Weekly Email – Michaelmas
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Fr Alan writes:
Dear friends,
It’s almost a year since our first collective parish foray into actively helping a local charity with their annual cold weather shelter. I was heartened by our response – by the guests we met – by experience of service – and by the connections and friendships that were made over those sessions.
We hardly need reminding we live in a sad and tormented world, whether it be as we pick up the news, or walk in the streets of central London.
To begin to respond to that need can be a confusing and disheartening experience in itself – which is why even a small effort to help an existing charity with the work they do in our community is such an important step to opening our hearts, that God might begin to use them ever more generously.
Our commitment to “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” cannot be separated from his commandment to serve him in the streets: as we read in the Letter of St James “religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress”.
At our PCC away day a few years ago, and the five year Mission Action Plan that emerged from it, one of the areas identified in our parish’s life as needing work, was our corporate commitment to the needs of those who are less fortunate than many of us.
I am hoping that we will be able to commit to staff the homeless shelter on four nights over the coming winter.
The pattern involves taking the lead in feeding and offering hospitality to some of the homeless of this city at the night shelter hosted at the American Church on the Tottenham Court Road. This will happen under the aegis of C4WS, a Camden-based charity which for 20 years has sought to support those without homes in rebuilding their lives.
We have undertaken to run the shelter on the following nights: Wednesday 26th November 2025; Wednesday 7th January 2026; Wednesday 4th February 2026; and Wednesday 18th March 2026.
If you would like to volunteer, please be in touch with Fr Alan (assistant.priest@asms.uk) and put these dates in your diary.
We are very grateful to Jennifer Mills-Knutsen and our sisters and brothers in Christ at the American International Church on Tottenham Court Road for introducing us to this scheme, and with whom we hope to work more extensively in coming years as we seek to engage more intentionally with the needs of the communities around us.
This year we will also have the option to donate to the charity, or specifically to our nights covering the shelter, so that if you are not able to come in person, you are able to contribute to our team effort financially or with food.
Thank you for your support last year – I looking forward to working with you this time!
Fr Alan
We welcomed as our guest preacher last Sunday Fr Thomas Crowley, Rector of Christ Church, St Leonards-on-Sea. You can watch the High Mass and his sermon again here.
Happy Birthday Naomi!
We wish Naomi Slippe a very happy 80th birthday. Naomi has been kind enough to organise a drinks party with birthday cake after the High Mass on Sunday. She has also sponsored the music and flowers for the occasion. We wish her very many happy returns of the day, assure her of our prayers, and thank her for her generosity in including us all in her celebrations!
Zoom Theology Programme 2025-26
Our programme of online theological study was launched last week for the coming “academic” year. You can see more details here.
The topics to be covered include: New Testament study with Ian Boxall; the theology of sacred space with Willian Whyte; Blaise Pascal with Graham Tomlin; the role of the Archbishop of Canterbury with Colin Podmore; the contribution to English church music of All Saints’, Margaret Street, with Serenhedd James; St Catherine of Siena with the assistant priest of our sister church in New York, St Mary the Virgin Times Square, Matt Jacobson; and patristic Mariology with Robin Ward.
What a joy it was on Tuesday to be joined by the All Saints’ Sisters of the Poor at the 12 noon Mass as they celebrate the birthday of their foundress Mother Harriet Brownlow Byron. Many congratulations from us all, and the assurance of our prayers for the All Saints’ Sisters!
Parish Walk
Our next parish walk will take place on St Luke Day, Saturday 18th October. We’ll take the 9.45 am from Victoria to Lewes, and walk up to 10 miles, with some ascents. All welcome – pease be in touch with Fr Alan.
We congratulate Tom Sexton and Amelia Graham on the occasion of their marriage which will took place here at All Saints’ on Saturday. Here is the happy couple being showered in confetti as they left the church.
Fundraising Launch Concert
The fundraising campaign for our Choir and Music Trust Fund will be launched at a concert given by our choir on the Saturday 1st November at 7.00 pm.
This will be a concert of sacred music including a number of substantial items which the choir often doesn’t have the opportunity to sing because of time or liturgical constraints. The programme will include Bairstow’s Blessed City, Heavenly Salem, Macdowell’s Annunciation, Macmillan’s A special Appeal, Finzi’s Lo the full and final sacrifice, Holst’s Nunc Dimittis, and Parry’s Songs of Farewell.
