All Saints Margaret Street.

Dear friends,

I am pleased to announce that our new sound system should be in operation from this Sunday morning and that the major works which have taken place in church over the past few weeks are now complete. I am sure you will all notice an immediate difference at the High Mass on Sunday.

This major project has taken immense amounts of time, money, expertise and skill to pull off and represents a magnificent achievement for our parish. Not only have we brought about a significant improvement in people’s experience of our building and our parish’s liturgy; but we have done so in a way that is sympathetic to All Saints’ historic character, its legally protected status, and its architectural renown.

Extensive re-wiring has taken place throughout our church building, and if you look carefully up to the electroliers in the ceiling you will see that new speakers have been installed to hang from the light fittings. This is so no wall is drilled into, nor any part of our historic fabric damaged or changed.

We owe those who have worked on this project a huge debt of thanks. I particularly want to mention Huw Pryce and John Forde and to thank them for the immense amounts of time they have put into bringing this renewal about. We are all hugely grateful to them for what they have achieved in the service of our parish.

We should also acknowledge with thanksgiving the very generous legacy left to our parish after her death by Frances O’Neil. This has largely paid for all the work. Many people will remember with a wry smile the untiring way in which for years she campaigned on our PCC for the need to renew our sound system. Although she does so on another shore and in a greater light, nobody will rejoice with us more this Sunday than Frances to know her great wish has finally been accomplished.

I want to thank everyone for their patience and forbearance with the disruption which has been caused over the past month or so. I am aware that some of our live streams have not been of their usual quality as we have struggled with various technical issues during this period of change and installation work (this was especially the case last Sunday). I apologise for this and can only say that we hope usual service to be resumed as of Monday onwards.

We now enter a period of several weeks in which the system will be fine-tuned and perfected. The sound levels you hear on Sunday will need to be worked on further so that the most sympathetic and effective aural experience is provided by the new speakers.

The daily Mass will return from Monday onwards to being in church. Attenders should notice that the daily Mass will now be supported by the new sound system.

All Saints’ church will also return to being open each day to visitors and tourists from Monday. This, of course, means that we now need to get our church welcomers’ rota going again so that the building is staffed each afternoon. This is such a crucial part of how we welcome people to All Saints’ and ensure its safety.

We are in need of a good number of new volunteers for this crucial work. It would be terrific if new people could be added to the welcomers’ rota. You simply need to be able to give a couple of hours as often as you stipulate and spend the time welcoming visitors to our church. Full training is provided. Please be in touch with our parish office if you would like to volunteer.

I hope you will rejoice with me on Sunday in a significant development in our parish’s life that allows us to be more inclusive and effective in the welcome we give to those who use our church. Thanks be to God for the renewed sense of liturgical participation which will now be possible for those who worship in our beautiful building, and who encounter with us the presence of the living God in the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving which we offer day by day.

Fr Peter

Walsingham Pilgrimages

Two more pilgrimages to Walsingham will take place this year. Places are free on both trips:

Annual parish weekend pilgrimage
Friday 18th – 21st September 2026
Our weekend pilgrimage to Walsingham involves staying in Shrine accommodation and spending the weekend there. This pilgrimage involves: a Pilgrimage Mass on the Saturday at the Shrine Church; evening processions; sacraments of healing; sprinkling at the holy well and finishing with procession of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction.

The cost is £240 Friday pm to Sunday evening – including full board plus mini-coach from Kings Lynn. Please note that we travel up to Kings Lynn by train and pilgrims need to book their own train ticket.

Please book your place and pay via Eventbrite here.

Walsingham Advent Retreat
Friday 4th – Sunday 6th December 2026
This pilgrimage is more reflective in character and takes the form of a silent retreat. All those who take part go into silence on Friday evening after supper. Silence is then kept in the Shrine grounds through the whole of Saturday until after the Solemn Mass on Sunday morning which takes place at St Mary’s parish church. This year’s retreat leader will be Bishop Peter Eagles.

The cost is £240 – including full board plus mini-coach from Kings Lynn. Please note that we travel up to Kings Lynn by train and pilgrims need to book their own train ticket. We will set off around midday on Friday 4th December and return to Kings Cross on Sunday evening around 7.00 pm.

Please book your place and pay via Eventbrite here.

Volunteer Stewards for Assumption Procession

Our annual Assumption procession is coming up on Sunday, 16th August at 6pm. We need help stewarding the procession. New volunteers are especially welcome. Please speak to Fr Alan if you are interested.

Parish Walk

Our next parish walk will take place on Saturday 22nd August 2026 on the Kent Downs. Our rambling group will take the 10.34 Ramsgate train to Wye from Charing Cross Station. The walk will be around nine miles with some ascents. All are welcome. Please be in touch with Fr Alan to sign up or for more information.

No evening Mass this Monday

Please note that the 6.30 pm Mass on Monday 3rd August is cancelled. There will still be a 12 noon Mass.

Young adults dinner

There will be a dinner in our parish courtyard for our young adults group on Thursday 20th August 2026. If you would like to attend, please be in touch with Fr Alan.

Attendance last Sunday

For your prayers

The Friends of All Saints’ Margaret Street

3rd – Carolyn Farrar, Dr Martin Faulkner, Sue Feakin, Adrian Felaar, Daniel Fielden, Janice Fielden, Julia Fielden, Nigel Fisher, Mark Fleming

4th – Stuart Fletcher, Christopher Forman, Daniel Formston, Derrick Frech, Jason Frost, Carole and Christopher Gabriel, Rev’d Canon Graham Holcombe, R. Alan Kimbrough, Amanda Miller

5th – Derek and Cecilia Gatherer, Dr Rebecca Gibbs and Sam Wildy, Margaret Goddard, Paul Golding, John Goldsmith, Genevieve Gomi, Fr Michael Gudgeon, Sheelagh Gudgeon

6th – Monica Joan Hall, Paul Hannah, Jillian Hargreaves, Julie Harland, Christopher Harlow-Jennings, Patrik Hartley and Rebecca Hirst, Fr Jeremy Haselock, Sandra Hill, Timothy Hill, Martin Hime

7th – Fr David Hobden, Edwin Holmes, Rosy Holt, Elizabeth Hunter, Fr David Hutt, Powell Johann, Frau Dr Christiane Loidl-Rainey and Simon Rainey KC, Stephen Jury

8th – Stanislav Kudryashov, Christopher Laws, Katherine Lee, Margaret Leggett, Cornelius Logue, Nigel Lynn, Henry Macey, Hilary Rodger

The sick

Jean Castledine, David Craig, Paul Faithful, Winifred Haws, Fr Harry Hodgetts, Danny Mather, Ingrid Slaughter, Juliet Windham, Martin Woods, Winfried Haws, Fr Luke Demetri, Jim Carson, Chantale Choley

The recently departed

Edith Ann Fletcher, Ivor John Croft, Nicholas Clark

Anniversaries of death

Services this week