All Saints Parish Newsletter 17th October 2014
Dear Friends,
On Sunday I shall be at Mass at our sister church, Smokey Mary’s, more accurately titled St Mary the Virgin, West 46th Street, Manhattan. When I was last there in March the entrance was obscured in scaffolding. Now we’ve got our own restoration works under way again. I’m making a return visit so soon in order to fulfil an (almost) lifetime ambition: to hear Woody Allen play the clarinet in his traditional jazz band at the Cafe Carlyle, as he does on most Monday evenings of the year. I went there in March for this express purpose and he inconsiderately took the evening off. I have been assured by the Carlyle that this time he won’t let me down. Naturally I have threatened a personal boycott of his films if he doesn’t show this time. Perhaps he won’t lose sleep over that.
Woody Allen is not a religious man. He doesn’t denigrate religion: there’s a little gentle mockery, especially of his own Jewish tradition, in many of his films, but he does not share Richard Dawkins’ visceral hatred of religion or his campaigning zeal in seeking to root it out (some days I wonder what happened to Dawkins to make him quite so grumpy). Woody has also had his share of personal controversy, a little of which resurfaced a few months ago, with accusations of abuse, which he strenuously denies and which appear to have, again, sunk without trace. As we know, precisely because of the seriousness of the crimes of abuse committed by some (and their past concealment by various established interests), this is the current witch-hunt issue which attaches to celebrities and others in the public eye.
I just can’t help liking Woody Allen. His films are both acute and generous in their reading of human weakness, and he is a wonderful story-teller. Indeed there’s a certain parable-style to some of his work: short narratives which are simply put before us and which then invite us to draw our own conclusions. They often help me to reflect on life as it is really lived, and to look more generously at other people. So although he is an unbeliever and no less flawed than the rest of us, I find something in his work which enhances my understanding of God’s world. He also reminds me that we don’t live in a Christian vacuum: because this is God’s world, which he also inhabits, he can inform and affect my Christian participation in it.
This isn’t a new insight. Our first reading on Sunday is about how God used King Cyrus (who didn’t believe in him) as ‘his’ instrument in salvation history. Sunday’s gospel is also about engagement with the world beyond the religious ghetto, though slightly more enigmatic in its conclusions (‘render to Caesar…’). The bible does not teach us to disengage from the world: even enclosed religious men and women are not disengaged, for they are praying for the rest of us. Sometimes we need to exercise humility in understanding that (as Jesus taught elsewhere) those we have failed to convince and those of whom we may even disapprove, may be nearer to God than we know.
And sometimes too, faced with questions which scripture doesn’t properly address, we have to improvise on the stories we have in harmony with the gospel themes of love, mercy and forgiveness. As the man said, that’s Jazz.
Yours in Christ,
Fr Michael Bowie,
Assistant Priest, All Saints Margaret Street
Please pray for those who have asked for our prayers: Stephanie Aziz, Douglas Beeken, Alan Bishton, Susan Beauchamp, Rachel Clayton, Rosamond Clayton, Kate Down, Jean East, Tim Harding, Yvonne & Philip Harland, Elspeth Harley, Lewis Harvey, Myrtle Hughes, Molly Leng, Joshua Levy, Christine Loffty, Hilary Morgan, Norman Newby, Maureen Pride, David Reeves, Malcolm Richards, Peter Royle, Jock Scott, Dilys Thomas, Mary Thomas and Joy Wright.
For the recently departed: Meriol Oliver, Martin Bluhm, Colin Titmus, Mark Wood (Priest) and Jonathan Mani-Weoki,
Remember past priests, benefactors, friends, and all whose year’s mind occurs this week: John Hillaby, Colin Wesley, Dora Bull, Roy Prince, Eva Dean, Ron Keating (PCC Member), Peter Laister (former confessor to the Choir School) and Reginald Thompson.
WORSHIP AT ALL SAINTS THIS SUNDAY 19 OCTOBER – EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
HIGH MASS at 11am
Preacher: Father Julian Browning
Mass for four voices – Tallis
Sing joyfully – Byrd
Sunday lunch is served this week. Tickets £5 from the Parish Shop in the Parish Room. Tom is providing a main course, dessert and coffee.