Tickets are £25 per head and all funds raised will go to our our Choir and Music Trust. You can book your tickets via the Eventbrite link here. It will be a splendid evening and we need as many people present as possible. Please bring your friends.
We are very grateful to Fr Alan for the lovely drinks party he threw on Wednesday night after the evening Mass in honour of the feast of Our Lady of Walsingham.
All Saints’ Festival 2025
Saturday 1st November
5.15 pm Vigil Low Mass of All Saints’ Day
7.00 pm Choir Concert
Sunday 2nd November – All Saints’ Day & Festival Sunday
11.00 am High Mass of All Saints’ Day
Preacher: The Ven Luke Miller, Archdeacon of London.
6.00 pm Festal Evensong and Benediction with Te Deum
Monday 3rd November – All Souls’ Day
6.30 pm High Mass of Requiem
Preacher: The Rt Revd Lindsay Urwin, O.G.S.
Sunday 9th November – Remembrance Sunday
11.00 am High Mass of Requiem with Act of Remembrance
Drinks after the evening Mass for the feast of Our Lady of Walsingham.
Attendance last Sunday
Drinks after the evening Mass for the feast of Our Lady of Walsingham.
For your prayers
The Friends of All Saints’ Margaret Street:
28th – Fr Peter and Anna Oesterby-Joergensen, Amanda Oldman, Daniel Oliver, Fr. Barry Orford, Nicholas Page, Samantha Parker, Malcolm Parr, Bhaven Patel, Philip Payne, Alma Pearson, Gladys Pearson
29th – Pat Philips, Dr Colin Podmore, Nick and Cecilia Powell, Susan Prain, Vasileios Psomas, Simon Rainey, Heikki Repo
30th – The All Saints Sisters of the Poor
1st – Carlos Remotti-Breton, Fr Steve Rice, John Rick, Fr Peter Roberts, Hilary Rodger
2nd – Greg Round, Jamie Rundle, Mary Sherred, James Shrimpton
3rd – Ingrid Slaughter, Naomi Slippe, Vaughan Snook, Harvey Solomon-Brady
4th – Jonathan Spelman, Richard and Louise Stallwood, Iain Stewart, Robert Stoltz, Madeleine Storer, Ian and Veronica Summers, Colin Symes, Ann Tacchi
The sick:
Jean Castledine, David Craig, Fr Michael Gudgeon, Catherine Hobden, Fr Harry Hodgetts, Carol Lyman-Price, Daniel Oliver, James Rodger, Oskar Rodriguez-Lopez, Ingrid Slaughter, Juliet Windham
Recently departed
Cherry Burroughs; James Leigh, priest.
Anniversaries of death:
28th – Marjorie Gaskell, Evan Windham, Mark Bushby
29th – Alfred Davis
30th – Jack Minnett, Leslie Thomas, Brenda Kirk, John Shand Pr
1st – Edith Fricker, Alice Sexton, Edward Grant
3rd – Norma Everton
4th – Edna Thompson, Olive Robin
Services this week
Saturday 27 September – St Vincent de Paul
12pm Low Mass
6.00 pm Confessions
6.30 pm Vigil Mass of Sunday
Sunday 28 September – MICHAELMAS
8.30 am Low Mass
11 am High Mass
5.15 pm Low Mass
6.00 pm Solemn Evensong and Benediction
Monday 29 September – MICHAELMAS
12 noon Low Mass
6.30 pm Low Mass
Tuesday 30 September – St Jerome
12 noon Low Mass
6.30 pm Low Mass
Wednesday 1 October – St Thérèse of Lisieux
12 noon Low Mass
5.30 Holy Hour
6.30 pm Low Mass
Thursday 2 October – Holy Guardian Angels
12 noon Low Mass
6.30 pm Low Mass
Friday 3 October – Feria
12 noon Low Mass
6.30 pm Low Mass
Saturday 4 October – St Francis of Assisi
12pm Low Mass
6.00 pm Confessions
6.30 pm Vigil Mass of Sunday
Sunday 5 October – TRINITY XVI
8.30 am Low Mass
11 am High Mass
5.15 pm Low Mass
6.00 pm Solemn Evensong and Benediction