Alban
Worship
Sundays
8am Eucharist
9.30am Parish Eucharist
11.15am Choral Eucharist
(1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th Sundays)
11.15am Matins (3rd Sunday)
12.30pm Eucharist (3rd Sunday)
6pm Choral Evensong
Weekdays
7.30am Morning Prayer
8am Eucharist
12noon Eucharist at the Shrine
5pm Evensong (Evening Prayer on Monday)
Saturdays
8.30am Morning Prayer
9am Eucharist
12noon Eucharist
5pm Evensong
Monthly Services
10am 4th Wednesday
Mothers’ Union Eucharist
2.30pm 5th Saturday
Diocesan Service for the Deaf
Ecumenical Services
Roman Catholic
Mass is celebrated every Friday at 12 noon
German Lutheran
A service in German is held on the last Tuesday of every month at 7pm
Free Church
First Wednesday of every month at 11am
Orthodox Liturgy
A service is held once a month on a Tuesday at 10.30am
Opening times
The Cathedral is open daily 9am – 5pm
Special Services
Advent and Christmas
Visit our website to learn about our Advent and Christmas events and services taking place in December.
Carols on the Hour
Saturday 14 December, 11am - 5pm
Live Nativity Trail
Saturday 14 December, 12 noon - 3pm
Christmas Eve Services
Crib Service | 11am and 2pm
Choral Evensong | 5pm Midnight Mass | 11pm
Christmas Day
Eucharist with Hymns | 8am
Christmas Day Eucharist | 9.30am
Christmas Day Choral Eucharist | 11.15am
Candlemas Carol Service
Sunday 2 February, 6pm
Highlight Events
Museum of the Moon art installation
Friday 3 January - Saturday 15 February
Jazz in the Moonlight Saturday 25 January, 7.30pm - 9.30pm
Evening Pilgrimages
Tuesday 4 February, 7.15pm
Tuesday 11 February, 7.15pm
Tickets for all our events are available through our website.
A Day Chaplain is available to talk most days.
Message from the Dean
Greetings and a warm welcome to this winter edition of Alban News
As the season of Advent gets underway we look with hope toward the celebration of God’s abundantly generous love for all creation in the gift of Jesus Christ. As we Follow Christ in Alban’s Footsteps, every day generosity is a vital part of the welcome, life, and service of our Cathedral and Abbey Church.
Thank you to all those who have joined our 24 for 24 campaign, the aim to raise our planned congregational giving by 24% this year. Your generosity makes a real difference to what we can achieve together. To find out more about how to give please see the Cathedral website.
Generosity is a hallmark of our Cathedral Advent and Christmas activities. Thank you to all who have been part of the Rotary Christmas Box project this year. The Cathedral Christmas Charity is St Albans and Hertsmere Women’s Refuge. All these opportunities invite us to be generous to those in need this Christmas.
As the new year dawns, it is with great anticipation that we prepare to welcome Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon artwork in the Nave. With plenty of opportunity to enjoy this beautiful and extraordinary installation, we are
reminded of God’s generosity to us in creation and our responsibility to take best care of all that God has made. The beginning of 2025 also sees the start of our Diocese’s year of Spiritual Renewal. Our Bishops are calling us all to take the opportunity to deepen our prayer life and nourish our faith. There are plenty of opportunities across the Diocese and here at the Cathedral to take part in. This call is also one to experience the generosity of God to us, and to be generous in return.
And as we begin a new year, perhaps this is the moment to consider how you could get more involved in the Cathedral through volunteering.
In this holy season wishing you, and those dear to you, the gift of the generous love of God which is for all the world.
Jo Kelly-Moore | The Dean
Welcome
Just as Alban welcomed the stranger Amphibalus, volunteers in the Cathedral today welcome all visitors so that this is a place of peace, comfort, safety and refuge for people of all faiths and none.
More people than ever are visiting the Cathedral to hear the incredible stories we have to share. When these visitors, worshippers and pilgrims arrive, we want to ensure that they have the best possible experience and feel that we are happy that they are here. The best way to do this is to have a conversation with them, a few words and a friendly smile. This is what the Welcome Team are here to do.
Ray Wilson, one of our experienced volunteers in the Welcome Team, describes the experience of welcoming visitors as stimulating. He engages our visitors and finds
a human connection with them. He described recent meetings with visitors from Australia, Russia, India and St Albans. He found connections with some from his own life, described how he shared the story of Alban and even learned something about Jainism from a visiting family.
