ALL SAINTS MARGARET STREET

All Saints, Margaret Street, London, W1W 8JG, UK

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A Sabbath Rest and a Pilgrimage
This summer, I will have been Vicar of All Saints for 14 years and I have also been Area Dean of St Marylebone for something like 10, as well as being Chaplain of St Luke's Hospital and Priest-in-Charge of the Annunciation, and in November I will be 60. The Bishop has agreed that it is time that I had some study leave and, given that we have in Fr Beauchamp a wise and experienced parish priest, it seems sensible to take the opportunity as quickly as possible. So, I will be going off at the end of July. The main element will be study - an opportunity to read some of those big books which the relentless round of parish ministry doesn't always allow time for and to focus on particular areas which apply to our work here in central London.

To be a Pilgrim
At the beginning, as a way of unwinding, I am going to make a pilgrimage to the shrine of St James at Compostela in North West Spain. I will do this on foot, starting from Roncesvalles in the Pyrenees. The distance is 720 kilometres. Where you come in is that I am asking people to sponsor me to raise money for two objects: one is the All Saints Restoration Appeal and the other is the work of USPG: Anglicans in World Mission, one of our mission projects at All Saints. I retire as the Society's chairman at the end of June. When the starting date has been finalised, we will let people know.

In the meantime, if you would like to support me, and the two causes, in this venture, by sponsoring me per kilometre or just by a lump sum, you can sign up after church, through the Parish Office, or by sending an email with your contact details and the amount you would like to pledge (please do not send bank or credit card details by email). I hope to be able to use the marvels of modern technology to send reports of my progress as I go along. With thanks in anticipation.

Yours in Christ,
Fr Alan Moses

The Vicar's Pilgrimage Progress

6th September 2009

It hardly seems true but I have now been walking for 10 days. I am sitting in the garden of the parish hostel (alberge) in a village called Tosantos (All Saints) - about 40 kilometres east of Burgos which we should reach in 2 days. I am waiting for my laundry to dry in the sun. The pilgrim's routine includes the daily task, after a shower, of washing clothes and getting them dry. We start walking by 7am at the latest to take advantage of the cool hours before it becomes too hot; aiming to get to our destination by 1pm or 2 at the latest. The siesta is a very sensible arrangement in this climate.

Small alberges like this and last night's provide meals; the municipal ones don't. In smaller places more dependent on pilgrims, it is not difficult to find a meal but in big cities the Spanish convention of not eating until 9pm at the earliest is a problem, as hostels close at 10.

So far the countryside traversed has varied from the descent from the Pyrenees at Roncesvalles and on through part of the Basque country; parts were like forest walks in Scotland. Going downhill involves a lot of going uphill too. I am reminded of the poem of Christina Rosetti's which goes: "Does the hill wind up all the way my friend? Yes, all the way." Flat stretches are a blessing as going downhill is both tiring and perilous. We have just left behind the vineyards of the Rioja region, groaning with grapes destined for wine for our tables. Some "Pilgrim Menus" included a bottle in 10Euro price for 3 course supper.

One overnight stop was in a village called Los Arcos. This has a massive church; partly Gothic but mostly Baroque embellished with a share of the gold and silver of Mexico and Peru. Now a community of 1,500 has to restore it. I sympathised.

We have just left Navarre and entered Castille and Leon. Vines have disappeared and flocks of sheep begun to appear. In 2 days time we reach the city of Burgos with its great gothic cathedral. Among other treasures, this houses the tomb of El Cid and his wife Dona Jimena, immortalised for movie-watchers by Charlton Heston and Sofia Loren.

Some "pilgrims" seem to treat whole thing as an assault course with no time to stand and stare. A German lad in our hostel last night had done 45 kilometres that day. He is probably almost in Burgos by now.

After Burgos we come to the Meseta or tableland of central Spain; flat and sparsely populated with stretches where we have to carry extra food and water with us. This pilgrimage has already made me much more conscious of Biblical imagery of water and thirst.

It has taken some time to get into rhythm of the Camino. I have had to fit times of formal prayer around it. So I usually recite Morning Prayer early in the afternoon (no time or peace before then) and then Evening Prayer later in the evening. Last night I said it in a beautiful Romanesque church while waiting for the priest to say mass. In the end we were told that he was at a wedding and "could not come".

