Newsletters

St Mary’s and St Andrew’s Worshipping Together

A very warm welcome to all our visitors today

Readings:
Ezekiel 34: 11-16 & 20-24; Psalm 95: 1-7; Ephesians 1: 15-23; Gospel: Matthew 25: 31-46

The Feast of Christ the King

Today is the feast of Christ the King, which celebrates the full authority of Christ as King and Lord of the universe. Also referred to as “The Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King,” it is celebrated on the final Sunday of Ordinary Time, the Sunday before Advent. Yes, next Sunday is Advent Sunday. 

Evensong Service Sunday 29th November

Next Sunday, there will be an Evensong service here at St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral at 6.30pm. Of course, we cannot have a choir, but I am endeavouring to ensure we have a cantor to sing for us during the service. We were going to sing some Advent carols in the car park however I think I will plan that for another week within Advent, so watch this space. I have some logistics to work out

Pre-recorded Holy Communion Service

The Pre-Recorded Holy Communion Service, which will be broadcast at 10 am on Sunday, can be found on the Diocesan Website. I would like to thank our Organist Matthew for providing the music, and Ms Gwyn Evans for reading the Scripture and Intercessions.

Thank you to all our volunteers

Thank you to those who continue to volunteer to go on our various rotas for reading, flowers and cleaning. I still need people to help out with Intercessions, so please let me know if you would like to pitch in. If you haven’t done intercessions before, but would like to try it, I have a book or two that gives very easy and clear guidance. There’s no right or wrong way, and it is an important part of our worship. We are a Church of many voices, so the more we have, the more special it will be

Newsletter on our website

Just a reminder to everyone that this newsletter also goes on to our new website at www.stmaryscardenplace.org.uk If you haven’t already had a look, please do, it is very informative and continues to be populated with new material.

General Synod

This year, General Synod will be an electronic affair on Zoom. It will take place on Saturday the 5^th of December, and I, with many others, will be chained to a laptop/computer for the whole day.

Vestry Meeting on Zoom

There will be a Zoom Vestry meeting commencing at 7.30 pm on Wednesday the 25^th of November. As always, the agenda and Rector’s Report will be circulated to all Vestry members prior to the meeting. Any apologies in the first instance should be directed to the Vestry Secretary Ms Elizabeth Smyth.

Services at St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral week commencing Sunday 22nd November 2020

Blessings Always

Rev’d Cn Terry Taggart
Rector

St Mary’s and St Andrew’s Worshipping Together

A very warm welcome to all our visitors today

Readings:
Zephaniah 1: 7,12-18, Psalm 90 1-8,(9-11),12, 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11, Gospel: Matthew 25: 14-30

I have had some lovely feedback regarding our Remembrance Sunday service 

I have had some lovely feedback regarding our Remembrance Sunday service last week, thank you all. I was unable to mention the beautiful display of poppies lovingly prepared by Helen Gregory, Nicola Mills and Gillian Rose. Thank you, ladies, it was very moving to look at, and our music and participation from our readers on the day added to what was a very poignant and significant occasion.

We welcome Bishop And back today as she presides and preaches.

The Scottish Episcopal Church Mission Association SECMA Newsletters

The Scottish Episcopal Church Mission Association SECMA Newsletters have now all been delivered. If you still have to pay for your subscription/ make a donation, please do so as soon as possible, either to me by cash, or cheque to SECMA, or to the church bank account. All details are clipped to your newsletter. (Gillian Rose-SECMA Rep) I am assuming that St Andrew’s have a similar arrangement. Please see me if not.

Thank you to those members of St Andrew’s who have offered to read

Thank you to those members of St Andrew’s who have offered to read at our Sunday Eucharist services. But please forgive me if I impose on everyone’s generosity once more. We need some volunteers who are prepared to do intercessions as well and are prepared to go on the rota. If you are, please let me know and I will put the wheels in motion. The more people we have available the more evenly spread the role will be. 

Floral displays and church cleaning

I am also wondering if there are any of you from both St Mary’s and St Andrew’s who would be willing to assist with our floral displays and church cleaning. Again, the more people the merrier. Please let me know.

Aberdeen Churches Together

One of the other hats that I wear is the Episcopal Church’s representative with ‘Aberdeen Churches Together’ (ACT). This is a Christian ecumenical group who meet periodically throughout the year to help plan for various events of note. One of the suggestions this year will be a virtual advent calendar, where each member of the group organises/presents a very short video clip on the Advent story which will be available for all to view. I will therefore be preparing this year’s presentation and I will let you know in good time when and where it will be available to view.

