PARISH NEWS......

Welcome

The People of the Cathedral Church of St Thomas of Canterbury and their clergy welcome you to Old Portsmouth.  This Church of England Cathedral, as well as being the mother church of the Diocese, is also your parish church.  In addition to the Sunday and mid-week services in the Cathedral there are a large number of other activities which may be of interest to you.

Meetings are held throughout the year to welcome newcomers into the parish.

The June Congregational Newsletter is now available, please click here

The latest pewsheet is available here.

The Annual Reports are available here .  The Annual Accounts are available here

The minutes of the APCM held on 20th April are available here.

These documents  are published in Adobe® Acrobat® Reader format.  You can download the latest free version here 

News

North Cloister The builders have started the second phase of the North Cloister at the eastern end.  There is no access into the building through the Memorial Garden and toilets are only available in Cathedral House. We apologise for the inconvenience the building work causes, but this summer we shall have a wonderful facility in the North Cloister, with new toilets, school room, sacristy (vergers’ vestry) and robing space.

Christmas Fair Planning Meeting - Wednesday 16th July at 2pm in the Andrewes Room in Cathedral House, with Canon Michael. This is an open meeting for all stallholders and helpers, but we shall be pleased to welcome new helpers and anyone who would like to offer ideas and expertise.

The Cathedral Needlecraft Group warmly thanks everyone who supported its recent Coffee Morning.  Through your generosity £347.06 was raised for the Cathedral Flower Guild.

The Cathedral Shop Frank Reid has taken over running the shop voluntarily. See June Newsletter. More volunteers are needed. If you can help please contact Frank on 9282 3300 ext 232 or email frank.reid@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk  

Tablecloths If you would be willing to help clean the tablecloths used for receptions by washing them, please contact Liz as above.  No ironing required!

Lunchtime Live! If you could  provide sandwiches on 25th June and 27th June. Please contact Sophie Lederer or Ed Kay by telephone 9289 2865 or email music@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk if you are able to help.

Saturday 28th June 1.30pm-4pm Summer Fair at St. Jude’s Nursery School next door to St. Jude’s Church, Southsea.

Pre-Lambeth Hospitality  Bishop Kenneth is hosting an all-day welcome event for 11 visiting Bishops (9 from Ghana and 2 from the USA) in the Cathedral on Saturday 12th  July.  All are welcome to the vibrant Eucharist at 1500.  On Sunday 13th July, the Dean will be interviewing Bishop Thomas from our partner Cathedral in Sunyani (Ghana) at the 1100 Eucharist and after Evensong there will be a further opportunity to meet with Bishop Thomas over drinks and light refreshments in the Andrewes Room in Cathedral House.  All are very welcome.

Mary McDermott will be going to Kosovo again in October. She is looking for single beds and men’s shoes for the young homeless in Kosovo. Mary can collect. Please ring her on 023 9282 4540.

Pre-Lambeth Hospitality Saturday 12th July Bishop Kenneth is hosting an all-day event in the Cathedral / on Cathedral Green for up to 24 Bishops and their spouses from Ghana and the USA and up to 200 other invited guests as part of the pre-Lambeth Hospitality taking place around the country for visiting overseas Bishops, Helpers are needed to prepare and serve the Finger Buffet Lunch and to act as stewards etc. It should be an amazing day. Be part of it by signing the list on the Welcome Desk if you think you are able to help.

Events

Details of all the events planned in support of the Development Appeal are available here.

Details of concerts are available here.

Tuesday 17th – Monday 30th June - Lisa Traxler; an artist’s view of Portsmouth Grammar School Archives - exhibition in the Ambulatory.

Tuesday 24th June 6pm Choral Evensong and Memorial Service  attended by members of the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths.

Thursday 3rd July 7.30pm Cathedral Club – Social Evening in Becket Hall, Cathedral House. Refreshments and Raffle. Visitors welcome £2.

Portsmouth Festivities 21st-29th June Brochure of events, including booking form, available in the Cathedral by the Welcome Desk and on the Music Stand.

Quizaid Thursday 26th June 7.30pm in St. Simon’s Church Hall.  A quiz night devised by Christian Aid to which all South Portsmouth churches are invited to send teams. Raffle and refreshments available. Donations of £2 a head encouraged! 