The team comprises over 80 volunteers. This may seem like a large number but there are at least that many slots to fill on the rota every week! The team are ably supported by the Shop Supervisors, who brief them at the start of their volunteer session and are there to answer questions and provide any assistance throughout the day.
Julia Cammack | Volunteers Manager
If you are interested in finding out more about volunteering with the Welcome Team, drop us a line at volunteers@stalbanscathedral.org
Music by Moonlight
Our Cathedral Choir sings celestial music in rare concert appearance
On Sunday 9 February at 4pm, St Albans Cathedral Choir will present an atmospheric concert of moon-themed music under Luke Jerram’s stunning Museum of the Moon – a captivating installation that will see a huge spherical illuminated model of the moon grace the Nave of the Cathedral.
Making a rare concert appearance, the Cathedral’s boy choristers and lay clerks will be centre stage, performing highlights such as Jonathan Dove’s hauntingly brilliant Seek Him that maketh the Seven Stars and Sing to the Moon by English singer-songwriter Laura Mvula. These contemporary compositions will be interspersed with timeless works by Renaissance masters, Tallis, Palestrina, and Mundy, as well as choral favourites by Haydn and Wood.
Particularly memorable will be a performance of Stars by Ēriks Ešenvalds, featuring tuned wine glasses: a musical instrument created by filling glasses with varying amounts of water. Each glass produces a different pitch when struck or rubbed along its circumference.
The varying levels of water change the frequency of the vibrations, allowing for a range of musical notes. In Stars, the wine glasses are used to create an ethereal, shimmering sound to evoke a sense of celestial wonder.
The concert will also feature guest soprano soloist Paula Sides, who has performed on stages and concert platforms across the UK, the United States and Europe. She was awarded the Tagor Gold Medal from the Royal College of the Music and is a past winner of the Karavoitis Prize in the Les Assurial International Competition.
As well as accompanying the boys and lay clerks of the Cathedral Choir, Acting Assistant Director of Music Benjamin Collyer will perform Louis Vierne’s Claire de Lune and Florence Price’s enchanting An Elf on a Moonbeam on the Cathedral’s iconic organ. Join us in February for this extraordinary musical journey to the moon and back.
William Fox | Director of Music
Tickets will be available on the Cathedral website.
Year of Spiritual Renewal
In 2025, the Diocese of St Albans is inviting us to embark on a transformative Year of Spiritual Renewal and Wellbeing to help lift our hearts and minds. As we emerge from the challenges of recent years this aims to guide us in reconnecting with our faith and seeking the renewing life of the Holy Spirit. On offer will be retreats, courses, and events, but also the encouragement to take up new habits of renewal.
Prayer
Make a point of sharing in our rich diet of daily prayer, the stillness of Morning Prayer or the daily Eucharist, or the beauty of Evensong sung by our choristers. Try also the Church of England’s Daily Prayer App, or a daily reflection on Everyday Faith.
Home Groups
Especially beneficial in getting to know other members of our congregations and finding spiritual growth together, and we are blessed with numerous groups both for Lent or through the year.
Lent
As well as Lent Groups focussed on our vision of ‘Following Christ in Alban’s Footsteps’, clergy will be offering Spiritual MOTs, offering a space to reflect on your spiritual life.
Learning Events
We are blessed with a uniquely rich programme of Adult Learning, and through the year we will be offering talks and learning events for the Diocesan year, including a School of Theology in March and a summer Festival of Ideas. Alternatively, think about signing up for our Certificate in Christian Theology to give yourself a grounding in the Christian faith.
Cathedral Library
Visit our library on the second floor of the Chapter House which offers a wonderful, calm space to sit and read from our well stocked collection of books.
Retreats and Quiet Days
A range of these will be offered through the year, including our annual Pilgrimage to Walsingham and the staged ‘St Alban’s Way’ from St Paul’s Cathedral to St Albans.
To find out more about what’s in store across the Diocese, you can visit the dedicated website for here: www.year.stalbansdiocese.org
Finally, if you are part of a Cathedral group which has something to offer this year, do let the clergy know so we can share it further.
