Minster Lifeline #23
8 June 2021
RRev Canon Dominic Black
Rev. Dominic writes:
Thank you so much to everyone who came to the induction service on Sunday afternoon or were praying from home. It has been lovely getting to know many of you, in a socially distanced way, over the last 11 challenging months. In many ways little changes, I continue as your parish priest, but yesterday marked an important arrival in the life of the wider city and it was good to welcome so many representatives from so many different spheres of our city. Special thanks are due to Katie Ogilvie and Jon Major for their organisation, Alasdair and the maintenance team for much shifting and Mark and our fabulous musicians. Also a big thank you to Ellie Hardy for the wonderful photographs of the day.
Rev. Irene writes:
It was a lovely service on Sunday afternoon to welcome Rev. Dominic as Vicar of Hull Minster. The Bishop of Hull and Archdeacon were joined by other clergy and many dignitaries from the city along with many others through different connections, including friends from the Northeast. There were also several people from our congregation. It was great that the children from the choir gave Dominic the customary gifts of Bible, Prayer Book, water, bread & wine.
Dominic had chosen music from both choir and music group and the prayers included a chorus from Taizé – a good example of all we offer at the Minster.
We were of course still under covid restrictions however managed to seat over a hundred all socially distanced. We are so looking forward to the end of restrictions to enable us to open the Minster doors much more often and welcome the people of the City and far beyond into the wonderful building.
Behind the scenes we now have two portacabins on the north side of the church. Alasdair, our operations manager, will now have a more permanent office and at last we will have somewhere to store all the ‘bits and pieces’ that came out of the parish centre.
I am delighted that Margaret Nicholson is writing for us today. She is a remarkably interesting lady that has been at the Minster many years. When I first arrived, Margaret was an active member of Holy Trinity choir:
CChildren present Rev Dominic with gifts
My Christian life by Margaret Nicholson
My first memory of church is of going to Sunday school when I was a small child in the church next door to the house where I was born. My father was head of a small village school in Northumberland, but when I was eight, we moved to his hometown of Bedlington, where he had a larger school. At least one of the teachers under him had taught him when he was a boy! It was a church school, and I had quite a lot of Christian teaching there, as well as at Sunday school. At both these schools all the pupils began Ash Wednesday and Ascension Thursday by going to a church service. Of course, every school day began with assembly then. I was confirmed at the age of about 15, but I did not attend church as regularly when I was in my teens, and then it was usually to 8am Communion, so I did not get a lot of Christian teaching. However, when I went to university, at Bristol, I began to attend church more regularly, partly through having lodgings with a Christian couple. I joined the university’s Church of England Society and went with them to study groups as well as worshipping with them. It was at a service at St. Mary Redcliffe that I heard a sermon recommending starting the day by asking for the presence of the Holy Spirit, using a verse of a hymn such as “Come down O Love Divine”. That appealed to me, and I have done it ever since.
After a year’s library school training, when I lived at home, I worked for a year in Leeds and then came to Hull, working at first for the City Libraries and then at the University. I tried a few churches here, but I soon decided on Holy Trinity. Canon Iliff was the vicar then, and I found both his sermons and the music inspiring. He was quite austere, but his wife was a lively Irishwoman, and I became friendly with Frances, one of his daughters, whom I still have contact with. As I got to know people, I enjoyed the meetings of young people that took place after Evensong. I joined a Bible study group which later became a house group, and I ended up hosting it for a few years. Eventually I was elected on to the PCC and continued to be a member until comparatively recently. I have been a member of the choir (something impossible for a woman when I first came to Holy Trinity), and of the Sanctuary Guild (aka the Holy Dusters). I have enjoyed being a welcomer - except on cold winter days when we had no heating, and a flower arranger. One year some of us put on a music hall in Holy Apostles hall, and that was successful enough for us to do another the following year which was shorter but combined with a short play on Maria Martin and the Murder in the Red Barn – I played the mother of the murderer who, I think, was older than I was! I liked to take part in the sponsored walks that supported the boys’ camp that was held every summer, and the carol singing around the parish at Christmas, especially the time we went singing across the Humber on the ferry (the only trouble was that we were almost the only passengers, but I hope the crew enjoyed our singing!). The most exciting thing I have done must have been representing our church on a visit to Sierra Leone in 2007, mostly to schools there. It was not long after there had been a civil war, and the poverty was terrible, but the children all went to school immaculately dressed in their uniforms and were keen to learn. Lately I have joined Jane’s heritage zoom group, and I am hoping to start welcoming again when the pandemic is over.
I have been reading the Bible ever since I was a student, at first just a chapter a day, but then I was introduced to Bible notes to help with my reading. For several years I have been getting copies for a few other people from our church, and if anyone is interested, I could get them for them too. I think most people nowadays prefer to get them from the Internet, but if anyone would like printed copies, I would be incredibly happy to order some for you.
As St. Mary’s Lowgate continues with extensive building works we are delighted to welcome Revd. Ian Walker and his congregation to host their Eucharist Service in the Minster. We are looking forward to developing our relationship and friendship with all at St. Mary’s over the coming months as lockdown eases.
Irene concludes with:
SERVICES AND OPENING TIMES:
SATURDAYS 4 PM 1st and 3rd Evensong, 2nd Taize, 4 & 5th Evening Prayer.
SUNDAYS 10am Online Recorded Service.
10:30am Holy Communion in the Minster - Please click here to book in.
Church@4 Every Sunday afternoon at 4pm there will be a café style service. Due to Covid, please bring own refreshments.
The Minster will continue to be open for Wednesday 12:30pm Holy Communion
PLEASE NOTE: The Minster will be open Friday and Saturday 12-3:30pm. MINSTER SHOP will be open during these times.
“Hull Minster’s doors will be back open to visitors this week. What a wonderful prospect it is to be welcoming visitors into the church once more.
Whatever the reason people want to come in, we want to make sure they receive a proper welcome, and that is where you come in.
Are you able to volunteer once a week/fortnight/month to welcome all those wanting to come and explore the church as a pace of worship and an historic treasure?
We will be carrying out training sessions on 15th and 17th June 2021 at 10am until 12pm. You will be able to learn more information about what the role entails and what part of the body of the church you will fulfil.
If you are only able to volunteer on weekends, please email al@hullminster.org and we will organise a Saturday session.
I look forward to welcoming you soon.
Alasdair Hutson, Director of Operations”
DO YOU WANT TO HELP? 10:30am and 4pm SUNDAY SERVICES
We are looking for people to volunteer, on a rota, to work the sound desk during these service. The desk is pre-set, so it is very straightforward. We also need strong individuals to help with setting up the Minster in between services, and booking people in on the doors. If you think you can help with any of these tasks, please speak to one of the wardens for more information. Thank you.
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The Heritage Volunteering group
If you would like to be involved, please contact Jane at jane@hullminster.org and if you haven't completed our survey about heritage, we would be very grateful to hear your views. It will help us shape the future of heritage at Hull Minster and helps us justify our needs and ambitions to grant providers. It takes only 6 minutes to complete.
CLICK Microsoft Forms to fill in the survey
It would be great to hear from you if you would like to find out more about volunteering with Girls Brigade at the Minster or if your child is interested in joining. Please email with any questions to mandy@hullminster.org and she will forward your queries on to Lauren.
READINGS: SECOND SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
COLLECT FOR SECOND SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
Faithful Creator, whose mercy never fails;
deepen our faithfulness to you and to your living Word,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
AMEN
This Month’s Prayer Diary
Daily prayer points throughout the current month can be found here.