The series of TEN TO ONE TALKS (running from Autumn 2014 to Spring 2015) entitled ‘The Shape of the Liturgy’ continues in Church after Mass. The topic is Confession and Absolution. The bell will ring at the start.
There is an Events Committee Meeting in the Parish Office after Mass.
At 2pm – as part of the Victorian Society’s Study Day on William Butterfield (18th October), there will be a talk in Church given by Professor Andrew Saint, General Editor of the Survey of London. The hour long talk will examine architecture, glass & decoration and be informed by new research for the forthcoming Survey volume on Marylebone. All are welcome to attend.
CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION at 6pm
Preacher: The Vicar, Prebendary Alan Moses
Service in D – Wood
Give us the wings of faith – Bullock
WORSHIP NEXT SUNDAY 26 OCTOBER – LAST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
HIGH MASS & BAPTISM (Sophia Grace Bushby) at 11am
Preacher: The Vicar, Prebendary Alan Moses
Mass in B flat – Rachmaninov
Hymn of the Cherubim – Rachmaninov
CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION at 6pm
Preacher: Archbishop Sir David Moxon, Archbishop of Canterbury’s Representative to the Holy See and Director of the Anglican Centre, Rome
Service in B flat – Rachmaninov
Ave Maria – Rachmaninov
ALL SAINTS EVENTS in OCTOBER/NOVEMBER:
Sunday 26 October – there is a Buildings Committee meeting in the Parish Office after Mass.
Friday 31 October – Monday 3 November – See All Saints Festival information below.
Wednesday 5 November, 8am – Requiem Mass. Please print the name of anyone you would like to have remembered at this Mass in the black folder in the Parish Room (weekdays) or Baptistery (Sunday).
Sunday 9 November – after High Mass there will be a meeting of the Health & Safety Committee in the Parish Office.
Monday 10 November, 7pm – there is a meeting of the All Saints PCC – which will be attended by the Archdeacon.
Wednesday 12 November, 1.10pm – Requiem Mass. Please print the name of anyone you would like to have remembered at this Mass in the black folder in the Parish Room (weekdays) or Baptistery (Sunday).
Sunday 23 November, 7.15pm (after Evensong & Benediction) – ORGAN RECITAL by Timothy Byram-Wigfield, Director of Music at All Saints. The programme includes works by: Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Bach, Reger and Boëllmann. Retiring collection to support the Choir and Music at All Saints (suggested donation £4). The All Saints Licensed Club/Bar below the Church will be open after this recital.
Wednesday 26 November, 6.30pm – Requiem Mass. Please print the name of anyone you would like to have remembered at this Mass in the black folder in the Parish Room (weekdays) or Baptistery (Sunday).
Wednesday 26 November, 7pm – EVENING ADVENT GROUP meets for four consecutive weeks in the Vicarage – reading Rowan William’s Being Christian – Baptism, Bible, Eucharist, Prayer. Other dates are: Wednesdays 3, 10 and 17 December.
Friday 28 November, 11am – DAYTIME ADVENT GROUP meets for four consecutive weeks in the Vicarage – reading Rowan William’s Being Christian – Baptism, Bible, Eucharist, Prayer.
Other dates are: Fridays 5, 12 and 19 December.
