Portsmouth Cathedral

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Weekly Notices | 13 November 2022

Portsmouth Cathedral

A reflection from Canon Jo

This Remembrance Sunday we are pleased to have the Revd Godfrey Hilliard as our preacher at the 10.50 service of Choral Matins which will include the ‘Two Minutes’ Silence’ and the Cathedral Choir will sing Vaughan Williams' anthem based on Psalm 90 'Lord thou hast been our refuge'. Godfrey has recently retired to Portsmouth and is becoming a regular member of our Cathedral congregation. But 40 years ago, Godfrey was serving as a Chaplain to 40 Commando, the Royal Marines, and was on active duty with them during the Falklands Conflict in 1982.

With the Falklands 40th Anniversary earlier this year, many of us were reminded of the time when we were, as a country, anxiously waiting for news of developments and when many local Portsmouth families were praying for loved ones deployed in the conflict. Godfrey took part in the Falklands40 service in the Cathedral in June, speaking the Citation before the names of all the fallen were read aloud. It is a privilege that he has agreed to preach this Sunday for Remembrance.

Our reflecting and remembering continues on Sunday evening with a Sung Requiem for Remembrance at 5.45pm, when the Cathedral Choir will sing Duruflé’s Requiem and all are invited to recall lives given and taken away in war, as well as our own loved ones.

Maurice Duruflé completed his Requiem in 1947, when memories of the Second World War were still vivid. I am sure that many of us this year will have our Remembrance thoughts and reflections coloured by the dreadful images of the devastation that the war in Ukraine this year has inflicted on the millions of inhabitants, and all the lives lost there.

Duruflé used timeless plainsong tones of the traditional Missa pro defunctorum as the basis for the movements of his Requiem, but he wrote:

‘This Requiem is not an ethereal work which sings of detachment from earthly worries. It reflects, in the immutable form of Christian prayer, the agony of humanity faced with the mystery of our ultimate end. It is often dramatic, or filled with resignation or hope or terror, just as the words of the Scriptures themselves which are used in the liturgy.’

Indeed, some people prefer the Duruflé Requiem to that by Fauré because of this realism.

I hope that our prayers this Remembrance-tide will be particularly heartfelt, when we have the sufferings of so many in our thoughts through war at this time. In the words of the Collect for this week:

Almighty Father,
whose will is to restore all things
in your beloved Son, the King of all:
govern the hearts and minds of those in authority,
and bring the families of the nations,
divided and torn apart by the ravages of sin,
to be subject to his just and gentle rule. Amen.

The Reverend Canon Dr Jo Spreadbury,
Canon Precentor

Dates for your diary…

Community News

Remembrance Sunday

Dean Anthony, as one of the Chaplains to Portsmouth City Council, and Bishop Jonathan alongside other faith leaders will be leading the prayers at the Remembrance Service held in the presence of the Lord Mayor in Guildhall Square on Sunday. The service starts at 10:30am and will be preceded by a parade of service personnel and youth organisations led by the Band of His Majesty's Royal Marines.

Our preacher at the Cathedral on Sunday morning at 10:50am will be The Revd Godfrey Hilliard, a retired Royal Naval Chaplain and a Falklands Veteran.

Friends of Portsmouth Cathedral

Everyone is welcome at the next Coffee Morning hosted by the Friends, on Tuesday 13 December 11:00am-12:30pm in Becket Hall, £5 per person.

We also look forward to welcoming members of the Friends to Choral Evensong on Tuesday 22 November at 5.45pm. Friends are invited to stay after the service for a tour of the Nave and West End followed by a gathering in a local hostelry.

If you would like to know more about the benefits of joining the Friends please come along or contact friends@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk

Chief Operating Officer elected to national executive

At its Annual Meeting held on 4th November, our Chief Operating Officer, Richard Abraham was elected to serve on the nine member CAFA executive. CAFA (the Cathedral Administration and Finance Association) was formed in the 1980s and is there to enable the mission and ministry of cathedrals through effective and efficient business management. CAFA provides support across the cathedral network as well as advocating the case for cathedrals to the central Church and to Government.
Read more →

Making, Knitting & Sewing - free materials available!

Please help yourself to some free resources of wool and patches of material from the Welcome Area in the Cathedral. These materials are available to anyone who may be able to make use of them, perhaps to knit a shawl or blanket as a donation to use during the services, or a crocheted toy for the Christmas fair?

How you can get involved with our Christmas Fair

This year our annual Christmas Fair takes place on 10 December, and is supported by our wonderful team of volunteers. If you would like to get involved, the easiest way is to donate an item for the raffle or for one of the stalls.
See how you can get involved, and what donations we’re looking for →

Strategic Leadership Event in Manchester

Last week (3-5 November) members of Cathedral Chapter attended a three day leadership event in Manchester sponsored by the Church Commissioners, with discussions and practical work to better understand how chapters will operate once the new Cathedrals Measure comes into force.
Read more →

The Chocolate Elf - Advent calendar appeal

The Chocolate Elves are collecting Advent calendars for children's homes, hospices and women's refuges across Hampshire - donate through the Cathedral.
Read more and see how you can contribute →

Funeral details for Nadjia Carpenter

Nadjia's funeral will take place on 2 December, 10:30am, at Our Lady of Muswell Hill Church in London. All are most welcome to attend.

New Oven for Becket Hall Kitchen

After many delays, the new oven will be installed in the Becket Hall kitchen on Friday, 18 November 2022. We are most grateful to Portsmouth City Council's Communities and Central Services Directorate for funding the purchase of the new oven as well as new chairs and a planned upgrade to the sound system in Becket Hall.

Worship & visiting

Portsmouth Cathedral is open daily for prayer, services and visiting. Booking is not required for services, unless otherwise indicated. You can find out more about visiting on our website, where you can also download orders of service.

Prayers and Intercessions

We remember the following for whom prayer has been asked by members of the Cathedral Community: Marge, Beverley, Alistair, John, Nina, Lucy, Jean, Richard, Alan, Dave, Jill, Gerald and all those in need.

Long-term sick including: Alison, Clifford, Christopher, Jane, Suzy, Sarah, Izzy, Andrew, Peter, Graeme, Tom and Rachel.

We pray for those who have died recently: Nadjia Carpenter, Tracey Green and Baron Bedi RIP.

Upcoming Services & Events

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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 pastoral@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk or leave a message via phone on 023 9282 3300.

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