The preaching from the Three Hours is available here.
High Mass of Easter Day
Choral Mass for Easter Day with music from the Cathedral Choir and a sermon from the Provost. 11 am on 17 April 2022.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=738ChTRb61I
Lifelines
The following article relates to a small display of sculptures made from soap which is on one of the windowsills in St Mary’s. It is written by Marion Bryans, who writes regularly to the person who carved them – a prisoner on Death Row.
I was asked to write something about the sculptures made from soap that are on display in the Cathedral just now. It is my pleasure to do this.
The soap sculptures were made by my friend Rodney Emil on Death Row in Nevada. He also had to make his own tools from what was available in the prison. Rodney is self-taught and makes things “to order”. He made a garden pond with butterflies and flowers for a friend of mine who wanted to give it as a birthday present. It was exquisite. The butterflies were “flying” suspended in air.
He also made a frog for my niece, who loves frogs. It was so life like and detailed, I thought it might “jump” at any moment.
Rodney says making the soap sculptures brings him peace. When making them he is fully focussed. Making a sculpture becomes his world at that moment. They take many hours to make and he has to make his own colours as well. Having spent several decades on Death Row, making the soap sculptures gives him deep pleasure, an outlet for his creativity, work of his hands that he can share with others and provides a source of income.
When our son, Daniel was granted Leave to Remain Rodney crafted an eagle soap sculpture to give him as a gift and celebration. I have added it to the display so that it can be more widely seen.
Recently in our letters, Rodney said he wanted to donate a gift of some soap sculptures to a church. This was a thank you to God in gratitude for all he had received. He hoped the people coming to church would enjoy them. The obvious choice of church to me was St Mary’s which is open, inclusive and welcoming. I asked him if he was happy to display them in our church. He was delighted.
His praying hands sculpture is one of his favourites. The heart, lock, chain and key never cease to amaze me. The key actually fits the lock and can turn! I don’t know how he manages to do that. God unlocking all our hearts.
These are but a few of what he has made and can be seen in the church display. I hope you will be delighted to see the sculptures. Appreciating his skill, detailed work over many hours and the considerable effort this gift has taken. Including buying the soap, careful packaging and postage – all generously given by Rodney as a blessing and gift to St Mary’s Cathedral.
There are copies of Lifelines magazines and brochures beside the display. Please feel free to take away and read.
I first heard of Lifelines from a friend as we were making sandwiches for a soup kitchen. She spoke so matter of factly about the friend she wrote to on Death Row. She had met him through Lifelines, an organisation that supports and befriends prisoners on Death Row in USA. It’s not a religious, political or campaigning organisation – only about offering friendship. Somehow that resonated and touched me.
I wrote to Lifelines and was given a penfriend. I was a bit nervous writing a letter to a complete stranger on Death Row. I’d never had a penfriend as a child/ teenager as I know some people do.
But it was refreshing to start from a clean slate, for both of us, to get to know one another. I’ve never looked back from that first letter all those years ago. Little did I know how much it would change my life and enrich it. I thought I would be helping out a guy, imprisoned and awaiting death, who needed a friend to write to.
But, it was two way – I learned so much from Mahir Ringo, my first friend. We wrote to each other over several years. What a deep and enduring friend he became. He converted to Islam while in prison and thought deeply about things. Mahir was in “the Hole” when we first wrote to each other. Complete segregation, no visitors, no books, no fresh air, never outside his cell. I sent him photos of Spring flowers, Scottish hillsides, my garden, as his only source of greenery and beauty of nature.
We lived in 2 very different worlds and yet forged a connection that still warms my heart today
His creativity knew no bounds. He played chess by shouting out his moves to another guy in a cell in the “Hole”. The guy shouted back his moves. Mahir would write it down on a piece of paper. A game took several weeks.
I remember his excitement and anxiety when returning to the general prison population on Death Row, after years in the “Hole”. The adjustments to be made being with people again. All the things that had changed in his absence. He was overflowing with ideas and projects to help prisoners and never stopped trying to make life better for others. For me, he became part of my family. It was hard when he was given the date of his execution. To know the exact date and time. Shock and realisation – the barbarity of the system.
Our last letters were precious. We still wrote of our inner lives, what gives life meaning. To the end he was instigating projects and ideas to make prisoners lives better and about being a better person. He particularly wanted me to keep on writing to guys on Death Row as he said it meant so much to receive a friendly letter. – It was literally a Lifeline.
He gave me permission to publish his letters and talk about him. I haven’t done that yet, maybe one day. He died full of life and love. How many of us can say that?
If anyone is interested in writing to someone on Death Row in USA and wants to chat about it further you are welcome to contact me via the cathedral office.
We all need a friend. I can’t imagine my life without the friends I am so fortunate to have beside me. Could you be a friend to someone who has no-one they can call a friend?
