All Saints Margaret Street.

Dear friends,

Apologies
I apologise for the fact that we have been unable to live-stream our liturgies for substantial parts of the past week. We have been experiencing a series of internet blackouts caused by our internet provider GNetwork which meant we had no WiFi from Thursday 9th until Tuesday 14th June.

We have just in the past 24 hours experienced yet another blackout. This is why we were unable to livestream last night’s Corpus Christi Mass and procession. We aim to have a video of the liturgy uploaded to Youtube in the next day or two.

This is proving to be very frustrating indeed and also means our parish office can’t operate properly.

I am very aware of how much people value and rely upon our online worship offering. I am very sorry indeed that this has not been available over the past few days.

We are looking into ways in which we can set up some form of substantial backup system so that we are able to continue live-streaming using 5G on those occasions when our internet connection is interrupted.

Thanks
I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who contributed to making our keeping of Corpus Christi last night such a wonderful occasion. It was so heartening to see many visitors and friends join us last night.

The music was simply wonderful and I am grateful to our Director of Music and the choir for the herculean effort that went into sustaining singing during the procession.

Our thanks also go to all our servers and stewards for a wonderful Mass and for the exemplary way in which they ensured the procession took place in an orderly and safe way.

We are also very aware of the work that went into offering refreshments and welcome after the liturgy to so many people – thank you, too, to all who had a hand in that.

Parish trips
We have experienced a surprisingly disappointing response for the proposed parish trip to see the Raphael exhibition at the National Gallery on Friday 1st July. Unless more people sign up, we may have to cancel.

Many people have spoken of wanting to come but few have actually booked tickets. Could I urge those who would like to come to be in touch with our parish office as soon as possible to book a place, so we don’t have to cancel the evening? Details are below in this email.

Berlin
I will be in Berlin this weekend participating in our diocesan theological conference, which take place every two years. This seeks to sustain the partnership our diocese has with the church in Berlin-Brandenburg.

The conference will consist of theological discussion, visits to particular churches to see how the Berlin church is responding to the refugee crisis, and participating in the Sunday worship of parishes around Berlin. It will finish with a joint retreat.

I will be preaching on Sunday morning in the parish of Wannsee, just on the outskirts of Berlin, at the kind invitation of their pastor, Jens Jacobi.

I will be sure to pass on the best wishes and prayers of our parish to the Bishop of Berlin-Brandenburg, whom many parishioners will remember visited our parish a few months ago. I ask you to keep our German brothers and sisters in your prayers over the coming weekend, and all who are participating in the conference, that God may continue to bless this ecumenical partnership.

Fr Peter

Sunday 3rd July 2022

On Sunday 3rd July, the Bishop of Fulham will preside and preach at the High Mass. Fr Michael had originally invited Bishop Jonathan several months ago to be the preacher at Fr Michael’s 30th anniversary of ordination Mass which had been planned for 3rd July.

Now Fr Michael has moved back to Australia a little earlier than he had anticipated, the anniversary Mass won’t be taking place. As Bishop Jonathan was planning to be with us anyway on 3rd July, it made sense simply to suggest that Bishop Jonathan still comes but that he presides and preaches.

This also gives us at the opportunity for Bishop Jonathan to swear in our new churchwardens. We also hope it will be possible for him to bless the new set of green High Mass vestments which were commissioned some months ago by the PCC and which we hope will be finished by the beginning of July.

Online Zoom Theology

Once every two months, we organise a theology seminar by Zoom to discuss a particular idea, theme or text. We aim to make discussion as approachable as possible, and to give people the space they need to express their thoughts and questions.

Our next online Zoom Theology session will take place on Tuesday 12th July 2022 at 7.00 pm. We will look at the recently published novel, Cathedral, by Ben Hopkins

This theology session will be led by Fr Peter Anthony and will explore novels about the building of cathedrals. We will compare Hopkins’ Cathedral with other similar works such as Golding’s The Spire, Huysmans’ La Cathédrale, and Ken Follet’s The Pillars of the Earth.

What is it about great buildings that seem to speak beyond themselves about the divine and the power of human creativity? How do churches operate as sacraments of God’s presence and why do they feel so necessary for the offering of Christian worship?

It is suggested that participants read at least part of Hopkins’ Cathedral before the seminar.

Zoom link here.

Requiem Mass for Fr Gerald Reddington

A High Mass of Requiem will take place for Fr Gerald Reddington on Saturday 25th June at 12 noon. Because Fr Gerald died during the COVID pandemic, this is the first opportunity we have had to organise a Solemn Mass for him. We will be joined by his family and friends. All are welcome to attend to give thanks for this life and pray for his soul.

Monthly Requiem

Our monthly Requiem has been postponed from this Saturday and will now take place next Saturday 25th June instead because of uncertainties to do with our internet connection.

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.

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.

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. Find out more about the production here.

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 Trinity 1 is at the end of this email. Click here for the YouTube live stream.

Evensong and Benediction is at 6pm on Sunday. This week the music includes Leighton second service, Gardiner Te lucis ante terminum, Rossini O Salutaris, and Vierne Tantum Ergo.

Flowers

The flowers for Corpus Christi have been given by Jack de Gruiter in memory of Robert Streit.

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.

Prayer list

Prisoners and captives

Ismaeil Maghrebinejad, Nasrin Sotoudeh, Maira Shabhaz
Rohingya Christians in Pakistan, Karen Christians in Burma, Tigrayan Christians in Ethiopia

The sick

Fr Harry Hodgetts, Elizabeth Lyon, James Shrimpton, David Robin, Gloria Fleming, Jim Strickland, Amanda Barrett, Tim Marland, Sebastian Taite-Ellis, Michael Lamprill

Those known to us recently departed

Leslie Routledge, Philip Sanders

Anniversaries of death

Service times this week