| 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.
This year's Annual Reports are available here
This year's Annual Accounts are available here
Simplified Annual Accounts are available here
The minutes of the APCM held on 26th April are available here.
Finances for the important briefing on the finances please click here.
These documents are published in Adobe® Acrobat® Reader format. You can download the latest free version here
News
The Revd Susan Judd, our assistant curate Non-Stipendiary Minister, will be ordained priest on Saturday 4th July and will preside at the Eucharist for the first time on Sunday 5th July at 0930. Thank you for your continuing prayers for her as we also give thanks for her ministry among us.
Farewells There will be an opportunity to say goodbye to both Geoffrey Thursfield and Tracey Harper on Sunday, 26th July at Evensong. Donations towards leaving gifts can be handed to members of staff, clearly marked ‘Geoffrey’ or ‘Tracey’.
Bishop Kenneth Planning is underway for the Farewell Service at the Cathedral on Saturday, 12th September at 3pm. Donations towards a leaving gift, being organised through the Diocese, can be left at the Cathedral Offices (any cheques made payable to Portsmouth Cathedral please) in an envelope marked ‘Bishop’.
Canon Nicholas Ash will be licensed as Team Rector of the Cartmel Peninsula Team Ministry on the evening of Thursday, 19th November. If you would be interested in the group travel and accommodation arrangements which are being investigated, please sign the sheet on the Welcome Desk or contact the Dean’s PA 9289 2963.
Nave Roof, Tower and Cupola Ellis and Co, specialists in construction work on cathedrals, churches and other historic buildings, have been appointed as the contractors for the work which will commence immediately after the Flower Festival. The builders will be on site from early July setting up a compound and a scaffolding tower (between the Nave and Cloister). Scaffolding should be limited to the tower and cupola. Chapter is very grateful to all the individuals and charitable trusts who have made this work possible.
Flower Festival The Cathedral will be closed to visitors on Monday, 20th—Wednesday, 22nd July in preparation for the Flower Festival and again on Monday, 27th. Services during the week will take place in the Quiet Room, which will also be available to those wishing to pray privately, with access from the Memorial Garden and there will be a Joint Eucharist at 0930 on Sunday, 26th July.
Pastoral Care Our local Hospital Chaplaincy Team is pioneering a pastoral care course for volunteers in the autumn and we would like to encourage members of our congregation to take part in this, leading to the start of a new pastoral care group for us. Those interested in knowing more are invited to contact Canon Michael.
Volunteers’ Evensong This year’s service to give thanks for the work of all our Volunteers will be held during Evensong on Sunday, 12th July. Will all Volunteers please accept this as a personal invitation to come to this service as we no longer have the administrative capacity to issue personal invitations.
Bishop Kenneth Donations towards a leaving gift, being organised through the Diocese, can be left at the Cathedral Offices (any cheques made payable to Portsmouth Cathedral) in an envelope clearly marked ‘Bishop’.
Offices to Let, Party and Conference Facilities. Please click here for details of our facilities in Cathedral House, St. Thomas's Street.
We welcome Graham Brindley who has joined the Verging Department on a voluntary basis.
Fundraising Events: The Bellringers and the Sisters of Bethany would like to thank all those who supported their recent very successful events:
Warblington Castle Open Garden raised £1077 towards the augmentation of the bells. House of Bethany Garden Party raised £974.56 for the Rowans Hospice.
The Needlecraft Group and the Flower Guild warmly thank everyone who supported the recent Coffee Morning. Through your generosity £329.45 was raised for the Cathedral Flower Guild which is self funding and this contribution makes a great difference.
EVENTS
Details of concerts are available here.
Friday, 10th July 6.30pm for 7pm IDWAL Fish and Chip Quiz Night Tickets £10 from the Cathedral Shop or Marion Syms on 01243 373409, proceeds for the Cathedral Ghana link.
Volunteers’ Evensong 1800 Sunday, 12th July. Written invitations will not be sent this year, but we would be delighted to see as many of our volunteers as possible at this service and for drinks in the Nave afterwards.
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 the North Cloister School Room. 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 is not meeting at present but anyone
who would like to be involved in the Youth Club (either as a member
or a helper) is very welcome to contact 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 £8 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.
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
2008, through Coffee Mornings and their stall at the Christmas Fair, the Needlecraft
Group raised £2,241.51
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.
For
more information contact Jenny Cox, Cub Scout Leader, through Cathedral
Office 023 9282 3300.
Brownies
The Brownies meet on Monday
evenings in Cathedral House.
For more information contact Joanne Lear, through Cathedral Office 023 9282 3300.
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.
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 |