Weekly Email – Pentecost
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Dear friends,
I am looking forward immensely to this Sunday. As we celebrate the feast of Pentecost, and God’s gift of the Holy Spirit to his Church, Bishop Jonathan will be with us to celebrate the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation.
I ask you to pray for Charlotte, Conor, George, Grace and Moritz as they prepare to receive the sacraments of initiation or to re-affirm their faith in Jesus Christ.
It has been a joy to accompany them on their journey of preparation over the past few months. They have explored the Christian faith together through our parish’s programme of confirmation catechesis and have been able to strengthen and encourage reach other in their journey of faith as they have got to know each other better.
Our candidates come from a wide range of cultures, faith backgrounds, countries, and educational experiences, but are united in their desire to receive God’s grace, publicly proclaim their faith in Christ, and to be made fully part of the Body of Christ through sacramental incorporation and reception into the Church. It will be a joy and a privilege to present them to Bishop Jonathan during the liturgy. Let us pray that God’s gift of his Holy Spirit will strengthen them in the next step of their journey of faith and embolden them to make known the love they have received in Christ.
The Mass itself on Sunday will be accompanied by some splendid music. The Mass setting will be the Missa Brevis by Jonathan Dove. The anthem will be Dum complerentur by T. L. de Victoria and the Voluntary will be Komm, Heiliger Geist by J. S. Bach.
After the High Mass there will be a parish bring and share lunch. We still need pledges of more food to be sure of having enough to feed everyone. Please be in touch with Kate Hodgetts to let her know what you are able to bring if you wish to contribute something. Do make an extra effort to stay for lunch if you can – it promises to be a lovely occasion.
Do not forget that on Sunday evening, there will be a special celebration of Evensong at 6.00 pm for the feast of Pentecost. The music at the office will include the Evening Service in D Major by Charles Wood, and The Spirit of the Lord by Edward Elgar as the anthem. As is our usual custom, a Te Deum will be offered in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament during Benediction and this will be sung to Stanford’s setting in C. The voluntary will be Choral Varié sur le Veni Creator by Maurice Duruflé.
Let us pray together for those receiving the sacraments of initiation, but also for our whole parish they we may all be faithful to our baptismal vocation and grow ever more confidently into our identity as members of the Body of Christ.
Fr Peter
A group of All Saints’ parishioners enjoy a cream together last Saturday on a parish trip to Westminster Abbey.
Stewards for Corpus Christi
We need more volunteers to act as stewards for our procession on Corpus Christi (Thurs 30th May). This role involves wearing a high-vis vest, marshalling the procession into order and ensuring our journey through the West End is safe for all taking part. Please be in touch with the parish office (office@asms.uk) or Fr Alan to volunteer if you are able.
We are very grateful indeed to Thomas Miles for leading our Zoom Theology Seminar last Tuesday, focussed on the thought of Rene Girard, and the way in which he has been interpreted by Catholic theologian James Alison. People joined from a number of different countries. It was a fascinating evening of theological reflection.
APCM
At our Annual Parochial Church Meeting last week, Kate Hodgetts and Huw Pryce were re-elected as our churchwardens. The following were also elected to the four vacant places on the PCC: Richard Everton; Mark Fleming; Rachel Foss; Judith Mather. We would like to thank all those who stood for election.
At the High Mass before the APCM, Fr Peter offered a review of the year in place of the homily. You can hear his words again here.
The draft minutes of the APCM are available on the notice board at the back of church for anyone who wishes to see them.
Preachers 2024
Corpus Christi – Thursday 30th May 2024
6.30 pm High Mass
Preacher: The Revd Steve Rice, Rector of St Timothy’s Episcopal Church, North Carolina, USA.
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Sunday 11th August 2024
6.00 pm Evensong, Procession of Our Lady and Benediction
Preacher: The Revd Andrew Walker, Vicar of St Mary’s, Bourne Street, London.
Trinity 20 – Sunday 20th October 2024
11.00 am High Mass
Preacher: The Revd Russ Snapp, Associate Priest, Holy Trinity, Upper Tooting.
All Saints’ Day – Friday 1st November 2024
6.30 pm High Mass
Preacher: The Rt Revd Stephen Conway, Bishop of Lincoln.
All Souls’ Day – Saturday 2nd November 2024
12 noon High Mass of Requiem
Preacher: The Revd Reg Bushau.
All Saints’ Festival Sunday – Sunday 3rd November 2024
11.00 am High Mass
Preacher: The Ven Katherine Hedderly, Archdeacon of Charing Cross.
A group from All Saints’ spent last Saturday afternoon at Westminster Abbey: we saw the new Notre Dame de Paris exhibition; were given a tour of the Abbey’s Library; had a cream tea together in the Cellarium; and finished the day with Evensong.
