A reflection from Revd Catherine

 
Just over two weeks ago I was on a beach in Brittany at the end of a two-week holiday.  It had been a lovely relaxing time – a house overlooking the bay with a virtually private beach below, plenty of books, walks, good meals and French wine.  For once I didn’t really want to get in the car and come home. 
 
There’s something wonderful about slowing down on holiday.  It had taken a few days to let go of the busyness of life but then one afternoon my husband and I spent around three hours on the beach just watching the tide come in.  I gradually moved further and further up the beach seeing each rock I had sat on as a vantage point getting slowly covered with water until we were sitting on the cliffs with the water swirling below us.  There is something very timeless and reassuring about the sea doing its thing.  It was as if God was saying “I’m here in each and every wave. I know every grain of sand beneath your feet.  And I will be here again tomorrow, doing the very same thing in a slightly different way.”  
 
There was a real invitation to notice what was going on around me and see God’s presence in it all.  The tide was just one example.  So often I am going about my daily life and fail to notice. Those two weeks enabled me to tune in more fully to the ‘God in all things’ that Ignatius of Loyola talks about, to let God speak to me through nature in particular, and then to bring that awareness of God’s presence home.
 

Whether you are going away on holiday in the next few weeks or staying at home, I hope you too will get a chance to slow down and notice more fully where God is.

A poem by Ann Lewin ‘Be Still’  

You do not have to look for anything,
just look.
You do not have to listen for
specific sounds,
just listen.
You do not have to accomplish anything,
just be.
 
And in the looking
and in the listening
and the being,
find
me.
 
The Reverend Catherine Edenborough,
Cathedral Curate

Highlights this week...

• The Lambeth Conference starts on Tuesday and continues until 8 August

Upcoming dates for your diary…

• Portsmouth & Hampshire Art Society Summer Exhibition – Daily from 30 July to 10 August

• Extended summer opening hours - from 1 August to 4 September

• Taizé style worship – Saturday 30 July, 5:45pm

• Weston Jennings Organ Recital on Thursday – 4 August, 1:10pm

• The Wild Cathedral Sensory Garden – Daily from 16 August to 3 September

• Late Nights at The Wild Cathedral – 26 August & 2 September

Community News

Late Nights at The Wild Cathedral

This summer, Portsmouth Cathedral will transform into a space sure to be a feast for the senses with The Wild Cathedral sensory garden, will be open daily from Tuesday 16 August – Saturday 3 September with free admission. Visitors will have the unique opportunity to explore the Cathedral as the outdoors comes indoors for a sensory garden experience suitable for the whole family.

In addition to the daily offering, on Fridays the Cathedral will be hosting Late Nights at The Wild Cathedral giving visitors the opportunity to enjoy a drink and explore the garden after dark. With light displays, a soundscape created in collaboration with folk artist Katie Spencer, and projection overlays the Cathedral and sensory garden will be transformed. In collaboration with folk artist Katie Spencer, soundscapes have been created specifically for the garden, which will follow guests around as they explore under the cover of darkness. Late Nights at The Wild Cathedral will be taking place on Friday 26 August and 2 September, with an additional charge and booking available from our website.

Learn more and book online →

Extended summer opening hours

We are pleased to announce extended opening hours for the Cathedral during the month of August.

Starting Monday, 1 August through to Sunday, 4 September, the Cathedral will be open Monday to Saturday from 10:00am until the conclusion of Evening Prayer/Choral Evensong, around 6:15pm. On Sundays the Cathedral will be open for the 8:00am service and will close at the conclusion of Evening Prayer/Choral Evensong, around 7:00pm.

Dean Anthony says, “It’s an important trial for us as we reopen to the public to be able to welcome worshipper, pilgrim and visitor alike for these extended hours. We will review how this trial period goes and then make further decisions about the pattern of our opening hours for autumn and winter.”

See more about visiting the cathedral →

Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor Retires

This week Ian Berry, the Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser (DSA), retired after many years of faithful service. Ian has provided professional safeguarding advice and support to the Cathedral over the years.

