The times can’t seem to get much darker. As I write this, more than 1000 people have died from Covid-19 in one day in the UK, hospitals are struggling to cope with the numbers of new patients being admitted, and in the USA, there’s been a night of chaos in Washington around the certification of Joe Biden as the next president.

It feels at times as if the darkness has the upper hand, as every day there seems to be another story of more suffering or violence. At the same time, the contrast is stark between the horror we see when we switch on the news and the hope and peace we can find when we turn to God in prayer and reading the Bible. Words of scripture seem to come to life and resonate all the more. The volume is somehow dialled up on them and they speak into our situation more than ever.

It is at times like these that the rubber of our faith hits the road. If you think of faith as being a muscle, this is a time when that muscle is really getting some exercise. We are leaning in all the more to Christ in the face of the difficulties, and as we do so, we can hear God’s voice speaking to us more clearly in this time. Against the backdrop of such darkness, the light seems to shine even more brightly.

This Sunday we celebrate the baptism of Jesus. The Spirit comes down like a dove upon him and we hear the words “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” We are reminded of this truth of our faith: God sent his Son to live amongst us and share in our humanity. We can hold on to that reality in the midst of all the darkness we see around us. Christ is with us; Christ is our light and our hope cannot be shaken.

Revd. Catherine Edenborough
Cathedral Curate

Covid-19 Information & Visiting the Cathedral

In-line with recent government guidance, we are now only open for private prayer, and communal worship. Our shop is also now closed until further notice, and we are unable to welcome visitors for sightseeing or to our exhibitions.

For further information and our latest updates regarding Coronavirus, visit our Covid-19 information page and find the latest information on visiting the Cathedral here.

Services and Worship

We continue to hold communal worship at the Cathedral, with our regular services of midday Holy Communion, and our Sunday Services.

More information can be found on our worship pages, where you can also download our most recent service list.

Regular Services

• Monday to Saturday Holy Communion at 12 noon will continue in-person at the Cathedral

• Sundays – the 8.00am Eucharist (Book of Common Prayer), 11.00am Choral Eucharist and 5.30pm Choral Evensong will continue in-person at the cathedral and be available to livestream at home. 

  • Sunday 9.30am morning services will not be taking place until further notice.

• Our monthly Toddler Service will continue to be livestreamed at 2.00pm on the first Wednesday of each month.

• All weekday and Saturday evening services, including Compline, will be livestreamed online only except in occasional circumstances.

Special Services

• #PompeySundays, our new informal service, will be rescheduled to start at a later date.

• Choral Evensong with the Commemoration of the Portsmouth Blitz (10 Jan), Epiphany Carols (17 Jan), Candlemas Carols (31 Jan), will all continue as planned with livestreams available to watch from home.
  
  

Online Worship

We continue to livestream daily online worship via our live page and via Facebook, including Prayer and Compline from the homes of our ministry team.

Find out more about our online services or download service lists and orders of service from our prayer resources page.

Sunday Refreshments via Zoom – Sunday 10 January at 6:30 pm

Our weekly Sunday Refreshments hosted on Zoom will be at our regular time of 6:30 pm. It is a great opportunity to catch-up with other members of the congregation and members of our ministry team after the Christmas break.

For security purposes, the Zoom link will be sent out in our email notices. Please subscribe here to get the latest news, services and events from the cathedral.

Prayers and Intercessions

We pray for all those affected by COVID-19.

We remember the following for whom prayer has been asked by members of the Cathedral Community: Bob, Derek, Nigel, Trevor, Izzy, Clare, Bishop Peter, Andy, Michael, Sarah, Jenny, Monty, Maurice, Michael, Laurence, Margaret, Roy, Dion, Rita, Tara, and all those in need.

We pray for those who have died recently: Hector Arthur-Kifle, Ralph Rea, Arthur Green (priest), David Hughes, and Sheila Deans RIP.

We especially pray for all those who are struggling with loneliness, isolation, and separation from family and friends.

To add someone to the prayer list, please email info@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk

In the notices this week:

Upcoming Services and Events

• Evening Organ Concert: La Nativité du Seigneur – Friday 8 January, 8:00 pm

• Bible Discussion Group – 14 January 2021, 7:00 pm

• Annual Muslim-Christian Evening – Tuesday 26 January 2021, 7:15 pm

Community News

• Welcoming our new Shop Manager

• What are your thoughts on Portsmouth Cathedral?

