A reflection from Canon Kathryn

 
It’s so old! It’s so new! It’s endless!
 
Impressions of the Cathedral from three different year six diocesan primary school leavers, hundreds of whom attended special workshops and services held here this week for the first time since 2019.  Our dedicated education volunteers, working in partnership with our diocesan education department, devised and delivered a wonderful programme of workshop activities, including making a prayer pyramid, drawing a labyrinth, working together on a Lego construction, taking a pilgrimage tour round the building, re-enacting the Coronation, and singing with Cathedral Sing tutors.  In addition, each school brought flowers, made from recycled materials, to be attached to a series of banners which we hope to display a little later in the year. 
 
The schools’ theme for the year, building to these days, was 10:10 #flourishing – a reference to Jesus’s words in John 10:10 – ‘I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly’, and in the afternoon services (replete with wonderful organ flourishes which left the children staring up at the West End trumpets!) we listened afresh to the message of abundance in the Parable of the Sower, enacted by Bishop Jonathan with the broadcasting of many handfuls of sunflower seeds over the delighted congregation. ‘You,’ he said to the children, ‘will be seeds of hope and love and encouragement in your new schools.  Small things can make a huge difference.’ 
 
And as we sat with these hundreds of ten- and eleven-year olds in our Cathedral, so old, so new, so full, through grace, of endless possibilities, all the grown-ups knew that, too.
 
The Reverend Canon Kathryn Percival
Canon Chancellor and Vice Dean

Highlights this week…

• Saturday from 12:30pm - Seafood on the Green

• Monday, 7:00pm - Six Works that Changed the World: John Robinson, Honest To God

• Tuesday, 1:30pm - Volunteer Meeting

• Thursday - Paint Back the Past on Cathedral Green part of Ports Fest 2022

Coming up…

• Sunday 3 July - Patronal Festival with the Dean of Winchester as guest preacher

• Sunday 3 July - 8:00am Holy Communion returning to St. Thomas's Chapel

Community News

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 →

The Wild Cathedral: Starting to Grow!

Preparations for The Wild Cathedral are underway, our exciting summer project that will create a sensory garden experience in the Cathedral from Tuesday, 16 August to Sunday, 4 September. To help the Cathedral blossom this Summer, we are looking for donations of plant pots and gardening materials, as well as cuttings of herbs or plants that can be used in the garden.

We’re also calling all for ‘green-thumbed’ volunteers to help us look after the plants in the run-up to the installation of the garden, and those willing to help us keep things watered and cared for the during the duration of the event.

Find out how to get involved on our website →

Target exceeded for Christian Aid Week fundraising!

We’re so pleased to share that the final amount (so far) collected for our Christian Aid Week appeal is £2,725.98. This has exceeded our target of £2,500 thanks to your fantastic support! Thanks so much to all who helped in any way to achieve such a splendid total.

The Dean around the Diocese

The Dean has been busy appearing around the diocese recently, including preaching the Dickens Sermon at St Mary's, Fratton on Sunday 12 June, as well as attending the Armed Forces flag raising on Friday 17 June at Portsmouth Guildhall.

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.

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.

Patronal Festival - Sunday 3 July

This year’s Patronal Festival on Sunday 3 July coincides with the last Sunday of the Choir Year. In the morning the boys choir will be singing Roxanna Panufnik's 'Westminster Mass' and Nico Muhly's 'Hymnus martyrum' (composed for us in 2021). The girls’ choir will sing another piece commissioned in 2021, in honour of Saint Thomas Becket. The Preacher will be The Very Revd Catherine Ogle, Dean of Winchester

Sunday 8:00am Holy Communion returns to St. Thomas's Chapel from 3 July

We are pleased to announce that the 8:00am Sunday Holy Communion, will return to St. Thomas's Chapel as of Sunday, 3 July 2022. The distribution of communion will remain in the same format as it has been while the service has been in the Nave.

Prayers and Intercessions

We pray for those who are preparing for ordination: Derek Johnston, Tony Lawrence, Kate Lloyd-Jones, Katherine Message, Heath Monaghan, Rajiv Sidhu, Alison Waterhouse, Emma Anderson, Fran Carabott, Jill Kingston, Liz Quinn, Amanda Sim, Beth Yeandle

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, John, 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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