Sunday 30 November, 6pm – ADVENT SERVICE OF READINGS & MUSIC
ALL SAINTS FESTIVAL 2014
FRIDAY 31 OCTOBER 6.30pm
EVE OF ALL SAINTS, LITANY OF THE SAINTS, SOLEMN EVENSONG & SOLEMN BENEDICTION
Preacher: The Reverend Reuben Preston,
Vicar of St Mary of Eton Church, Hackney Wick
Canticles: The Chichester Service – Walton
Anthem: O what their joy and their glory must be—Harris
SATURDAY 1 NOVEMBER 11am
ALL SAINTS’ DAY HIGH MASS
Preacher: The Reverend Dr Greg Seach, Dean of Clare College, Cambridge
Mass Setting: Missa Sanctae Margaretae – Gabriel Jackson
Anthem: Gaudent in coelis—Hassler
SUNDAY 2 NOVEMBER 11am – ALL SAINTS’ FESTIVAL SUNDAY
PROCESSION & HIGH MASS
Preacher: The Very Reverend Peter Bradley, Dean of Sheffield
Mass Setting: Krönungsmesse – Mozart
Anthem: Cantate Domino—Gabriel Jackson
6pm SOLEMN EVENSONG, TE DEUM & SOLEMN BENEDICTION
Preacher: The Right Reverend & Right Honourable Richard Chartres, Bishop of London
Canticles: The Truro Service – Gabriel Jackson
Anthem: Justorum animae—Stanford
MONDAY 3 NOVEMBER – ALL SOULS’ DAY 6.30pm
HIGH MASS OF REQUIEUM
Preacher: The Very Reverend Victor Stock
Mass Setting: Officium defunctorum à 6 – Victoria
Anthem: Justorum animae—Byrd
EVENTS BEYOND ALL SAINTS
Saturday 18 October – NATIONAL PILGRIMAGE TO THE SHRINE OF ST EDWARD THE CONFESSOR 9am Abbey opens for Pilgrims, 11.30am Festival Eucharist Preacher : The Right Reverend John Pritchard, Bishop of Oxford 3pm Evensong with Procession
Walking pilgrims will be welcomed with a rite of foot washing. Throughout the day pilgrims will be able to pray at the Shrine, priests will be on duty for individual spiritual counselling and the Sacrament of Reconciliation and prayer tours around the Abbey will be available. For more details about the day, contact T: 020 7654 4805 or E: press@westminster-abbey.org.
CURRENT EXHIBITION AT ST MARYLEBONE (Mon – Fri 9 – 5pm and Sat 9 – 4pm) includes two recent drawings of the interior of All Saints. Artist Marguerite Elliott is selling the originals and digital archival prints in aid of the charity Children with Cancer UK. The Parish Office has two tickets for a 6pm showing on Wednesday 29 October if anyone would like to attend. Phone Dee Prior: 0207 636 1788.
Thursday 23 October – 6.30pm for 7.30pm – The Annunciation, Marble Arch W1H 7AH – ANNUNCIATION CENTENARY FUNDRAISING CONCERT – ‘Jamie Lonsdale & Friends’ present an evening of arias and songs from your favourite operas and shows. Jamie will be joined by soprano Alexandra Kennedy, Chinese X-factor winner Mary-Jess and mezzo soprano Flora McIntosh. MD – Robert Emery. Please come and support this wonderful event. Tickets strictly limited, so please book in advance at www.jamie-lonsdale.com or T: 01367 820599 or email: lroyde@gmail.com. Tickets £25 per person or 4 for £60, including a glass of Prosecco.
Thursday 13 November, 6.45pm THE 2014 MARYLEBONE SERVICE at The Annunciation, Marble Arch W1H 7AH. An interfaith celebration of Marylebone, the international village. The Chairman of the Marylebone Association, the Lord Mayor of Westminster cordially invites you to this service, followed by a reception. Limited spaces – RSVP essential, by email k.coyne@ish.org.uk or call 0207 631 8366. The event is supported by the Portman and Howard de Walden Estates.
Saturday 29 November, 3pm – St Cyprian’s, Clarence Gate – ADVENT VESPERS
Friday 12 December, 6.45pm – ALL SAINTS’ CELL OF OUR LADY OF WALSINGHAM EVENT – In the octave of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception – an Ecumenical Visit to the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street, Mayfair.
All are invited and welcome to join the liturgy – Anglican Evensong led by Fr Michael Bowie with address by Fr Dominic Robinson SJ, a tour of the church, followed by light refreshments. You do not have to be a member of the Cell to attend but please advise Mrs Rosa Postance by email (rosa_postance @hotmail.com) if you are going to come to this event.