Fr Kevin | Canon Chancellor
Learning
The schools’ Learning Team is celebrating the 40th anniversary of our work at the Cathedral this year. We had a wonderful celebration of this with several local schools, some being amongst the very first schools who enjoyed our initial activities 40 years ago. We were joined by children’s author Cressida Cowell, who kept the children enthralled with tales of her childhood and her life as a writer.
A big focus for the team currently is looking at how we work with SEND (special educational needs and disability) pupils and families. We want all visitors to be able to access our activities in a way that is most appropriate and accessible for them so they get the most they can from this wonderful building and the activities we offer. We have produced a visual story booklet for school groups which can be used by teachers to prepare their children for their visit, with pictures of the Cathedral and the people they will
meet here. We are creating a set of Sensory Trails which will be available for all visitors and will enable them to explore the Cathedral in new and different ways. We are also currently seeking sponsorship to enable us to put together Accessibility Packs that are themed to our trails and workshops.
These will include various resources for teaching staff to use with pupils who may need a break from the main activity. These packs will enable them access the same themed learning as their class in whichever environment suits them best. We already have good links with some local SEND schools and hope that these resources will give more teachers of SEND students the confidence to bring them to experience our beautiful cathedral. We want our learning activities to be accessible to all, as part of the Cathedral’s vision and commitment to Welcome and Compassion.
Steve Clarke | Education Officer
Museum of the Moon
Friday 3 January to Saturday 15 February 2025
The mesmerising Museum of the Moon artwork, created by renowned artist Luke Jerram, will soon grace our space. Measuring seven metres in diameter, the moon features 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface. The installation is a fusion of lunar
imagery, moonlight and surround sound composition created by BAFTA and Ivor Novello award winning composer Dan Jones.
We’ve curated a diverse range of events under the moon, designed to uplift spirits and inspire minds.
Throughout January and February, schools will be able to bring students along to Moonlit
Wellbeing days and planetarium shows.
Photo (c) James Billings
To celebrate National Astronomy Week from Saturday 1 - Sunday 9 February, we’ve planned a captivating line-up of events including, special tours and a talk about the Webb telescope.
Other highlight events under the moon include Interstellar 10, Yoga, Pink Floyd By Candlelight, Godspell musical, and jazz under the moonlight.
There will also be evening pilgrimages and special moments for reflection under the moon.
There really is something for everyone.
Gemma Jones | Head of Marketing and Visitor Experience
For thousands of generations the human race has gazed up into the night sky in wonderment at the glowing moon, and for Christians and Jews it is part of God’s handiwork marking months and seasons through the year as it courses its particular way.
In more recent times, as we have taken steps on the moon itself, we have gained a new perspective back to the fragility and beauty of our own planet earth. In this Museum of the Moon and accompanying programme, we hope to inspire many to come and ponder at the mysterious attraction which the moon continues to hold.
Fr Kevin | Canon Chancellor
Children and Youth
New Chapel for Townsend Secondary School
Christmas is always one the most exciting times of the year at the Cathedral – or any church! And the magic of the season is very often in what we create for those who are most excited for it – namely our children. As we head into the midst of nativity plays, crib services, Christingles, we are also thrilled that an old friend will be joining us again this year… Felipe is back! And this time not only in and around the Cathedral, but across the city!
In among the daily and annual round of events and activities, we are also in a very privileged position here to be engaged in initiatives in the wider community. Whilst Youth Chaplain here, I have enjoyed a good relationship with Townsend Church of England Secondary School. I have loved my links with the school over the last three years, and it has been an amazing time of spiritual growth at the school. I regularly lead collective worship, attend other events, and engage with the young people in the school.
As part of that work, I was involved in a SIAMS inspection earlier this year, where the recommendation was made for a new chapel and worship space to be established.
The school has taken to this recommendation with great enthusiasm, and it has been really exciting to see this project take shape. We now anticipate that the remodelling will be completed before Christmas. We have received grants and pledges from individuals and churches for many of the items for the chapel. As a Cathedral, we have commissioned an icon to be hung in the chapel, written by Derek Bird. It is a beautiful piece, of the Good Samaritan, which is the school’s Christian ethos story, and one that is regularly preached on and talked about.
