All Saints Parish Newsletter 18th September 2015
Dear Friend,
“What were you arguing about on the way?”
I have never forgotten a wise old priest who said in a lecture when I was studying divinity, that one of the times of greatest spiritual danger for Christians was immediately after mass. Communicants, even in a state of grace, all too easily and often forget that the Holy Communion which binds them to God also binds them to their fellow-Christians.
This came to mind as I read this Sunday’s Gospel which tells us of Jesus teaching his disciples privately about his forthcoming death and resurrection – only for them to get down to the serious business on deciding who is going to be top dog in the hierarchy. They would not be the last Christians to engage in this.
Unless we are members of the Society of Herod the Great, which still has members in many parish, most of us on seeing a little child will react warmly. That would not have been the case for many in the time of Jesus. Children then were rarely valued for themselves, but only for their economic worth. A child was a member of the powerless.
So when Jesus takes a small child as a pattern of their ministry, he I saying something much more radical than a sentimental “children are sweet.” He takes the child he has placed in the their midst and enfolded in his arms as both a pattern for their own conduct as his disciples and a sacrament of his presence.
When we come to church, Jesus is taking us apart to teach us through scripture and in the sacrament of his death and resurrection, the pattern of a life formed by our relationship with him. As we leave the house of God, the image of that child should go with us as a reminder lest we fall into the same trap of squabbling over power and status – even if it is only within our parish community.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Alan Moses
Prebendary Alan Moses
Vicar of All Saints Margaret Street
Area Dean of Westminster – St Marylebone
Please pray for those who have asked for our prayers: Asia Bibi, Peter Burbidge, James Cary-Elwes, Coretta Quarty, Ian Coull, Paul Curno, Dennis Davis, Elizabeth Day, Mark Dougly, Kate Down, Helen Everett, Jonty Gordon, Yvonne Harland, Lewis Harvey, Alice Jullien, Andrew Laird, Tom Leader, William Lightening, Christine Loffty, Simon MacGregor, Sister Martha (SMNC Tanzania), Hilary Morgan, David Pearce, Prebendary Tunde Roberts, Nick Russell, Jock Scott, Stella Skinner, Rosemary Stephens, Judy Stewart, Buzz Stokes, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Christine van Dyck, Debbie Wheeler and Joy Wright.
For the recently departed: Graciela Muňoz, Agnes Hagam, Julian Piecha, Brian Cairney, Gabrielle Handley, Martin Goetze and David Willcocks.
Remember past priests, benefactors, friends, and all whose year’s mind occurs this week including: Guy Fleming (Priest), Greville Howard, Anthony Andrews (Priest & former Assistant Curate at All Saints), James Wright, Mary Baddeley (former Matron, All Saints Choir School), Anthony Victor George Alsopp (aged 15 years on 7th September in 1914 torpedoed on HMS Aboukir by the German Submarine U9), Andrew Braybrooke, Jean Hobbs, Eric King, Evelyn Steele, Michaël Charbonneau, Lilian Exten and Lynn Evans.
WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY 20 SEPTEMBER – SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY –HIGH MASS, 11am
Preacher: The Vicar, Prebendary Alan Moses
Missa PapÓ• Marcelli – Palestrina
Sicut cervus – Palestrina
Sunday 20 September, after Mass – there will be a Mission Committee meeting.
Sunday Lunch (two courses with coffee) is served – Robin Clutterham is the chef. Tickets £5 available from the Parish shop in the Parish Room before and after Mass.
CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION, 6pm
Preacher: Father Michael Bowie
Service in F minor – Gray
Os justi – Bruckner
WORSHIP NEXT SUNDAY 27 SEPTEMBER – SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY – HIGH MASS, 11am
Preacher: Father Julian Browning
Missa ‘Simile est regnum cælorum’ – Lobo
O sacrum convivium – Gabrieli
Sunday Lunch (two courses with coffee) is served – Frances O’Neil is the chef. Tickets £5 available from the Parish shop in the Parish Room before and after Mass.
CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION 6pm
Preacher: The Vicar, Prebendary Alan Moses
Service in E flat (No 2) – Wood
O Lord, the maker of all thing – William Mundy
PARISH NOTICES
CHARITY SWIMMING FEAT
Redoubtable parishioner Yvonne Craig asks us to say how grateful she is for the £300 All Saints parishioners have donated so far towards her goal of £600 for September’s appeal in support of the Alzheimer’s Society and refurbishment works at St Anne’s Soho. Yvonne, aged 90, swam 20 lengths of a public swimming pool for which she was sponsored. Further donations for these two worthy causes would be appreciated, and can be handed in to the Parish Office at All Saints. Yvonne is keen that we let you know that she has previously fund-raised for All Saints, before turning to these new causes.
DEVONSHIRE MARBLE AT ALL SAINTS
Some readers may remember a visit, tour of church and talk at All Saints earlier this year -given by Geology Professor Gordon Walkden and attended by about twenty people, including representatives from English Heritage. This came about during the period when Professor Walkden was writing a new book on the subject, which is now published. He writes:
‘I would particularly like to draw your congregation’s attention to the November launch event of my book at the Lloyd’s Register building on Fenchurch Street. This is on Friday 6 November at 3pm. Lloyd’s has one of the finest Devonshire Marble interiors in the country and this is a rare chance to see it. If anyone is interested in attending the formal lecture they can apply for a ticket by email as follows: Booking essential at Barbara.Jones@lr.org; place ‘Marbles Talk’ in subject box.
Thank you for your assistance with my Devonshire marbles project. The broad details are as follows: Devonshire marbles: Their geology, history and uses (2 vols), 500pp.by Gordon Walkden, published by the Geologists’ Association, Autumn 2015. £12.’
TICKETS ON SALE NOW for KEATS ANCIENT AND MODERN – an afternoon of entertainment at All Saints – Sunday 15 November at 3pm. Come and see a film featuring one of our own congregation in the role of Fanny Brawne with the poet John Keats and hear the life story of a modern day Dr John Keet. £10 a ticket including a glass of wine – in aid of the All Saints Church Restoration Appeal. Tickets will be available from Sandra Wheen, Christine Levy and Pamela Botsford any Sunday after Mass.
WALSINGHAM CELL VISIT – DECEMBER 2015 – TO NOTRE DAME DE FRANCE (French Church off Leicester Square) – the All Saints’ Cell of Walsingham plans a visit on Wednesday 9 December, 7pm to Evensong with a Talk on the history of the Church by Fr Kevin Mowbray followed by drinks. A fine modern ecclesiastical space with renowned Lady Chapel by Jean Cocteau and other historic and contemporary works of art, including a painting of Joan of Arc and a sculpture representing Our Lady of Mercy above the entrance welcoming visitors as they walk in from the street – Leicester Place. The sculptor was a famous French artist Georges-Laurent Saupique (1889-1961) who was head of the restoration work of Reims cathedral. All welcome.
Please see the noticeboard in Church where other events may be advertised as space is limited in the Newsletter.
EVENTS AT ALL SAINTS in SEPTEMBER
ON NOW until Sunday 27 September 12 – 6pm – All Saints Parish Room – John Lewis Partnership Exhibition – Sabeema Arts & Crafts Club. Arts and crafts exhibition with most works being available to purchase – including paintings, drawings, jewellery, sewn goods and cards – a good opportunity to select some early Christmas presents. Free entry.
Saturday 19 September, 4.30pm – DEDICATION & BLESSING of THE MARRIAGE of Valerie and Richard Steward. Please pray for this couple as their marriage is blessed at All Saints.
Monday 21 September, 7pm – Meeting of the All Saints’ Parochial Church Council (following Mass at 6.30pm). Please note: on this occasion, due to the John Lewis Exhibition, the meeting takes place in the dining room.
Wednesday 23 September, 6.45pm and 7.30pm – meetings of the All Saints Choir & Music Trust and the All Saints Foundation in the Vicarage.
