A reflection from Kitty Price

Before we joined the queue for our ferry home from France, we popped into the village of Ouistreham and had a look at the church. David told me that the same stone and builders used for this church were used by Jean de Gisors for the building of the Chapel of Saint Thomas in Old Portsmouth. I felt it was a wonderful weaving together of faith and foundations, both physical and spiritual.

I had my foundations rocked a bit this week. This last week, my sister and her family moved into the rectory at Merrow, on the outskirts of Guildford. I went to help. The route took me along some of my walk to secondary school as I spent my teenage years in Guildford, and I felt that pang of anxiety that I experienced daily all those years ago. Apart from sixth form, I didn’t really enjoy school as a child. I enjoyed learning and I loved being with people, I just would rather have rather been at home.

One of the things I enjoyed was preparing for a new school year with a good stationary shop. The allure of a new notebook, perhaps even a new pencil case with freshly sharpened pencils never seems to grow old!

There is something appealing about a new academic year. And this is balanced by the mixture of nerves and excitement that is being experienced by by teachers and students across the country. It seems fitting that the threads exhibition, exploring the account of creation as told in Genesis - which means ‘in the beginning’, arrives here at the Cathedral next week. The Cathedral choirs return, and you will see some new faces and hear some new voices alongside familiar ones. It is a good example of how new life is breathed into our common life together. Canon Harriet and her family arrive soon, bringing new life and experiences.

There is much to look forward to at Portsmouth Cathedral over the next few weeks and months. Deo gratias.

Kitty Price
Cathedral Reader

Community News

Creating the world in eight million stitches… Threads through Creation opens next week.

 From 6 September to 15 October, Portsmouth Cathedral is playing host to ‘Threads through Creation’, a stunning exhibition of twelve enormous, embroidered silk panels that explore the story of Creation.
 
Inspired by the poetic verses of Genesis, the first book in the Bible, textile artist Jacqui Parkinson re-imagines this wonderful story in a vibrant combination of layers of silk, hand-dyed materials, metallic leathers and gold leaf, miles of thread – and more than eight million stitches!
 
The panels are huge – 1.5m/8ft high by as much as 4m/13ft wide - and vary in appearance from elemental pieces illustrating the first ‘days’ to highly complex and lush work as we enter the Garden of Eden. 
 
The work is eye-catching and attractive, designed to be accessible for viewers of all ages. Whilst the serious message of God’s good earth and man’s impact on it underlies the entire exhibition, the panels are bold and exuberant, with many delightful quirky details such as both accurate and fanciful creatures embroidered into the stories.
 
Speaking about how she works, Jacqui said: “I start simply with antique bedsheets, which hold their own tales of life and death. Then I gradually build up my stories by quilting the sheets and painting them. Once that is done, I add layers of silk. I stitch them into place using a free motion sewing machine, that allows me in effect to draw in stitching. I sometimes add gold leaf and metallic leathers as finishing touches, overall creating great richness as a feast for the eye!
 
Jacqui adds: ‘My aim is to capture the wonderful extravagance of the Creation story and to delight people who view it. Despite Adam and Eve’s fall from grace, it remains a story of love and promise, something we can all do with these days.’
 
Threads through Creation runs at Portsmouth Cathedral from 6th September to 15th October.
  

Sustainability September

 The care of God’s Earth is a core value for all Christians. Over the month of September, we are taking the time to reflect on some of the practical things we each can do to conserve the environment (and lower our energy bills) culminating in our Harvest Sunday services on the 24 September 2023 which will include a visit from the City’s Energy Services team to provide practical tips.
 
Read more here →
 

Annual Warmth Survey: The Results

 In heating the Cathedral, we work to ensure a comfortable environment for worshipper and visitor alike whilst making every effort to reduce our carbon emissions and heating bills.  All are important aspects of our work and witness.
 
Our first annual Warmth Survey conducted in 2022 asked you how it felt in the Cathedral and how the heating might be adjusted to lower our energy use (and bills).  In response to that survey, the Cathedral reduced the heating setting by 2 degrees to 16 degrees and delayed turning on the heating until 1 November. Both actions made a significant contribution to containing our energy bills in a very difficult market.
 
Read more →
 

Reducing Carbon Footprint: a visit from other cathedrals

 On Thursday, 7 September, colleagues from Canterbury, Hereford, Leicester, Ripon, Rochester, Southwark and Winchester cathedrals as well as people from Church House in London will spend a day with us learning about how the small, but consistent steps we have taken over the past ten years have reduced our carbon footprint by 55% over that period on a total net investment (after energy savings) of circa £12,000.
 
Chief Operating Officer Richard says “It will be great to welcome colleagues from these cathedrals for a day of informal discussion and learning about the steps we have taken here that might work in their cathedrals. Over the past 10 years, Chapter has taken an evidence-based approach to targeted interventions which have resulted in this significant reduction over the period.  Our Climate Champion, Sue Ward, our Energy Consultant, Adrian Reed, and members of the City’s Energy Services team will be joining us for the day of hopefully fruitful discussion where we can each learn from each other's experiences.”
 
This is part of a regular exchange of best practice across the cathedral network supported by the Cathedral Administration and Finance Association (CAFA), learn more about its work from the CAFA  website.
  

