All Saints Margaret Street.

Dear Friends

As you know Fr Alan and Theresa and other members of All Saints congregation are in New York this weekend for the consecration of Fr Allen Shin as a bishop. Fr Shin’s links with us are woven together with our common links to St Mary the Virgin Times Square, where he was on the staff before he was an honorary assistant priest here. Mass will be offered for him here on the morning of his consecration.

Reading some of what Fr Shin had to say in an interview on the New York diocesan website reveals a rich journey to this ministry, including his arrival in the USA from Korea aged 14 with virtually no English, an immigrant experience which, he says, taught him to ‘be open and easily adapt to new situations’. Episcopal ministry in our Communion of Churches will probably give him a few more opportunities to exercise those skills! Meanwhile this new beginning for him is a reminder to us of a rich shared heritage of faith which transcends our local church, whether that means All Saints, the Diocese of London, or even the Church of England. Christian life is both parochial and universal.

Perhaps that is actually less of a paradox than it at first seems. If we remember the origins of the word parish, in the Greek word paroikia, we may also remember that it suggests being ‘at home and not at home’ wherever we are. For the paroikia was the gathering place of the marginal – a paroikos is, literally, a person who is ‘not at home’. So our ‘parishes’ were in origin communities functioning as alternatives to the support-systems of the worldly household (oikia) which is what ‘family’ meant in the ancient world. Even that household/family was a much broader and fuzzier thing than the nuclear family to which modernity and some Christians have reduced it. The household included extended family, slaves, guests and sojourners. You could routinely be adopted into it, not just as a child but as an adult (it was the Church, oddly, which put a stop to adoption as practiced in the Roman world because it wished to limit the opportunities for alienating property from itself; adoption as we know it only reappeared in English law in 1926). Family wasn’t primarily about blood-ties.

So when we sing ‘yet here they confessed they were strangers and pilgrims, and still they were seeking the city of God’ we are singing about the real meaning of ‘parochial’. To be a ‘parochial’ Christian in the true sense is to belong nowhere and everywhere, a truly universal membership because, as Philippians says, ‘our citizenship is in heaven’.

As we pray for Fr Shin in his new episcopal ministry we give thanks for that alternative citizenship which, in communion with our own bishop, we share with him, gifted to us by the risen Lord. May it encourage us always to extend an invitation to faith which issues from a polity more generous and more enduring than any national or institutional allegiance.

Yours in Christ,

Fr Michael Bowie, Assistant Priest
All Saints Margaret Street

Please pray for those who have asked for our prayers: Harry Allan, Alan Bishton, Susan Beauchamp, Jean Brackston, Rachel Clayton, Rosamond Clayton, Kate Down, Jean East, Ursula Edwards, Arthur Fearns, Canon David Garlick, Geoff, Yvonne & Philip Harland, Lewis Harvey, Kate Hickman, Jill, Katherine Lee, Molly Leng, Joshua Levy, Christine Loffty, Santa Luca, Kerry Manuel, Jonathan Mani-Weoki, Megan and Chantal, Norman Newby, Andrew O’Connor, Frances O’Neil, Malcolm Richards, Peter Royle, Marilyn Stansfield, Dilys Thomas, Mary Thomas and Joy Wright.

For the recently departed: Denise Inge, Antoinette Coote, Harry Woolhouse, Anne Maguire, Brenda Stather-Dunn, Gladys Harris, Robert Blott (former chorister of All Saints) and Neville Wilson. 

At the anniversary of their death (during the coming week): Michael White-Cooper (Priest and former server at All Saints), William Crane (All Saints PCC and Sidesman), Thomas O’Neil, Flora McDonald Clutterham, Frank Biggart, Mary Cottell, Betty Johnson, Eliza Pountney, Eric Arnold (former Director of Music, All Saints), Alan James, Wendy Johnson, Basil Kiernander, Francis Irving and Rita Hodgetts.

WORSHIP AT ALL SAINTS THIS SUNDAY – 18 MAY 

Fifth Sunday of Easter
HIGH MASS
Preacher: Fr Michael Bowie
Missa Brevis – Rodney Bennett
A Hymne to God the Father – John McCabe  

CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION, 6pm 
Preacher: Fr Julian Browning
The Chichester Service – Berkeley
Salve Regina – Grayston Ives

PLEASE NOTE: High Mass and Evensong & Benediction this week feature music in the LONDON FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY CHURCH MUSIC (10 – 18 May). Charles Andrews, Associate Director of Music will play and the All Saints choir sing contemporary works: at High Mass — Richard Rodney Bennett’s Missa Brevis and the motet A hymne to God the Father by John McCabe. The voluntary is Toccata by Huw Watkins (b. 1976), Professor of Composition at the Royal Academy of Music. This piece was originally written for David Graham (Professor in-charge-of Organ at the Royal College of Music and Organist and Director of Music at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street) and was first performed at Saint-Sulpice, Paris in 2012. This performance at All Saints is one of only a few to date and forms part of the London Festival of Contemporary Church Music (10 – 18 May).