Confessions
Fr Graeme Rowlands will be available to hear confessions on Wednesday 22nd May at 5.30 pm.
One of our parish clergy is also regularly available in one of the confessionals in church on Saturday evenings each week at 6.00 pm to hear confessions.
Young Adults Group
An Eastertide rambling day trip will take place on Saturday May 25th. We’ll meet at Victoria Station at 09.30, ready for the 09.46 Littlehampton train to Hassocks. A circular route of around 12 miles – involving some abrupt changes in relief; some fine Sussex churches; and a pub lunch will follow. All welcome! Be in touch with Fr Alan if you want to know more or come along.
Parishioners Hilary Roger and Anne Flanagan were both present recently at the King’s College Hospital Nurses League Centenary Reunion. Hilary was invited to cut the cake and was given the fondant picture plaque as a present.
Attendance last Sunday
We were very grateful indeed to Dr Tony Trowles, the Archivist of Westminster Abbey, who gave a group of parishioners from All Saints’ a private tour of the Abbey’s library last Saturday.
Flowers
The flowers are given by those being confirmed on Pentecost.
If anyone would like to make a donation for flowers, please contact Shawn or the office.
Prayer List
The Friends of All Saints’ Margaret Street:
19th – Genevieve Gomi, The Ven Thomas M. Greene, Jack de Gruiter, Canon Michael Gudgeon, Sheelagh Gudgeon, Ginger and Del Hall, Monica Joan Hall
20th – Roger Hancock, Canon Richard Hanford, Paul Hannah, Jillian Hargreaves, Christopher Harrison, Patrick Hartley, The Rev’d Canon Jeremy Haselock
21st – Eoghan Healy, Rebecca Hirst, Fr. David Hobden, James and Gwendoline Holdcroft, Edwin Holmes, The Rev’d Canon Graham Holcombe, Bishop David Hope
22nd – Richard Hoskinson, David Hutt, Alfred Imhoff, David James, Andrew Jervis, Arthur Johnson, Stephen Jury, Malcolm Kemp
23rd – Alan Kimbrough, Brenda Koupis, The Very Rev’d Harry Krauss, Deirdre Laing, Graham Last, Christopher Laws
24th – Cornelius Logue, Frau Dr Christiane Loidl-Rainey, Nigel Lynn, Henry Macey, Bishop Michael Marshall, Robert Mason, Graham Mather
25th – Judith Mather, The Ven Fr Stephen McClatchie, The Rev’d Peter McGeary, Nigel McNeill, John McWhinney, Anne Merritt
The sick:
Martin Berka, Dave Carcosia, David Craig, Roger Dilks, Fr. Harry Hodgetts, Peter Hoyle, Katherine Lee, Lesley Lee, Wendy Leech, Elizabeth Lyon, Frank Ottwell, James Roger, Bruce Ross-Smith, Katherine Lee.
The faithful departed:
Javier Barbetta, Julian Clark, Sarah Lauren Grube, Michael Morena
Those whose anniversaries of death fall at this time:
19th – Frank Biggart, Mary Cottell, Betty Johnson
20th – Eliza Pountney, Eric Arnold
21st – Alan James, Wendy Johnson
23rd – Basil Kiernander, Charles Cruse
24th – Francis Irving, Rita Hodgetts, Mary Woodward, Nora Nettey
25th – Frederick Seales, John Davies, Yvonne Harland
26th – Clare Jackson, Percy Aspinall
Service times this week
Saturday 18th May – Feria
12.00 noon Mass of Requiem
6.00 pm Confessions
6.30 pm Vigil Mass
Sunday 19th May – PENTECOST
11.00 am High Mass with Baptism and Confirmations
5.15 pm Low Mass
6.00 pm Evensong and Benediction with Te Deum
Monday 20th May – Mary, Mother of the Church
12.00 noon Mass
6.30 pm Mass
Tuesday 21st May – Feria
12.00 noon Mass
6.30 pm Mass
Wednesday 22nd May – Feria
12.00 noon Mass
5.30 pm Confessions with Fr. Graeme Rowlands
6.30 pm Mass
Thursday 23rd May – Our Lord Jesus Christ the Eternal High Priest
12.00 noon Mass
6.30 pm Mass
Friday 24th May – Feria
12.00 noon Mass
6.30 pm Mass
Saturday 25th May – S, Bede the Venerable, Pr, Dr
12.00 noon Mass
6.00 pm Confessions
6.30 pm Vigil Mass
Sunday 26th May – TRINITY SUNDAY
11.00 am High Mass
5.15 pm Low Mass
6.00 pm Evensong and Benediction