Estimates of the length of the Camino vary but my guide tells me today that there are 546 kilometres left of the 762.5km. Looked at more positively: that's 216.5km done.

Many of the people we meet wish us "Bon Camino". I hope you will keep me in your prayers.

Fr. Alan

14 September 2009

This update comes from Sahagun in the province of Leon. Sahagun calls itself 'El Centro del Camino'. There seem to be a number of
differing calculations of the distance from Roncesvalles to Santiago; only to be expected in a country with a long history of local resistance to central control. As I am spending the night in the pilgrim Alberge provided by the town council it would be discourteous not to accept their version.

The hostel is in a redundant church. There is another one next door; interesting that Spain has similar problems to ours. Sad to notice that many country churches are locked during the day, and not just for the siesta period. Spaniards now seem to deny strenuously that the siesta exists outside Andalusia. If this true, then everywhere else must have a very long lunch break. The Camino route takes us across the Meseta which is flat or gently rolling wheat growing country and thinly populated. As well as being monotonous after a while extra water and food have to be carried as there can be nowhere to find refreshment for long stretches.

This part of Sahagun is an area of brick buildings including this one, so I am reminded of All Saints. The brickwork is not up to Butterfield standards! Theresa and Fr. Gerald have been keeping me up to date with progress on the restoration and I am looking forward to seeing it all revealed. In the meantime, I shall have to possess my soul in patience.

Last time I reported on how I had reorganised my prayer life around the routine of the Camino. The readings in the Daily Office have included much travelling: by Jesus and the disciples in Mark and by the apostles in Acts, and Proverbs has provided much holy common sense for getting along with random groups of fellow-pilgrims.

The story of Absolom's rebellion against David has taken on a new significance walking through a country whose great formative experience in the last century was the Civil War. I began in Basque territory which, while staunchly Catholic, was on the Republican side; then through Navarre and Castille, strongly nationalist. Signs of divided loyalties are there to be seen in memorials and street names. One memorial in a village church was for a local boy who had gone to seminary and can only just have been ordained when he was killed aged 26. This is very much a live issue here: reading a newspaper while having lunch today, I came across a news story about the Valley of the Fallen; Franco's war memorial built by Republican prisoners,
many of whom died. The abbot of the monastery there has decided to end the practice of special requiems for Franco and the Fascist leader Jose Antonio Promo de Rivera.

The same newspaper had a reminder of home; an interview with PD James! With that home thought from abroad, it is time I drew to a close.

Fr. Alan Moses

Astorga, Saturday, 19th Sept. 1pm

Have arrived in this cathedral city after 23km walk on sunny morning with cool breeze. This morning's walk included a wonderful medieval bridge at Hospital de Orbigo, crossing a river with real water - most of them don't at this time of the year. Worth pausing to enjoy the sight and sound.

The second half of today's walk included several long uphill stretches that will help get legs and lungs into shape for the mountains of Galicia which we come to in a few days.

Tomorrow we go to Rabanal where there is a pilgrim hostel run by the British Confraternity of St. James whose secretary Marion Marples (a former parishioner of Fr. Gaskell at St. Alban's) was a great help in planning this venture.

I thought of All Saints especially yesterday while reading the account of Solomon building the Temple for Evening Prayer.

With best wishes and prayers.

Fr. Alan

Note for 27th September

Last week I was looking forward, apprehensively, to the climb up into the mountains of Galicia. Now, after climbing to the highest point on the route, (1,500 metres, that's higher than Snowden) and then going most of the way back down again, I have completed the longest climb in 2 stages: the first at beginning of a hot afternoon; the second in the cool of the early morning. As I came over the top to look down on the valley it was filled with clouds and the mountains looked like islands.

Today (Saturday) I'm down in the valley and have been walking through mist for most of 24 km. The sun came out just as the destination was reached. I'm now sitting on a roof terrace giving my feet a well-deserved rest. Tomorrow the pilgrimage will pass the "only-100km-left" mark, on the way to Portomarin.

I will be thinking of you enjoying the sight of church with much of the scaffolding gone and the results of the work partly visible.

Alan

This bus was waiting at the end of the bridge as I came into Portomarin. Couldn't resist the photo-op.
Alan

Roncesvalles to Santiago, 762.5 km in 36 days

Friday, 2nd October 2009

We set off from Arco, our last stop before Santiago: 21km away. Unlike some mornings this past week there was no mist. This last day's walk was free of incident; not like the previous day when an oak tree had come crashing down across the path less than a minute before we got there.

