Letter from the Dean

Dear member of the Cathedral community

This message comes to you with the assurance of the prayers of the whole clergy and ministry team of the Cathedral. We continue to feel deeply the deprivation of not having your company in worship, in conversation, and at the variety of events that are not possible at this time.  

As I reflected in my sermon last Sunday, at the moment we are in the middle of something unprecedented, and cannot know how things are going to turn out, or how long the ‘stay at home’ message will go on for. Referring to the biblical texts set for that day (the ‘dry bones’ passage from Ezekiel 37, and the raising of Lazarus from John 11) I spoke about how God is always at work, seeking to bring new life into every situation. And while we cannot yet fully know what that will look like, there are clues around us:

‘…in collective applause for the dedication of National Health staff, and thousands of volunteers to help them, in fish returning to the canals of Venice, in the generosity and thoughtfulness of neighbours, in people telephoning friends they haven’t spoken to for years, in music shared from balcony to balcony in Italy and even across the rooftops from Cathedral House in Portsmouth, in cleaner air and a better view of the stars at night, in the church and other organisations finding new and imaginative ways to foster prayer and community.’

We continue to be aware that this is a lonely and anxious time for many of you. 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 9289 2967

This coming Sunday we would try to try something new: an online cup of coffee following our live streamed Palm Sunday Eucharist. This will take place on the online platform Zoom, and if you would like to take part at 10.00am on Sunday (ideally with your favourite mug in hand) and have not received a link please contact us.

This coming week is of course Holy Week, and Morning and Evening Prayer will be supplemented by other Holy Week services. I will be delivering a series of live streamed Holy Week addresses exploring the theme of ‘Hosanna!  Christ brings us to our senses’. Full details are in the notices below.

One of the many sadnesses of this time is that the Cathedral Chapter has needed to take the difficult decision to ‘furlough’ many of our dedicated and gifted staff. With the Cathedral closed there is simply not the usual work for them to do. Along with other cathedrals and a huge number of businesses, we are grateful to be able to benefit from the government scheme that will pay staff 80% of their current salary. This will be essential in keeping the Cathedral’s finances going, as many of our income streams have disappeared and we were already grappling with a legacy of annual deficits. To be clear, furloughed staff have not been dismissed or made redundant, and we look forward to welcoming them back as soon as possible, and to staying in touch in the meantime.

We are also taking a rigorous look at all areas of our expenditure to mitigate the financial difficulties that the current situation presents, and we will continue to keep you updated on our financial situation. I appreciate that many of you may also be facing financial uncertainty. If you give to support our ministry and mission, and would like to pause this, please speak with our Head of Fundraising and Events, Sophie Henstridge-Brown. For others who are in a position to continue supporting us, please consider enabling us to make the most of your generosity:

• if you normally give through the collection plate please join our Planned Giving Scheme

• if you are a UK taxpayer and not currently signed up for Gift Aid, please download the Gift Aid declaration from our website to enable us to claim an additional 25% of your donation from the Government at no cost to you.

• details can be found here or email Sophie.

One the many things that has been interrupted has been the consultation process for a renewed strategy and vision for the Cathedral.  I am glad that we were able to hold a number of consultations, including two with the congregation, just before the ‘lockdown’.  There was a huge amount of helpful learning from those meetings, which we have carefully recorded.  To give an example, there was much support for a ‘purpose statement’ that referenced our identity as the ‘Cathedral of the Sea’, and some very helpful suggestions as to how to do this. I have found the phrase that emerged personally helpful, and so wanted to share it with you:

Portsmouth Cathedral exists to be ‘A beacon and safe haven, anchored in Jesus Christ’. By God’s grace, that is what we will carry on being as best we can, and look to being more fully as soon as is possible.

With my love, prayers and best wishes,

Anthony Cane
Dean of Portsmouth

The Dean’s letter can be downloaded here.

Joining our services online

The Dean and Ministry Team are continuing to broadcast services live from their homes through Facebook.

Holy Week and Easter service details are here.

You do not need to be a member of Facebook to join in with these services. All you need to do is follow this link as the service is about to begin. Facebook.

Once you have arrived at our Facebook page, you will need to scroll down, and if you are not a member you will need to click a ‘not now’ button.

The text of Morning and Prayer is from Common Worship: Daily Prayer, and as well as a physical book it is also available on the Church of England website, and as a smartphone app simply called ‘Daily Prayer’. 

The order of service for Holy Communion is available here.

Families and Children

This Sunday’s service, at 9 am, is an All Age service for Palm Sunday from the home of Canon Anthony and his family.  Why not have your own Palm Sunday procession at home – get ready to shout ‘Hosanna!’ and to hear the story of Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem.  There are also some great ideas for Palm Sunday activities and worship at home here and here .

Check our website during the week for some more Holy Week ideas, as well as details of all our services for Holy Week and Easter.  On Good Friday, there’ll be a special service for children live streamed at 10 am on our Facebook page, so do join us for that.   You’ll find resources for children and families under the ‘Prayer and Family Resources’ link above. You might like to look at these short films about Easter from CBeebies: https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/watch/lets-celebrate-easter

Holy Week will be very different this year, but with God’s help, we hope it will be very special, too.

Kathryn Percival

Music News

Congratulations to this year’s Gappers on recently announced plans for the next move: Tom Law to study Singing at the Royal Academy of Music; Sam Jones to be Organ Scholar of Clare College Cambridge and Karol Jozwik to sing at New College, Oxford.

This week’s selection of music chosen by David Price is Morning has Broken recorded by the Cathedral Choir. Click here to listen

Prayers and Intercessions

A prayer during COVID-19

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.

We remember in our prayers all those who are affected by COVID-19 including those who be have been asked to pray for by name through our Prayer Wall on Facebook.

Cathedral Prayers

We remember the followiing members of the Cathedral Community in our prayers
All those in need including: Bob, Barry, Tim, Derek, Joey, Nigel, Trevor, Roy, Emrys, Reuben, Neil and Andrew.
And those who have died: Barbara Dines, Paige Streeter and Anthony Trimmings RIP

Donations to Food Banks

At the present time we are unable to receive donations. Our local food banks do still need your support so when you are shopping for your essential items please consider making a donation of food in the containers in your local shops. and supermarkets. Information about food banks and the homeless is available here.

Easter Lilies

Thank you for your donations towards Easter Lilies. Details of arrangements for the Lily Book will be available before Easter. For further information please contact the Cathedral Offices.

Contacting the Cathedral

General Enquiries

Whilst the Cathedral and the offices remain closed our clergy and staff are working from home but can be contacted through their work emails or info@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk or by leaving a message on 023 9282 3300.

Pastoral Concerns

If you have any particular concern please use the contact numbers given by the Dean or email the Dean and Canons through pastoral@portsmouthcathedral.org.uhere