EVENTS THIS COMING WEEK

POETRY TEA – Friday 23 May 3pm at Pamela’s.  All welcome.  The subject will be “Hot and Cold”.  To accept or to find out Pamela’s address please speak to Pamela or Sandra in the courtyard or ring Sandra on 020 7637 8456 and leave a message with your name and phone number.  Please book early to avoid disappointment.  Cost £6 towards the All Saints Restoration Fund.

WORSHIP NEXT SUNDAY 25 MAY
Sixth Sunday of Easter
HIGH MASS, 11am
Preacher: Fr Michael Bowie
Communion Service in F – Darke 
Christ rising again – Weelkes

CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION at 6pm
Preacher: Fr Gerald Beauchamp
Service in D – Wood 
VictimÓ• paschali – Byrd

SPECIAL EVENTS IN MAY

WALSINGHAM NATIONAL PILGRIMAGE – Bank Holiday Monday 26 May
All Saints is running a coach once again to the Walsingham National Pilgrimage – with a Concelebrated Mass in the Abbey Grounds, Sermon (Preacher: Mother Mary Luke CHC), Procession round the Village, and Benediction in the Shrine Gardens. This has always been a day to enjoy and a powerful witness to the Christian faith. The total cost will be about £20. Please speak to Ross Buchanan (Tel: 020 7221 1312) if you would like to know more or reserve a place on the coach. 

ASCENSION DAY at ALL SAINTS – Thursday 29 May at 6.30pm – HIGH MASS Preacher: Prebendary Alan Moses, Mass Setting: Missa ‘Ascendo ad Patrem – Palestrina and Anthem: Ascendit Deus – Philips  

SPECIAL EVENTS IN JUNE at All Saints and Elsewhere

ALL SAINTS PARISH RETREAT – Friday 30 May to Sunday 1 June 2014
This year’s Retreat is conducted by Father Julian Browning.

CHURCH OF THE ANNUNCIATION, Bryanston Street, nr. Marble Arch,
London W1H 7AH – Saturday 7 June 2014 at 7pm – Music in Honour of Our Lady A Concert for the Centenary of The Church of the Annunciation 1914 – 2014 to include SPEM IN ALIUM – THOMAS TALLIS, the famous 40-part motet. Together with plainchant and works by Lassus, Palestrina, Rachmaninov, Fizi and Gorecki. Performed jointly by ExColl, a choir of former Cambridge Choral Scholars & The Annunciation Singers under the direction of Christopher Saward and Simon Lovell-Jones. Please take your seat by 6.50pm. Tickets £20 to include a glass of wine. Available on the door or from www.excoll.org.uk. NB. ExColl is also singing at the celebration of the Mass of Pentecost at The Annunciation on Sunday 8 June at 10.30am.

CAPITAL VISION 2020 VIGIL OF PRAYER – the Bishop is calling us to a week of prayer, both in the cathedral and in our parishes, in the days between Pentecost and Trinity Sunday. Capital Vision 2020 encourages us to be more Confident, Creative and Compassionate in our sharing of the gospel with the people of our city.  All Saints is known as a place and a community of prayer. That prayerfulness needs to be constantly renewed and deepened.  Part of our response to the Bishop’s call to prayer will be a Vigil of Prayer in church on Wednesday 11 June commencing after the 8am Mass and continuing through the day until midnight.  Outside service times, the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed on the High Altar and there will be scriptural and prayer resources to help us focus our attention on Jesus.  There will be a list in church for people to sign up for particular times, so that the watch can be maintained throughout the day until midnight. Please join in the watch of prayer.

CORPUS CHRISTI – All Saints – Thursday 19 June, High Mass and Procession of the Blessed Sacrament in the streets around the Church at 6.30pm. The All Saints choir and congregational singing will be supported by brass players accompanying the procession. Preacher: Canon Dr. Angus Ritchie, the Director of the Centre for Contextual Theology based at the Royal Foundation of St. Katharine in the East End. Mass setting: Missa Brevis in B flat—Mozart and anthem O sacrum convivium—Guerrero. Refreshments will be served after the service.

