All Saints Parish Newsletter
Trinity XV -14th September 2012
Dear Friends,
Last Sunday, in the epistle, St. James was condemning discrimination against the poor and favouritism towards the rich. This Sunday he moves on to deal with the problems of the tongue: that small but incendiary member with which we both “bless the Lord, and Father,…and curse those made in the image of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing”
The last week of my summer break was spent on retreat with the Benedictine community at Mucknell Abbey. While not totally silent, most of the words uttered during the week were in the round of daily prayer which shapes the community’s life. I think St. James would approve.
I spent some of the time re-reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s “Life Together.” He wrote it for his students at the illegal seminary of the Confessing Church at Finkenwalde in Germany during the Nazi era. One of the rules of the seminary was that staff and students should not discuss another member who was not present: an antidote to ecclesiastical gossip in the spirit of St. James which many of us might profit from.
The notes for visitors in the monastery guesthouse give some advice on the importance of listening to the rest of the community when taking part in the services. Speaking or singing so loudly as not to be able to hear the voices of those around you is contrary to the spirit of monastic worship; and of common prayer generally. Bonhoeffer spoke to his seminarians about the value of singing in unison rather than trying to demonstrate one’s own virtuosity. This is a skill which we all need to practice. Attentiveness to our neighbours helps us be attentive to God.
All Saints is a church which has a precious and, in today’s rather noisy Church, increasingly rare gift: silence. We keep quiet before services and we keep periods of silence during them:
• before the Prayers of Penitence as we call to mind our own sins,
• before the Collect which sums up our intentions of mass,
• after the Liturgy of the Word and the Sermon;
• during the Intercessions
• after Holy Communion.
We come out of the silence during the service to praise God and to pray. After the service we emerge to speak words of welcome, friendship and encouragement to others, and to listen to what they have to say.
Even in a Sunday congregation which often has many visitors, perhaps unused to our ways, there is an atmosphere of profound silence. This silence is more than the absence of sound; there is a sense of attentive anticipation, of listening for the voice of God, of being held in that peace of God which passes all understanding. It is a silence which involves stillness of the body as well as calmness of mind. For those who find silence difficult, it is helpful to begin practicing it in company with others rather than our own. When we keep silence together, the company of others is encouraging and we may feel less threatened than on our own.
Alan Moses
Please pray for Samantha Martin, Daniel, Michael Harris, Sandra O’Brien, Linda Orme, Mary Barnet,
Stephen Collingwood, Sian Evans, Jackie Ferriter, Joshua Levy, Audrey Patterson, Cecilia Shore, Michael Sullivan, Rachel Clayton, Heather Walker, Graham Hawkes, Richard Tann, Brian Sparkes, Ron Cayless, John Rogers, Mason Jacobson, Barbara Laws, Marguerite Crill, Ondina Brash, Carol Blake, Anne Hamburger, David Day, Timothy Montgomery, Timothy Harding, Andrew Tillyard, Lise Cribbin
The Recently Departed: Brother Arnold SSF, Peter Vickers, Gwen Norman, Elvira Dibley, Sr. Jean Margaret,
Maurice Keen, Marion Pidgeon At the anniversary of their death: Peggy MacMillan, Thomas Partridge, Augusta Kirby, Gwen Duckett, Richard Dinnis, Virginia Ambridge, Evelyn Hutt, Flora Subbiah, Arthur Bourchier, Guy Flemming, Greville Howard, Anthony de Tabley Andrews
Saturday September 15th ST CYPRIAN’S DAY at St Cyprian’s, Clarence Gate
12noon High Mass – Preacher: Fr. Richard Watson, Vice-Dean, St Albans Abbey
Followed by a reception
3:30pm Sung Evensong and Benediction
Sr. Jean Margaret ASSP
On Monday 17th September, a piece of the history of All Saints will come to a close. With the funeral of Sr. Jean Margaret, the last of the long line of All Saints Sisters of the Poor who served here in Margaret Street, where the community was founded, has gone to her reward. Her funeral mass will be celebrated in the chapel of the convent at Oxford at 11.30am and some of us from All Saints will be there. For those unable to attend the service, there will be a requiem mass for Sr. Jean Margaret here at All Saints at 6.30pm on the same day. We are planning to have a mass of thanksgiving at All Saintstide
Poetry Tea Saturday 29th September 3:00pm at Pamela’s. You are invited to bring poems and prose on the general subject of ‘Summer celebrations and experiences’. If you would like to write something yourself how about ‘My Jubilee’ or ‘My Olympics’ . To accept, or to find out Pamela’s address, please speak to Pamela or Sandra or ring Sandra on 020 7637 8456 leaving your name and phone number. Cost £6 towards the All Saints Restoration Appeal.
ANGLICAN CATHOLIC FUTURE
A series of evenings celebrating our Catholic inheritance in the Church of England .
Wednesday October 17th ‘Our Lady’ – Speaker, The Revd Cally Hammond Dean of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge 6:30pm Mass ALL SAINTS MARGARET STREET – ALL WELCOME for further details please contact All Saints Margaret Street.
CONFIRMATION – Saturday 3rd November 2012 5pm at St Paul’s Cathedral. Please see Fr. John or Fr. Alan for further information.
Penny Mordaunt MP, (Portsmouth North) and friend to All Saints Margaret Street is arranging for the Parish a Tour of Parliament on 16th November 2012. A maximum number of 60 people can attend, so please book your place with Fr. John Pritchard as soon as possible. johnapritchard@hotmail.co.uk The Tour Starts at 9:55am and will last 75mins. The Tours are free, but I am suggesting that we all make a £10 donation towards Phase IV – Restoration Appeal for All Saints Margaret Street. Please send Cheques to All Saints c/o Dennis Davis or Fr John Pritchard made payable to "All Saints PCC Restoration Appeal". Details of where to meet will follow. ONLY 7 Places left. Please book as soon as possible.