A reflection from Canon Anthony

On Sunday, the worldwide church celebrates Pentecost and, in this country, we also celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen. On the face of it, these two occasions might not seem to have much in common, but in fact both share a significant theme: the inauguration of something through the blessing of the Holy Spirit. At Pentecost the church remembers the descent of the Spirit upon the Apostles, and therefore the beginning of the church. At the Jubilee we remember the coronation of the Queen: a ceremony which centred on anointing the new monarch with the oil of chrism as a symbol of the presence of the Spirit in decisions of the new reign.

What then might be significant about the life of the Spirit for the church and for the monarch? For most of Christian history the presence of the Holy Spirit has not been identified with what are now regarded as popular charisms, but rather with the guidance of God in our own lives. This presence is about upholding virtue, honesty, integrity and character. As St Paul says, ‘The fruit of the spirit is love, joy peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.’ It is these gifts that the church rejoices in each Pentecost, and it is these gifts in the work of our monarch that we give thanks for on this Jubilee Weekend.

As we give thanks for the reign of the Queen this weekend, we pray for God’s continued blessing on her, and ask that the fruit of the spirit may be known in our own lives and the public life of our nation.

The Reverend Canon Dr. Anthony Rustell,
Residentiary Canon

Community News

This Weekend: Platinum Jubilee Celebrations - Friday 3 – Sunday 5 June

Celebrate this unprecedented anniversary with us at Portsmouth Cathedral, including concerts, community events, and family activities taking place across the bank holiday weekend.
Be sure to book tickets for the Platinum Proms by the Sea, performed by the Solent Symphony Orchestra. Tickets will also be available for purchase on the door from 7:00pm.
See more →

Road closures this Sunday

Please note that Oyster Street, through to St Thomas’s Street will be closed from 10:00am to 6:00pm this Sunday for our Big Jubilee Lunch. This may impact parking for our morning services, so please factor this into your travel time, and we look forward to celebrating with you in the afternoon!

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 next week.

Read more →

Appointment of additional Assistant Verger

Chapter is pleased to announce the appointment of additional Assistant Vergers and Precinct Officers. We are in the final process of reviewing references and doing the necessary checks, but it is anticipated that one person (maternity cover) will start on the 20 June and the other person (a new permanent post) will start on the 27 June.

Read more →

St Mary’s Fratton at Heart of Amazing World Ocean Day Celebration

An exciting arts project, Octopus Story, is taking place across Portsmouth, uniting artists, school children, writers, creators and marine biologists. At the heart of Octopus Story is a day-long celebration of World Ocean Day which will be held on Wednesday 8th June at St Mary’s Church, Fratton.

Created by artists and local children, all the works focus on the sea pollution we can’t see – noise, microplastics and chemicals. “We’re bringing the ocean to St Mary’s,” Octopus Story’s organiser Roy Hanney says: “It’s going to be a brilliant day for the whole family and includes workshops, an exhibition and an evening of film and live performances.”

The Octopus Story exhibition goes live at St Mary’s at 1:00pm and features a giant octopus and fantastical sea creatures hanging above the ground. An immersive experience also derived from Octopus Story, will be coming to the Cathedral in November.

Find out more →

Cathedral Music Trust Grant

For the second year running, the Cathedral Music Trust has provided a grant to support core musical activities here at Portsmouth Cathedral. The grant will help to ensure that the Cathedral has the financial ability to support ongoing activities including our musical outreach programme, Cathedral Sing.

Dr Isobel Pinder, a trustee of the Cathedral Music Trust, will present the grant to the Cathedral on Thursday June 16 2022, at 5.45pm Eucharist (Corpus Christi) service. All are most welcome to attend.

Find our more →

Meet the Dean

Dean Anthony is offering a regular, quarterly opportunity for any members of the Cathedral community to meet with him over a cup of tea or coffee.

The next of these will take place on Thursday 16 June from 10:30am – 11:30am in the Bishop Kenneth Room. Our Vision and Strategy speaks of embedding ‘learning and feedback in all that we do’, and this is a chance to offer comments, questions and ideas relating to any aspect of Cathedral life.

Cleaning up Southsea Common – Tuesday 7 June 

As part of activities to mark World Environment Day, the Environment Agency is sponsoring a Litter Pick on Southsea Common from 10am to 2pm on Tuesday, 7 June 2022. The meeting point is the Chesapeake Monument. The Agency will provide Litter Picking kits for use on the day.

Our Climate Champion, Sue Ward, is looking for others to join her on the day so please speak with her directly about this opportunity to care for God’s creation.

Find out more and register →

Matthew Jackson RIP 

Mike and Jane Jackson wish to thank the Dean, Clergy and the Cathedral community for the many thoughtful cards and letters at the loss of their son, Matthew. The family funeral is being held on the 9 June followed by a memorial service later in the year.

Cathedral Offices Closed on Monday

The Cathedral Offices will be closed on Monday, 6 June as staff will be participating in an awayday. The office will reopen on Tuesday morning, 7 June 2022.

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.

Falklands 40 Commemoration – Sunday 19 June 11:30am

All are welcome to attend a special service of Remembrance being held at the Cathedral to mark the 40th anniversary of the Falklands conflict following the unveiling and dedication of a new memorial plaque by the Square Tower, with the names of members of the Army, Royal Air Force and civilians who lost their lives during the conflict. The unveiling will be followed by a memorial service, parade and wreath-laying ceremony before the service at the Cathedral. The Eucharist will be celebrated at 8:00am and 5:45pm.

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, Alan, Rachel, Lucy, Martin, Susan, Jean, Alan, Rita, Graeme, and all those in need.

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

We pray for those who have died recently: Matthew Jackson, and Denise Goppelt RIP.

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, Denise, Alan, Rachel, Lucy, Martin, Susan, Jean, Alan, Rita, Graeme, and all those in need.

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

We pray for those who have died recently: Edward Parker-Jervis, and Matthew Jackson 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.

News or story you’d like to share? Submit a notice 📰