Dear Friends,

The three days leading up to Ascension Day in this coming week are called Rogation Days: from the Latin "to ask."

Traditionally, they are days of prayer for blessing on the harvest of land and sea.

A church set in a city centre, whose courtyard is one of the few green spaces, like the lives of most city-dwellers, can seem very detached from the people who produce our food and the processes by which it comes to us.

The recent horsemeat scandal has revealed a dark side to the way food is provided.

In these days, we also pray for business and commerce. Our parish has long been a centre of the "rag trade" – now called the "fashion industry." The London Fashion Centre is in Eastcastle Street.

The recent tragedy in Bangladesh in which hundreds of clothing workers died reminds us sharply of the human cost of the low-priced garments on sale in many of the Oxford Street shops.

This Sunday, we hear of the conversion of Lydia, a dealer in purple goods: the luxury end of the fashion trade then; more Bond Street than Oxford Street.

We should pray for the conversion of food and fashion industries to decent and fair practices. But can we do that without praying for our own conversion to "fair trade" in these areas of life?

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Alan Moses

THIS WEEK’S EVENTS

Saturday 4 May, 3pm
CHORAL EVENING PRAYER & BENEDICTION
St Cyprian’s, Clarence Gate Glentworth Street, London.
Orlando Gibbons – Second Service. Ralph Vaughan Williams – ‘Rise heart’

Wednesday 8 May, 1pm – ORGAN RECITAL
St Cyprian’s, Clarence Gate Glentworth Street, London

Programme: 
J S Bach Fantasia & Fugue in G minor BWV 542
Louis Vierne Symphonie 3 in F# minor
Matthew Burgess, St Paul’s Clapham

Thursday 9 May, 6.30pm – ASCENSION DAY
PROCESSION AND HIGH MASS, All Saints Margaret Street
Preacher: The Vicar, Prebendary Alan Moses.
Missa Brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo – Hadyn. Ascendit Deus – Philips.

Sunday 12 – Sunday 18 May – CHRISTIAN AID WEEK
Bite back at hunger this Christian Aid Week. Today 870 million people in the world are in desperate need of food. Together, this Christian Aid Week, we can help some of the world’s poorest families get enough to eat. Help end poverty and hunger – for good.

FUTURE EVENTS AT ALL SAINTS AND ELSEWHERE

Tuesday 14 May, 7pm – ANGLICAN CATHOLIC FUTURE TALK
St Matthew’s, Westminster
Travels with my Aunt: Companions in Catholic Mission
Speaker: The Revd Chris Chivers, Vicar of John Keble Church, Mill Hill and Chair of US (formerly USPG).

Wednesday 15 May, 7.30pm – LONDON CALLING DINNER
Church of the Annunciation, Marble Arch –
Technology in the community
Come hear founder of Wikipedia and neighbour to the Annunciation: Jimmy Wales. This community dinner looks at the role digital technology has played in changing how we interact with families, friends, colleagues and community. How do we accentuate the incredible changes which technology has made to all of us and how do we mitigate against the negatives?  How will we engage with each other in future and what role should faith play in the debate?

Sunday 19 May, 11am – THE DAY OF PENTECOST (Whit Sunday) PROCESSION AND HIGH MASS, All Saints Margaret Street

Sunday 26 May – ORGAN RECITAL 7.30pm
(after Evensong and Benediction), All Saints Margaret Street
Tim Byram-Wigfield (Director of Music, All Saints)
Programme includes works by Bach, Bohm, Mendelssohn, Jongen and Widor.

Monday 27 May – WALSINGHAM NATIONAL PILGRIMAGE
The coach leaves All Saints at 7.30 am. Concelebrated Mass at 12 noon followed by Sermon, Procession and Benediction at 2.30 pm.
Preacher: Most Rev & Rt Hon Dr John Sentamu, Archbishop of York.
Please contact Ross Buchanan (Tel: 020 7221 1312) for more information or to book a place.

Thursday 30 May, 6.30pm – CORPUS CHRISTI HIGH MASS AND PROCESSION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT, All Saints Margaret Street