A reflection from Dean Anthony…

Christians have been described as an ‘Easter people’, because the new life of the resurrection is the foundation of everything we are. Sheila Cassidy, a doctor who drew attention to human rights abuses in Chile and was herself tortured, prefers the term ‘Good Friday people’. In a book of that title, she invites us to be more Christ-like in engaging with the pain and suffering of the world.

Cassidy’s message is powerful one, but it makes me wonder if we are actually a ‘SATURDAY people’, a waiting people poised between death and life – specifically the Good Friday death of Jesus, and his Easter Day resurrection.

Consider, for example, how many Good Friday prayers there are in our world: impatient pleas of ‘How long, O God?’: a longing for an end to the pandemic, an end to suffering and violence; an end to sickness and hunger. If prayers of this sort are offered only for ourselves, they are likely to become rather self-pitying! They are best offered for others, expressing our solidarity with poverty or suffering.

But in so doing we discover that even the worst situations contain a hint of hope – of patient courage, of human generosity, kindness and compassion. All is not lost – it isn’t Friday after all, but Saturday.

And then there are Easter Sunday prayers, expressions of joy and celebration. Such prayers we can offer for ourselves, in thanksgiving for the good times, and the many blessings given to us. But only if we’re immediately led back into solidarity with those whose hard circumstances prevent them from celebrating. It isn’t Sunday after all, but Saturday; not yet time to rest, there is still much to do so others may join in the rejoicing.

After more than a year of lockdown, I am so grateful to our volunteers, staff, ministry team and worshipping community, who give me hope. There is rightfully a sense of Easter hopefulness as we gradually emerge from all those restrictions. But as a Saturday people, we continue to be called to address the inequities and injustices of our world, whether locally, nationally or internationally, in the sure and certain hope that ultimately the power of resurrection love will prevail.

I wish you a very happy Easter!

The Very Reverend Dr Anthony Cane,
Dean of Portsmouth

Easter Services

This weekend we invite you to celebrate Easter with us, when Jesus died for our sins and then rose again. We’re so pleased to be able to open up more of our services to those wishing to worship with us in the Cathedral itself.

Booking online for our Easter services

You can now book for all our Holy Week and Easter Day services on our website. Spaces can be booked for a maximum of three people from one household group.

A selection of spaces will be available on the door for those who are unable to book in advance online, but we do recommend youbook in advanceif possible, to avoid disappointment.

Visit our website for the latest information on services and events. Please note that in these uncertain times, planned events and services may need to change.

Services this weekend

Easter Eve Vigil and Eucharist– Saturday, 8:30pm
Easter Day Holy Communion– Sunday, 8:00:am
#PompeySundays At Home– Sunday, 9:30am (online only)
Easter Day Festival Eucharist– Sunday, 11am (pre-booking is full booked, limited spaces are available on the door)
Easter Day Sung Eucharist– Sunday, 12:30pm
Easter Day Festal Evensong– Sunday, 5:30pm
Easter Day Compline – Sunday, 5:30pm (online only)

Community News

Cathedral Churchwarden Receives Maundy Money

We’re so pleased to share that Her Majesty the Queen has honoured a member of the Portsmouth Cathedral community for their Christian service to the nation.

Sue Ward, who many of you will know as one of our churchwardens, is one of 190 people receiving Maundy money, as part of the Maundy Thursday tradition dating back to the 17th century. Sue has been churchwarden at the cathedral for 10 of the past 13 years, in two separate stints. She trained as a teacher and has worked in the UK and as a Voluntary Service Overseas volunteer in Pakistan, as well as accompanying her husband Terry and continuing to contribute on further VSO tours.

Find out more

On the hunt for a last-minute Easter egg?

If you’ve left it a little late to get your Easter treats, fear not! The Portsmouth Cathedral Shop still has a limited range of chocolate eggs including ‘The Real Easter Egg’ range.

Until Monday, enjoy an exclusive 25% off ‘The Real Easter Egg’ range using code ‘LASTMINUTEEGG’ on our website.

Click and collect orders will not be available to collect until after Easter, so please bear this in mind when ordering and check the collection dates in the checkout.

Enjoy home delivery from 12 April

We are delighted to announce that from 12 April, you will be able to have orders from the Cathedral Shop delivered to your door (UK addresses only). You’ll still be able to take full advantage of our convenient click and collect service.

In line with Government guidance, you’ll be able to shop with us in-store as the Cathedral Shop is due to physically re-open again on 17 May.

Shop online now

Vision and Strategy – Update and Feedback from our Consultation, Tuesday 13 April, 7:00pm

We welcome you to join Dean Anthony and Richard Abraham, Chief Operating Officer, for an online update on Tuesday 13 April at 7:00pm via Zoom.

This session will include an update on the Vision and Strategy as well as feedback from the consultation and how it has helped to shape the vision to take the Cathedral through to its centenary in 2027.

Find the link for the Zoom meeting in next week’s Notices.

Tea and Talk Event – thank you for coming!

Thank you to everyone who joined the Tea and Talk event on Monday 22 March and shared your views about building a generous Cathedral community.

