Our New Curate

Many of you will have heard that the Reverend Allen Shin became the curate of our parish on July 1.  Curate is a term used in the Episcopal Church generally for an assistant priest.  In modern parlance a curate is often called simply "assistant".  I was an "assistant" when I served at the Church of the Incarnation, Dallas, Texas.  I was a "curate" when I served at Saint Luke's Church, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  Saint Mary's has preferred the term curate and I intend to continue to follow this custom.

Many of you also know Father Shin already, far better than I do.  He and Father William Parker were classmates at the General Theological Seminary.  Each independent of the other was in conversation with Father Wells about positions at Saint Mary's.  Father Wells spoke to Father Parker about the curate position and to Father Shin about the position of assistant.  Bill and Allen both told me they had a great laugh when they realized they were going to the same parish.

Father Allen Shin and his wife, Clara Mun, moved to New York after Father had completed one year of seminary study at Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, as a postulant from the Diocese of Chicago.  Father comes to us from the position of assistant officer at the Episcopal Church Center here in New York.  He has worked with the director of Congregational Ministries and the Office of Episcopal Asiamerica Ministries.  His work at the Episcopal Church Center was both national and international in scope.

Father Shin mentioned to me that he would like to talk to me about being curate at Saint Mary's.  I was delighted.  He has not yet served in a parish.  He is interested in pursuing further graduate work.  His wife's work is in Manhattan.  It seemed such a good opportunity for him to have the experience of serving in a parish before going on to graduate school.  It seemed such a good fit for the parish, since he is so well known and appreciated already.   For me, as a new rector, Father knows the life of Saint Mary's well.  And he will get to know it better!

Last month my path happened to cross the paths on successive days first of the Presiding Bishop and second of the Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of New York.  Both congratulated Saint Mary's and me on this appointment.  Bishop Griswold sent Father to seminary from the Diocese of Chicago and ordained him deacon.  Bishop Sisk knew Father as a student in Evanston where Bishop Sisk was dean of the seminary.  Several days after this the Bishop of the Diocese, who had ordained Father Shin and Father Parker to the priesthood at the same time, also congratulated us.  The Board of Trustees was also unanimous in their support for this appointment.

I am impressed by so many gifts for priestly ministry that the Lord has given to Allen.  He is mature personally and as a man of prayer.  His professional background and training in music is already a

much appreciated gift by this parish community.  I hope very much I will be a good senior colleague for him.  I know that this parish will help him to be a good priest for many reasons chief among which is this community's expectation that her priests try to put their service of the Gospel first in their lives.  This is perhaps the quality that prompted such widespread support for this appointment.

Father Shin begins work officially on July 1, 1999.  His first Sunday, July 4, is not the most auspicious time to welcome a new member of the clergy by the wider congregation.  We will set aside a Sunday morning to welcome Father and Clara in a particular way.  I promise.

I write this article on the last day of June.  I have been surprised how hard it is for me to say goodbye to Father Parker.  It was very hard for me last Sunday and I want to express again publicly my support and appreciation for his ministry to me and to the parish community.  I think I speak for Bill when I say this transition to a new curate seems right for him and for the parish, and particularly so because the next curate was Bill's greatest clergy support and colleague through the challenges of the interim year.  And it will be a great privilege for me personally to be sitting in choir tomorrow morning across from the Reverend Allen Shin.  Stephen Gerth

PARISH PRAYER LIST . . . Your prayers are asked for the members of our Armed Forces on active duty in Kosovo, for Eileen, Walter and Dennis who are hospitalized and for Barbara, Edward, Mary Ann, Margaret, Scot, Shirley, Mark, Dorothy, Warren, Karen, Victoria, Frank, Florinda, Myrian, Charmaine, Rodney, priest, and Simon, priest, and for the repose of the soul of Robert . . . GRANT THEM PEACE . . . July 9: 1991 Blanche Evelyn Preene.

LITURGICAL NOTES . . . The Sunday Proper: Zechariah 9:9-12, Psalm 145:8-14, Romans 7:21-8:6, Matthew 11:25-30 . . . 9:00 Celebrant & Preacher Father Shin, 10:00 Celebrant & Preacher Father Shin, 11:00 AM Celebrant & Preacher The Rector, 5:00 PM Celebrant & Preacher, Father Shin . . . On Saturday, July 3, Father Shin will hear confessions.  On Saturday, July 10, Canon Garrison will hear confessions.

