With the coming of Advent we

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1 CATHEDRAL NOTES (December-February 2014/2015) Dear Friends With the coming of Advent we enter a new Church Year a year in which the Gospel of Mark features prominently as the governing text for our principal Sunday Eucharist. We have been alerted to Mark s Gospel and invited to explore its distinctive character with the help of Richard Ferguson s translation (on display in the Cathedral throughout November) and Bible Studies. One of the striking features is the note of urgency that the text conveys. Again and again the word immediately is used to drive the narrative forward. The Gospel opens with few preliminaries rather here is John the Baptiser appearing in the wilderness delivering a message of repentance and forgiveness, and by verse 9 of Chapter 1 Jesus arrives, to be baptised himself. In verse 12 we read that the Spirit immediately drives Jesus out into the wilderness; in verse 18, prompted by his call, Simon and Andrew immediately leave their nets and follow him! It s all rather breathless (and somewhat unlike the stately progress of the Church of England where finding a new Bishop of Newcastle will take well over a year). The point, however, is that Mark does see the mission of the Messiah as a matter of utmost urgency and cosmic significance. As we read on we find that Mark locates the story of Jesus at the very heart of the ancient struggle between good and evil and there can be no holding back, no delay when the stakes are so high. As Advent unfolds for us the emphasis is very much on preparing for Christmas and even those favourably disposed towards the Church are keen to emphasise the somewhat cosy and comforting aspects of the Christian narrative little donkeys bearing the pregnant Mary to Bethlehem, colourful kings bringing exotic gifts to the cradle; all this alongside the marketing of tradition in the shape of mince pies, mulled wine, pantos and Christmas specials. But the urgency that Mark speaks of and the age old conflict between good and evil, between righteousness and injustice, between the hopes for human flourishing and the capacity for cruelty and destruction in reality, remain as stark as ever. In Four Quartets TS Eliot wrote that: Man cannot bear too much reality ; and the truth of this phrase for

2 our consumer culture is never more evident than at the festive season when the Bethlehem of our carols is at the divided heart of Israel/Palestine and when there really is no room at any inn for the thousands displaced by the conflicts in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere. How are we to get some leverage on this without descending into cynicism or despair? How do we properly celebrate the extraordinary gift of the Christ child this Christmas with all the hope it brings and all the joy it offers without colluding in the denial of harsh realities on the one hand or sounding like party poopers on the other? Mark unfortunately won t help us with this one he has no Nativity in his Gospel. Neither as such does St John; but his Prologue, unfolding the great mystery of the Incarnation perhaps does point the way: The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it. There is an urgent task for the Church today not to secure its survival but to articulate afresh the truth of the Gospel and the hope that it offers a suffering world. St John reminds us that this is not a vain hope it is the hope that in the birth of Jesus the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of the Father s only Son, full of grace and truth. May this Advent be a time for this truth to find its home in our hearts and Christmas a time to experience the joy of its true meaning. Christopher Dalliston Dean of Newcastle NOT TO BE MISSED Friday 5th December 1.05pm a recital will be given by Leia Zhu (violin). Leia is from Whickham and is eight yearsof age. Set to be a truly outstanding recital, Leia will be performing works by Veracini, Wieniawski, Telemann and Vieuxtemps. She will be accompanied by Julian Kennard on the piano. Days after her sixth birthday Leia was auditioned and accepted by National Children s Orchestra of Great Britain as their youngest member. CONGRATULATIONS Congratulations to Ndukaku Nwakwue (Nd) one of our servers on his Masters Degree (with distinction).

3 On Friday 24th October Street Pastors Newcastle held a farewell thanksgiving get-together in St Nicholas Cathedral Lantern Café for Sam Douthwaite. Sam has been coordinator of Street Pastors Newcastle for the last 6 years, from its inception to where we are now. Goodbye Street Pastor Sam Sam has been a fantastic and inspirational leader in this important front line mission work on the streets of Newcastle. During this time, over 120 Street Pastors have been recruited and trained. Partnerships have been forged with many agencies in the city, such as Northumbria Police and the City Council. Sam has helped in the formation of Street Pastors Sunderland and Whitley Bay. Many awards have come the way of Street Pastors Newcastle in this time, all due to God s mission here, and the calling and determination of Sam and the wonderful volunteer Street Pastors. A massive amount of money has been saved from the central and local governments budgets due to the work. Violent crime and anti social behaviour figures have plummeted in the area Street Pastors patrol. Sam was called by God to help bring the Kingdom to Newcastle, and with the work of Street Pastors he has fulfilled his calling. God Bless Sam, his wife Liz, and son Reuben as they obey God s new calling in their lives. Street Pastors and School Pastors are currently recruiting. For Street Pastors contact: admin.newcastle@streetpastors.org.uk For School Pastors contact: newcastle@schoolpastors.org.uk