Confirmation
The liturgy of Confirmation ‘confirms’ promises made at baptism. It’s a way of claiming the Christian faith as one’s own. Anyone wishing to explore what this means, should indicate interest in participating in a series of classes that will take place after Easter this year.
Installation of the Rev Canon Stephen Hazlett
The Installation of the Rev Stephen Hazlett as a canon of St Mary’s Cathedral will take place on Sunday 27 January 2022 at 5 pm during a service of Choral Evensong.
This service is open to everyone and members of the diocese are particularly invited to attend. Bishop Kevin will lead the service and the sermon will be given by the Rt Rev Gordon Mursell.
Members of the clergy and lay readers are invited to robe – choir dress (black cassock, white surplice and black tippet/blue reader’s scarf).
Clergy and lay readers who are intending to robe are invited to let the cathedral office know that they are coming in order to help determine seating arrangements.
No-one needs to book in advance for this service.
Worship Livestream 6 February 2022
The Livestream link for 6 February 2022 is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDci2HKc21c
Donate to St Mary’s
If you would like to make a financial contribution to enable the ministry of St Mary’s Cathedral, please do so.
To give to St Mary’s directly from your bank account, please set up payments to the Clydesdale Bank, sort code 82-20-00 account number 30185232, account name “Cathedral Church of St Mary the Virgin”.
To set up a standing order, please fill in a Bank Standing Order and send it to your bank. If you are a UK tax payer, please also fill in a Gift Aid Declaration as it enables the Cathedral to claim back the tax that you have already paid on the money that you are giving.
You can give by PayPal directly through this website by going to the Paypal Giving Page.
If it is possible for you to do so, please use a form of payment directly to the Cathedral bank account in order to avoid payment fees on PayPal.
If you would like details of how to give by other methods, please contact the Cathedral Office to be put in touch with the Gift Aid Recorder, Alan McCulloch.
Thank you for your offering. If you usually put cash on the plate, please, if you can, find a way of giving electronically at this time to enable the ministry of the Cathedral to continue.
Welcome card and feedback
If you are finding a way into this congregation and would like to make contact, please use the Welcome Card which can be found online here:
https://thecathedral.org.uk/welcome-card/
If you would like to contact the Provost and the Vice Provost to give feedback on the online worship or for any other reason, please use the following form.
If you wish to join the cathedral electronic mailing list to receive further details about the online worship please do so at this sign-up page:
http://phplist.thecathedral.org.uk/?p=subscribe&id=3
Please share this page and these resources widely on social media and in any other ways you can think of.
Livestreaming 30 January 2022
The 11 am service on 30 January 2022 was livestreamed.
It can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Tqpo2G8Hq0
Transcripts of the sermon and intercessions can be found here:
20220130 Jeremiah
20220130 Intercessions
Donate to St Mary’s
If you would like to make a financial contribution to enable the ministry of St Mary’s Cathedral, please do so.
To give to St Mary’s directly from your bank account, please set up payments to the Clydesdale Bank, sort code 82-20-00 account number 30185232, account name “Cathedral Church of St Mary the Virgin”.
To set up a standing order, please fill in a Bank Standing Order and send it to your bank. If you are a UK tax payer, please also fill in a Gift Aid Declaration as it enables the Cathedral to claim back the tax that you have already paid on the money that you are giving.
You can give by PayPal directly through this website by going to the Paypal Giving Page.
If it is possible for you to do so, please use a form of payment directly to the Cathedral bank account in order to avoid payment fees on PayPal.
If you would like details of how to give by other methods, please contact the Cathedral Office to be put in touch with the Gift Aid Recorder, Alan McCulloch.
Thank you for your offering. If you usually put cash on the plate, please, if you can, find a way of giving electronically at this time to enable the ministry of the Cathedral to continue.
Welcome card and feedback
If you are finding a way into this congregation and would like to make contact, please use the Welcome Card which can be found online here:
https://thecathedral.org.uk/welcome-card/
If you would like to contact the Provost and the Vice Provost to give feedback on the online worship or for any other reason, please use the following form.
If you wish to join the cathedral electronic mailing list to receive further details about the online worship please do so at this sign-up page:
http://phplist.thecathedral.org.uk/?p=subscribe&id=3
Please share this page and these resources widely on social media and in any other ways you can think of.
Online Evening Prayer
Online Evening Prayer will be offered in an live Zoom service on Saturday at 5 pm.
