Activities Jan-June 2020

Choral Evensong sung by the Choristers of St Paul’s Cathedral.

This new venture by the City of London Deanery for congregations to gather in churches around the City to meet, pray and worship together, have the chance to hear the wonderful voices of the Choristers and volunteer to read the lessons and lead the intercessions, got off to a good start at St Bartholomew the Great, Smithfield.

We were welcomed by Marcus Walker the Rector of St Bart’s to this ancient church. Robert Coupland, Sacrist at St Paul’s Officiated, Canon James Milne, Precentor at St Pauls was the Preacher, William Fox, sub-organist and the Choir was directed by Andrew Carwood, Director of Music at St Paul’s. Katharine Hedderly, our Area Dean and Vicar of All Hallows by the Tower gave the Blessing. Refreshments were served afterwards in the Cloister and it was good to meet and talk with our firends from St Paul's and members of other City Churches. It was certainly an uplifting and shared experience on a very wet and windy afternoon.   

St Giles’ was well represented, and we had been invited to lead the Intercessions. We look forward to gathering at other churches in the future.

Sunday was a special day for members of the Sunday Club. There was a Story Sermon with Katharine as a Roman centurion and the children as Roman soldiers in Bethlehem as she told them of rumours of angels in the sky and magicians coming with gifts. They had to be alert and report any strange happenings. We heard about Simeon and Anna when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the Temple and how they blessed Jesus and told Mary that a sword would pierce her side as they foretold the crucifixion.

The Children led the Intercessions and then with their lighted candles moved through the church lighting the candles of the congregation - not before long hair had been tied back with elastic hair bands supplied by Katharine! They came back to the chancel and stayed by the altar with their candles alight while the Offertory was brought to the altar and the Eucharistic Prayer said.

During the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, a special service was held at Wesley’s Chapel during which an Ecumenical Partnership agreement was signed by the clergy of 4 local churches who, with their congregations, have over many years grown in friendship and in working together. The service was led by Steven Cooper, Minister of Wesley’s Chapel and the Preacher was Ruth Gee, Former President of the Methodist Conference and Methodist Church Ecumenical Officer

Katharine in her introduction said that this ecumenical coming together was the result of a chance conversation she had in Errol Street, with Brother Kentigern, an Anglican Franciscan and Chaplain at the YMCA who asked her what the churches around here were doing about ecumenicism

The Partnership document was signed by Richard Brunt, Minister of Jewin Welsh Church, Katharine Rumens, Rector of St Giles’ Cripplegate, Chris Vipers, Priest in Charge, St Joseph’s Catholic Church and Jennifer Smith, Superintendent, Wesley’s Chapel and Leysian Mission.     

Katharine signs for St Giles’

Our shared activities include prayer, study, fellowship, food bank appeals and pilgrimage together. The Saturday morning study groups meet in Lent and October; a book is usually chosen, and we visit each church in turn. Our pilgrimages have taken us to Rome, Latvia, the WW1 Belgium Battlefields and Spain in the Steps of St Teresa of Avila and St John of the Cross.