• Cash for Kids: Christmas Mission

• Foodbank Collection Point

Upcoming Services and Events

Evening Organ Concert: La Nativité du Seigneur – Friday 8 January, 8:00 pm

Olivier Messiaen, one of the most influential organ composers of the 20th century, wrote La Nativité du Seigneur in 1935 at the age of 27. It is a set of nine meditations on aspects of the narrative of Christ’s birth, from the mystery of the Word made flesh to the mirth of the shepherds and the awe of the Magi.

The music accordingly ranges from the solemn to the jubilant, using Messiaen’s characteristic modal harmonies, and wonderfully explores the range of sound colours available on the organ.

Messiaen’s Christmas meditations will be played by the Sub-Organist Sachin Gunga, with prefatory scripture passages read in French by Hannah Gunga.

This concert will now be online only, due to lockdown restrictions.

Bible Discussion Group – 14 January, 7:00 pm

Our Bible Discussion Group continues on 14 January at 7:00 pm.   We will be looking at John 5.19-end

For security purposes, the Zoom link will be sent out in our email notices. Please subscribe here to get the latest news, services and events from the cathedral.

Annual Muslim-Christian Evening – Tuesday 26 January, 7:15 pm

This important celebration with our friends from the Wessex Jamaat will be held over Zoom at 7.15 pm. Please save the date.

Further information will be available on our website and social media this week.

Community News

Welcoming our new Shop Manager

We are delighted to announce a member of our congregation, Crystal Gale, will be joining our volunteer team as the new Cathedral Shop Manager. We are very grateful to Crystal for taking on this role at such a crucial period, as we develop and expand our retail offering with the help of the Cultural Recovery Fund for Heritage Grant. Crystal will be working with our dedicated shop volunteers, and we look forward to sharing more developments with you soon. 

We’d also like to thank Nicky Taylor Roberts, our Finance Officer, who has done an excellent job of managing the shop over the past three and a half years in addition to the responsibilities of her substantive post. 

Find out more about the developments happening in our shop in future Notices!

 

What are your thoughts on Portsmouth Cathedral?

Portsmouth Cathedral is undertaking a project to better understand how the cathedral is perceived by the community, including our current and potential visitors. This survey will help us to ensure we meet their needs now and in the run-up to us celebrating our centenary in 2027.

You can complete the short survey online here.

 

Cash for Kids: Christmas Mission

Judith from Cash for Kids wants to say a big thank you to everyone who supported their Mission Christmas appeal – providing 10,470 local children and teenagers with presents to open on Christmas morning.  Cash For Kids is a local charity and offer a lifeline for many local families - helping with food and essentials, heating, school equipment and numerous other requests. They helped 2,046 children at the start of the pandemic, and we will provide ongoing support in 2021 as the pandemic is ongoing and plunging even more families into financial hardship. 

If you would like to support with a regular donation, please visit www.wave105.com/cashforkids and select Donate > Monthly. And if you like the outdoors, why not support their ‘5K a day’ campaign which we will launch at the end of January?

Keep an eye on their website for events throughout the year.

Foodbank Collection Point

The Cathedral is home to a foodbank collection point, for the Roberts Centre. Donations of food and toiletries are particularly needed at the moment and greatly appreciated by those using the service.

Items currently most needed are tinned sweetcorn, carrots, potatoes; packet rice; biscuits; ravioli; spaghetti; cereal; long life milk; tinned potatoes; jars of sauces; pot noodles/microwave noodles/rice; baby wipes; toothpaste; shampoo.

Please bring your donations to the foodbank collection point in the Welcome Area during the Cathedral’s daily opening hours.

 

Getting in touch

We know that this is a lonely and anxious time for many people. Please feel free to get in touch if we can help in any way, or if you just want to hear another voice!

Dean Anthony Cane: 023 9282 4400 or Anthony.Cane@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk

Canon Jo Spreadbury: 023 9275 2335 or Jo.Spreadbury@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk

Canon Kathryn Percival: 023 9289 2967 or Kathryn.Percival@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk

Cathedral Curate, Revd Catherine Edenborough: 023 9282 3300 extn 221 or Catherine.Edenborough@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk (Usual days at the Cathedral: Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday)

Messages can also be left on the Cathedral phone system 023 9282 3300 or by email to info@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk or pastoral@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk.