A reflection from David Price

Last Friday the Cathedral Choir went to sing a concert at All Saints Church Catherington. Although it is a logistical effort to get 16 boys and 10 adults fed and transported to another part of the diocese at the end of a busy school day and week, it is always a delight and pleasure to share what we do with our wider diocesan community – and to remind parishes that we are their cathedral and that we are all called to serve our bishop and diocese. Similarly, a group of our girl and boy choristers and Cathedral Sing Team, led by Lay Clerk and Cathedral Sing Director, Adrian Green, travelled to Carisbrooke CofE Primary School on the IoW this week to share our music and love of singing to children. This programme is well on track to work with over 1,000 primary school children by the end of the year – thank you to all those who have supported this venture.
 
Friday’s concert also reminded us of the power of music to form us in the faith. Curate at Catherington, the Revd Amanda Sim came to faith during her time as a chorister parent here at the Cathedral – and she will be ordained priest this Saturday by Bishop Jonathan in his cathedral. And in the same vein, two of our senior choristers, Fraser and David will give the sermon at Evensong on Sunday night about how their time as choristers has shaped them and their faith. Don’t miss it!
 
There is something musical and liturgical every day now until the end of choir term on Thursday 6th July – we particularly thank those who will be singing their last services as members of Cathedral Choir and Consort for all they have given this place. Our final services of the choir year will be Sunday 2 July (Patronal Festival) and Tuesday 4 July (Boy choristers) and Thursday 6 July (Girls). Do please join us for these services, not least on for our Patronal Festival Eucharist when our preacher will be former Choral Scholar, Jamie Hawkey, now Canon Theologian of Westminster Abbey.
 
Dr. David Price,
Organist & Master of the Choristers

Community News

New Canon Chancellor and Vice Dean announced

Bishop Jonathan has announced that the Rev’d Harriet Neale-Stevens has been appointed as Canon Chancellor and Vice Dean of Portsmouth Cathedral.  Harriet will be installed during Choral Evensong on Sunday 17 September.
 
Read More →
  

Cycle to Church Sunday – This Weekend!

Cathedral cycling events for 2023 will begin with aCycle-to-ChurchSunday on 25 June. In-keeping with our environmental initiatives, congregations for both the 9:30am and 11am services are encouraged to come together by cycling to the Cathedral. There will be a communal blessing of cyclists and their bikes during the services.

This follows two years of taking part in the Cathedral Cycle Relay, a route connecting all Anglican Cathedrals in England. 2021 a group of us cycled to Winchester and 2022 to Chichester. The relay will re-commence in 2024.

In the meantime, a further group ride for 2023 will be organised as part of the annualRide & Strideon 9 September, where we fundraise for Hampshire and the Islands Historic Churches Trust, which supports local churches by visiting as many as possible in one day. More details to come nearer the time.

For more information on any of our upcoming cycling initiatives - or if you have any suggestions for future events - contactHannah Gunga, Cathedral Cycling Champion.
 

Comfort Survey 2023

To all of you who participated this time last year in our inaugural heating comfort survey.

Key things you told us included:

• the Nave and south entrance door areas can be quite draughty affecting comfort

• evening concerts in the Nave can be quite chilly

• the shop can be quite cold during opening hours

• the majority keep coats on when seated for services etc

• choice of seating relates more to sound/sight lines/ambience than heating comfort

The overall view was that the Cathedral was plenty warm enough, particularly compared with local churches.

Read more and complete the 2023 survey →
 

Choir Promotions

Congratulations to a number of our boy and girl choristers as they are promoted to new positions of seniority in our choirs. Well done to Héloïse, Charlotte, Joko, Rachael, Jessica and Beatrice who move from Probationer to Pro-Chorister. These were awarded by The Dean at Evensong yesterday (Thursday).