Dean Anthony says "Ian may not be well known across the Cathedral community, but he has contributed hugely to the work and life of the Cathedral over his time as DSA. His work with us has strengthened our safeguarding practice, helping to ensure we provide that "safe haven" for all here at the Cathedral. We all wish him well as he starts his well-deserved retirement."

Learn more about Safeguarding at the Cathedral →

Introduction to the Enneagram - Saturday 10th September

Want to understand more about what makes you tick and why you do the things you do?

Join Rev. Catherine Edenborough and Rev. Ann Leonard on 10 September to discover the nine personality types of the Enneagram and learn how understanding your own type can provide a dynamic 'map' to the person you were created to be.

Learn more and how to book here →

Friends of Portsmouth Cathedral Yearbook

The 2022 edition of the Friends’ Yearbook, which includes an introduction from Bishop Jonathan and articles on many aspects of the Cathedral's life, has been posted to members last week. If you would like to know more about membership or have not received your copy please contact friends@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk.

The AGM will be held at 4:00pm on Sunday 25 September.

Learn more about the Friends →

Chapter News

Chapter met on the Wednesday 12 July for its final meeting before the summer break. The meeting began with a presentation from David Price, Organist and Master of the Choristers, with highlights from the choir year – the first year since 2019 where, with the exception of a choir tour, there was a welcome return to pre-pandemic ways of working.

Read the full update here →

FIC News

The Finance and Investment Committee met this past Wednesday. The Committee noted the challenging financial position faced by the Cathedral as inflationary pressures begin to drive up our running costs. As noted in the Chapter update above, these costs and overspend in departments wil increase the projected deficit to closer to £120,000 from the projected £97,000 when the budget was set.

Our investments have also been negatively impacted by the recent turbulence in the markets. Total investment value has decreased by just over 8% in the first half of 2022. Currently, Chapter has no need to access these funds and if this continues to be the case then it is hoped that the stock market will have recovered by then.

FIC reviewed progress on drafting of the 2023 budget. The Committee will meet again in early September to finalise the budget that will then be presented to Chapter for approval later in September.

Help for Ukrainian Refugees

Our diocese is continuing to work as a partner with the charity Citizens UK to offer accommodation to refugees who are fleeing from the conflict in Ukraine. They were already running a project to sponsor refugees before the Ukrainian crisis, and have partners in Ukraine, Moldova and Poland who can identify refugees and organise transport to the UK.

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.

Taizé – Saturday 30 July, 5:45pm

Our Taizé style service of quiet reflective music, prayers and readings, takes place in St Thomas’s Chapel at 5:45pm. Come and sing beautiful chants and be led in prayer with a time of quiet reflection and meditation. The service usually lasts around 40 minutes.

Visiting Choirs

As our choristers take a well-deserved summer break through to September, we thank Cathedral Consort for covering some July services - as well as a number of visiting choirs who will be leading our worship during the Summer break.
All details of their music and pattern of services to be found in our Service List →

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, Jean, Martin, Joan, Alistair, John, Edda, and all those in need.

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

We pray for those who have died recently: Joyce Walker and Malcolm Clubley RIP.

We pray for the Lambeth Conference (taking place from 26 July to 8 August) and all the Bishops of the Anglican Communion who will attend, to explore together the theme: 'God's Church for God's World'.
Gracious God, we thank you that in Jesus you reconcile the world and all who are in it to yourself.

Touch the hearts of those attending the Lambeth Conference
to extend your peace to all, and to work for the reconciliation of all creation.

Bless them with your grace and love as they connect with one another and with you.

May your Spirit of peace hover over their conversations and their resting times, and may your gracious will be done in the life of the Anglican Communion and in the whole of your precious world.
In the name of Jesus Christ, our Prince of Peace.

Amen.
You can download a prayer guide with themes for the whole conference and prayers from the different Anglican provinces.

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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