
Forthcoming Guest Preachers
Sunday 1st May 2022
Easter 3, 11.00 am.
The Revd Steve Rice: Rector, St Timothy’s, Winston Salem, North Carolina, USA.
Sunday 15th May 2022
Easter 5, 11.00 am.
The Revd Carol Barret Ford: Vicar, St Martin’s, Gospel Oak.
Sunday 16th August 2022
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 6.00 pm.
The Revd Graeme Rowlands: Vicar, St Silas’, Kentish Town.
Sunday 4th September 2022,
Trinity 12, 11.00 am.
The Revd Dr Barry Orford
Tuesday 1st November 2022
All Saints’ Day, 6.15 pm.
The Bishop of Fulham
Sunday 6th November 2022
All Saints’ Festival Sunday, 11.00 am.
The Revd Nigel Palmer: Assistant Priest, St Michael’s Croydon
Friday 6th January 2023
The Epiphany of the Lord, 6.15 pm.
The Revd James Hill: Vicar, St Benet Fink, Tottenham.
Links for Sunday
The link for the Propers for Lent 5 (Passion Sunday) is at the end of this email. Click here for the YouTube live stream for High Mass.
Evensong and Benediction is at 6pm. The music includes Allegri Miserere Mei, Deus. Click here for the YouTube live stream. The link for the order of service is at the end of this email.
Flowers
We are looking for volunteers to help with the flowers in church. If you have a particular talent for flower arranging and would like to help from time to time or on a regular basis, please contact Shawn on 07988 287 663 or shawnwilbe@outlook.com.
If you would like to make a donation for flowers, please contact Shawn or speak to Chris Self.
Walsingham Devotion
Tomorrow week our monthly Walsingham Devotion, in the form of the Rosary with intercessions, will be offered at 1130 before the noon Mass.
Prayer list
The sick
Fr Harry Hodgetts, Elizabeth Lyon, James Shrimpton, David Robin, Martin Berka, Gloria Fleming
Those known to us recently departed
Hugh Wilcox, Pr, Simeon Sanders, Robert McEwin, Pr.
Anniversaries of death
3rd – Patrick Scott Pr, Elizabeth Usherwood
4th – Margaret Roche
5th – Christopher Ryan, Iolo Davies
6th –
7th – Stanley Eley Bp, Peggy Monk, Margaret Leech
8th – Leonard Neville, Muriel Vickery, Richard Davall, Minnie Webb, Olive Routledge, Evelyn Light
9th – Cecil Higgins, Ada Spicer, Anne Garside, Cyril Golding-Bird Bp, Lewis Fleming
Supporting All Saints
Parish Giving Scheme
You can set up a regular donation to All Saints here.
We use the Parish Giving Scheme, which allows contributions to be anonymous and deals with Gift Aid, saving our office a lot of time. You can read about how the scheme works here.
Donations for general church purposes
To give by BACS please use the following details, advising the Administrator to collect Gift Aid:
PCC All Saints (Charity no. 1132895)
Sort Code 60-09-15
A/C 04559452
Parish Legacy Policy
We are always delighted to hear from anyone who wants to support us with a donation. Our PCC Legacy Policy encourages people to leave bequests specifically to one of our two related charities to be used for purposes of lasting value (rather than day to day costs):
All Saints Choir & Music Trust (Charity # 802994)
or The All Saints Foundation (Charity # 273390).