NOTICES
ALL SAINTS RESTORATION APPEAL UPDATE – WORK IS PROGESSING!
FUNDRAISING
Thanks to the very considerable generosity of parishioners and friends and the good news of a fortnight ago, that we were awarded £10,000 by the Garfield Weston Foundation, we have now received or had pledged £365,710. This reduces our reliance on loans to c £19,000 (from £35,000) but we still have a couple of important project elements that we have had to put on hold to get within the overall project figure – a CCTV security system and an automatic fire detection system. Both items would be highly desirable in our Grade 1 Listed Church if further donations are received.
WORKS
The electrical cabling strip out began on 29 September. Church is now closed during weekdays until 30 October to allow the use of a cherry picker and other high-level access equipment. Weekday services are taking place in the Parish Room and Confessions are heard in the Oratory (access via the Parish Office). Church will be open for the Saturday Vigil Mass and Sunday.
The main works on infra-structure cabling in the basement take place at the same time as the strip-out from within the Church. Work to install the new electrics in the Church itself is planned after the All Saints Festival from Tuesday 4 November – for completion by the end of January 2015, allowing for a Christmas break and subject to the delivery of all specialist materials.
HOW YOU CAN HELP………. further donations are needed to reduce our reliance on loans and complete key fire and security improvements!
Cheques should be made payable to: All Saints Church Restoration Appeal and be sent to:
The Parish Administrator, 7 Margaret Street, London W1W 8JG. Please indicate where Gift Aid may be applied as it increases the value of your contribution by 25%. Thank you!
ALL SAINTS SUPPORT for HOMELESS PEOPLE – MARYLEBONE PROJECT run by the CHURCH ARMY – A Day Centre, Residential and Transitional accommodation provider, re-settlement project and Educational and Training Unit for women. The Emergency Bed Unit – for which we have for some years provided the funds for one of the 4 beds – provides a safe haven and refuge for women escaping domestic violence, financial crisis, sexual exploitation and mental health issues.
Seasonal Appeals – Last year we donated £2,790 to this Mission Project, collected through the All Saints Festival and Lent Appeals. The PCC approved support of £3,000 for 2014.
Year Round Support – we also support the Resettlement Project with non-perishable food and toiletries or household necessities like cutlery or bed linen/blankets. Please contribute to this effort, bringing donations to the Parish Office or leaving them in Church in the basket in the Baptistery.
Day-to-day Support – we respond to the needs of homeless people who visit the church, providing luncheon vouchers for the West London Day Centre for rough sleepers who apply to the office and allowing a few individuals, who need a place to shelter or sleep during the day, to rest in the back of the church. We have created an information resource for Church Watchers, giving useful advice to homeless and vulnerable people seeking particular support or services.
In the face of a rising tide of homelessness in London, please help us fund and support people in need through our Mission project.
Want to help someone sleeping rough but don’t know how? Call Streetlink on 0300 500 0914 and they will get a visit from the local Street Team who can put them in contact with the services they may need.
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 AT ALL SAINTS during Refurbishment – October 2014
(Church open Saturday Vigil Mass and Sunday only from 7am to 7pm)
On major weekday feasts, High Mass is sung at 6.30pm
SUNDAYS in Church
Low Mass 6.30pm (Saturday), 8am and 5.15pm. Morning Prayer 10.20am
HIGH MASS AND SERMON, 11am and CHORAL EVENSONG, SERMON and BENEDICTION, 6pm.
MONDAY – SATURDAY in the Parish Room
Morning Prayer 7.30am
Low Mass – 8am, 1.10pm and 6.30pm
Evening Prayer 6pm
(Except Bank Holiday – 1.10pm Mass only)
Confessions
A priest is available for confessions/counsel Monday – Friday from 12.30-1pm and at 5.30pm Monday – Saturday, or by appointment. During the refurbishment works, confessions will be heard Monday – Friday in the Oratory at 7 Margaret Street. Please ring the bell
at the Vicarage or Parish Office doors for admittance.
www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk and e-mail: astsmgtst@aol.com.