Infected Blood – Dignity in Adversity
For nearly six years Sir Brian Langstaff’s Public Inquiry into the use of infected blood products in the UK has been a constant in the lives of many associated with St Botolph’s. It has nurtured a real-life and an on-line community as people have gathered to see justice done and the infected and affected receive due recognition. Inevitably, that legal acknowledgement, and the publication of the findings of the Inquiry which has been a large part of many people’s lives, will have a psychological impact on many. It will create a void for many.
Throughout these years of obfuscation, the community of those infected and affected has maintained grace and magnanimity beyond measure. When they come to St Botolph’s for their Service of Thanksgiving and Memorial each year, I am struck by their quiet, calm determination. The dignity with which they have acted, and they displayed at the publication of the Inquiry report at the end of May is testament to their strength and unity as much as to their need, rightly so, of justice.
As political campaigning gathers momentum in the run up to the General Election in July, perhaps amongst the verbal argy bargy we could simply have a promise of honesty and integrity. An honesty and integrity which reflects the dignity and good grace of those who have waited, are waiting so long for justice in the UK.
With God’s love and blessing, Fr David
Church opening and service times
The church is open for public worship and private prayer every Monday to Friday [not including Bank Holidays] from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm, continuing to maintain God’s physical presence in the City of London.
Our regular services are Choral Mass with sermon on Wednesdays at 1.10 pm, and Said Masses on Tuesdays at 8.10 am and 12.10 pm and Thursdays at 12.10 pm.
Choral services are livestreamed on our YouTube channel (accessible from the church website www.botolph.org.uk).
Music at choral services in June 2024
Wednesday 5 June
in the week of The First Sunday after Trinity
Messe basse Fauré
Prélude Guilmant
Wednesday 12 June
Feast of S Botolph, Patron
Krönungsmesse (Coronation Mass), K 317 Mozart
Ave verum Corpus Mozart
Toccata in G Dubois
See below for more information about this service
Wednesday 19 June
in the week of The Third Sunday after Trinity
Missa ‘Simile est regnum caelorum’ Victoria
Ave verum Corpus Elgar
Prelude in G, BWV 541 (i) Bach
Wednesday 26 June
Feast of The Birth of S John the Baptist
Missa ’Amar donna’ Lassus
Gabriel Angelus apparuit Zachariae Philips
Fantasia super Ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la Froberger
Wednesday 12 June at 1.10pm
All are welcome to join us for our Choral Patronal Festival Mass
The service will include choral and organ music from St Botolph’s Choir and Iestyn Evans, including Mozart’s sumptuous Coronation Mass, and will be followed by the traditional Parish Party including a special St Botolph Cake created by our friend John Marshall.
Reflecting the war in Gaza and violence throughout the Holy Land, our guest preacher this year is to be The Reverend Canon Daniel Burton, Vicar of St Mary with St Peter Oldham, Greater Manchester, and Chair of Action around Bethlehem Children with Disability (‘ABCD Bethlehem’), a UK charity which works tirelessly to support the needs of disabled children and young adults, and their families in the West Bank. The war in Gaza has greatly increased tension in the West Bank and has resulted in significantly higher rates of attrition and further restrictions on the population. ABCD’s rehabilitation centre in Nour Shams has twice been ransacked by government forces; the charity has undertaken to refurbish and restock this centre and to continue to support the children and families it serves. To help fund this work ABCD is running an emergency appeal, details of which may be found on their website https://www.abcdbethlehem.org. St Botolph’s has supported ABCD for some years, most recently with our 2023 Advent collections – and the collection at the Patronal Festival Mass will go towards the emergency appeal as well.
Leathersellers’ Company Election Day Service
Also on Wednesday 12 June at 12.00 noon, immediately before the Patronal service, we welcome the Master, Wardens and members of the Worshipful Company of Leathersellers for their annual Election Day Service. Music will be provided by the joint choirs of the Company’s schools, Colfe’s and Prendergast’s, accompanied by our organist Iestyn Evans.
INVITATION FROM ST BOTOLPH’S IKEN
Congregation members and friends of St Botolph’s have enjoyed pilgrimages in previous years to Iken in Suffolk – the most likely location of St Botolph’s monastery at ‘Icanho’. The current thatched St Botolph’s Church occupies a stunning location on a promontory overlooking the estuary of the River Alde, and visitors remark on its atmosphere of peace and ancient sanctity.
The clergy and people at St Botolph’s Iken have extended a further invitation to the Bishopsgate community to join them on 18 June this year for a celebration of the 1370 years since the establishment of St Botolph’s mission. The event will involve a short walk starting at 11.00 am led by the Bishop of Dunwich, from Iken Cliff car park to the church; a short service at 12.00 noon will be followed by a ‘bring your own’ picnic in the churchyard.
Can anyone interested in joining this celebration please let Mhairi know at church@botolph.org.uk so we can give an idea of numbers to the Iken Churchwardens.
Annual Meetings and Electoral Roll
The Annual Vestry Meeting and Parochial Church Meeting took place on Wednesday 24 May in church and by Zoom. The results of the elections held at the meetings have been posted in church and on the website – congratulations to those elected to serve as Churchwardens and members of the Parochial Church Council for the year to come.
The church’s revised Electoral Roll was presented to the APCM, and the Roll is once more open for new applications.
Congratulations to St Botolph’s bellringers
Our Tower Captain, John Adams, writes:
The lunchtime service ringers at St Botolph are affiliated to the North & East district of the Middlesex County Association and London Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers. Six teams from the district’s churches took part in the annual striking competition held on Saturday 18th May at St Michael, Wood Green. After a confident test piece of 240 changes of Grandsire Doubles, Bishopsgate were judged the winners and awarded first place and the Jersey Cup.
Pictured with the Jersey Cup are (L-R) Christopher Trawin, Philip Mills, Guy Wells, John Adams, Cathryn Hunt and Christopher Lawrance.