AROUND THE PARISH . . . Monday, July 5, we will observe our "Federal Holiday Schedule."  The church will be open only for one Mass at 12:15 PM . . . As we go to press Walter Morton is having coronary bypass surgery at the Veterans Administration Medical Center, Manhattan, and Eileen Sorensen is a patient at Long Island College Hospital, Brooklyn Heights, for medical evaluation.  Dennis Peters, a churchman from out of town for whom your parish clergy are providing pastoral care, is also being evaluated for heart surgery.  Please keep Walter, Eileen and Dennis in your prayers . . . A large print edition of the Sunday 11:00 AM Solemn Mass bulletin is now available.  The ushers have these on request . . . A large print edition of the newsletter is also available.  Please ask us to send you one! . . . Many thanks, again, to Jim Dennis and John Delves and their crew (Dale Bonenberger, Jon Bryant, Howard Christian, Dean Driver, and Barbara Stettner - and Sean Cassidy and Pat Higgins stepped forward to help with cleanup!) for giving us and Father Parker a wonderful send-off on Sunday! . . . it should have been in last week's newsletter: The Rector was very proud to be present for the closing Mass of Cursillo #69 where Kevin Farley was honored specially for his years of service to this ministry and Kathy Chase was recognized formally as his successor.  Saint Mary's has had an important role in Cursillo in the Diocese of New York since its inception here under the leadership of Father Wells and Father Norman Catir, retired rector of our sister parish, the Church of the Transfiguration . . . This Sunday, July 4, Ken Cowan will be at the organ and Julie Morgan will be singing Handel at the Solemn Mass . . . Wayne Chvestuik is teaching English until mid-August in Lviv, Ukraine, at the Ukrainian Roman Catholic Seminary.  He will be the only non-Roman Catholic on the faculty this summer and he's looking forward to introducing them to Anglicanism . . . Thomas Jayne, a new member of the parish and an interior decorator, is helping the Rector with a scheme for the renovation of the nursery . . . It was great to have the youth group from Saint Peter's Church, Charlotte, North Carolina, here last Sunday.  The kids and their sponsors also stayed two nights in the rectory! . . . Woody Allen was here with Hugh Grant, Tracey Ullman and a lot of assistants to film a scene for his new movie in the Lady Chapel last week.  Several of the extras were dressed as religious and some film crew members had quizzical looks on their faces when the members of the parish clergy would walk by . . . Attendance last Sunday: 201.

FROM FATHER PARKER . . . Many thanks to all those who worked to make my last Sunday at St. Mary's such a splendid event (especially the mint julep fairies!). I will always hold St. Mary's in my heart and in my prayers.  Thank you all, Fr. P.

CLERGY STAFF NOTES . . . We said goodbye this week also to the Reverend Amilcar Figueroa.  His bishop wants him back in Puerto Rico!  We don't like to argue with bishops, but we will miss Father.  He has been a great help as an assisting priest.  We have also said goodbye in another sense to the Reverend Paulette Schiff.  Mother Schiff lives near Philadelphia and really is no longer able in a practical way to assist.  Mother's ministry was extremely important for many in this parish community.  At the present time Canon Garrison and Father Wolsoncroft are the only other two priests in the weekly rota.  Canon Garrison normally takes the Friday 12:15 PM Mass and is on the Saturday rota.  Father Wolsoncroft regularly celebrates the Thursday evening Mass with the Anointing of the Sick.  A third priest to serve as the "assistant" is needed and the Rector has been in conversation with Bishop Grein about filling this position. 

Worship at Saint Mary’s

The Holy Eucharist

On Sundays Mass is said at 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM.  A Solemn Mass is offered at 11:00 AM.  Monday through Friday Mass is said at 12:15 PM and 6:15 PM.  On Saturdays Mass is said at 12:15 PM.

The Daily Office

On ordinary Sundays Morning Prayer is said at 8:40 AM and Evening Prayer at 4:45 PM.  Monday through Friday Morning Prayer is offered at 8:30 AM, the Noonday Office at 12:00 PM and Evening Prayer at 6:00 PM.  On Saturdays the Noonday Office is offered at 12:00 PM and Evening Prayer at 5:00 PM.

The Reconciliation of Penitents

Confessions are heard on Saturdays between 11:30 and 12:00 and between 4:00 and 5:00.  Appointments can also be made with members of the parish clergy for the Reconciliation of Penitents at other times.

Friday Abstinence

The ordinary Fridays of the year are observed by special acts of discipline and self-denial in commemoration of the crucifixion of the Lord.

The Calendar of the Seventh Week after Pentecost

Monday                               Independence Day (One Mass only - 12:15 PM)

Tuesday                               Weekday

Wednesday                        Weekday

Thursday                            Weekday

Friday                                  Weekday

Saturday                             Of Our Lady

The Parish Clergy

The Reverend Stephen Gerth, rector, The Reverend Allen Shin, curate,

The Reverend Arthur Wolsoncroft, The Reverend Canon Maurice Garrison, assisting priests,

The Reverend Canon Edgar F. Wells, rector emeritus.