The Chapel will be dedicated to the memory of Andrew Wellbeloved, who was Head of Townsend for many years, and died last year. It is due to be opened formally in the spring time. We are now at the stage of raising the final amounts of money. To find out more, or make a donation towards this important project, visit:
www.townsend.herts.sch.uk/ townsend-school-chapel fundraising Fr Calum | Youth Chaplain
Rule of Life
For many centuries, our presentday Cathedral was part of a great Benedictine monastery. The monks followed the Rule of Benedict which was written by the saint in the sixth century. This little book set out instructions on everything from electing an abbot, to the times of meals, to what Psalms to say, to welcoming guests. It served to guide monastic living for a thousand years and is still in print today.
In the late 1980s, I lived on the beautiful north Devon coast at a place called Lee Abbey. This is a Christian holiday, conference and retreat centre which welcomes guests to stay each week. Rather than having a paid staff, Lee Abbey is run by around seventy Christians who dedicate themselves to life in community. Living together was sometimes a joy, and at other times a struggle. But it was made much smoother by having a shared Rule of Life. This was not as all-encompassing as Benedict’s Rule but covered useful topics such as not gossiping.
A Rule of Life can be helpful to us as individuals, too. Making a commitment to a set of values, disciplines and spiritual practices can give a muchneeded consistency to our lives. A rule can provide a sense of purpose and direction. It can act as a roadmap in guiding our decisions.
And it can prevent us drifting in our faith.
Unless you are living in community, a Rule of Life is a personal document. We are all individuals, so our rules will all be different. However, it can be useful to think through a number of questions:
How will you deepen your relationship with God? You might think about when you will pray, read the Bible or worship.
How will you give? This is likely to include financial giving as well as the ways in which you give your time, talents and energy.
What will you prioritise? This might be care for your family, charitable work, a pledge to protect the environment, or a commitment to take sufficient rest.
Whatever your Rule says, you will find it a wise way of bringing focus to your journey through life.
Canon Tim Bull | Director of Vocations
The Rule of St Benedict is available in the Penguin Classics series.
Archives
The Hidden Treasure Trove of The Cathedral Archives
“For the benefit of prosperity, for the love of God and in honour of the blessed Alban, lest the memory of present-day events be destroyed by age or oblivion”. So did Matthew Paris conclude his Chronica Majora in 1250 and it is a sentiment which runs through the work of the Archives at the Cathedral to this day.
Our collection ranges from 12th century writing fragments to present day service sheets; from parchment, paper and photographs to an eclectic collection of objects. In the Muniment Room, which nestles attic-like under the Cathedral roof, you will find remnants from the medieval abbey building, charters delineating privileges of the monastery and Cathedral, papal seals and royal seals, designs for building work undertaken and not, and even the state flag of Texas.
All tell part of the story of the building, its purpose and the communities.
The role of the Archives today is to be integral to the work of the Cathedral. To welcome the visitors to this special place we curate a regularly changing exhibition area; to promote its role as a centre of learning we host visits from schools and other groups; and to assist the scholarship of others we respond to queries and make available our resources. Our queries have originated from every continent bar Antarctica and our visitors have come from Japan and the United States and all places in-between. Staffed by volunteers, we learn through experience rather than education the richness of the material we look after and we take immense pride and pleasure in sharing it with others. We like to think Matthew Paris would recognise what we are doing and why we do it.
The Archives Team
How green are you?
I, like many of us, like to feel that I’m environmentally sensitive and do my bit to cut down on waste. I’ll walk instead of driving (well, sometimes), we’ve got solar panels, we recycle – but is this enough?
I hope you know that the Cathedral holds a Silver Eco-Church awardand now we are going for Gold. Part of what’s needed is for members of our church (that’s us) to take a look at our environmental impact and see if we can make it lower. So, I decided to find out what mine is –could you do this as well?
One thing we are asked to do is an ‘environmental lifestyle audit’. You can do this anonymously, now: www.surveyhero.com/c/eec4fse3
There are some very helpful resources to make our lifestyle more environmentally sustainable on the Eco-Church website and the Ruth Valerio website under ‘Green Living’.
The book ‘L is for Lifestyle’ gives some excellent ideas about simple changes we can all make. To many of them I reacted ‘Oh yes, that’s obvious’ – and realised that I’d not done them.
To discover what your carbon footprint is (and how to improve it) the Green Christian website is really helpful.
It recommends the Climate Stewards online questions. Using this I learned that our household produces 14.2 tonnes of CO2 a year. I couldn’t find a household average, but that’s not the point – can we reduce this figure? By changing some of my answers the estimated CO2 output also changes. Eat less meat? CO2 goes down. Change to an electricity provider that uses renewables? CO2 goes down. Take the bus or walk rather than drive – well, it’s obvious really.