PARISH GROUPS

Mothers and Toddlers

This group which is very important not only in enabling mutual support amongst parents (usually Mums) of young children but also in introducing them to our Cathedral life and worship, continues to be well supported with about 25 families on the books. They meet on Wednesdays in term time at 2pm in the Cathedral for an informal act of worship followed by play and a cup of tea.

Wednesday afternoons  2.00 - 2.15 starting in St Thomas's Chapel

and then 2.15 - 3.15 tea/coffee and play in Cathedral House.

Cathedral Sunday School

A Sunday School for 0-7s meets during the 9.30am service on the 2nd and 4th Sundays in the month (first Sundays being the informal 'all-age' service) in Cathedral House.  The children are invited to come for a blessing during the Administration of Communion and then to stay for the remainder of the service.

Cathedral Youth Club

The Youth Club provides a direct link with the Cathedral and enables young people to become more involved in other Cathedral activities, including participation in our Worship, should they so desire. As the Cathedral endeavours to meet the needs of a range of young people in a variety of different ways, the Portsmouth Cathedral Youth Club is focussed at the 8 to 16 year old age group from both within and outside the Cathedral congregation. The aim of the club is to provide a friendly environment for youngsters to meet and socialise, making new friends from different schools and other parts of the City. The club normally meets on Saturday evening between 7pm and 9pm during school term time and provides a mixed and varied programme for our members for a fee of £1 per session.

The Club has a regular pattern of events over the year and endeavours to celebrate some of the special days such as Mothering Sunday and Saints Days. In the Summer we arrange games on the Common and local Treasure Hunts; in the Autumn and Spring we plan cooking nights, film nights and craft evenings. Mock Trials have become increasingly popular as we are able to give most Club members a role. Each term we also invite a Guest Speaker or outside entertainer to the Club, and we have continued to go out to venues such as a local sports hall, 10-pin bowling or ice skating.  We have maintained our policy of hosting a termly event that is open to the congregation and we are very pleased to see a growing number of new faces. This not only helps us to raise funds, but also enables the Club, and the youngsters, to offer some entertainment to both members families and the wider congregation. The Club also runs a stall at the annual Christmas Fair.

The Youth Club can only function with the generous help of a dedicated band of helpers, most of whom are parents of current or past club members, assisted by one or two older teenage youth leaders, who were once club members. The Canon Pastor provides our link with the Cathedral and assists with the Club.

Anyone who would like to be involved in the Youth Club (either as a member or a helper) is very welcome to contact the Club via the Cathedral Office on 023 9282 3300.

The Cathedral Club meets on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays in term time from 7.30pm-9.00pm.  Talks and/or slide-shows are given, on a wide variety of subjects, with speakers from round and about the Portsmouth area.  Annual membership, payable in September is £6 but visitors are always welcome at £2 per evening.

St Thomas's Parish Choir often has vacancies for child and adult members.  The choir sings weekly at the 9.30am service on Sundays and with the Cathedral Choir at special services during the year.  Rehearsals are held at the Cathedral on Fridays from 7.00pm to  8.00pm.   For further details or to arrange an informal audition, contact the Cathedral Sub-Organist, Marcus Wibberley,  by email or telephone 023 9289 2966.

Voluntary Guides and Welcomers

The Guides and Welcomers are the first point of contact for many people who visit our historic building.   They work closely together to give the visitor a friendly, helpful and memorable reception.  

Welcomers sit at the desk inside the south door.   Here they give an initial friendly welcome and direct visitors to the appropriate office, to the duty Guide, or into the church where they may light a candle, reflect quietly, or say a prayer.    Visitors who would like to learn more about the Cathedral are handed a leaflet which is available in English, French, Spanish, Italian, German and Japanese; it shows dates of the major events which influenced the building.  

A "4th Edition - 2004" of "The Guides' Guide" was funded by a generous donation from a charitable trust which covered the entire production costs. Published by the Portsmouth Cathedral Chapter, this edition has been completely revised by the Research Group who are continuing their important work by issuing in-depth papers on specific artefacts or developments within the Cathedral.

The 'Ministry of Welcome' is an important and vital part of the daily life of the Cathedral. All the volunteers are fully trained.   If you enjoy meeting people and would like to know more about becoming a volunteer Guide or Welcomer please contact the Cathedral Office.

