With Thankful Hearts - Harvest 2026 October 4thThis week the Church of England invites us to share in Generosity Week. We are encouraged to find some time and space to be still and reflect on our lives and the world around us. What are the things we use every day that we simply take for granted ? - the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the homes we have and all that is in them. Do we recognise enough the wonder and beauty of all creation ? - the world around us and the wider universe.God is gracious and generous in providing us with all these things and what we need. But too often we don't find the time to express our thanks for that generosity. We are also encouraged to think about how we respond to other kindness and generosity to us.When a friend invites us to share food or their company - how do we show our thanks? When we experience a kind act towards us - how do we show our thanks? When we are given a gift (such as a box of chocolates) - what do we do - do we share the good things we have been given?Harvest each year gives us a chance to stop and offer thanks to God and to reflect on how we can share those things we have been given. I hope that you will be able to join us on Sunday at either St Faith's or St Mary's at 10am and join all of us in giving thanks to God. You are invited to bring food to share with others - the Roberts Centre will receive most of our donations, please bring tinned foods etc , and bring food you would like to receive and enjoy (even chocolate!)You are invited to make a donation to support the work of Kitchen of Hope in our City - which cooks meals and uses food to break down barriers and build community.You are invited to make a commitment to support our life as a Christian community and the work and ministry we carry out in our part of the City. We can only do all that we do and provide the ministry and care we offer with your financial support - and like all households our costs are rising. In difficult times we appreciate the pressures on your finances, but hope you may be able to support us in some way through the year. If you want information on how best to do this please let me know - or there will be a leaflet for you on Sunday.At the weekend there will also be: Saturday Oct 3rd Messy Harvest 10am at St Mary's - come and explore how we can be thankful in art and craft and ending with a free lunch. Please encourage any young children and families to come along.Sunday Oct 4th Harvest Supper and Barn Dance 3.30pm St Mary's - a chance to enjoy live music and join in some fun dancing. Also a Ploughman' Supper. Last year's event was enjoyed by all who attended and we hope you will come and enjoy this year's - the more the merrier!Then we will be celebrating St Faith's Day on Tuesday Oct 6th. The last few months have not been easy for the community at St Faith's.We hope many will come to show our love and support for them and to give thanks for the faithful witness of the Church over the years and for the people of Landport it seeks to serve. There will be a Patronal Mass at 7pm and the preacher will be Fr Alex from All Saints Church/Harbour Team.Finally on Sunday Oct 11th at 1.30pm there will be a chance to come and watch the People's Emergency Climate Briefing - a film about a major conference that took place in London and a discussion about the issues it raises. The afternoon is free. There will be a light lunch after the morning service (around 12.30) for those who wish to stay - please sign list in Church if interested.In addition to all of this we hope you might come along and experience the Wrestling Night at St Marys on Friday Oct 9th from 7pm - tickets available at St Mary's.However you mark Harvest I hope that you will find the best way for you to respond to God's generosity in creation with thankful hearts!Best wishesFather Bob
As the Summer drifts on and heatwave follows heat wave, I hope that you are managing to keep cool and have some space and time to relax and rest a little! Parish life continues to be busy, and we have welcomed a variety of visitors over the last few weeks to a great range of events and services.We hope that you will be able to join us to share in our Patronal Celebrations as we come together as a Parish to give thanks for the life we share together and to pray for the communities, we are a part of and those who join us in building up the common life.We begin with our Outdoor Parish Mass on Sunday (16th) at 10am. This may be the year we will not be battling the wind or the rain! We will try to ensure we are in the shade as much as possible; we will be joined by the Lord Mayor as we give thanks for the example of Our Lady and this Parish dedicated to her. If you have not been able to be with us recently, perhaps use this as an opportunity to catch up with everyone.After the service we hope you will stay and bring a picnic lunch. There will be music from Victory Brass and a range of activities for us to take part arranged by Emma Chapman. At 2pm the Tower will be open for those who wish to climb and enjoy views of the city. Next Saturday and Sunday (22nd & 23rd) St Mary’s Choir will be singing at the Cathedral – I am sure they would love to see some familiar and friendly faces at the Evensongs (5.45pm) – or Sunday Morning (11am) service. There will be normal services at St Mary’s and St Faith’s.Then on Sunday Aug 30th (the bank holiday weekend) we will meet as a Parish again for a 10am Mass at St Mary’s (no service at St Faith’s).We resume our ‘Patronal Celebrations’ as we prepare to celebrate the Birthday of Our Lady in early September. On Friday Sept 4th there will be an organ recital by Harry Dixon. Those who attended the Piano Recital he gave recently will all know that this will be recital not to be missed. The next day Saturday 5th we will be holding what has become our annual Pitch and Putt tournament at the Tenth Hole in Southsea. Join us at 8am for 9 holes of Pitch and Putt and then stay on to enjoy breakfast together. Please sign list in Church if you are interested.Sunday 6th Sept we will be having our Bar B Q lunch in St Mary’s Churchyard at Noon – if you wish to come, please book a ticket (Adult £4, Under 18 £2). Then the Tower will be open for the last time this year at 2pmLooking further ahead on Sept 13th after the 10am service at St Mary’s the PCC would like to meet with people to talk about this year’s Autumn Fair on Oct 31st . We are looking for fresh ideas and suggestion about how we can increase attendance and find people to run some stalls. If you could come with ideas – or share in advance with Fr Bob or Paul and Claire, Parish Wardens.A final date for the Diary is our Harvest Celebrations will be the weekend of Oct 3rd/4th. Sat Oct 3rd we will hold our Messy Harvest (offers of help please …) and then on Sunday there will be Harvest Services in both Churches. In the afternoon (c3.30pm) we will be hosting a Harvest Barn Dance – details to follow in Sept – so please book that date!Over the last couple of months we have hosted the Strawberry Tea with music from City Band. At lunchtime there was a Rounders match in the churchyard which ended in a noble draw! We also welcomed the lion as part of the Pride of Portsmouth trail – he remains guarding the churchyard until early September.In August Emma- supported by Linsey and Lucas – has been running family days as part of the HAF project across the city and as part of this we also welcome the Unicorn for a day.On the same day the Fellowship – supported by Rosie – held a lunch and raised funds for Yenda UK – a project supporting people in Sierra Leone which Sia, from our congregation, is heavily involved in.It was also good to host with City of Sanctuary a community banquet which celebrated the centenary of the city and drew together many of the groups and individuals who work in partnership with City of Sanctuary. The Church was transformed as over 100 people sat down to food prepared by Kitchen of Hope.Lastly, we were saddened to hear of the death of Hestor Saffery. Hestor had been an active member of St Mary’s for many years, especially through the Choir. She is fondly remembered for her smile and the friendship and care she shared with so many in our community. Please pray for the repose of her soul, and for Alan and the family as they mourn. Details of her funeral will follow.As we celebrate the life of our Parish and 2 Churches – let us give thanks for all that God has given to us and pray that we may continue to bear witness to Christ’s presence in our communities. Let us give thanks for all who give of their time, skills and work to enable us to offer hospitality and be a sign of God’s love for all of us.With best wishes and prayersFr Bob
Each day there will be opportunities for us to come together in worship at special services. Some will be aware how special and important the services are; for others it will be a new experience, and for some it will be something we need to re-engage with... Click the Download button to download and read the full newsletter.
This Lent we are being given the chance to stop and have a fresh look at ourselves, our faith and life with God. In the material being shared with us by the national Church at the invitation of the Archbishops we are called to draw near to God so he can draw near to us. This will be by renewing and refreshing our habits regarding those things which are essential to being a Christian...Click on the Download button to read the full Newsletter.