We crossed the stream in which medieval pilgrims washed their clothes before entering Santiago. One intrepid soul had plunged in and assured us it was freezing cold! I'd used the hostel washing machine the day before so decided not to join him.

Modern technology also allowed me to speak to daughter Joanna, by phone, on her birthday.

Walk brought us to Monte Gozo - Mount Joy; so-called because on a clear day pilgrims got their first sight of Santiago. Now there is an ugly sculpture commemorating Pope John Paul II's visit 20 years ago. All we could see was the urban sprawl of modern Santiago.

We got through that quite quickly and into the old city, arriving in the Plaza do Obradoiro - the Golden Square - in front of the cathedral at 11.40am. There were lots of people in dress uniforms - not a parade in our honour but a service in the cathedral for police and military personnel. There was also a noisy demo - the cleansing department demanding better pay and conditions.

We were greeted by Al and Maria from Vancouver, whom we had got to know earlier. They are serious walkers and had gone on ahead. After photographs and catching up they took us to the Pilgrim Office, the old Deanery, where we (my walking companion Danny and I) queued for our "Compostella" and met more walking companions including a group from St. Andrews.

In the afternoon we visited the cathedral and shrine of St. James which was surprisingly quiet at that hour.

Saturday at noon we went to the Pilgrim Mass and saw the Botafumeiro, a huge thurible suspended from the ceiling at the crossing, in action briefly at the end of the service: it must be the ultimate in playing at church. And before anyone asks: the answer is "No, we are not getting one. We aren't spending all that money and effort getting All Saints clean, just to get it dirty again in a few years!"

With best wishes and prayers from a now sunny Santiago.

Fr. Alan

Sponsorship

Those that have sponsored the Pilgrimage should please give their money to Chris Self, or Dennis Davis through the parish office.

If you haven't already sponsored him you are still welcome to add to the sponsorship of Fr Alan's Pilgrimage walk. Please just see Chris Self in the courtyard after Sunday services or send your donation to the parish office. The funds will be split between our support for the USPG project in Trinidad and Tobago, and the second phase of the restoration work here at All Saints, Margaret Street.