THE ALBAN PILGRIMAGE – Saturday 21 June 2014 at St. Alban’s Abbey – the Shrine of Britain’s First Martyr. Please aim to arrive by 10.30am, for the procession to set off 11am prompt.
PROGRAMME FOR THE DAY:
11am Pilgrimage Procession begins through the City Centre
Route begins from St Peter’s Church, St Albans, continues to the Town Hall and then  will process to the West End of the Cathedral.
c. 12noon Festival Eucharist following the Procession) Preacher: The Most Reverend Dr Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop & Primate of the Episcopal Church in the United States. Service sung by the Abbey Girls’ Choir.
12noon Children’s Worship and Activities – in the Abbey Primary School.
2pm Orthodox Service and Veneration of the Relic at the Shrine of Saint Alban Organised by the Ecumenical Chaplaincy and the Fellowship of St Alban and St Sergius – all welcome.
3pm Anointing for Healing in the Lady Chapel.
4pm Festival Evensong and Procession to the Shrine Preacher: John Bell of the Iona Community. Service sung by the Cathedral Choir.
The Abbot’s Kitchen will be open 10-4.30 serving breakfasts, lunches, afternoon teas, and a range of snacks and drinks. The Cathedral Shop & Bookstall will be open 10-5 selling pilgrimage merchandise, books, greeting cards, CDs.

SPECIAL EVENTS IN JULY

ALL SAINTS PARISH PILGRIMAGE TO WALSINGHAM (Friday 18 – Sunday 20 July) will be led this year by Fr Michael Bowie. Please let Ross Buchanan (Assistant Secretary Cell of Our Lady of Walsingham, All Saints Margaret Street) know of your interest on Tel: 020 7221 1312.

NOTICES

ALL SAINTS RESTORATION – Lighting & Electrical Renewal Update
The display of our proposals for this Restoration Project continues in the Baptistery. We have now received approval to proceed with this essential work in our Grade 1 Listed Church, but must secure all the funds to go ahead. We are delighted to announce that we have now raised almost £215,000 (86% of target), but still have a further £35,000 to find to match the budget figure. While we are approaching Trusts and other Grant-giving bodies for the short-fall, if there is anyone who has not yet contributed, please do so via the Parish Office (with Gift Aid wherever possible) with cheques made payable to ALL SAINTS CHURCH RESTORATION APPEAL.
Thank you to everyone who has already contributed donations large and small; we are extremely grateful. With such extraordinary support for this much needed restoration project, we are confident that we will reach that target in time to begin the works later this year – hopefully in July. Preparations continue to advance each week, with the Butterfield designed lighting fittings now commissioned and in construction at the blacksmiths and the works’ contract tender ready to be issued.

Further Communications or Assistance from All Saints Margaret Street:-
* If you would like to encourage others to take an interest in All Saints/keep up with what is happening here, please forward this email on to them, or to people you would like to invite to services.

* If you know of others who would like to receive this correspondence please encourage them to sign up for the email on the All Saints website – see the tab News & Events> Weekly Newsletter.

* If you would like prayers offered at All Saints, please email the Parish Administrator Mrs Dee Prior at: astsmgtst@aol.com.

If you would like any pastoral assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the Vicar, Prebendary Alan Moses: alanmoses111@gmail.com. Or Assistant Priest Fr Michael Bowie: mnrbowie@hotmail.com.

DAILY SERVICES (the Church is open every day of the week from 7am to 7pm)

SUNDAYS
Low Mass at 6.30pm (Saturday), 8am and 5.15pm
Morning Prayer at 10.20am
HIGH MASS AND SERMON at 11am
CHORAL EVENSONG, SERMON and BENEDICTION at 6pm          

MONDAY TO FRIDAY
Morning Prayer at 7.30am
Low Mass at 8am, 1.10pm and 6.30pm
(Except bank holiday – 1.10pm Mass only)
Confessions from 12.30pm -1pm and 5.30pm
(No Confessions on bank holidays)
Evening Prayer at 6pm

SATURDAYS
Morning Prayer at 7.30am
Low Mass at 8.00am and 6.30pm (First Mass of Sunday)
Confessions at 5.30pm
Evening Prayer at 6pm

On major weekday feasts, High Mass is sung at 6.30pm with Evening Prayer at 5.45pm.

A priest is available in church for confessions or counsel every weekday from 12.30-1pm (except Saturdays) and at 5.30pm, or by appointment. The clergy are always happy to see anyone for whatever reason. Please enquire at the Parish Office (to the right as you enter the church courtyard).

www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk and e-mail: astsmgtst@aol.com.