Cathedral Notices - 24 May 2026
A reflection from Dean Anthony
‘Living Stones: Living Hope’ was the title of a national cathedrals conference held in Bristol this past week. At the heart of this were two new reports into the significant and impressive spiritual, social, cultural and economic impact of the forty two English cathedrals - including of course us here in Portsmouth.
As the participants in the conference digested all this, we heard a fine talk by Sir Paul Ruddock arguing that what cathedrals are and do is a gift to the whole nation, not only those who are regular worshippers. As a country, he said, we simply assume cathedrals will always be there; that we can wander into them, mainly for free, to be awed by their beauty and enriched by their stillness and their music.
Sir Paul pointed out that cathedrals host seven thousand civic events and acts of worship a year (consider, for example, the Portsmouth Centenary service in March, the City Service at the end of the month, with the Seafarers Service not far behind). It is easy to overlook the importance of these, that no one else could do them, and that they are being done largely at the cathedral’s own expense.
Then there are the one thousand cathedral choristers (of which we in Portsmouth contribute an astonishing seventy, well above the average). This is a musical training of unrivalled quality, a music industry feeder system, and one of the very few unbroken cultural traditions in England today.
Consider further cathedrals as keepers of memory (through their archives, libraries and memorials), as places of learning for hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren, as providers of support those in need (for example our provision for rough sleepers in Becket Hall) and as offering sanctuary for anyone in need of a place to ponder, weep or mourn, in a building speaking of something larger than themselves.
As we come to the feast of Pentecost, the ‘birthday of the Church’, there is so much to be thankful for in the life of our cathedral, and the wider ministry to our whole nation of which we are a part. Come, Holy Spirit, that we may do this even more effectively and faithfully.
With my prayers and good wishes,
Community News
Half-Term Family Activities - Tuesday 26 and Wednesday 27 May
Join us for family activities in the cathedral. Take part in some craft activities linked to our Portsmouth Cathedral Children’s Activity Book. Follow a trail around the cathedral to find Sammy the seagull, create a mosaic tile or design a shield. Drop in – no booking required. Free admission; sessions run from 10:00am to 12:00pm and 1:00pm to 3:00pm.
Congregational Lunch 14 June
All are welcome to join us at a Congregational Lunch on Sunday 14th June following the 11 O'clock Eucharist. We will be enjoying…
Beef Lasagne (or veggie/vegan alternative)
followed by
Fruit cocktail & cream
made and donated by the congregation.
Please let us know if you and your family can stay after the 11 o’clock Eucharist or return after worship at the 8:00am or 9:30am services by adding your order to the signup sheet on the welcome desk or from our website.
Portsmouth Sing 100
On the weekend of 8-10 May the Cathedral Choir helped lead musical celebrations marking the centenary of the city. The Cathedral Choir sang Vespers at St John’s Cathedral re-affirming our partnership between our two cathedrals; we were part of 250 singers and orchestral players on stage at The Guildhall on Saturday 9 May with a concert of music by Parry, Rutter, Swain and MacDowell; and then Cathedral Consort sang a stirring Evensong on the Sunday to conclude the festivities.
Annual Meetings and Results of Elections
Our annual meetings were held on Thursday. Dean Anthony gave a report on the year’s activity, and there were reports on: Safeguarding by Canon Harriet, Deanery Synod by Clive Arthurs and the Electoral Roll by Cathryn Moult. The meeting received the annual accounts which were presented by the Chief Operating Officer, Zoë Colbeck.
Sheila Picton and Ronald Rabbetts were elected to serve as our Churchwardens for the coming year, and Clive Arthurs, Alasdair von Claasen and Emma Lyddon as Deanery Synod Representatives. We thank them all for offering to serve in these important roles.
Top-up the Tower - we need your help to protect and preserve our historic belfry!
Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we have already raised £6,770 since opening this appeal - but there is still a distance to go.
To secure the future of this treasured part of our Cathedral, we need to reach £50,000 by July, so that vital repair and restoration works can begin in September.
Every pound you give - whatever you can afford - brings us one step closer to preserving this landmark for generations to come.
Please donate today.
Friends of Portsmouth Cathedral
The Friends host a number of events throughout the year for members and non-members alike. The next event is a Coffee Morning on Monday 8 June from 11:00am in the Nave. Our guest speaker will be the Cathedral’s Learning and Schools Officer, Diana Hutchins, who will talk about the educational and learning experiences for children offered by the Cathedral. All welcome.
Read more about the work of the Friends and membership →
HMS Hood Association
On Sunday we are privileged to welcome members of the HMS Hood Association and Cadets from SCC Hood in St Austell at our 11:00am Eucharist for the Feast of Pentecost, joining us to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the sinking of the Portsmouth based ship on 24 May 1941 with the tragic loss of 1415 lives.
City Service Eucharist - Sunday 31 May
We look forward to welcoming the new Lord Mayor, City Councillors and representatives of the life of the City to the annual service at 11:00am which is being held this year on Trinity Sunday. All are welcome as we continue to celebrate Portsmouth 100.
Prayers & Intercessions
We pray for: Penelope - to be baptised on Sunday 24 May - and her parents and Godparents
We remember those for whom prayer has been asked by members of the Cathedral Community: Simon, Mary, Don, Pauline, Hillary, David, Ann, Marion, Gordon, Jean, Andrew, Tom, Matthew, Paul, Sylvia, Anne.
We continue to pray for the long-term sick, including: Phil, Wynne, Mary, Nigel, Jill, Abbie, Martin, Colin, Richard, Hazel, Spencer, Karen, Jennifer, Carole, Davina, Mathai, Philip, Chris, Graeme, Alistair, Ralph, Lila, Lotti.
We remember those who have died recently, including: Sam Samji, Edward Stanley, Ron Silverthorne, Daphne Randle, Annabel Benton and all lives lost on HMS Hood on 24 May 1941 RIP.