Dear Friend of St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate, I pray that you are keeping well and safe. We once again find ourselves standing at the threshold of Lent, a time of reflection associated with Christ’s forty days in the wilderness. For many, the last 12 months will have felt like a wilderness. It has been a time of uncertainty, fear and anxiety. For many it has been a time of loss and bereavement. For many, it has been a time to ask, ‘where is God

Have you thought about supporting St Botolph’s by way of your online shopping? The church is now registered as a beneficiary charity at Give as you Live, Easy Fundraising, and Amazon Smile – these are simple automatic ways for you to support us (at no extra cost to you, or to us) when shopping online. Give as you Live and Easy Fundraising cover over 4000 shops and other websites – all of the systems are easy to use, and have

Dear Friend of St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate, On behalf of all at St Botolph’s, I wish you a very happy New Year. Sadly, the excited enthusiasm of the New Year which greeted the start of the roll-out of vaccines against the Coronavirus, has been somewhat overshadowed by a continued, and worrying increase in the number of people contracting Covid and becoming ill. My prayers are with all those affected by the virus in whatever way, and for healthcare workers, carers and essential workers,

Dear Friends of St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate, may I take the opportunity to offer you all a very happy Christmas. It has been a difficult year for everyone throughout the world. In our prayers daily we hold before God all those affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. For all those who are sick, those recovering, those who will never fully recover, and all who have died. We pray too for all those who have become isolated and lonely, those with associated mental health issues

Please join us either in person or on line as we celebrate Advent and Christmas this year Our Advent theme ‘Comfort ye…’ continues over the next weeks - please join us for services on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 1.10 pm either in church or by following the livestream Choral Services for Advent with St Botolph’s Choir TUESDAY 8 DECEMBER, 6.00 pm A Festival of Music and Readings for the Conception of the Mother or Our Lord If you are planning to attend this service in

The Archbishops, in consultation with the House of Bishops, have invited every Christian and person of good will to pray at 6pm every day, beginning today, Thursday 5 November, for the period of this present lock-down. In case you would like to join our daily 6pm prayers, I attach a prayer booklet which the Church of England has produced to accompany this initiative. Fr David Download Evening prayer book

We are applying for a Faculty and as usual we need to put a Public Notice up in the Church. Due to the current National Lockdown we are also putting a copy of the public notice here on our website. If you would like more information or have any questions please email Paul at [email protected] View Public Notice

Dear Friend of St Botolph’s, in light of the Government’s decision to reimpose a form of lockdown in England, we have, by necessity revised the form of church services we can offer. With regret, from Thursday 5 November until further notice, and at least until 2 December, we will be unable to celebrate public services in the church. We will be streaming services online only. We will have our 1.10pm Said Mass on Tuesday and our full Choral Mass with sermon

Fr David writes: Next Wednesday, 4 November, we will be marking The Commemoration of the Faithful Departed (All Souls) with a Choral Requiem Mass (Music: Missa pro defunctis - Anerio), at 1.10 pm in church. The service will also be livestreamed via the website www.botolph.org.uk As usual this service will include a special Act of Commemoration during which the names of the departed will be solemnly read aloud. There is a Requiem Book at the back of church (ask at the office

A good number of parishioners logged in to Zoom from their remote outposts on Monday 19 October to attend the postponed Annual Meetings. Fr David guided the meetings seamlessly through the election of Churchwardens, Deanery Synod representatives and Council members (a full list of those elected is posted in church and attached to this report), and the receiving of the usual reports. He contrasted the high level of activity which could be read about in the 2019 Annual Report with