Weekly Notices | 31 March 2024
A reflection from Dean Anthony
Although Charles Dickens, born in Portsmouth, died more than one hundred and fifty years ago, there is a flourishing ‘Dickens Society’. Its mission is to promote general interest in the life, times, and literature of the great man. I wonder how many think of the Christian Church as a kind of ‘Jesus Society’ with similar aims? But the Church was never, and never will be, a body of people looking back to a long dead spiritual genius.
Christians relate to Jesus not as memory, but as a contemporary living reality. When members of our community and others from across the Diocese are baptised and confirmed at our Easter Vigil, and when we gather for our Easter Holy Communion in the sharing of bread and wine, we encounter the risen Christ in the here and now. When we open the Bible, we do not read it like an historical document – or indeed like a Charles Dickens novel – but rather as an opportunity to be addressed by the living God.
Everything we are as a Cathedral Church depends on the resurrection of Christ. At Christmas we celebrated ‘God with us’ in the birth of Christ, and now at Easter we give thanks that Christ is alive and active in all that we say and do today.
Yes, this Easter thanksgiving takes place in a world that is full of hurt, not least in the land of Jesus’s birth. There is a real sense in which our Easter alleluias are qualified by the fact that so many are in desperate need. But we can take heart that in the risen Christ a new world has begun, in which death and destruction are not the last word. We are all called to live in the light of the future God is preparing for us, and which is already with us in the risen Christ.
I am deeply grateful to the many volunteers, staff, members of the ministry team, and our wonderful choir, who have enabled such a spiritually rich keeping of Lent, and such a powerful Holy Week. But, above all, I give thanks for the incomparable gift of the resurrected Christ, alive and active in and through our life and work.
Christ is risen. He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Anthony Cane, Dean
Community News
Brass Rubbing Trail this Easter
Come and join us for a chance to experience the art of brass rubbing and learn more about the Cathedral! From 1 April until 14 April, there will be a Brass Rubbing Trail in the Cathedral. This will build upon the tradition of Brass Rubbing and be an opportunity to learn about our wonderful building.
Packs will be available from the shop, 10am - 3pm, at a cost of £2 each.
The Word is Near
The Word is Near (Wednesdays at 10.30am) is taking a two-week break. We meet again on Wednesday 17 April at 10.30am in the Bishop Kenneth Room. All welcome.
Congratulations to our Ringers
Portsmouth Cathedral was delighted to host one of the National 12 Bell Contest - Preliminary rounds on Saturday 23 March, where we welcomed over 200 bellringers. This was one of three preliminary ‘eliminator’ events, which saw 26 of the best bellringing teams in the country all competing. Portsmouth hosted ringing bands from York, Ipswich, Oxford, Cheltenham, Melbourne, Wimborne Minster, Hursley and from the Society of Royal Cumberland Youths (based in London), competing alongside our own ringers for a place in the final.
A great day was enjoyed by everyone, with the visitors unanimously agreeing that Portsmouth hosted a brilliant day – and, to top that off, the Portsmouth band came 3rd on the day, meaning they will be in the final at Chilcompton, Somerset on 15 June, in only the second year they have entered the competition.
Well done everyone who was involved for putting on a great day.
Good news for the Parish Lunch Club
The final Lunch Club of the spring term took place on Monday with members enjoying classic favourite Cottage Pie! We also received fantastic news, during the final Lunch Club of the Spring term, Becket Hall kitchen had its annual inspection by the PCC environmental health team. Good news that we retained our 5-Star rating!
More good news is that the Lunch Club team has been joined by two new volunteers, Rachel and Grace. If you would like to come and try lunch club then please come along at 12pm for 12.30pm lunch on any of the following Mondays:
22 April, 13 May, 3 June, 17 June, 1 July. Registration is on the day and the cost of a two-course meal with tea or coffee is £5.
We kick off next term with slow cooked belly pork!
Volunteer Social Events
It's such a shame that so many of our wonderful and dedicated team of volunteers never get to meet each other because they volunteer across shift patterns. We'd like to build up a range of annual volunteer social events, such as Curry & Quiz night, Wine tasting and Local historical walks, but to achieve this some extra help is needed.
