Beatrice Lillian Norling, 1906-2001

Miss Beatrice Norling died on Friday, October 12, 2001.  She had just celebrated her ninety-fifth birthday on September 14, Holy Cross Day.  On Tuesday, October 16, services were conducted near her home in Carlstadt, New Jersey, and she was buried later that day in Dorchester, Massachusetts by the graves of her parents.  May she rest in peace.

Beatrice became a member of Saint Mary’s in 1993 after her parish of many decades, Saint John’s Church, Jersey City, was closed.  She had served as organist there for over thirty years.  She loved the Church.  Her heart was very happy with love.  She was only cross with her declining physical health, and, even then, in a gentle way.  And one could always hear New England in her voice when she spoke.

When I first came to Saint Mary’s, Beatrice took the bus in front of her house in New Jersey every Sunday to Port Authority and then walked to Saint Mary’s.  Anyone who saw how difficult this was for her was moved by her commitment to Saint Mary’s.  As a new rector I learned very quickly that there were no parishioners any happier about Saint Mary’s or life itself than Beatrice.

After her health declined and she was no longer able to come to Saint Mary’s, she was still a part of the parish clergy’s “New Jersey Run” – when Holy Communion is brought to shut-ins.  Father Shin also had a particular affection for her and was eager to visit her when she was at Hackensack University Medical Center. 

God provides for his children, and even though Saint Mary’s has been across the river from Beatrice, she was regularly visited by another priest, Father Frank Carr, rector emeritus of Saint Paul’s Church, Jersey City.  We are thankful for the care she received from Father and have been grateful for his alerting the clergy of Saint Mary’s to Beatrice’s condition from time to time.

Every parish community is blessed with senior members whose devotion and personal maturity set a powerful example for the rest of us.  Miss Beatrice was certainly that kind of person for many of us.  I will never forget the smile on her face, a smile that came right from her heart.  Stephen Gerth

PRAYER LIST . . . Your prayers are asked for Karen and Charles, priest, who are hospitalized, for the members of our Armed Forces on active duty, especially Patrick, Edward, Christopher, Andrew, Robert, Joseph and Mark, and for Alex, Marion, Harold, Olga, Carl, Eleanor, John, Peter, Michael, Kenneth, Ursula, Tessie, Jennifer, John, Jolene, Dorene, Christina, Julia, and Arthur, priest, and for the repose of the souls of Beatrice and Pete.

GRANT THEM PEACE . . . October 21: 1988 Philip W. Callanan; October 23: 1985 Adolphe Barreaux; October 24: 2000 Charlotte S. Grant; October 26: 1987 Dorothea Moran.

LITURGICAL NOTES . . . The Sunday Proper: Genesis 32:3-8, 22-30, Psalm 121, 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5, Luke 18:1-8a . . . Confessions will be heard on Saturday, October 20 and on Saturday, October 27 by Father Smith . . . NOTES ON MUSIC . . . The prelude before the Solemn Mass on Sunday will be Passacaglia in d-moll, BuxWV 161 by Dietrich Buxtehude (c. 1637-1707) and the Postlude will be Fugue in b-moll, BWV 579 by J. S. Bach (1685-1750).  The Mass setting is Missa ‘Ich segge adieu’ by Johannes de Fossa (c. 1540-1603) and the motet at communion is Ave verum corpus by William Byrd (1543-1623).  Beginning this Sunday, and continuing for a number of weeks, the gradual psalm at Solemn Mass will be sung to Anglican Chant.

AROUND THE PARISH . . . As we go to press Karen Benson remains in the medical intensive care unit at Saint Vincent’s Medical Center and Father Charles Whipple is also at Saint Vincent’s recovering from carotid artery surgery.  Please keep them in your prayers . . . A number of volunteers were able to assist with the ministry to the Ground Zero workers at Saint Paul’s Chapel inside the closed zone on Thursday, October 18.  Our thanks to all for their patience and understanding as the arrangements for this work are in flux on a daily if not hourly basis . . . Reminder: The Momentum Aid’s Project’s annual fund raising event, Tastings, will be held on Tuesday, October 23.  Details and tickets are available at www.momentumaidsproject.org . . . Flowers are needed for Sunday,

October 28.  Please contact Eileen Sorensen by telephone (212-869-5830) or e-mail, esorensen@stmvirgin.org, to donate . . . Expressions of thoughts and prayers for our parish have been received from many quarters and corners of the globe including Saint Barnabas’ Church, Denver, Colorado, Saint Christopher’s Church, Midwest City, Oklahoma and Saint Mary’s with Holy Apostles Parish, Scarborough, North Yorkshire . . . Attendance last Sunday 190.