Intercessions Group

The Monday Morning Intercessions Group meets in the Cathedral from 10.00am to 10.30am.  We welcome not only people who are called to a regular commitment but also those who want to come occasionally.

Bell Ringing

PORTSMOUTH CATHEDRAL BELLS

Eight bells were hung in the Cathedral in 1703, a gift from Admiral Sir George Rooke, then Member of Parliament for Portsmouth.

On 31 July 1749 a full peal of 5,040 changes of Grandsire Triples was rung and is recorded on a peal board in the ringing room.

John Taylor & Co. of Loughborough attended to the bells and re-hung them with new clappers in 1912. The old clappers are now contained in an oak frame made from timber from the old bell frame and are on display in the ringing room.

In 1957 two more bells were cast and hung by John Taylor - bringing the ring up to ten bells whose lovely sound we hear today.

The TENOR bell weighs 25 cwt 2 qtrs (1,295 kgs). The inscription on it says:

'We good people all to prayer do call. We honour to King and brides joy do bring. Good Tydings we tell and ring the Death's knell. Recast by the Parishoners.'

PEALS (5,000 or more changes) are rung on special occasions - such as Maundy Thursday 1998 when the Queen distributed the Royal Maundy in this Cathedral.

The Cathedral Ringers also ring for Sunday services, weddings, blessings, and the New Year, and quarter peals in memoriam and in celebration. There have been several successful peal attempts - a sequence of over 5,000 changes without a repeat of a change, which takes approximately 3 hours to complete without a break!

The practices on Thursday evenings and Sunday service ringing are organised by the Tower Captain/Ringing Master. Ringers and visitors are welcome to the Tower by prior arrangement. For further information please contact Sadie Harrison on 023 9221 9377.

Portsmouth Cathedral Handbell Group

A small group of seven meets every Thursday evening in the Cathedral. It as played at Cathedral Coffee Mornings and at a founder member's funeral - a great accolade. If you are interested in joining this group contact Cathedral Office 023 9282 3300 Ext. 224.

Flower Arranging

The Cathedral Flower Guild needs more recruits: Could this be you?   Arranging flowers is part of our offering of service and worship.   It is also a very relaxing and enjoyable way to spend a morning.   Most of us are complete amateurs and with help from our team we have managed to produce some pretty good work (or so we have been told!). If you can only arrange at Easter, Harvest and Christmas - welcome. If you can be a member of one of the three teams who arrange flowers every six weeks or so - even better.

We are grateful to Audrey Whitehead and the Needlecraft Group for organising a coffee morning each year with all proceeds going to the Flower Guild.   We are self-funded and rely on events and donations so the group's contribution is most welcome.  

The Easter Lily book and donations in memory of loved ones enables us to fill the Cathedral with lilies and visitors come specially to see (and smell) them.   If you would like to remember an anniversary during the year, a floral arrangement can be made specially - contact the Cathedral Office.

During the Summer we hope to use flowers from around the world - look out for some pretty unusual flowers!  

Further information from Cathedral Office tel: 023 9289 2968

or email: rosemary.fairfax@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk

Cathedral Needlecraft Group

The Needlecraft group meets once a month, usually the first Thursday, in Cathedral House from 2.30pm to 4.00pm. 

The aim of these meetings is to extend the hand of friendship, welcoming new people to the group and exchanging ideas amongst those who enjoy sewing, embroidery, knitting and crochet.  For those who are unable to attend our meetings, we pass on and collect work. 

During 2007, through Coffee Mornings and their stall at the Christmas Fair, the Needlecraft Group raised £2,246.87.

Without the generous gifts of material, wools, etc. from the congregation and kind friends, we would be unable to continue our work.  Surprise bags are always being left for us - many thanks.  Our prayers are for your continued support to make these events successful.

1st PORTSMOUTH CUBS

The Cubs meet on Wednesdays evenings in Cathedral House.

Brownies

The Brownies meet on Monday evenings in Cathedral House.

For more information contact Joanne Lear, through Cathedral Office 023 9282 3300 Ext. 224.

12th Portsmouth Cathedral Guides

The Guides meet on Monday evenings in Cathedral House.

If anyone is interested in joining the Guides they can contact Judith Burr, Guide Guider, through Cathedral Office 023 9282 3300 Ext. 224

Think about the things that are true and honourable and right and
pure and beautiful and respected…And the God who gives peace will be with you.
PHILIPPIANS 4:8-9