4 "The Choirs Association has got off to a strong start this term and they have lots of activities planned for the coming year. We look forward to having your support at these events." Michael Stoddart, Chair of the NCCA. Have you thought about joining the Choirs Association? NCCA is dedicated to supporting music in the Cathedral and beyond, thus helping to ensure that its tradition is maintained and developed for the future. By joining the NCCA, you are making a valuable contribution to this important work. For further information about joining, please visit co.uk/music/choirs-association/joiningncca/ or request a hard copy application form from Amy Leach (music@ stnicholascathedral.co.uk or ). NCCA Events coming up We organise a number of social and fundraising events across the year. Here are a few dates for your diary: Ceilidh Saturday 28th February pm 9.30pm St James & St Basil s Church Hall, corner of Fenham Hall Drive and Wingrove Rd, Fenham, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 9EJ. Dancing to Gillian Stewart and Friends. Minimum entrance donation 5 per head. Tickets will be available in the New Year. Curry & Quiz Evening Saturday 6th June 2015, 6pm 9pm More details to follow. Fundraising We have a number of fundraising activities coming up across the festive season keep an eye out for us at the Living North Christmas Fair, the Daily Telegraph evenings at Fenwicks, at Newcastle Airport and at the Metro station. Our bespoke choir hooded tops continue to be available to purchase, in a range of colours, sporting the

5 cathedral logo on the front and "Friend of Newcastle Cathedral Choirs" on the back, with the option to have your name included too. Retailing at 24 for adult sizes and 18 for junior sizes, orders can be placed by contacting Amy Leach on or via stnicholascathedral.co.uk. We will be launching our Sponsor a Chorister campaign after the Advent Carol Service on 30th November do come and join us! The choir enriches the life of the cathedral and its worship, but to the choristers who fill the front row of the choir stalls, it brings much more a unique musical education and life skills at an early age. Help us keep alive the tradition of child choristerships. With your support we can bring enormous benefits to the lives of talented young people. For more information, please look for our leaflet at the back of the Cathedral, contact Amy Leach (music@ stnicholascathedral.co.uk or ). We are very fortunate that Sunlight Dry Cleaners (a well-known laundry and dry-cleaning service throughout the NE) responded to our request for help in laundering our choristers robes, so our vestments now look their best at all times. Music is at the heart of all the Cathedral does and, with your help, we can make sure it stays there. Marion Peutherer Vice Chair, Cathedral Choirs Association Dates for your Diary Monday 26th January: Burns Night Supper in the Lantern Café Wednesday 25th February: Wine Tasting in the Lantern Café Sunday 1st March: Medieval Banquet in the Cathedral Wednesday 13th May: Fashion Show in the Cathedral All are warmly invited to the above events. Please do note these dates in your diary. Further information and ticket details to follow. Thomlinson Library Refurbishment Grant The Cathedral has been awarded 155,000 under the Government s WWI Commemoration Grant Scheme. This will repair windows and stonework and reroof the Thomlinson Library building which houses the Song School and Vestry. Protection will be added to the South Choir Aisle Windows to prevent further damage.

6 Interesting Facts from the Archives The summer and autumn of 1570 was a disastrous time for deaths from the plague in the Newcastle-Gateshead area. There was a suspiciously large number of men with the given name of Nicholas buried here during that period, sometimes in groups of several each day. I wonder if the priest simply couldn t keep up with the large number of burials and perhaps put in Nicholas when he didn t know or remember the given name of the deceased. Doesn t this look suspicious to you? 21 October 1570 Nicholas Kinge 21 October 1570 Nicholas Lawer 21 October 1570 Nicholas Oorged 22 October 1570 Nicholas Perrith 22 October 1570 Nicholas Stawart 1 November 1570 Nicholas Colle 1 November 1570 Nicholas Harrat 1 November 1570 Nicholas Hodgshonne 3 November 1570 Nicholas Midelton 3 November 1570 Nicholas Perrith 4 November 1570 Nicholas Stewart Victims of the Great Plague of 1636 were given sequential numbers in the burial register to show how many plague deaths there were. The Monthly Chronicle of North-country Lore and Legend (W.Scott 1891) says In Gateshead, with a population of only three or four thousand, there were 550 deaths. During the 8 months of 1636 that the plague was present in Newcastle, the town lost over 5,000 people out of about 30,000, so in each place, about one-sixth of the population disappeared within a few months. What devastation that must have caused to the families and economies of the area. One can t help thinking about the effects of Ebola in Africa at the present time, recognising that we still have these devastating conditions which wipe out large numbers in our communities. Reverend Jean Skinner