A NOTE FROM THE RECTOR . . . Late last year, before Father Shin was accepted for graduate school at Oxford, before we called a transitional deacon to serve as curate and before Father Breidenthal applied for a position in Princeton, I accepted the kind invitation from Father Michael Basden to fly down to Naples, Florida to teach a class on four successive Wednesday nights.  With the kind assistance of our assisting priests I am going to be able to keep this commitment.  On Wednesday morning, October 24, I will fly down.  I will return the next day.  I was so grateful for Father’s and Jill Basden’s presence and help during the week of September 11.  I simply could not consider canceling!  S.G.

ALL SOULS’ DAY . . . Friends and members of Saint Mary’s will receive an All Souls’ mailing soon or may have already received it.  Those who are new to Saint Mary’s should know that the alphabetical schedule for intentions is arranged according to the last name of the person making the intention.  For instance, Mrs. Baker may ask that the names Acorn, Smith and Watkins be remembered.  According to our schedule, all three of these persons will be remembered on Monday, November 5, because Mrs. Baker’s name falls between the letters A and G.

A NOTE FROM FATHER PARADISE . . . This note is to let you know how much you, the community at Saint Mary’s and the people of my beloved city of New York have been constantly in my prayers.  I am sure that Saint Mary’s has responded to the needs of all who have sought solace and comfort in the midst of such unspeakable destruction and loss of life.  Having been at Saint Mary’s during both the “Cuban Missile Crisis” and the assassination of President Kennedy, I know how very important a role Saint Mary’s has in the life of the city at such times.  I shall never forget the flood of people from all walks and stations of life, which filled Saint Mary’s for the Requiem of John Kennedy.  The nave was filled including the chapels and parish hall.  It seemed as if all of Times Square had gathered in our beloved Church.   A wonderful memory.  I am sure this present moment has added greatly to the staff’s schedule of pastoral care.  Please know that many, including myself, are praying for you.  May you know the deep peace of our Lord’s presence as you serve God’s people.  I look forward to seeing you at Easter 2002.  In Christ’s love, The Reverend Gene H. Paradise, Atlanta, Georgia.

SUMMARY OF THE OCTOBER 15, 2001, BOARD MEETING . . . At its October 15, 2001, meeting, the Board of Trustees: 1. Heard that the Rector will be teaching a class on Wednesday evenings for the next month in Naples, Florida, at Father Basden’s parish, Trinity-by-the-Cove.  Father Smith will say the Wednesday evening masses during this time.  2.  Learned that Father Weiler will make a retreat at Saint Gregory’s Abbey, in Three Rivers, Michigan, before his ordination, which is scheduled to take place on Saint Andrew’s Day, Friday November 30, 2001.  Bishop Frank Griswold, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, will ordain Father Weiler.  Invitations are to go to the Manhattan clergy and to the members of the parish community.  3.  Heard that plans are underway to have a consultant help with plans for development of the Mission House.  4.  Received copies of audits for Saint Mary’s for 1999 and 2000 from the auditing firm of Pustorino, Puglisi and Co.  5.  Learned that the Investment Committee will meet shortly, to review the performance of our investments during the Third Quarter.  Leroy Sharer, Secretary

The Calendar of the Week

Sunday            The Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost

Monday                     Weekday

           Eve of Saint James’s Day (6:00 PM)

Tuesday                     Saint James of Jerusalem

Wednesday               Weekday

Thursday                  Weekday

Friday                        Alfred the Great, king                                                 Abstinence

Saturday                   Of Our Lady

The Parish Clergy

The Reverend Stephen Gerth, rector, The Reverend Matthew G. Weiler, curate,

The Reverend Canon Maurice Garrison, The Reverend Amilcar Figueroa, The Reverend Rosemari Sullivan, The Reverend James Ross Smith, assisting priests,

The Reverend Canon Edgar F. Wells, rector emeritus.