If you can help with any of the following, please let the Volunteer Coordinator, Rachael, know: A keen walker to plan some interesting routes around the local area, perhaps finishing in a local pub; A quiz master; A Sommelier to wow us with their knowledge. Thank you!
Volunteer Opportunity
As the weather warms, we are delighted to see the newness of life in all of God's beauty around us as we celebrate the resurrection of Christ. This may inspire us towards the practical aspects of renewing our own lives by spring cleaning our homes.
The 23,000 visitors and parishioners who have been through the Cathedral in the last year have bought with them particles of dust and fragments of dirt all of which need to be cleaned, swept, polished and dusted off. If it weren’t for the dedicated efforts of our volunteer team of 'Holy Dusters' (as they are known!) our Cathedral would not look as clean and welcoming as it does today or any day. Their valued efforts for just one hour a week keep the pews polished and the floors clean and we are so grateful to them!
If you have just one hour a week to spare to help our holy dusting team, please let Volunteer Coordinator Rachael know. They normally meet on a Monday morning but if that doesn’t suit you, let us know.
2024 Dolling Lecture with former Obama White house aide, Michael Wear
In The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life, former Obama White House aide Michael Wear argues that "the kind of people we are, has much to do with the kind of politics and public life that we have."
Drawing on the work and ideas of Dallas Willard, Wear contends that "spiritual formation is central to civic renewal." In his lecture, Wear will describe how Christian resources can undermine the toxic logic of our politics, and free us up to participate in political life in a spirit of loving service.
Summer Celebration Saturday 1 June – Save the Date!
Planning is underway for a new event – the ‘Summer Celebration’.
This community-wide free entry event will bring together food, entertainment, charity and community groups, games, activities, as well as a variety of both Cathedral-lead and local business stalls.
Running from 11:30am for 3 hours on Saturday 1 June, the Summer Celebration will include live outside entertainment by Jazz & Easy-listening singer ‘Stacey Mogg’, BBQ, strawberries and cream, lots of Cathedral-lead stalls, such as a Douse the Dean, raffle, bottle tombola, cupcakes, books, jigsaw, flowers, etc., as well as stalls lead by local charities and community groups. Please save the date! We are looking for volunteers to help before and on the day, from painting to cupcake making, raffle ticket selling, event promotion and running a BBQ. If you have some time to spare, please speak to Jude or Rachael. Thank you!
Changes in Event Management
After over two years as our Events Manager, Jemima Crayden has decided to move on to a new events role. She has done amazing work resetting our approach to commercial events hire, a key element for all cathedrals in their ability to generate the core funds necessary to support mission. As well as increasing profitable revenue, Jemima also introduced events such as the “Festival of Storytelling,” making summer activities available for all families, no matter their income.
This work has been praised by the City Council and is an important part of expanding our connection with the City and the wider community that we serve. We will be providing an update in the coming weeks on how we will be continuing to develop revenue-generating events at the Cathedral, to support our work and mission.
We are delighted to announce that Clare Brown has started with us as an Administrative Assistant, who will primarily focus on supporting commercial events activities. You may have already seen Clare at events over the past couple of weeks, including the SSO Concert and Messiah.
Cathedral Chief Operating Officer, Richard Abraham said, “It’s always sad to see a member of the team going on to new challenges outside of the team. Jemima has successfully refocused our commercial events hire to bring in needed income. Her work in developing new hire models, to include agreements such as ‘ticket-splits’, where we partner with groups to take a share in the risk and profits, allowing us to open up our wonderful space to more new people in the community. She also introduced new processes and systems to ensure the smooth running of our daily operations and special events.”
We will be sharing details of our summer programme in late April – be sure to subscribe to our email updates and follow us on social media to be the first to find out!