The Zoom link for this meeting is:
https://zoom.us/j/98991830332?pwd=dW15ZXFKNUJKbnZFWmdXekREMDYrQT09
Meeting ID: 989 9183 0332
Password: 021197
Liturgy Link: 20220115 Online Evening Prayer – Week A
Worship for 9 January 2022
This page contains the online service for 9 January 2022 for St Mary’s Cathedral, Glasgow
The Vice Provost, the Rev Canon Oliver Brewer-Lennon is the celebrant at this service and the Provost, the Very Rev Kelvin Holdsworth is the preacher. Intercessions are led by Robert Mawditt and the gospel is read by Bob Leslie. Some of the prayers are led by Ruth Marshall and Jim McKillop. The setting is the Tambling Holy Trinity Service sung by Magnus Walker with Frikki Walker, Organ. The music at the end of the service is Wie schon leuchtet der Morgenstern – Pachelbel played by Steven McIntyre.
Read a transcript of the service here: Online Worship – 9 Jan 2022
Sung Eucharist
Donate to St Mary’s
If you would like to make a financial contribution to enable the ministry of St Mary’s Cathedral, please do so.
To give to St Mary’s directly from your bank account, please set up payments to the Clydesdale Bank, sort code 82-20-00 account number 30185232, account name “Cathedral Church of St Mary the Virgin”.
To set up a standing order, please fill in a Bank Standing Order and send it to your bank. If you are a UK tax payer, please also fill in a Gift Aid Declaration as it enables the Cathedral to claim back the tax that you have already paid on the money that you are giving.
You can give by PayPal directly through this website by going to the Paypal Giving Page.
If it is possible for you to do so, please use a form of payment directly to the Cathedral bank account in order to avoid payment fees on PayPal.
If you would like details of how to give by other methods, please contact the Cathedral Office to be put in touch with the Gift Aid Recorder, Alan McCulloch.
Thank you for your offering. If you usually put cash on the plate, please, if you can, find a way of giving electronically at this time to enable the ministry of the Cathedral to continue.
Welcome card and feedback
If you are finding a way into this congregation and would like to make contact, please use the Welcome Card which can be found online here:
https://thecathedral.org.uk/welcome-card/
If you would like to contact the Provost and the Vice Provost to give feedback on this worship or for any other reason, please use the following form.
If you wish to join the cathedral electronic mailing list to receive further details about the online worship please do so at this sign-up page:
http://phplist.thecathedral.org.uk/?p=subscribe&id=3
Please share this page and these resources widely on social media and in any other ways you can think of.
Worship for 2 January 2022
This page contains the online service for 2 January 2022 for St Mary’s Cathedral, Glasgow
Note that the Feast of the Holy Name, usually celebrated on 1 January will be celebrated at all three services this weekend – the online service and both services in church.
The Provost, the Very Rev Kelvin Holdsworth is the celebrant at this service and the Canon Missioner the Rev Canon Audrey O’Brien-Stewart is the preacher. Intercessions are led by Pat Bennett and the gospel is read by Suet Teo-Winter. Some of the prayers are led by Bruce and Eleanor Montgomery-Smith, Franny Mawditt and Robert Mawditt. The setting is the Tambling Holy Trinity Service sung by Magnus Walker with Frikki Walker, Organ. The music at the end of the service is Widor – Toccata From Cinquiéme Symphonie also played by Frikki Walker.
The video of the Sung Eucharist will also be available on Facebook and YouTube. The YouTube video might suit those who prefer to watch on a smart TV.
Read a transcript of the service here: 20220101 Online Evening Prayer – Holy Name
Sung Eucharist
Donate to St Mary’s
If you would like to make a financial contribution to enable the ministry of St Mary’s Cathedral, please do so.
To give to St Mary’s directly from your bank account, please set up payments to the Clydesdale Bank, sort code 82-20-00 account number 30185232, account name “Cathedral Church of St Mary the Virgin”.
To set up a standing order, please fill in a Bank Standing Order and send it to your bank. If you are a UK tax payer, please also fill in a Gift Aid Declaration as it enables the Cathedral to claim back the tax that you have already paid on the money that you are giving.
You can give by PayPal directly through this website by going to the Paypal Giving Page.
If it is possible for you to do so, please use a form of payment directly to the Cathedral bank account in order to avoid payment fees on PayPal.
If you would like details of how to give by other methods, please contact the Cathedral Office to be put in touch with the Gift Aid Recorder, Alan McCulloch.
Thank you for your offering. If you usually put cash on the plate, please, if you can, find a way of giving electronically at this time to enable the ministry of the Cathedral to continue.
Welcome card and feedback
If you are finding a way into this congregation and would like to make contact, please use the Welcome Card which can be found online here:
https://thecathedral.org.uk/welcome-card/
If you would like to contact the Provost and the Vice Provost to give feedback on this worship or for any other reason, please use the following form.
If you wish to join the cathedral electronic mailing list to receive further details about the online worship please do so at this sign-up page:
http://phplist.thecathedral.org.uk/?p=subscribe&id=3
Please share this page and these resources widely on social media and in any other ways you can think of.