Advent and Christmas Services

Next week I hope to publish the dates and times of our Advent and Christmas services. If current restrictions are sustained, then we will need to acquiesce accordingly. There will, however, be a midnight mass as always and I am looking at the possibility of a socially distanced Carol Service in the Church car park. Watch this space.

Services at St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral week commencing Sunday 15^th November 2020

Sunday 15^th November at 10 a.m. – Holy Communion – Bishop Anne
Wednesday 18^th November at 10 a.m. – Holy Communion (1982) – Rev’d Cn Terry Taggart
Friday 20^th November at 9:30 a.m. – Morning Prayers – Rev’d Cn Terry Taggart

Blessings Always

Rev’d Cn Terry Taggart
Rector

‘All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well. (Julian of Norwich)

St Mary’s and St Andrew’s Worshipping Together

A very warm welcome to all our visitors today on Remembrance Sunday

Readings:
Wisdom of Solomon 6: 17-20, Psalm 70, 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18, Gospel: Matthew 25: 1-13

Today is Remembrance Sunday, when we will call to mind all of those brave souls who gave their lives in war

Today is Remembrance Sunday, when we will call to mind all of those brave souls who gave their lives in war, regardless of what side they served with. Many of you here today will have either served in the Military, or know someone who has. Some of you will know someone who has made that ultimate sacrifice on behalf of their country. Maybe you just chose to support our Armed Forces, who, on the behest of political leaders, put their lives on the line. Since the First World War there have been many conflicts across the globe where British and Commonwealth Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen/Women have been called to active service. Many came home, many didn’t. Some of those who came home never recovered from the experience of battle and continued to suffer. We do all of them a disservice if we fail to recognise the significance of today despite the call of some sections of society to ‘forget the past and move on’. Until there is no more war, we must learn from the past if we are ever to secure the future for our children and our children’s children.

Do you look around you and think “What is happening in the world today”?

Do you look around you and think “What is happening in the world today”? We now see our brothers and sisters in England once more under lockdown for a month, and we look to our own political leaders here in Scotland, wondering if they will follow suit. We see the madness that took place in Vienna and France recently and we wonder when and where it will happen again. We look to the United States with concern as the political system there seems at odds with democracy and the will of the people. There is so much to consider and pray for.

Our Friday Morning Prayer continues at 9.30 a.m.

Our Friday Morning Prayer continues at 9.30 a.m. My apologies for failing to turn up last Friday, this was due to a minor emergency at home. Why not pop in if you’re in the area, it will only last 15-20 minutes and could help set you up for the day. There is no need to book a place. Whenever the restrictions are relaxed, I intend to increase the regularity of Morning Prayer, hopefully to pre-Covid 19 frequency which was Tuesday to Friday inclusive. The door will be open to all who seek entry.

Newsletter

I am still open to many of you to let me know if there is anyone else you might think would want this newsletter sent to them by email or even in hard copy. This is more emphasised for our brothers and sisters from St Andrew’s. Please, take as many hard copies as you wish when you leave should you feel that putting one through a friend’s letterbox might help. Just let me know if you need more.

We need more volunteers

We need more volunteers from both St Mary’s and St Andrew’s to be readers/intercessors. Please let me know if you would be willing to help out and to share the responsibility more evenly.

Services at St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral week commencing Sunday 8^th November 2020

Sunday 8^th November at 10.50 a.m. – Holy Communion – Rev’d Cn Terry Taggart presiding and preaching
Wednesday 11^th November at 10 a.m. – Holy Communion (1929) – Rev’d Cn Terry Taggart
Friday 13^th November at 9:30 a.m. – Morning Prayers – Rev’d Cn Terry Taggart
Sunday 15^th November at 10 a.m. – Holy Communion – +Anne

Blessings Always

Rev’d Cn Terry Taggart
Rector

A very warm welcome to all our visitors today on ‘All Saints Day’

Readings:
Revelation: 7.9-17; Psalm 34.1-10, 1 John: 3.1-3; Gospel: Matthew 5.1-12

This Sunday is All Saints Day

This Sunday is All Saints Day and it is a time when we recognise those who have attained heaven, their sainthood known only to God. It is also a time when we recall all known Saints, whose lives and actions have influenced our faith journeys throughout the history of Christianity.

This Sunday evening at 6.30 pm, Bishop Anne will lead a service of ‘All Souls’

This Sunday evening at 6.30 pm, Bishop Anne will lead a service of ‘All Souls’, when we shall be asked to remember all those who have passed in the faith of Christ, be it recently or many years previously. Candles will be lit and the names of those faithful departed who have been provided, will be read out. It is a time to reflect on the lives of those whom we miss so much but are comforted that they are now at peace in God’s eternal Kingdom.