Congratulation too to Albin and Rajvir who also move from Probationer to Pro-Chorister and to Thomas, Owen, Alex and Sam who are awarded their Blue medallions marking their promotion to Senior Choristers at Evensong on Tuesday.
 
Read More →
  

Seafood on the Green – thank you!

Thank you to all who came to Seafood on The Green last weekend, and thank you to Rachael all the Choir Parents who made last Saturday such a success. We have raised just under £1,500 for the work of our choirs. It was wonderful to see so many people  there - just over 100 people were served seafood platters in under two hours making this our most successful seafood event since it's inception in 2015!
  

Out and About

The Cathedral has been represented at a number of conferences and events in the past week.  The Dean and the Chief Operating Officer attended the Association of English Cathedrals AGM on Tuesday.
 
Later in the week Jane Jones-Warner, the Chair of the Fabric Advisory Committee (FAC) and the COO, in his role as Secretary to the FAC, were in York for the biennual FAC Conference.  Richard gave a presentation entitled “Small Changes. Big Impact” detailing the small, but regular steps that we have taken since 2013 that have resulted in our carbon footprint being cut by 55% over that period (39% weather adjusted) “It was a pleasure to meet with colleagues from across the cathedral network charged with preserving the fabric of our great buildings for future generations whilst also ensuring they evolve to meet the needs of our present time.

It was also an opportunity to reflect on how a series of small steps including just adding weather stripping to windows in the Cathedral, since 2013 have cumulatively made such a positive impact. Chapter, over this ten-year period, has remained focused on this aspect of the care of God’s environment that has also helped to reduce our running costs. I am deeply indebted to the work of Adrian Reed, the Cathedral’s energy consultant, for his work and commitment to this effort.”
 
Locally, Dean Anthony said prayers for the City Council when it met on Tuesday to formally appoint the city's new Chief Executive, Natalie Brahma-Pear, on Thursday he joined members of other faith communities at a briefing visit to HM Naval Base and last Friday represented the Bishop at the dedication of a memorial plaque to Admiral Cornwallis at St Anne's Church in HM Dockyard.
 
The Ministry Team continue to support a number of parishes and benefices in vacancies across the diocese including St James',Milton; Our Lady, East Meon, Langrish: West Meon and Warnford and St Cuthbert's and our Organ Scholar has supported music at Holy Trinity, Gosport.  This Sunday Canon Nick is at Holy Trinity and St Columba, Fareham and Canon Anthony is at St James’, Milton.
  

Sermons given by Choristers this Sunday

This Sunday's Evensong sermon will be given by David and Fraser, two of our senior boy choristers who will reflect on the way music and their membership of the cathedral choir has helped to shape and form them.
  

Shop Summer in the Portsmouth Cathedral Shop

Pop in to our shop as our full range of summer gifts, books, homeware and more is now available. Find unique gifts including our own locally made ‘The Dean's Tipple Gin’, or catch up on some summer reading with a good book about Southsea and Portsmouth. Even the kids can learn more about our coastline through inspiring picture and activity books, games and crafts. For the landlubbers, our range of bee and butterfly friendly seeds, seed cards and herb kits will keep your green fingers busy, alongside plenty of garden, woodland and wildlife gifts including build a bee hotel or an insect house.
 
Come in and explore our new Summer range today, or shop online for delivery and in-store collection.
 
Shop online →
  

The Revd Canon Professor Jamie Hawkey

Jamie was one of the first Choral Scholars here in 1997-98, and was then ordained to serve as a Curate at St Mary’s Portsea. Jamie is now Canon Theologian of Westminster Abbey and will be returning to Portsmouth Cathedral as the guest preacher for our Patronal Festival on Sunday 2 July at 11:00am. Whether you remember Jamie or not from his time here, do come and meet him and celebrate our patron St Thomas of Canterbury with us - before our Choir year comes to an end. 
  