So, ‘could do better’, I think, but I now have some ideas how to improve. How about you?
Chris Lyal | Eco Team
Fairtrade for Christmas
Be the Change is this autumn’s campaign, urging us to help in transforming the lives of those who benefit from our fair-trade purchases. As Christians, we are called to give to the poor and support those in need. Through fair trade, we enable them to live with dignity and be self-sufficient, improving the quality of life both for individuals and communities.
It’s that time of year again, when we all make choices about what to buy as presents for friends and family. By buying fairly-traded gifts, we benefit those who produce them not just for Christmas, but throughout the year. Skilled artisans and growers around the world report huge positive changes in their lives. Traditional skills and expertise can only continue to be passed on through generations by our purchases. Since Traidcraft’s unfortunate demise, I have had to source my stock from several different companies, but there remains a wide range of good
quality products available – as well as the tea, coffee, chocolate etc. familiar to everyone (I hope!). On my regular stall, held on the second Sunday of the month, I carry as much of the range as I can, and I am happy to take orders. The good value Christmas card collection has something to suit all tastes. Don’t forget that delicious Palestinian goods – olive oil, almonds, dates and couscous - are also available.
Do come to browse and buy what is on offer. There is one more stall before Christmas, on Sunday 8 December. You will find us in the Welcome Centre from 10.30am so you can visit the stall on your way out of the 9.30am or into the 11.15am service. The need to support producers continues throughout the year, so the first stall of 2025 will be on Sunday 12 January. New customers are always welcome and regulars are encouraged; we look forward to seeing you.
Linda and Phil Waller
Bill Ritson RIP
On Thursday 24 October, a large congregation gathered in the Lady Chapel for a wonderful Requiem Eucharist in memory of our beloved Canon Bill Ritson, who died, aged 89, so appropriately at Albantide, following a funeral in Woodmancote near Cirencester where he spent his final years.
It was fitting to hold this last service in the Abbey where he was so loved and which he served so faithfully and particularly in the Lady Chapel, where he had presided over Eucharists, joyfully conducted many weddings and officiated at funerals with reverence, but also humour. Poignant and uplifting, it was a truly celebration of a life lived in all its abundance.
Mark Stradling, Bill’s nephew and godson, gave the eulogy, a great tribute to an evidently much-loved uncle. Mark apologised to those who would have heard a version of it at Bill’s funeral but excused himself with the comment that Bill was known to repeat sermons. David Lindsay’s homily likewise bore some resemblance to his words at the funeral; as St Augustine of Hippo said, sometimes it is better to be reminded than informed!
‘’Thine be the glory’, ‘Love divine, all loves excelling’ and a rousing rendition of ‘We sing of holy Alban’ all featured as we remembered Bill’s enjoyment of a hearty sing (despite not having the best voice). Following communion and the commendation, given by Mark Bonney, now Dean of Ely, Bill’s ashes were interred in Canon’s row in the North Churchyard.
Refreshments in the North Transept allowed for much catching-up and sharing of news and memories. It was good to have the 3 Christophers back together – the 2 Bishops and the Dean, all apparently on good form and enjoying retirement. Indeed, there were a plethora of people from the past, including Anders Berquist, Jonathan Boardman and many, many others.
I think we certainly ‘did Bill proud’ as he so richly deserved. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.
Linda Waller | Mission and Ministry
Following Christ in Alban’s Footsteps
St Albans Cathedral is the United Kingdom’s oldest site of continuous Christian worship, inspired by Alban, Britain’s first saint and martyr.
Our vision and work today is inspired by his story and the Gospel he lived and proclaimed, and so we are committed to:
Welcome & Compassion
Worship & Witness
Courage & Justice
Leadership & Service
Opening times
The Cathedral is open daily 9am – 5pm.
There is no charge to enter the Cathedral. Donations are welcome. It costs £6000 a day to keep this historic Cathedral open.
Tickets
Book online at www.stalbanscathedral.org, in-person at our Box Office, located in the Cathedral Shop, or call 01727 890290.
For the latest information visit our website and sign up for our What’s On newsletter.
St Albans Cathedral
Sumpter Yard, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 1BY Cathedral Office: 01727 890210
Email: mail@stalbanscathedral.org www.stalbanscathedral.org