The Service of Remembrance will take place on Sunday 8th of November and will commence at 10.50 am

The Service of Remembrance will take place on Sunday 8^th of November and will commence at 10.50 am in order to maintain a two-minute silence at 11 am. For those of you who have personally been awarded military campaign medals, I would encourage you to wear them on your left-hand side. For those of you who have medals belonging to a member of your family who served in the Military, you are entitled to wear them on your right-hand side. Please don’t forget the change of time for this Sunday only.

I would like to thank Mr Ferdinand von Prondzynski

I would like to thank Mr Ferdinand von Prondzynski for facilitating my request for contact email addresses from the St Andrew’s Congregation. Many of you will by now have had an email from Ferdinand regarding this request, made, in order that I might share the St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral Newsletter to a much wider audience. Thank you to those who have contacted me to receive the newsletter, which will normally be in your inbox no later than 1pm every Saturday. I look forward to hearing from more of you.

Services at St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral week commencing Sunday 1^st November 2020

Sunday 1^st November at 10.am – Holy Communion – Rev’d Cn Terry Taggart presiding
Sunday 1^st November  at 6.30.pm – All Souls Service (1982) – Bishop Anne Dyer presiding 
Wednesday 4^th November at 10.am – Holy Communion (1982) – Rev’d Cn Terry Taggart
Friday 6^th November at 10.am – Morning Prayers – Rev’d Cn Terry Taggart
Sunday 8^th November at 10:50.pm – Remembrance Sunday – Rev’d Cn Terry Taggart presiding

‘May the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace, and rise in glory’

Blessings Always

Fr Terry Taggart
Rector

Response to Psalm 1:
Happy are they who trust in the Lord!

Readings:
Leviticus: 19.1-2, 15-18; 1 Thessalonians: 2.1-8; Gospel: Matthew 22.34-46

Bishop Anne will preside and preach today

Bishop Anne will preside and preach today at our 10 am service. I am grateful to the Bishop for her frequency at St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral over the past few weeks, and I am also thankful for her continued support and advice during the initial period of St Mary’s new status.

There will be an ‘All Souls’ evening service

There will be an ‘All Souls’ evening service led by Bishop Anne at 6.30pm on Sunday the 1^st of November. During this service, the names of the faithful departed will be read out. Due to the Covid regulations, I am unable to leave a sheet for you to append the names of those whom you would like to be remembered. It is therefore vital that you let either myself or our Sacristan, Ms Anne Farquhar know, and I can ensure the details are recorded in time for the service. You can of course also contact me by phone or email.

It is imperative

It is imperative that anyone who wishes to attend our 10 am Sunday services to let me know so that I can put your name(s) on the list. We are currently limited as to how many we can have at any one service and I am eager to avoid disappointment. Please get in touch in plenty of time.

I am grateful to those members of St Andrew’s congregation

I am grateful to those members of St Andrew’s congregation who have put forward their names to go on our readers list. I would also encourage you to consider intercessions as well. We are deeply grateful to Mr Iain Stewart, a representative of St Andrew’s, who has taken on the role of Steward here at the Pro-Cathedral. His presence is a comforting and welcome sight to all who attend our services. 

Our Zoom Brunch continues every Sunday at 1230 pm

Our Zoom Brunch continues every Sunday at 1230 pm. The login details are always included on the email containing this newsletter, which is sent out every Saturday before midday. Should you wish to be included in the email list, please don’t hesitate to let me have your email address.

For those of you not already aware

For those of you not already aware, the newSt Mary’s Pro-Cathedral website is now up and running. This can be accessed at www.stmaryscardenplace.org.uk You can use this site to message us, please have a look around, it will be populated with more items as time passes.

Our readings for next week are as follows: 

Micah 3.5-12; 1 Thessalonians 2.9-13; Gospel – Matthew 23.1-12.

Services at St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, Week commencing Sunday 25^th October 2020

Sunday 25^th October at 10.am – Holy Communion (St Luke) Bishop Anne Presiding
Wednesday 28th October  at 10.am – Holy Communion (1929) Cn Terry Presiding  
Friday 30^th October at 9.30.am – Morning Prayer
Sunday 1^st November 2020 at 10.am – Holy Communion (All Saints Day)
Sunday 1^st November 2020 at 6:30.pm – All Souls Service (Bishop Anne)

‘See we not plainly, that obedience of creatures unto the law of nature, is the stay of the whole world?’
(Richard Hooker, 1554-1600)

Blessings Always

Fr Terry Taggart
Rector