Update Tuesday 24th March 2020: the Cathedral is now closed and daily worship is being live-streamed by the ministry team from home.

Mothering Sunday/Fourth Sunday of Lent

We live in strange and unsettling times.  The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have announced that all public worship is suspended until further notice, but prayers should continue to be said on behalf of everyone. They also said that cathedrals and churches should where possible remain open. We are in a situation of change, in which we as a Cathedral are working out new ways to continue our worshipping life, our pastoral care and our community involvement. The key things agreed so far are:

The Cathedral is open 9.00am - 5.00pm (Monday to Saturday), 10.00am- 5.00pm (Sunday).

If you are able to be out and about, you are most welcome to come and pray and light a candle. A small number of clergy and ministers will offer worship each day, morning and evening. In this new situation our service times will be different.

From Monday 23 March onwards, until further notice, they will be:

Monday to Saturday: 8.15am Morning Prayer and Holy Communion 5.30pm Evening Prayer

Sunday: 9.00am Holy Communion    5.30pm Evening Prayer

It feels very strange to be informing you of the times of services you cannot come to! I warmly invite you, however, to pray with us at these times in whatever way will suit you best. Possibilities include physical prayer books, the Church of England ‘Daily Prayer’ smartphone app, and live streaming via Facebook (there is a link to this on the homepage of the Cathedral website. You don’t need to be ‘on’ Facebook to join in).

This coming Sunday, 22 March (simultaneously Lent 4, Mothering Sunday, and a day of prayer called by the Archbishops – in which we are all invited to place a candle in a window at 7.00pm) we will hold a 9.00am Communion Service (as above), but the Evening Service will be at the old time of 6.00pm. The Bishop will be with us to ‘present’ the St Thomas awards via live streaming as mentioned above.

All events, and groups such as the Tuesday lunch club, have been suspended, cancelled or postponed.

We are particularly conscious that many of you are ‘self isolating’ at home, and that this can be a lonely and anxious experience. We will be doing our best to make contact with as many people as possible by telephone.

Please feel free to ring us if we can help in any way, or you just want to hear another voice!

Dean: 023 9282 4400
Canon Dr Jo Spreadbury: 023 9275 2335
Canon Kathryn Percival: 023 92823300 x229

We are also working on other ways to keep in touch regularly through this time, not least through communications such as this one.

Cathedral House has now been closed, and staff are working remotely.  Our COVID-19 task group, however, is continuing to meet on an almost daily basis by conference call. It may be some of what I have written will need to change in response to national advice (for example opening times) but I really hope that the pattern of worship I have set out will remain throughout. We are praying for you, for all who are sick, for our healthcare and other key workers, for policy makers, for our local communities. Please pray with us and for us. We are keeping the Cathedral tower/cupola light lit as sign of hope!

Anthony Cane
Dean of Portsmouth

Food Banks The food banks are running critically short of supplies and donations can still be left for them in the Cathedral.

Easter Egg Appeal Donations of Easter Eggs for children and young people supported by the Roberts Centre and Stop Domestic Abuse Now  can also be left in the Cathedral.

Meals There are offers of deliveries of lunch to those who are self-isolating from The Duke of Buckingham (023 9229 4491) and The Royal Naval Club (02392 825931) If you would like more details including prices please contact them direct.

Highlights - the highlights for our notices were written by the Cathedral Reader, Kitty Price earlier in the week and can be read here.

Updated information on the Cathedral’s operations and response to the Coronavirus crisis are available here.

A prayer for the Coronavirus Outbreak

Keep us, good Lord,
under the shadow of your mercy
in this time of uncertainty and distress. Sustain and support the anxious and fearful, and lift up all who are brought low;
that we may rejoice in your comfort
knowing that nothing can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen.

Please remember the following in your prayers
All those in need including: Bob, Barry, Tim, Derek, Joey, Nigel, Trevor, Roy, Emrys, Reuben, Neil and Andrew.
And those who have died: Anthony Trimmings, Paige Streeter RIP.