Food donations for Harvest Thanksgiving

 This September, we will be joining with parishes across Portsmouth deanery, local community groups, schools and others during the Harvest thanksgiving season. Highlighting how we can all support those on the margins by donating with thankful hearts to the various Foodbanks etc, in our city. ‘With Thankful Hearts’ which has been running for the last three years, is based at St Mary’s Church, Portsea and is led by the Revd Canon Bob White, working with a number of churches and organisations in the city. You can find out more here. Donations can be made at any time of the year to any of the food banks listed, as well as at St Mary’s Church from 1 September until 2 October.
 
A Rowans Centre food bank can be found in the Cathedral cloister.
  

Ride & Stride

 Ride & Stride is the annual opportunity to visit churches in the diocese and raise money for the Cathedral in the process.  You can travel on foot, by bicycle or other means of transport and be sponsored for each church you visit or for completing a certain route. If you are interested to take partfind out more →
  

“I believe in…” Honorary Canon Sermon Series

 The next in our series of sermons by the Honorary Canons of Portsmouth Cathedral will be the Venerable Peter Sutton on 3 September, for Evensong at 5:45pm, his theme will be “I believe in… the life everlasting”.
  

Friends of Portsmouth Cathedral

 The Annual Meeting of the Friends will take place at 4:00pm on Sunday 24 September in Becket Hall.  The meeting will include the election of new members of the Friends’ Council and an update on Friends’ Projects and the
 
Members of the Friends are encouraged to confirm their attendance or send apologies online.
 
The Friends event planned for 3 October has been postponed until Saturday 21 October.  More details to follow.
  

Installation of Canon Chancellor and Vice Dean

Our new Canon Chancellor and Vice Dean, Harriet Neale-Stevens, will be installed during Choral Evensong on Sunday 17 September.  All are welcome to join us but to assess numbers it would be helpful if members of the congregation could fill in the form here.

Read more about Harriet →
  

Katie Spencer Concert at the Cathedral

 Experience the incredible musicianship of Katie Spencer in the unique setting of Portsmouth Cathedral.
 
Raised in the East Yorkshire flatlands on the fringes of Hull, Katie Spencer’s landscape has always been that of open skies and widening rivers. The song writing, and most notably her guitar playing stems from a time when the steel-stringed instrument was truly finding its voice. Artists like Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and perhaps most evidently Michael Chapman, flow into her sound, carrying with them the warmth and idealism of the early 70’s folk and songwriter movements. Katie Spencer’ widely celebrated new album, The Edge of the Land (2022), follows her debut release, Weather Beaten (2019) which was praised for its unique song-craft, spell-binding musicianship and crystal sonic clarity.
 
Having recently been a headline act at the Shrewsbury Folk Festival, this is a night not to be missed.
  

Out and About

 Dean Anthony will bless the Clipper Race fleet on Sunday 3 September at 1.25pm in Gunwharf Quays before the eleven yachts leave on their circumnavigation. Since the first race in 1996 almost 6,000 Race Crews from all walks of life and more than 60 nations have trained and raced in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race; the only race in the world where the organisers supply a fleet of identical racing yachts.
  

Christmas around the corner… 

Donations for Christmas Fair

 Whilst you are out and about or at home sorting a few things please keep the Christmas Fair in mind. Getting donations of raffle prizes is much harder in these difficult economic times. One of the best methods I have found is to be bold enough to ask whilst you are already using the services of a company.
 
Read more →
 

Christmas Cards in the Shop

 We’ve had many requests from the Cathedral congregation, for Christmas cards to be available for purchase earlier in the autumn than we have done in previous years. These cards support the work of the Cathedral and the Friends of Portsmouth Cathedral and will be available for purchase in the Cathedral Shop starting 16 September.
  

Changes to Cathedral Opening from 12–14 September

The Cathedral is delighted to be hosting the annual CAFA Conference, the conference of over 100 delegates will take place in the Nave and to accommodate this there will be changes to our opening hours from 12–14 September.

Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer/Choral Evensong will take place in the Cathedral as regularly scheduled, but our midday service on Wednesday and private prayer during the day will move to Becket Hall during this period.

Specifically the Cathedral will be closed as follows:

• Tuesday (12 Sep) closed from 1pm–5pm and will reopen for Evensong.

• Wednesday (13 Sep) closed from 9:15am–5pm and will reopen for Evening Prayer.

• Thursday (14 Sep) closed from 9:15am until 1pm, reopening in time for Lunchtime Live.

A member of our team will be at the North Door during this period to guide people to Becket Hall whilst the Cathedral is closed.

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.

Prayers and Intercessions

We remember the following for whom prayer has been asked by members of the Cathedral Community:  Philip, Judith, Margaret, Ian, Mathai, Nuno, Chris, Carol and all those in need.  
 
 We continue to pray for the long-term sick, including:  Janet, Richard, Alistair, Beverley, Rachel, John, Graeme, Yvonne, Renee, Peter, Suzy, Sarah, Alison and Jill.
 
We remember those who have died: Emma Stanley, Hilary Spurgeon (funeral at All Saints' Ryde on 15 Sept), John Huffell, Paul Bass RIP
  

Canon Hilary Spurgeon RIP

 As reported last week Canon Hilary Spurgeon died at the end of August, after a long battle with cancer. Hilary was a Reader at Binstead and Havenstreet, served for many years on our Readers’ Board, and remained Deputy Warden of Readers and treasurer of the Readers’ Board until her death.  She was a Lay Canon Emeritus of the Cathedral, had also served her parish, deanery, and the diocese in a number of governance roles and the Cathedral as a Duty Chaplain, Lay Member of Chapter and of the Cathedral Council.
 
Hilary’s funeral will be held at All Saints Ryde at midday on Friday 15 September, All who knew here are welcome and further details will be available next week.

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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