25th Anniversary of Ordination

On Thursday 29 June, Canon Angela Tilby will celebrate the 25th anniversary of her ordination as a priest. There will be a Eucharist that day at 5.45pm, with the kind permission of the Dean, and the help of Dr David Price and the Cathedral Choir. The service will be followed by drinks and a finger buffet, either outside, if the weather is fine, or in Becket Hall.
 
All warmly invited!
  

Nominations Committee

Portsmouth Cathedral has begun the planning to implement the Cathedrals Measure (2021). This brings all Church of England cathedrals in England under Charity Commission regulation, in addition to the jurisdiction of the Church Commissioners, and strengthens governance and operational frameworks.  
View the Cathedrals Measure FAQs on our website.
 
The new Chapter will be supported by a number of subsidiary committees, one of which will be a new Nominations Committee, chaired by Sir David Normington, which will advise on the recruitment of non-executive members of the new Chapter along with other Chapter Committees. 
 
Portsmouth Cathedral is looking to recruit members of this new Nominations Committee to serve in this important role.  We would particularly welcome people who have senior level experience in recruitment and in creating diverse and inclusive boards and committees in the public, private or charitable sectors.  It is envisaged that the committee will meet two or three times a year and that members will serve a three year term of office. Could one of these members, be you? 
 
Read the Role Description on ourcareers page.

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.

Ordinations – Changes to opening times this Saturday

Bishop Jonathan will ordain new deacons and priests in our cathedral this Saturday, services will be at 11am (deacons), and 4pm (priests). Please note that we will be closed from 1:30pm in advance of the afternoon service, and we will reopen from 3pm for those attending.

School Leavers services next week

Please note due to Diocesan school leaver services throughout next week, some areas of the Cathedral may be inaccessible during your visit. Members of our team will be able to assist you during the visit, please feel free to ask if you do have any queries. Thank you.

Installation of Churchwarden and Licensing of Readers

 Sheila Picton will be installed as a Lay Canon and Churchwarden during the 11:00am Eucharist on Sunday morning.  Chris Nicol, our former Churchwarden, will join the Cathedral Ministry Team following his licensing at the Readers Service to be held 11:00am on Saturday 1 July.  All are welcome to come and support them at these services.

Prayers and Intercessions

We pray for all those ordained this weekend-
and from this Diocese: William Alvarez, Jenn Camirand, Jan Fuller, Sue Jones, Buffy Langdown and Jill Phipps who were ordained Deacon; and Emma Andersen, Fran Carabott, Jill Kingston, Liz Quinn, Amanda Sim and Beth Yeandle who were ordained Priest.

We pray for all those to be licensed as lay ministers on Saturday 1 July: Vicky Evans, Chris Nicol, Katie Moritz.
 
We remember the following for whom prayer has been asked by members of the Cathedral Community:  Joseph, Mathai, Jeff, Nuno, Edward, Chris, Janet, Piers, Beatrix, Richard, Carol and all those in need. 
 
Long-term sick, including:  Anne,  Giles, Alistair, Yvonne, Renee, Beverley, Rachel, Sophie, John, Graeme, Peter, Rosemary, Suzy, Sarah, Alison, Jill, and Jude. 
 
Those who have died, including: Alan Williamson (Cathedral funeral 11am Tuesday 4 July), Canon Jane Isaac, Richard, Andrew Geitzen RIP
 

Jane Isaac RIP

Many of our Cathedral family will remember Jane Isaac, who for 21 years supported husband Canon David in his role on the Chapter here and bringing up their son Thomas. It is with great sadness, Bishop Jonathan has informed us that Canon Jane Isaac, rector of Shedfield and Wickham, died peacefully at  Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth last week. As a community of communities, we hold her David and Thomas in our prayers and thoughts. May she rest in peace, and rise in glory! 

Alan Williamson RIP

Judith Williamson would like to thank all those from the Cathedral Community who have sent the wonderful messages of support to her following Alan’s death.

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

Have news or story you’d like to share? Submit a notice 📰