If you were not able to attend but are interested in finding out more about how you can support the Cathedral community to become more generous, please contact our Head of Fundraising, Sophie Henstridge-Brown at Sophie.henstridge-brown@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk.

Bishop Christopher’s Leaving Gift

On April 24 at 4pm there will be a service in Portsmouth Cathedral to celebrate and give thanks for Bishop Christopher’s leadership in the diocese since 2010. This is a special and important service in the life of the diocese, but it takes place when we will continue to live under some restrictions due to Covid 19.

It will be livestreamed to enable as many people as possible from across our diocese to be part of the service. It’s sad that the number of those able to be physically present in the cathedral will be limited, and as such it will by invitation only. It is the wish of Bishop Christopher that the invites will be issued to as diverse a group as possible, so the different aspects of diocesan life will be represented by those present.

If you would like to contribute towards a farewell gift to Bishop Christopher and Sally, please click here to find out more and get in touch with the diocese directly. Please could all gifts be received by April 9, 2021.

All Things Bright and Virtual, Get Involved in the Self-Isolation Choir.

The Royal School of Church Music is joining with other organisations around the country to encourage people everywhere to sing hymns at home in this exciting project led by the Self-Isolation Choir.

You’re invited to join in singing a selection of some of the most joyous pieces of church music, although usually sung in a church setting, on this course we shall sing these wonderful hymns together wherever we are, with a smile on our faces and a spring in our step.

Learn more about the project with leader Ralph Allwood explaining more here or to sign up visit their website here.

Bible Discussion Group

Our Bible Discussion Group resumes, after an Easter break, on Thursday 22 April at 7 pm. This term, we will be looking at biblical characters, and we will be starting with Ruth – so if you’d like to prepare, do read the Book of Ruth.

Cathedral Safeguarding Meeting

The Cathedral’s Safeguarding Group met on 16 March to discuss regular updates in addition to preparations for the SCIE Audit in June. The Cathedral’s Safeguarding Policy and contact details can be found on our website.

Worship and Visiting the Cathedral

Portsmouth Cathedral continues to be open daily for private prayer, daily Holy Communion and Sunday Services. Sadly, government guidelines do not allow for sightseeing and our shop is also closed for now, except for click-and-collect from the online shop.

We continue to take every precaution to reduce the spread of coronavirus, including the mandatory wearing of face masks, except for those with exemptions (please note face visors should only be worn with a face mask). Find out more on our Covid-19 information page.

We broadcast three services a day on our live page and Facebook. Find out more on our website and download orders of services.

Compline

Please note there will be no online Compline from Monday 5 April to Sunday 18 April. Services will resume again on Monday 19 April. In the meantime, you can find online prayer resources on our website for worship at home.

Portsmouth Cathedral Toddler Group

Join us this Wednesday, 7 April, at 2 pm for our Easter Toddler Service, complete with storytime and singing. All welcome via our Facebook livestream!

Prayers and Intercessions

We pray for all those affected by Covid-19.

We remember the following for whom prayer has been asked by members of the Cathedral Community: Bob, Derek, Trevor, Izzy, Clare, Sarah, Jenny, Michael, Laurence, Rita, Dave, Mercedes, Peter, Amanda, Joan, Reuben, Kathy, Alison, Emilia, David, Linda, Mervyn, Beverley, Oliver, Richard and all those in need.

Long-term sick including Graeme, Clifford, Christopher, Johnny, Jane, Andrew, Melissa, Christopher, Bishop Peter, Tara, Jenny, Arthur and Suzy.

We pray for those who have died recently: Dennis Ede, David Stuart, Monty Seal, Barry Paul, Joan Kinlough, Jane Hunter, Binnie Fisher and Mike Bailey RIP.

To add someone to the prayer list, please email info@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk

Upcoming Services and Events

Easter Sunday Refreshments via Zoom – 4 April, 6:30pm

Join us for a celebratory edition of our weekly Sunday Refreshments hosted on Zoom – this week with a very special and unexpected Easter guest - you won’t want to miss it!

For security this link is sent in our email notices, join to get these every Friday.

Foodbank Collection Point

The Cathedral is home to a foodbank collection point for the Roberts Centre. Donations of food and toiletries are particularly needed at the moment and greatly appreciated by those using the service.

See what items most in need are on our website.

Recommend our notices to a friend…

Do you know someone who may benefit from receiving our notices? Why not recommend them our newsletter by sending them to portsmouthcathedral.org.uk/newsletter where they can sign up online.

If you know someone without internet access, we also provide a printed mailing. Please contact our pastoral team using the contact details below to sign up.

Getting in touch

We know that this is a lonely and anxious time for many people. Please feel free to get in touch if we can help in any way, or if you just want to hear another voice!

Dean Anthony: 023 9282 4400 or Anthony.Cane@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk

Canon Jo Spreadbury: 023 9275 2335 or Jo.Spreadbury@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk

Canon Kathryn Percival: 023 9289 2967 or Kathryn.Percival@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk

Cathedral Curate, Revd Catherine Edenborough: 023 9282 3300 extn 221 or Catherine.Edenborough@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk (Usual days at the Cathedral: Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday)

Messages can also be left on the Cathedral phone system 023 9282 3300 or by email to info@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk or pastoral@portsmouthcathedral.org.uk.