EVENTS AT ALL SAINTS in OCTOBER
Sunday 4 October after Mass – there will be an Events Committee meeting.
Sunday 4 October – following Benediction at 7.15pm – CANCELLED – ORGAN RECITAL in aid of IRAQI CHRISTIANS IN NEED (ICIN) – Carl Bahoshy – unfortunately, this event scheduled to support Iraqi Christians has had to be postponed by the recitalist. We are trying to find a new date.
Wednesday 7 October – 6.30pm – ALL SAINTS CELL OF WALSINGHAM – Mass and Rosary.
Sunday 11 October after Mass – there will be a Health & Safety Committee meeting.
Sunday 18 October after Mass – there will be a Buildings Committee meeting.
Wednesday 21 October, 6.30pm – Mass and Confirmations, with Bishop Stephen Platten.
EVENTS ELSEWHERE in SEPTEMBER
Monday 21 September, 7pm, St Matthew’s Westminster
PATRONAL FESTIVAL
Preacher: Bishop Nigel Stock, Bishop at Lambeth
There will be a reception after the Mass to which everybody is welcome. Please feel free to bring along friends and colleagues.
ALL SAINTS RESTORATION PROJECT UPDATE
All five nave aisle pendant lights are fully illuminated and the fitting of the specially made light fittings for the choir stalls (attached to the wrought iron grilles) took place on 18 August. A further CCTV camera is to be installed in October, when we will be able to fine-tune the settings of the overall lighting scheme. Funds for the project continue to be raised and the total received at the time of writing is now a splendid £412,709. Any more gifts will allow us a small reserve against the final cost of the works. If there are any surplus funds when all bills are paid, these will go towards future restoration projects at All Saints.
We are indebted to all those donors who have helped us replace the out-dated electrics and relight the church so that all the achievements of earlier phases of restoration work over the last twenty years are now revealed. The new CCTV and fire alarm system provide security and fire protection too. Thank you!
HOW YOU CAN HELP………. please make cheques payable to:
All Saints Church Restoration Appeal and send them to:
The Parish Administrator, 7 Margaret Street, London W1W 8JG. Please indicate where Gift Aid may be applied or send in a completed Gift Aid envelope from in church, as it increases the value of your contribution by 25% at no cost to yourself.
ALL SAINTS MISSION ACTIVITIES
ONGOING SUPPORT for HOMELESS PEOPLE through:
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 helped to provide the funds for one of the 4 beds – offers a safe haven and refuge for women escaping domestic violence, financial crisis, sexual exploitation and mental health issues.
Seasonal Appeals – The grand total collected at All Saints for mission activities in 2014 was £6,463 through the All Saints Festival and Lent Appeals. £3,463 went to the Marylebone Project and a further £3,000 to Us (formerly USPG).
Year Round Support – we also support the Marylebone Resettlement Project with non-perishable food and toiletries or household necessities like cutlery or bed linen/blankets.
Thank you to everyone who contributes food and household essentials via the basket in Church or handed in to the Parish Office – we made a substantial delivery to the Project in the first half of September and immediately fresh supplies came in. Thank you! Please continue to donate these so we can help more people in need.
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 activities.
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 or tell them about our website www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk, which has a full colour 360 virtual tour for viewing the wonderfully restored interior of the Church – see www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk/history/virtualtour – before a visit or if unable to travel.
* 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. Or make use of the prayer request facility on the website at: www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk/prayer.
* 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
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 – FRIDAY
Morning Prayer 7.30am
Low Mass – 8am, 1.10pm and 6.30pm
Evening Prayer 6pm
(Except Bank Holidays – 12 noon Mass only)
SATURDAY
Morning Prayer 7.30am
Low Mass – 12 noon and 6.30pm (First Mass of Sunday)
Evening Prayer 6pm
Confessions
A priest is available for confessions/counsel Monday – Friday from 12.30-1pm and at 5.30pm Monday – Saturday, or by appointment. (Special arrangements apply in Lent and for Holy Week.)
www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk and e-mail: astsmgtst@aol.com