All Saints Margaret Street.

Dear friends,

Our celebrations of the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary begin this weekend. The Masses of Sunday morning will all be “green” and of Trinity 11, but by Sunday evening, our parish will be en fête in preparation for our procession of Our Lady at 6.00 pm. The feast day of the Assumption itself will then be celebrated with a High Mass at 6.30 pm on Thursday 15th August.

We recall in this feast that at the end of her earthly life, Mary, Jesus’ mother, was taken up into heaven to be with her son.

Early traditions of the church speak about the Apostles gathering at Mary’s grave only to find it empty and covered with flowers – her body having been taken into heaven.

The reason Christians have always believed in Mary’s Assumption is quite simple. Christians believe Mary to be unique and special. Only she was chosen to carry and give birth to Jesus, the Son of God. And because she was kept from all stain of sin, and because her vocation was so extraordinary, God did not let her experience death, but rather took her to heaven before her body could know earthly decay.

As well as being a opportunity to celebrate Our Lady’s vocation, it is also a time to give thanks for our own baptismal identity as members of the Body of Christ. Baptism points to the thing we celebrate Mary experiencing in this feast – the life of heaven. When we were baptized, our destiny became like that of Our Lady – to live for ever with God.

Mary experiences now the life of heaven. She is in a place where her earthly life is fulfilled and completed, but where that same existence is also now glorified and transfigured – and that is something all Christians hope for.

So when we take to the streets on Sunday night, it is important to know what we are proclaiming to the world – the joyful news that through putting our trust in Jesus Christ, being baptized into him, and by living according to the Gospel’s values and not the world’s, we are given the promise of eternal life. We rejoice that if ever we needed an exemplar of what it means to follow Christ and to trust in God’s grace, we need only to look to Mary, the lowly Virgin of Nazareth, and Mother of the Lord.

Fr Peter

Calling Stewards!

We desperately need more stewards for our procession of Our Lady on Sunday evening. Stewards dress in a hi-vis vest and help ensure the procession runs smoothly and safely. If you’re able to help on Sunday, August 11th please be in touch with Fr Alan. Evensong begins at 6pm, and there will be a briefing and walk-through at 4.30pm.

August Bible Study

Our first August Bible study met last Wednesday and was great success. There will be a similar evening of study each Wednesday night throughout the whole month of August.

The evening starts with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at 6pm, followed by Mass at 6.30. We’ll eat at 7pm and study will run 7.30-8.30.

It would be helpful to have read the entire text of St Mark’s Gospel as a good preparation, and come with lots of questions and observations. All are welcome, but if you haven’t done so let Fr Alan know so he can cater accordingly.

Walk to Lancing College

Fr Alan is encouraged by the strong interest in this walk which will take place next Saturday 17th August. We’ll get the train to Shoreham (likely the 10.16 from Victoria), and take in that town’s very fine churches, before making our way to Lancing College, where we’ve kindly been offered a tour of the chapel.

So we’re all safe, please note the following: the walk from Shoreham to Lancing is just over 2 miles, and largely flat until the immediate ascent to the chapel. The subsequent walk to Steyning via Steyning Bowl is just under 6 miles, and involves a moderate but sustained ascent.

Taxis can be found to and from the College, but once we set out we’ll be on our feet. You are very welcome to join us for the chapel tour alone but will need to find your own way back into Shoreham.

Time permitting, Fr Mark Heather has given us permission to celebrate Mass at his wonderful St Andrew and St Cuthman’s Church. Walkers will get the bus back into Shoreham from Steyning, and those who wish to will stay for an early supper at the Red Lion.

Please let Fr Alan know so he can book. We will catch the 10.16 Littlehampton train from Victoria going out, but an open day return is best for coming home. Bring water and a packed lunch.

Walsingham Pilgrimages

Adoremus Young Adults Pilgrimage: 22nd-24th November 2024
A weekend pilgrimage aimed at younger Christians who are 18-35 years olds. The weekend begins with supper at 6.30pm on Friday 22nd November and ends with Sprinkling, Benediction and Last Visit at 2.30pm on Sunday 24th November.

The cost of the weekend is £95 per head. This covers the cost of accommodation, meals and travel from Kings Lynn. Pilgrims simply have to pay for their train ticket to Kings Lynn. You can sign up here.

Walsingham Advent Retreat: 6th-8th December 2024
A silent pre-Christmas retreat from Friday 6th – Sunday 8th December 2024. The weekend involves arriving on Friday afternoon, and then keeping silence from Friday evening until Sunday morning.

The cost of this pilgrimage is £250. This covers the cost of accommodation, meals and travel from Kings Lynn. Pilgrims simply have to pay for their train ticket to Kings Lynn. To reserve a place, sign up via Eventbrite here.

