Date: January 29th 2010

 

From the Provost

Dear

 

Please find below the newsletter from St Mary's for February. It is being sent out a couple of days early to highlight the first two items, the concert tonight (Friday) for Haiti and the congregational social evening tomorrow.

 

With best regards

KELVIN The Very Rev Kelvin Holdsworth, Provost and Rector

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Haiti Relief

Special Concert in St Mary's today - Friday 29 January 2010 at 7.30 pm

Gusztáv Fenyö will give a concert of piano favourites in aid of Haiti – including music by Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninov, Joplin, Piazzolla & Gershwin - in St Mary’s Cathedral on Friday January 29th at 7.30 p.m. All proceeds to Action Aid. Children can sit on cushions in front of front pews - bring comfy cushions! Tickets £10 at door and donations welcome.

 

Our Revolting History Past

 

The early history of this congregation has been kept pretty vague for more than two centuries. Roger Edwards has been trawling through early records, and will explain his unexpected findings at a social evening in the Synod Hall on Saturday 30th January at 7.30 pm. All are welcome.

 

Election of a New Bishop

The Very Rev Dr Gregor Duncan was elected as our new bishop at an Electoral Synod which was held in St Mary's on 16 January.

The consecration will be held in St Mary's though the date is as yet unknown. It is likely that there will be two events, the Consecration itself to which civic and ecclesiastical guests are invited and then a further event for members of the diocese.

List of Daily Bible Readings

Last month, the Provost published online a list of Daily Bible readings and made it available online. A printed copy is now available at the back of the Cathedral. Please take one if you would like one. If you have any trouble working out how to use it, please ask any member of the clergy.

Young Church

The Young Church schedule for the next few weeks is as follows:

31 Jan - Clergy contact day - Sacristy Safari with the Provost

7 Feb - Altogether Sunday - young people worship with parents in churchp

14 Feb - holiday weekend

21 Feb - Singing games with members of the choir

28 Feb - Exploring the church year (Lent session)

7 March - Play based learning

On Sundays when the Young Church meets in the Synod Hall, children make their way there during the Psalm and come back into Church for the Peace.

 

If you have children or grandchildren between the ages of 3/4 to 11 and are interested in them coming along, please look out for the flyers at the back of the church.

 

 

 

Lent Devotions

 

Ash Wednesday is on 17 February and every member of the congregation is encouraged to come to one of the services so that the whole congregation can begin this period of preparation for Easter together. Services will be at 12.30 pm and 7.30 pm.

There will be Lentan devotions on the Fridays in Lent at 6.30 pm.
On 19th, 26th February, 5th, 12th, 26th March these will take the form of a Plainsong Eucharist followed by Sung Compline. On 19 March, St Joseph's Day will be marked with Choral Evensong sung by a choir from RSAMD.
Good Friday falls on 2 April 2010 and the evening devotion on that day will be Stainer's Cruxifiction, sung by the Cathedral Choir at 7.30 pm. The preacher for the Three Hours from 12 noon until 3 pm will be the Rev Anne Thomlinson.

Sponsored Swim for Haiti

Steve Marshall is swimming to raise money for Haiti. He aims to complete the equivalent of a channel swim (23.69 miles) by 21 March 2010. To sponsor him, please see him on a Sunday morning or e-mail smarshall2101@yahoo.co.uk

 

Mothers' Union Festival Service

There will be a service to commission Hilary Moran as the new Provincial President of the Mothers' Union in Scotland on 13 February at 11 am in St Mary's.

Website

The website for St Mary's can be found at  www.thecathedral.org.uk.

Video of sermons can be found at www.thecathedral.org.uk/spirituality/preaching

A regular update of what is going on in the Provost's head can be found on his blog at www.thurible.net

Diocesan News

The Diocesan News bulletin for February has been published. It includes an interview with Bishop Elect Gregor Duncan.
This bulletin can be downloaded from the Diocesan Website.

Note that you need Adobe Reader installed to be able to view this file.

Scottish Episcopal Church News

A new online news service for the Scottish Episcopal Church is being launched this week. Its called Inspires Online and will be a monthly news bulletin. It will be possible to sign up for that news service from Saturday 30 January 2010 at www.inspires.org.uk

Festivals and Commemorations

The Eucharist will be celebrated to mark the following festival days:

2 Feburary 2010 at 0930 - Candlemas

Ash Wednesday is on 17 February 2010 and there will be Eucharists at 12.30 pm and 7.30 pm. The evening service will be a Choral Eucharist.

Evensong on 31 January at 6.30 pm will be treated as a first evensong for Candlemastide and feature special music to mark the feast.

Royal School of Church Music

The Scottish Voices of the Royal School of Church Music will be having a singing day at St Mary's on 20 February 2010. Details of the service to mark the end of this day will be published in the pew notes.

Book Group

The Book Group is held in the Meeting Room and meets between 5.45 and 7pm (tea/coffee happens first, followed by discussion at 6pm).  Please feel free to join in when you can - new members are most welcome.  Dates and books are: on 4th February ‘Moon Tiger’ by Penelope Lively; on 4^th March ‘Between the Monster and the Saint’ by Richard Holloway. 

Knitting Group

The knitting group are currently knitting hats for newborns in Malawi. The group meets in the Meeting Room (next to the Synod Hall door) once a month on a Monday from 7.30 to 9.30 pm. The purpose of the group is to provide a social network for knitters in the congregation, who should bring their own knitting project along. Tea and coffee available. New members welcome. Contact person: Anne Halliburton: tel: 0141 946 5426.The next meeting is on 8th February.

 

Bible Study & Compline

The next contextual Bible study will take place in the Meeting Room on Tuesday 9^th February 2010 at 6.00 pm. It will look at one of the  readings set for the following Sunday. Tea and coffee available from 5.30. No previous knowledge or expertise required. Sung Compline will follow.

LGBT Group

The LGBT Group meets on Monday 15 February 2010 at 7.30 pm for a film evening in the Synod Hall. The film will be "For the Bible Tells Me So" which features, amongst others, the Rt Rev Gene Robinson. This meeting is an open evening and all members of the congregation are invited to attend.

Poetry Evening

Next meeting 18^th February 2010 in the meeting room - Susan Anthony is the contact person for this group at: okediadi@hotmail.co.uk / 0141 339 0224 The choice of poems is taken in turn by those attending. Meetings take place at 6 pm on the third Thursday in the month in the Meeting Room, which is next to the Synod Hall door. Tea and coffee available from 5.30.

External Events

The Age of Stupid - There will be a special showing of the acclaimed film The Age of Stupid (released in March 2009 and starring Pete Postlethwaite) at the G12 cinema (Gilmorehill building, eastern end of University Avenue) at 7.30pm on Thursday 18 February. This event is organised jointly by the Wellington Justice and Peace Group and the World Development Movement. There will be a short introduction by Liz Murray, WDM Scotland’s head of campaigns and networks, and a brief discussion afterwards for those who wish to stay. The G12 bar will be open. Admission free, but donations welcome – proceeds to WDM and the Iona Community’s Growing Hope Appeal.

 

The Cathedral Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, Glasgow (St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral) is a charity registered with OSCR, number SCO06225