(Annual Vestry Meeting documents below)
I want to highlight this Sunday’s events and invite you to come if you can:
Candlemas Celebrations
All four Eucharists and Evensong will be celebrating the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, sometimes known as Candlemas. The Spiritual Practice suggestion this week also focuses on Candlemas.
The bulletins for Sunday ( which you can download from the homepage) also have some interesting information about this ancient celebration and quote a beautiful poem by TS Eliot. The full poem is printed in the bulletin for the 6 pm Eucharist. The morning Eucharists quote this verse:
Before the time of cords and scourges and lamentation, Grant us thy peace.
Before the stations of the mountain of desolation,
Before the certain hour of maternal sorrow,
Now at this birth season of decease,
Let the Infant, the still unspeaking and unspoken Word, Grant Israel’s consolation
To one who has eighty years and no to-morrow.
Then at 6 pm Rhonda will be celebrating at the monthly experimental evening Eucharist with music provided by Ben and Jonathan Stuchbery. In her introduction to the service Rhonda writes:
Traditionally Candlemas marks the end of the Christmas and Epiphany season as thoughts are turned from the birth of the child Jesus to the oncoming season of Lent and Passiontide. It is also associated with the turning of the seasons as we reach mid-winter and turn towards the spring. This service invites us to turn, again and again, to the new things God is doing in the world and in our lives.
Annual General Vestry Meeting
After the 10 o’clock service please try to attend the Annual General Vestry meeting. If you can’t come to the meeting you might want to peruse the narrative budget which puts the figures in the budget in the context of our various Cathedral ministries. You will certainly enjoy browsing the Annual Report which describes in detail the activities and the mission of the Cathedral. Please if possible read the reports online (available below). (A few printed copies will be available at the Vestry meeting.)
2015 Annual Meeting_Agenda
2015 Annual Report
2015 Annual Meeting_Narrative Budget
2015 Annual Meeting_Budget
Nuit Blanche
In keeping with the theme of mid-winter, I was fascinated to hear from two of our new parishioners that they had spent a Saturday recently playing snow cricket. That’s impressive! We won’t be playing snow cricket during Nuit Blanche on February 28, but we are thinking about snow painting as part of our huge programme of exciting activities. We are looking for people who would like to count or greet visitors or help the vergers with security. Night owls particularly welcome as we stay open until 2 am. Thank you to the people who have already volunteered. Please contact Ann, Tyson or Rob Wells if you’re available.
Reminder of regular activities:
- L’Oasis Musicale concert this Saturday, 31st January, 4:30pmwill be given by violinist Christian Vachon and pianist Frédéric Lacroix featuring both of Gabriel Fauré’s Violin and Piano sonatas together in the same concert. These two masterpieces, written 40 years apart, show well the evolution of Fauré’s style and harmonic language.
- Contemplative Prayer on Tuesday evening at 5:45 after evening prayer
- Hungry Minds: Bible study and supper for students and young adults happens every Wednesday evening from 6-9 pm in the Undercroft. See Rhonda for details
- Liturgical Dance Group every Tuesday evening in the Cathedral at 7:30.
Finally, one more special event: The noon Eucharist at 12:15 on Monday will be a special choral Eucharist celebrating the Presentation and Candlemas on the actual feast day.