A reflection from David Price

 
During the recent National Cathedral Organists' Association conference which we hosted in Portsmouth, colleagues past and present got a taste of life by busy waters.  Some of them briefly left a dinner to see an aircraft carrier sail into port, and one of the activities was travelling over to the Isle of Wight, which gave them a feeling of being on holiday.  The Solent is a constantly changing water, and it was good to share with them the life of the Cathedral of the Sea.
 
This week in Portsmouth Cathedral is very much about comings and goings.
 
Well over a thousand young people will spend time in the Cathedral as they mark the end of their primary school education, which is both an exciting but daunting moment for them as they leave the comfortable familiarity of primary school and embark on the next stage of secondary education.
 
We will also be thinking about the natural pain of parting due to terminal illness or casualty of war. As befits its role as a cathedral, a parish church and a place of pilgrimage, Portsmouth Cathedral will this week host walkers on the Rowans Moonlit Memories Walk as they pass through our environs and precincts, perhaps pausing to light candles on their way.  Sunday morning will see us hosting one of the national Falklands 40 Memorial events as we recall the names of 255 souls lost in that war, most of whom will have passed through Portsmouth on their journey to the South Atlantic theatre.
 
And it won’t be too long before we mark the end of the Choir year with farewells to various choristers and gap year Choral Scholars Pia, Daniel, Xavier, Tim and Organ Scholar Joel who have given so much of their time and talents to God and the Cathedral over the last year.
 
Dr. David Price,
Organist & Master of the Choristers
 

This Sunday: Falklands 40 Commemoration – Sunday 19 June 11:45am

All are welcome to attend a special Service of Remembrance being held at the Cathedral to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Falklands conflict. At 11:00am a new memorial plaque by the Square Tower will be unveiled and dedicated, with the names of members of the Army, Royal Air Force and civilians who lost their lives during the conflict. Following wreath-laying at the memorial and a march-past on Grand Parade, all are invited to make their way into the Cathedral where the Service of Remembrance will take place. The Eucharist will be celebrated at 8:00am and 5:45pm.

Please note during the morning parade, some roads surrounding the Cathedral will be closed for a short time. Please factor this into your travel time if you are joining us on Sunday. Further information about road closures can be found the council website.

#PompeySundays – 9:30am on Sunday

Due to the the Falklands service, #PompeySundays this week will be a brunch in Becket Hall. Please bring your own brunch – tea, coffee, squash, and biscuits will be provided. Nell’s Cafe, opposite the Cathedral, will be open from 8:00am and they are expecting #PompeySundays customers for take-away brunches!

Book your tickets today for Seafood on the Green

The Cathedral of The Sea welcomes you to a locally sourced rustic lunch, with wine and music on the Portsmouth Cathedral green. Taking place on Saturday 25 June, with sittings at 12:30pm and 1:30pm, food options include the popular Seafood Platter or a Crab Paté and Melba Toast.

Tickets are available from £5–£15 (+ booking fees) on our website →

Appointment of additional Assistant Verger

We are pleased to welcome Tom Marks, to the Portsmouth Cathedral team. Tom joins us this Tuesday (21 June 2022) and will provide cover while Malina Green, our Head Verger and Precinct Manager, is on maternity leave. Tom comes to us with verging experience at Salisbury and Bristol cathedrals as well as St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London and has most recently worked for Hampshire County Council.

We have also just completed the on-boarding processes for the new 30-hour Assistant Verger and Precinct Officer post. Ian Griffiths who will be known to many in the congregation having served here as Head Verger for many years returns to the Cathedral team. Ian has been a verger at Canterbury and Ely Cathedrals, Westminster Abbey, and King’s College Cambridge, he will start on 27 June.

Tom and Ian will each report to Maria Mann, Acting Head Verger and Precinct Manager, whom we welcome to her new role while Malina is on maternity leave. Please join us in welcoming Tom and Ian to the team!

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Neighbourhood Grant

We are delighted to have received a £1,000 grant from Portsmouth City Council, as part of the Queen’s Jubilee Neighbourhood Grant scheme. This grant will help support the development of our summer sensory garden project ‘The Wild Cathedral’, taking place inside the Cathedral from 16 August to 4 September. You can find more information about this exciting project on our website soon.

Read more →

Volunteer Meeting – 1:30pm, Tuesday 28 June

There will be an opportunity for our volunteers to meet our recently appointed Volunteer Coordinator and Records Management Assistant, Nadjia Carpenter on Tuesday 28 June. The meeting will include an introduction about Nadjia’s role in supporting our volunteers and the new recruitment, onboarding, and training processes that she will be developing. The meeting will also be an opportunity for us to thank our wonderful volunteers and to hear about your experiences.

If you are a volunteer and haven’t received an invitation or if you would like to hear more about our volunteering roles and joining the team, please email Nadjia at Nadjia.carpenter@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk.

School Leavers’ services and workshops

As David mentions in his reflection, this week sees our first in-person workshops and services for Year 6 leavers from our diocesan schools, since summer 2019.

The workshops will be held on Tuesday to Thursday, 10:00am -12:00pm, with lunch at 12:00pm, and the services will be held on Tuesday to Friday, 1:00pm – 2:00pm. This year’s theme is ‘Ten Ten flourishing’, after John 10:10 - ‘I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly’ - and you can find out more here.

The Cathedral will still be open for all during these times – we simply ask that there is no photography. We are grateful to our fantastic team of education volunteers, working with our diocesan education team, for making the workshops possible.

Cathedral Council and Chapter Meeting

Chapter and Cathedral Council meet on Thursday 23 June. The meeting will include discussion on the 2021 Cathedrals Measure. The congregational representatives on Cathedral Council are Nick Speller and Ann Wilson who can be contacted direct or through the Cathedral Offices.

Help for Ukrainian Refugees

Our Diocese, working with Citizens UK, has committed to finding 50 hosts for Ukrainian refugees, together with others to befriend and support. If you would like to know more, visit the Diocese website or speak to Canon Nick Ralph.

Foodbank Donations

Many families are feeling the struggle of the recent cost of living crisis, your support of the Roberts Centre Foodbank has never been more important. Following a recent delivery of your donations, the Roberts Centre have suggested the following as being as most needed:

• Cereals

• Long-life or powdered milk

• Tinned food eg. veg, meat, meals

• Nappies

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

Worship and 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 or find our Covid-19 visitor information.

Rescheduled Holy Communion – 22 June

Please note there will be no midday Holy Communion on Wednesday 22 June due to the diocesan school leavers’ workshops and services taking place this week . Midday Holy Communion will instead be rescheduled for Monday 20 June, at 12:00noon. All are most welcome!

Prayers and Intercessions

We remember the following for whom prayer has been asked by members of the Cathedral Community: Tom, Beverley, Richard, Jane, Alan, Amanda, Derek, Lucy, Martin, Jean, Alan, Rita, Graeme, Joan, and all those in need.

Long-term sick including: Alison, Clifford, Christopher, Johnny, Jane, Melissa, Suzy, Bob, Sarah, Izzy, Libby, Andrew, Peter, and Rachel.

We pray for those who have died recently: Matthew Jackson, and Denise Goppelt 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 pastoral@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk or leave a message via phone on 023 9282 3300.

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