Revision of Electoral Roll
This year's Annual Parochial Church Meeting and Parish Meeting will take place on Sunday 12 May at 12.30pm. Revision of the Electoral Roll will take place between 31 March and 14 April. During this time, copies of the current Electoral Roll are available to view in the Cathedral and at the Cathedral Offices. Forms will also be available for new or returning members of the congregation to join/re-join the Electoral Roll.
The revised Electoral Roll will be published, as required, between 28 and 14 days before the APCM and Parish Meeting. Only those on the revised Electoral Roll will be entitled to vote in Elections and at the APCM.
The Electoral Roll, however, is more than just voting rights. It is also a tangible commitment of each person to their shared Christian stewardship within our Cathedral Community.
Election of non-executive Chapter Member
An election of a non-executive member (trustee) of Chapter will take place in accordance with the Cathedral’s Statutes this spring. To be eligible to stand, candidates will need to be on the Electoral Roll, confirmed members of the Church of England or a church with which it is in communion, and eligible to be a charity trustee.
Nominations must be received by the Chief Operating Officer, as Presiding Officer, before 23:59 on Sunday 14 April 2024 by email to election@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk and be signed by two eligible nominees (on Electoral Roll) and the person nominated. Forms are available in the Cathedral or though the website. Elections will be held electronically between 26 April and 9 May.
All those on the Electoral Roll, Chapter and its committees will receive notification of the election and nomination process.
The role description for elected non-executive Chapter members and information on how to nominate is here.
The Cathedrals Statutes are here.
If you have any questions, please speak with a member of the clergy or the churchwardens.
Join our team
Assistant Verger and Precincts Officer (Maternity Cover)
We will be advertising a vacancy for a full-time (up to 40 hours per week) Assistant Verger and Precincts Officer through Charity Job next week. The opportunity is to provide cover from June while our Head Verger and Precincts Manager, Malina, is on maternity leave.
Chapter
In late 2023, the Cathedral adopted a new governance structure under the Cathedrals Measure 2021 and will become a registered charity this month when all members of Chapter, the governing body, will become trustees.
We are looking for new trustees, including a Senior Non-Executive Member (SNEM) and a Chair of Finance, who are willing to build on the commitment, enthusiasm and energy of current members who are nearing the end of their terms of office, and continue to broaden the diversity of thinking in Chapter.
While we are not looking for any specific skill set, successful candidates must be able to demonstrate that they have the experience and skills necessary for working at board level.
For an informal discussion about these roles, please contact Dean Anthony or the Chief Operating Officer, Richard Abraham.
Nominations Committee
We are also seeking to recruit a member of the new Nominations Committee, which is chaired by Sir David Normington, and will advise on the recruitment of non-executive members of the new Chapter, along with other Chapter Committees.
Part-Time Finance Assistant
We are looking for a part-time (21 hours per week), permanent Finance Assistant.
Your work will include day-to-day finance activities ranging from cash counting and raising customer invoices, to paying supplier invoices and maintaining the cashflow forecast. Learn more and apply online →
Worship & Visiting
Every day, Portsmouth Cathedral is open for worship, prayer, and visiting. Unless otherwise specified, services do not require booking. Our website contains orders of service as well as information about visiting the Cathedral.
Prayers & Intercessions
We pray for all who are preparing for Baptism and Confirmation at Easter.
We remember the following for whom prayer has been asked by members of the Cathedral Community: Jan, Chris, Aidan, Tom, Richard, Alison, Rosy, Liz, Tony, Catherine and all in need.
We continue to pray for the long-term sick, including: Wendy, Muriel, Margaret, Ann, John, Jill, Suzy, Mathai, Philip, Alistair, Graeme, Janet and Rachel.
We remember those who have died: Margaret Pitman (Burial of ashes at 10am in the Memorial Garden on Saturday 6th April), Helga Higgins, John Ball, Philip Hill (Cathedral Memorial service on Tuesday 16th April at 11am), Heather Greaves RIP
Upcoming Services & Events
Getting in touch
Please feel free to get in touch if we can help in any way, or if you just want to hear another voice!
Get in touch with us by email to info@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk or leave a message via phone on 023 9282 3300.
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