	ALL SAINTS MARGARET STREET
	All Saints, Margaret Street, London, W1W 8JG, UK
Welcome Worship and visitor information Diary dates Historyand architecture Restoration Music Thelife of the church Sermons Support All Saints Get in touch	A Sabbath Rest and a Pilgrimage This summer, I will have been Vicar of All Saints for 14 years and I have also been Area Dean of St Marylebone for something like 10, as well as being Chaplain of St Luke's Hospital and Priest-in-Charge of the Annunciation, and in November I will be 60. The Bishop has agreed that it is time that I had some study leave and, given that we have in Fr Beauchamp a wise and experienced parish priest, it seems sensible to take the opportunity as quickly as possible. So, I will be going off at the end of July. The main element will be study - an opportunity to read some of those big books which the relentless round of parish ministry doesn't always allow time for and to focus on particular areas which apply to our work here in central London. To be a Pilgrim At the beginning, as a way of unwinding, I am going to make a pilgrimage to the shrine of St James at Compostela in North West Spain. I will do this on foot, starting from Roncesvalles in the Pyrenees. The distance is 720 kilometres. Where you come in is that I am asking people to sponsor me to raise money for two objects: one is the All Saints Restoration Appeal and the other is the work of USPG: Anglicans in World Mission, one of our mission projects at All Saints. I retire as the Society's chairman at the end of June. When the starting date has been finalised, we will let people know. In the meantime, if you would like to support me, and the two causes, in this venture, by sponsoring me per kilometre or just by a lump sum, you can sign up after church, through the Parish Office, or by sending an email with your contact details and the amount you would like to pledge (please do not send bank or credit card details by email). I hope to be able to use the marvels of modern technology to send reports of my progress as I go along. With thanks in anticipation. Yours in Christ, Fr Alan Moses The Vicar's Pilgrimage Progress 6th September 2009 It hardly seems true but I have now been walking for 10 days. I am sitting in the garden of the parish hostel (alberge) in a village called Tosantos (All Saints) - about 40 kilometres east of Burgos which we should reach in 2 days. I am waiting for my laundry to dry in the sun. The pilgrim's routine includes the daily task, after a shower, of washing clothes and getting them dry. We start walking by 7am at the latest to take advantage of the cool hours before it becomes too hot; aiming to get to our destination by 1pm or 2 at the latest. The siesta is a very sensible arrangement in this climate. Small alberges like this and last night's provide meals; the municipal ones don't. In smaller places more dependent on pilgrims, it is not difficult to find a meal but in big cities the Spanish convention of not eating until 9pm at the earliest is a problem, as hostels close at 10. So far the countryside traversed has varied from the descent from the Pyrenees at Roncesvalles and on through part of the Basque country; parts were like forest walks in Scotland. Going downhill involves a lot of going uphill too. I am reminded of the poem of Christina Rosetti's which goes: "Does the hill wind up all the way my friend? Yes, all the way." Flat stretches are a blessing as going downhill is both tiring and perilous. We have just left behind the vineyards of the Rioja region, groaning with grapes destined for wine for our tables. Some "Pilgrim Menus" included a bottle in 10Euro price for 3 course supper. One overnight stop was in a village called Los Arcos. This has a massive church; partly Gothic but mostly Baroque embellished with a share of the gold and silver of Mexico and Peru. Now a community of 1,500 has to restore it. I sympathised. We have just left Navarre and entered Castille and Leon. Vines have disappeared and flocks of sheep begun to appear. In 2 days time we reach the city of Burgos with its great gothic cathedral. Among other treasures, this houses the tomb of El Cid and his wife Dona Jimena, immortalised for movie-watchers by Charlton Heston and Sofia Loren. Some "pilgrims" seem to treat whole thing as an assault course with no time to stand and stare. A German lad in our hostel last night had done 45 kilometres that day. He is probably almost in Burgos by now. After Burgos we come to the Meseta or tableland of central Spain; flat and sparsely populated with stretches where we have to carry extra food and water with us. This pilgrimage has already made me much more conscious of Biblical imagery of water and thirst. It has taken some time to get into rhythm of the Camino. I have had to fit times of formal prayer around it. So I usually recite Morning Prayer early in the afternoon (no time or peace before then) and then Evening Prayer later in the evening. Last night I said it in a beautiful Romanesque church while waiting for the priest to say mass. In the end we were told that he was at a wedding and "could not come". Estimates of the length of the Camino vary but my guide tells me today that there are 546 kilometres left of the 762.5km. Looked at more positively: that's 216.5km done. Many of the people we meet wish us "Bon Camino". I hope you will keep me in your prayers. Fr. Alan 14 September 2009 This update comes from Sahagun in the province of Leon. Sahagun calls itself 'El Centro del Camino'. There seem to be a number of differing calculations of the distance from Roncesvalles to Santiago; only to be expected in a country with a long history of local resistance to central control. As I am spending the night in the pilgrim Alberge provided by the town council it would be discourteous not to accept their version. The hostel is in a redundant church. There is another one next door; interesting that Spain has similar problems to ours. Sad to notice that many country churches are locked during the day, and not just for the siesta period. Spaniards now seem to deny strenuously that the siesta exists outside Andalusia. If this true, then everywhere else must have a very long lunch break. The Camino route takes us across the Meseta which is flat or gently rolling wheat growing country and thinly populated. As well as being monotonous after a while extra water and food have to be carried as there can be nowhere to find refreshment for long stretches. This part of Sahagun is an area of brick buildings including this one, so I am reminded of All Saints. The brickwork is not up to Butterfield standards! Theresa and Fr. Gerald have been keeping me up to date with progress on the restoration and I am looking forward to seeing it all revealed. In the meantime, I shall have to possess my soul in patience. Last time I reported on how I had reorganised my prayer life around the routine of the Camino. The readings in the Daily Office have included much travelling: by Jesus and the disciples in Mark and by the apostles in Acts, and Proverbs has provided much holy common sense for getting along with random groups of fellow-pilgrims. The story of Absolom's rebellion against David has taken on a new significance walking through a country whose great formative experience in the last century was the Civil War. I began in Basque territory which, while staunchly Catholic, was on the Republican side; then through Navarre and Castille, strongly nationalist. Signs of divided loyalties are there to be seen in memorials and street names. One memorial in a village church was for a local boy who had gone to seminary and can only just have been ordained when he was killed aged 26. This is very much a live issue here: reading a newspaper while having lunch today, I came across a news story about the Valley of the Fallen; Franco's war memorial built by Republican prisoners, many of whom died. The abbot of the monastery there has decided to end the practice of special requiems for Franco and the Fascist leader Jose Antonio Promo de Rivera. The same newspaper had a reminder of home; an interview with PD James! With that home thought from abroad, it is time I drew to a close. Fr. Alan Moses Astorga, Saturday, 19th Sept. 1pm Have arrived in this cathedral city after 23km walk on sunny morning with cool breeze. This morning's walk included a wonderful medieval bridge at Hospital de Orbigo, crossing a river with real water - most of them don't at this time of the year. Worth pausing to enjoy the sight and sound. The second half of today's walk included several long uphill stretches that will help get legs and lungs into shape for the mountains of Galicia which we come to in a few days. Tomorrow we go to Rabanal where there is a pilgrim hostel run by the British Confraternity of St. James whose secretary Marion Marples (a former parishioner of Fr. Gaskell at St. Alban's) was a great help in planning this venture. I thought of All Saints especially yesterday while reading the account of Solomon building the Temple for Evening Prayer. With best wishes and prayers. Fr. Alan Note for 27th September Last week I was looking forward, apprehensively, to the climb up into the mountains of Galicia. Now, after climbing to the highest point on the route, (1,500 metres, that's higher than Snowden) and then going most of the way back down again, I have completed the longest climb in 2 stages: the first at beginning of a hot afternoon; the second in the cool of the early morning. As I came over the top to look down on the valley it was filled with clouds and the mountains looked like islands. Today (Saturday) I'm down in the valley and have been walking through mist for most of 24 km. The sun came out just as the destination was reached. I'm now sitting on a roof terrace giving my feet a well-deserved rest. Tomorrow the pilgrimage will pass the "only-100km-left" mark, on the way to Portomarin. I will be thinking of you enjoying the sight of church with much of the scaffolding gone and the results of the work partly visible. Alan This bus was waiting at the end of the bridge as I came into Portomarin. Couldn't resist the photo-op. Alan Roncesvalles to Santiago, 762.5 km in 36 days Friday, 2nd October 2009 We set off from Arco, our last stop before Santiago: 21km away. Unlike some mornings this past week there was no mist. This last day's walk was free of incident; not like the previous day when an oak tree had come crashing down across the path less than a minute before we got there. We crossed the stream in which medieval pilgrims washed their clothes before entering Santiago. One intrepid soul had plunged in and assured us it was freezing cold! I'd used the hostel washing machine the day before so decided not to join him. Modern technology also allowed me to speak to daughter Joanna, by phone, on her birthday. Walk brought us to Monte Gozo - Mount Joy; so-called because on a clear day pilgrims got their first sight of Santiago. Now there is an ugly sculpture commemorating Pope John Paul II's visit 20 years ago. All we could see was the urban sprawl of modern Santiago. We got through that quite quickly and into the old city, arriving in the Plaza do Obradoiro - the Golden Square - in front of the cathedral at 11.40am. There were lots of people in dress uniforms - not a parade in our honour but a service in the cathedral for police and military personnel. There was also a noisy demo - the cleansing department demanding better pay and conditions. We were greeted by Al and Maria from Vancouver, whom we had got to know earlier. They are serious walkers and had gone on ahead. After photographs and catching up they took us to the Pilgrim Office, the old Deanery, where we (my walking companion Danny and I) queued for our "Compostella" and met more walking companions including a group from St. Andrews. In the afternoon we visited the cathedral and shrine of St. James which was surprisingly quiet at that hour. Saturday at noon we went to the Pilgrim Mass and saw the Botafumeiro, a huge thurible suspended from the ceiling at the crossing, in action briefly at the end of the service: it must be the ultimate in playing at church. And before anyone asks: the answer is "No, we are not getting one. We aren't spending all that money and effort getting All Saints clean, just to get it dirty again in a few years!" With best wishes and prayers from a now sunny Santiago. Fr. Alan Sponsorship Those that have sponsored the Pilgrimage should please give their money to Chris Self, or Dennis Davis through the parish office. If you haven't already sponsored him you are still welcome to add to the sponsorship of Fr Alan's Pilgrimage walk. Please just see Chris Self in the courtyard after Sunday services or send your donation to the parish office. The funds will be split between our support for the USPG project in Trinidad and Tobago, and the second phase of the restoration work here at All Saints, Margaret Street.