7 A New Look for the Community Forum Standing Committee In recent years the Community Forum Standing Committee (CFSC), a small group, has met largely to plan the twiceyearly open meetings of the Community Forum, and has also taken the initiative in proposing some social events. Concurrently the Outreach Committee has continued its concern for pastoral matters and also organised social and charitable events. Inevitably there has been some overlap of work here. Accordingly, Chapter has agreed that the CFSC should be expanded into a steering group, to hold an overview of congregational life and community events, and to set an annual programme for sub-groups. Its remit will include work formerly undertaken by the Outreach Group. The expanded membership of the CFSC will consist of the following: The Dean; Canon Kevin Hunt; Canon Steven Harvey, a lay member of Chapter, The Revd Jean Skinner, a representative from the Churchwardens, two elected representatives from the congregation, a representative from the Friends, a representative from the Choirs Association, a representative from the Mothers Union, the Minutes Secretary. Members of other groups, such as the Flower Fellowship or the Cathedral Trust, will be invited when required. Sub-groups will include: A Hospitality and Care Team The Revd Jean Skinner, in consultation with the Dean, Canons & Readers, will convene a Hospitality and Care Team drawn by invitation from the congregation after prayerful discernment. They will act as Eyes and Ears initially to ensure that we do know if people are in any kind of need, not just sick but struggling with any adversities that life throws at us. We would also like to celebrate important events, such as big birthdays or anniversaries. Families share their joys and sorrows and the Cathedral community is the Family of God in this place. If you would like more explanation please ask Jean. She can be contacted by telephone (0191) or by jeanskinner1@gmail.com Members of the Cathedral Community who are members of the Hospitality and Care Team are: James Brady and Gail Davies (Lay Clerks), Katerina Bilotkach, KatherineGovier, David Lawrence, Ruth Lunn, Joan Marrs, Leila McDermott, Elaine Miller, Ellie Robertson, Jennifer Ross, Pumza Udeze, Timothy Wigglesworth and Marjorie Wood. Ad Hoc Task Groups There will not be a formal committee, but a pool of volunteers to be drawn on when required for organising congregational events, eg. volunteer cleaning day, charitable coffee mornings, family fun days, community lunches etc. Thanks Chapter would like to express formally its thanks to members of the (Mission and) Outreach Committee over the years who have worked hard in so many areas of Cathedral life, among them publicity, pastoral care, welcome, visitor-literature, and social events.

8 Year s Mind December 1 Mildred Bardgett 16 John Ramsbotham (Bp) 2 James Paulin (Pr.) 19 Stephen Pritchard (Pr) 4 David Wood (Pr.) Billy Wait Herbert Lenygon (Pr.) 21 Christopher Unwin (Pr) 5 Amy Gent 23 Shirley Mark Nelson Mandela Mona Wilson 8 Chris Brown 24 George Suthers (Pr) May Stevenson Mary Faetz 9 John Rebair 26 Hugh Ashdown (Bp) 13 Donald McQueen January 1. Henry William Thomas 19 David Moran 2. Rosemary Dalliston 22 Frederick Baker 5 David Carrette (Pr) 24 Kate Chambers 10 Jane Lavender 26 Thomas Leitch Harry Hoult 27 Edward Gough (Pr) 11 Derek Govier 28 Lionel Lunn 12 Peggy Bull Sue Scott 14 Alison Hunter 31 Nancy Foster 18 Colin Turnbull (Pr) February 1. Louie Hill 14 Charles Hay (Pr) Wayne Hawkins James Davis 2. Dorothy Martin 15 George Newsom (Pr) 4 Anne Stafford 16 Kenneth Gill (Bp) Clifton Joy (Pr) Rowland Lemmon (Pr) 7 Jean Grant 17 Barbara Harbottle Clifton Wolters (Pr) 24 Brother Edward SSF (Pr) 11 Elizabeth Clarkson 25 Grace Hudson 12 Alastair Elcoat (Pr) 28 Stephen Werglarz 13 David Playfair

9 Christmas at the Cathedral Monday 22 December 1500 The Crib Service A perfect way to prepare for Christmas Day itself as children re-live the story of Christmas, with familiar traditional carols for everyone to sing. Christmas Eve Wednesday 24 December 0800 Holy Communion 0830 Morning Prayer 1230 Holy Communion 1800 A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols Come and hear the story of creation and redemption, the promise of the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus being told through nine lessons interspersed with the Cathedral Choir singing traditional and modern carols. The service includes familiar carols for everyone to sing Midnight Mass The service begins with the Blessing of the Crib after which we listen to the angels song of God s glory, and of his peace and goodwill to all peoples, revealed in the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day Thursday 25 December 1000 Festal Eucharist for Christmas Day Come and give thanks for God s gift of his Son. Sunday 18 January 1800 Epiphanytide Carol Service Epiphany celebrates the revelation of God s glory to all peoples and nations in the birth of Jesus, the Word made flesh, God-with-us. A priest will be available in St George s Chapel on Tuesday 23rd December between 1.00pm and 3.00pm for spiritual Conversation and Confession. Confessions at other times before Christmas are available by arrangement with the Clergy.

10 The Cathedral Church of St Nicholas St Nicholas Square Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1PF t: e: w: