Weekly Email – Pentecost
Documents
Fr Michael writes:
Dear friends,
Enormous thanks to so very many people for everything to do with my farewell Mass & lunch at All Saints last Sunday.
Your gift to me was, as I said, far too generous and I remain moved by the many kind comments I’ve received, as well as by the lovely photo of the Oratory painting which the servers thoughtfully prepared and had signed by Bishop Jonathan, the fabulous Austral-themed motet composed by James Sherwood and wonderfully reprised on Sunday, for which also thanks to Stephen Farr and all who sang & played my chosen music so beautifully, and the truly splendid lunch and opportunity to speak to so many of you after Mass to which so many of you contributed.
I hope that version of parish lunch becomes a venerable tradition because not only was the food wonderful but the opportunity to include so many people was a gift in itself and one on which All Saints can build.
I will inevitably fail to mention someone, so please forgive me for that, but to all of you – servers, musicians, fellow clergy, hardworking sidespeople and catering volunteers, all of you who are also, as Cedric said, friends and fellow members of the Body of Christ in this place, I offer massive thanks and will keep you all in my prayers.
I will be carrying ASMS with me to St Peter’s (and will offer a weekly Mass for you all) and I’m sure we’ll all do our best to coincide somewhere this side of heaven.
I repeat my particular thanks to Fr Peter for his generous support and priestly fellowship over the last year (and indeed the longer period during which I’ve known him): I knew from before he arrived that this was going to go well!
To appropriate the title of my favourite book about the faith, by W.H. Vanstone: Fare Well in Christ.
Fr Michael
What a bitter-sweet occasion it was to bid farewell to Fr Michael last Sunday. We made a presentation at the end of the High Mass of a cheque for £11,240, which had been collected from grateful parishioners as a sign of our thanks for his ministry. Watch last Sunday’s High Mass and presentation again here.
Organ Recital
Our Associate Director of Music, Jeremiah Stephenson, will perform an organ recital this Sunday at 3.30pm, celebrating both HM the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the Feast of Pentecost.
Music will include Walton’s 1953 Coronation March Orb and Sceptre and Duruflé’s Prélude, adagio et choral varié sur ‘Veni creator spiritus’. The recital will last around 30 minutes: a perfect way to fill the gap between the bring-and-share lunch and Evensong.
What fun it was to share a parish lunch together in the courtyard in Fr Michael’s honour last Sunday.
Jubilee Sunday – 5th June 2022
We will celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen’s reign in a number of ways this Sunday.
The music at the High Mass will reflect the character of the day. Amongst other pieces, we will hear Vaughan Williams’ O Taste and See at the offertory, which was written for the Coronation in 1953. This will be followed by an offertory hymn, Jerusalem.
At the end of the High Mass, the choir will sing Domine, salvum fac reginam nostram Elisabeth by Simon Biazeck and the special Jubilee prayers will be offered. We will then sing the National Anthem together in thanksgiving for Her Majesty’s tireless service to our country.
After the Mass, there will be a bring-and-share parish lunch, at which the Platinum Pudding trifle will be served! Again, please be in touch with Chris Self to signal what food you intend to bring.
A Te Deum will be offered at Evensong in the evening because of the solemnity of Pentecost, and in special thanksgiving for the Jubilee.
Many congratulations to Amalia and Xenia, who were baptised into Christ last Saturday. We welcome you into the household of faith!
Parish visit to the Raphael exhibition at the National Gallery
A parish visit to this summer’s extraordinary Raphael exhibition at the National Gallery, followed by dinner at Le Beaujolais restaurant, is planned for Friday 1st July.
The National Gallery describes this blockbuster exhibition as follows:
“His life was short, his work prolific, and his legacy immortal. A painter, draughtsman, architect, archaeologist, and poet, Raphael captured in his art the human and the divine, love and friendship, learning and power.
In his brief career, spanning just two decades, Raphael shaped the course of Western culture like few artists before or since.
This exhibition, one of the first ever to explore Raphael’s complete career, looks at his celebrated paintings and drawings as well as his work in architecture, poetry, and design for sculpture, tapestry and prints.
With loans from the Louvre, National Gallery of Art, Washington, the Prado Museum, Uffizi Museum and the Vatican Museum this is an unprecedented opportunity to see the breadth of Raphael’s skill, creativity, and ingenuity.”
We have booked 30 tickets for a visit to the exhibition at 5.30 pm, and dinner at Le Beaujolais will follow at 7.30 pm (also maximum capacity 30). The cost of a standard adult ticket for the exhibition is £26, and dinner at Le Beaujolais (including service charge but not wine) is £45.
To book, please email Jonathan, our new administrator, via the parish office (office@ASMS.uk) to signal how many tickets you want to reserve and whether you want to come to the dinner. Please also say if you have a reduction or membership card for the National Gallery. Reservations will be apportioned on a “first come, first served” basis. Once you secure a reservation, Jonathan will contact you shortly to arrange payment.
We were blessed with splendid weather on Sunday afternoon for our parish lunch. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed food, and to those who served and helped with the clear up!
Parish theatre trip: The Southbury Child
A parish trip to the Bridge Theatre to see The Southbury Child starring Alex Jennings has been organised for Thursday 11th August at 7.30 pm.
The Bridge Theatre describes the production as follows:
“Sharp-witted, wilful and frequently drunk, David Highland has kept a grip on his parish through a combination of disordered charm and high-handed determination.
But when his conscience forces him to take a hard line with a parishioner who wants Disney balloons at a family funeral, he finds himself dangerously isolated from public opinion.
As his own family begins to fracture, David must face a future that threatens to extinguish not only his position in the town, but everything he stands for.
Stephen Beresford’s very funny new play is a deeply humane exploration of family, faith, tradition and tolerance in a rapidly changing world.”
We have bought 15 tickets at £39.50 each. To reserve a place, please email Jonathan, our new administrator, via the parish office (office@ASMS.uk). Reservations will be apportioned on a “first come, first served” basis. Jonathan will then contact you to finalise your booking by arranging payment.
Links for Sunday
The link for the Propers for Pentecost is at the end of this email. Click here for the YouTube live stream.
Evensong and Benediction is at 6pm. The music includes Stanford in C, Tallis Loquebantur variis linguis, and Schubert O salutaris, Sumsion Te Deum, and Schumann Tantum ergo.
In an emotional farewell homily, Fr Michael Bowie reflected in Sunday’s sermon on the deep bonds of communion that bind all Christians together, no matter what continent they find themselves on, and the way in which the Easter mystery experienced in the church’s sacramental life gives us hope in this world and the next. Watch again here.
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.
Parishioners enjoying our parish lunch last Sunday. We look forward to celebrating the Jubilee together this Sunday with another parish lunch!
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, Jim Robinson, David Craig, Jim Strickland, Amanda Barrett, Tim Marland, Sebastian Taite-Ellis
Those known to us recently departed
Simon Preston, Chrys Street, Wessel de Kock, Ted Luscombe (Bp.), Sister Benedicta SLG, Michael Philip Learoyd, Brian Parker
Anniversaries of death
29th – Agnes Barry, Brenda Lusha, Dominic Borg
30th – Henry Pelham-Clinton, Constance Porter
31st – Olga Gaunt
1st – Mary Bonar, Edna Hutt, Annie Key, Donald Barnes Pr
2nd – Ronald Self
3rd – Ada Tomlinson, Bob Terwilliger Pr, Vyvian Hall, Gwen Rice
4th – Joan Arnold
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).