What an excellent Holy Week and Easter we have had this year. It was so good to see the Church busy again after the miserable experience of the Covid pandemic. I would like to thank all who were involved one way or the other in the execution of liturgy or who prepared the church for worship. The buffet was excellent on Easter Day and my thanks to all who contributed towards that. The baptisms of Neve on Low Sunday and of Sunniva on Easter IV were also encouraging.
There is an article on St Sunniva, whose feast day is on the 8th of July, later in the magazine. A great feeling of new life about the place and that can only be good. We are planning a Gregorian chant music workshop in Church on Saturday, the 14th of June, which will be led by John Horton, one of our organists. This event is being sponsored by a friend of mine, in an attempt to revitalise music at St Margaret’s and re-invigorate the choir. Music is so important in our liturgical worship and we have a tremendous tradition to cherish and enthuse about. Our founder, Fr John Comper, was immersed in this style of worship. In his visits to the Abbey of Solesmes in Brittany, he became a great friend of Abbé Guéranger, who re-invigorated enthusiasm for Gregorian Chant in the Western Church. Please do sign up for this course if you can, because it is important, as it is about maintaining a tradition at St Margaret’s and to guarantee passing it on to future generations.
One of the intentions of this workshop is to prepare music for Corpus Christi. We will be celebrating Corpus Christi on the day, which is Thursday 19th of June. There was a great tradition around the celebration of Corpus Christi in
the Renaissance in Aberdeen, we know this from the Burgh records. The Festival was based around St Nicholas Kirk. It’s not open any more. However, do have the St Nicholas Chapel, thanks to the foresight of Sir Ninian Comper, Fr John’s son. So let’s carry on that great tradition. Most importantly, try and get to Mass on the day. St Margaret’s has a distinctive and historic role in promoting the Catholic tradition in this Church and in this city.
The Gallowgate Festival begins on Saturday 2nd August and will end with the Ceilidh on Friday 8th August in the Hall. We have begun organising the week and various events are planned. The programme for entertainers at the Gallowgate Festival is coming together and I am delighted that a Ukrainian choir will be joining us this year. I have moved the performance of music up into he Church, this will allow more space in the Hall for serving food and drink. It will also encourage people to come and look at the Church. We will need more people to help on the day, so please do offer to be involved. Raffle books are now available for distribution. I ask you to support this, and I have ordered more raffle books this year. The Raffle raises the most money as a single contribution in the Festival Week. Please try and sell your allocation. If you cannot, then please return the books to the Rectory ASAP and I will redistribute. Unsold and unreturned books are a total waste. Please do try and assist me with this. It is important, every unsold book means that St Margaret’s loses out.
At a recent Buildings review meeting at the Rectory with Stuart Boon our architect, Robert Gordon our quantity surveyor, David Jones our treasurer, and myself, we were reflecting on the Hall restoration and the recent works done on the Rectory roof, Church roof and West Nave Gable and St Nicholas Chapel roof. We rejoice in what has been achieved, but there is still a lot of work on the main Church roof, Sacristy…including painting woodwork, and tackling gutters and down spouts. The Choir Vestry external door and surround is desperately needing attention.
We will be putting together a 5 year plan to raise the funds for this project. This will involve trying to access various groups who may support us with grants. However, it also means that we have to put our shoulder to the wheel. This where a successful Raffle and Gallowgate Festival feature prominently. I cannot stress this enough…so please support where you can. It is all about a secure future for St Margaret’s and it’s continued witness and presence in the East End of this City.
When I went to go up the back garden the other night, there was a Ukrainian woman sitting at the crucifix. In our conversation she said how much she valued being seated at the foot of the Outside Calvary and the peace that that gave her. We spoke for a while… she mentioned how much she appreciated the Church Garden as being a glimpse of paradise. It was the conversation that was music to my ears. In the Easter period we reflected much on the words of Christ from the cross to Dismas, the ‘good thief’… ‘Today, you will be with me in paradise.’ The word paradise in Persian language means a walled garden. That is what we possess at St Margaret’s. A walled garden…Paradise!
The amount of people who come here and sit in the garden is amazing… it is a very quiet ministry. The garden is as an oasis in the City Centre.
At a recent Vestry meeting we agreed to receive a defribulator which had been offered to us and will soon be positioned on the garage wall. It will be an invaluable asset to the community.
We are also arranging a trip to the Lonach Gathering in Strathdon at the end of August. It would be good if you can support this. It is all about community building as well as a great day out. We are extending an invitation to others in the local community to join with us. We need to fill the bus. So if you want to go please speak with Jaqui.
There is to be a Ceilidh in the Hall on Friday June 27th. Tickets are now available.
We haven’t been to Pluscarden Abbey for many a year and I am looking into the possibility of a return there at some point.
It has been great weather this spring. I hope it continues into the summer! The Rambling Rector climbing rose at the Rectory is going to be fabulous this year. It is weighed down with buds.
You will be aware, I am sure, of the story about the rose. It originated with St Ambrose. It goes thus that… ‘the thorns remind us of the Fall of Man… the flower and scent…Paradise!’
All best wishes and blessings,
As Aye,
Fr Emsley.