Parish Weekend Pilgrimage: 25th-28th July 2025
Our parish weekend pilgrimage take place next summer from 25th-28th July 2025.

The cost is £210 if you stay Friday to Sunday, and £300 if you stay Friday to Monday. This covers the cost of accommodation, meals and travel from Kings Lynn. Pilgrims simply have to pay for their train ticket to Kings Lynn. You can sign up via Eventbrite and reserve a place here.

Attendance last Sunday 5th August 2024

Trinity 10                       In person     Livestream*    Post livestream**   Total views***
Vigil Mass                              10
High Mass                           109                 65                     19                          601
5.15 pm Low Mass              18
Evensong & Benediction    52                  23                       5                          224

TOTAL                                 189

* Total participants watching live through the whole YouTube live-stream from beginning to end.
** Total participants, at the time of writing, who have watched the whole of the YouTube live-stream recording from beginning to end after the event .
*** Total online YouTube views, at the time of writing, many of which may only be a few seconds or minutes long.

The Church of England encourages a record to be taken of attendance at “Church at Home” services as including in person attendance, live online participation through the whole service, and those who have watched a liturgy from beginning to end by a week after a live broadcast. In these terms, our total participation for Trinity 10 was 301.

Music sponsorship

The music for the Solemn Evensong, Procession, and Benediction for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Sunday 11th August is kindly sponsored by Chris Self.

The music for the High Mass on the feast day of the Assumption, Thursday 15th August, is kindly sponsored by Alan Kimbrough, in loving memory of Frances O’Neil, Ray Oram, and his parents, Lawrence and Lenore Kimbrough.

We are very grateful to all those who sponsor music at All Saints’, and especially to Chris and Alan for their generosity over our keeping of the Assumption.

Flowers

The flowers for the Assumption are given by Aiden and Ashley Hargreaves-Smith in ever-grateful memory of their beloved mother Valerie and grandmother Irene, whose anniversaries fall at this time.

If you would like to make a donation for flowers or the courtyard garden, please contact Shawn via the office.

Prayer List

The Friends of All Saints’ Margaret Street:

August 11th – William Bonnell, John Bristow, Eric Broglé, Paul Brough, David Blunden, Fr. Michael Bowie, Dr Graham Burns
12th – Derek Bussey, Katherine Butler, Maureen Cambrey, David Caplowe, Adrian Carlton-Oatley, Timothy Cassady, Kate Charles, Stuart Chillingworth, Robert Chote, Sandy Christian
13th – Roger Clark, Catharine Clarke, David and Mavis Cleggett, Graham Colville, Alan Cook, Dr Patrick Cook, Eliza Coomber
14th – Karolyn Cooper, William Cooper Bailey, Peter Coulson, Steven Cox, Dr Yvonne Craig, Juliet Cridland
15th – Kirill Dashkovskiy, Christopher Davies, Peter Dennis, Laura Denton, Joshua Dolphin, Suzanna Eaton
16th – Linda Edwards, Pamela Edwards, Dr Terrence Ellsworth, Sue Enoch, Carolyn Farrar
17th – Sue Feakin, Adrian Felaar, Elizabeth Ferguson, Daniel Fielden, Janice Fielden, Julia Fielden, Nigel Fisher, Mark Fleming

The sick:

John Andrews, David Craig, Jack de Gruiter, Tony Hawkins, Fr Harry Hodgetts, Katherine Lee, Elizabeth Lyon, James Rodger, Bruce Ross-Smith, Graham Snow, Christine Vaughn-Lillie

The faithful departed:

Katherine Coop, Trudy Cormack, William Henry Benefield Sr, Bill Dennis, Caroline Thorpe, Simon Walker, Terry West

Those whose anniversaries of death fall at this time:

August 11th – Marie O’Connor, Barbara Davis
12th – Beatrice Taylor, Joan Pulham, Philip Merritt, Valerie Hargreaves-Smith
13th – Thomas Straker, Winifred Golelee, Richard Fitzgerald, John Edmonds, Ivy Oram
14th – William Rivington, Mildred Terry, Adriana Grosinski
15th – David Tweed
16th – Veronica Lee, Alexander Lee
17th – Dorothy Lane

Wednesday 14th August – St Maximilian Kolbe, Pr, M
12.00 noon Mass
6.30 pm Mass

Thursday 15th August – ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
12.00 noon Mass
6.30 pm High Mass

Friday 16th August – Feria
12.00 noon Mass
6.30 pm Mass

Saturday 17th August – Of Requiem
12.00 noon Mass
6.00 pm Confessions
6.30 pm Vigil Mass

Sunday 18th August – TRINITY XII
11.00 am High Mass
5.15 pm Low Mass
6.00 pm Evensong and Benediction