Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting of the congregation of the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin will be held this Sunday following the Solemn Mass in Saint Joseph’s Hall.  For a number of years it has been customary to have a parish brunch on the Sunday of the annual meeting.  Because of the early date for Easter, our Carnival Sunday brunch – another tradition – falls on Sunday, February 10.  After consulting with the parish leadership I decided we should simply have a meeting and save our fellowship for two Sundays hence.

At our annual meeting, the parish community receives reports from parish organizations and officers and elects our delegate to the annual convention of the Diocese of New York.  This convention will be held in Tarrytown, New York, Friday, June 7, and Saturday, June 8.  The meeting also gives us the opportunity to recognize and thank members of the community for their ministries and service.  I hope very much you may be able to be with us on Sunday.  Stephen Gerth

 

PRAYER LIST . . . Your prayers are asked for Gloria who is hospitalized, for Charles, Alex, Marion, Harold, Olga, Eleanor, John, Peter, Michael, Kenneth, Ursula, Tessie, Jennifer, John, Maureen, Marie, Jake, Rick, Edgar, Joanne, Joseph, Robert, Susan, Anthony, priest, Arthur, priest, and Charles, priest, and for the members of our and Armed Forces on active duty, especially Patrick, Edward, Christopher, Andrew, Robert, Joseph, Mark, Ned and David . . . GRANT THEM PEACE . . . January 28: 1987 Wan Tang Jou; February 2: 1985 Walter Phelps Warren; John Doy Woods.

 

LITURGICAL NOTES . . . The Sunday Proper: Amos 3:1-8, Psalm 139:1-11, 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, Matthew 4:12-23 . . . On Sunday, January 27, Mr. Robert Rhodes, seminarian, will preach at the 9:00 AM Mass, Bishop Christopher Epting will preach at the 10:00 AM Mass, the Rector will preach at the 11:00 AM Mass and Father Weiler will preach at Evensong at 5:00 PM . . . Confessions will be heard on Saturday, January 26, by Father Smith and on Saturday, February 2, by Father Weiler.

 

NOTES ON MUSIC . . . The prelude before the Solemn Mass on Sunday will be Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele, Op. 122 by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) and the postlude will be Dialogue sur les Mixtures from Suite Brève by Jean Langlais (1907-1991).  The Mass setting, sung by the sopranos and altos of the choir, is Messe Basse by Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924).  Messe Basse means “Low Mass” and therefore Fauré did not set the Gloria in excelsis, because that hymn is not a part of Low Mass on ordinary weekdays.  As we are doing this setting at High Mass, the choir will sing a plainsong Gloria.  Fauré was an important French composer of the Romantic period, and was Choirmaster of the Church of the Madeleine, Paris.  He played a great role in curbing the trend of frivolous and sentimental church music that was common in France during his lifetime.  In fact, he had many disagreements with the clergy of his parish: they desired operatic popular music that would entertain parishioners, while he made his mark by writing church music that is truly of a liturgical nature.  The motet at Communion is O bone Jesu by Brahms, one of the most significant German composers of the Romantic period.  On Candlemas Eve, the organ recital at 5:00 (note the special time) will feature Messiaen’s astounding La Nativité, played by Thomas Lee Bailey of Saint Paul’s Church, Brooklyn.   The brilliant music of Messiaen is well suited to our Aeolian-Skinner organ.  The choir will sing Nunc dimittis from Short Service by Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625) at the lighting of candles, and Mass for Five Voices by William Byrd (1543-1623) at the Mass, in addition to motets by Byrd and Tallis.  The postlude will be Final from the fourth organ symphony of Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937).

 

CHRISTIAN FORMATION . . . Father Richard Corney’s class, “Toward Baptism in the Old Testament, ” continues on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 PM through February 6.  The class meets in Saint Benedict’s Study each Wednesday and is exploring the Old Testament lessons of the Great Vigil of Easter.  Father Corney is professor emeritus of Old Testament at the General Theological Seminary.

 

ASH WEDNESDAY PREPARATION . . . This year, Ash Wednesday is very early, February 13.  Like last year, ashes will be available all day from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM.  We need ushers and other “helpful people” to be on hand to help direct the flow of people, to distribute Lenten Schedule cards and to be a friendly face for visitors.  It would not be inappropriate for many to consider taking the day off work and being a part of this important observance at Saint Mary’s.  Last year over 2500 people passed through our doors on Ash Wednesday.

 

AROUND THE PARISH . . . Please Remember: The Annual Mass of the Society of King Charles the Martyr will be held on Saturday, January 26, at 11:00 AM at the Church of the Transfiguration, Manhattan . . . As we go to press, 95 pledges, $194,198.96, have been made to the 2002 Stewardship Campaign . . . The Bookstore is open on weekdays from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM and on Sundays following the Solemn Mass . . . Many thanks to all who were able to work at Ground Zero on Wednesday evening, January 23 . . . Blessing of Throats will be given in the Lady Chapel following Solemn Evensong on Sunday, February 3.  (Because Saint Blase’s Day falls on Sunday this year, it is not otherwise observed.) . . . The Rector will be on vacation from Saturday, February 2, through Saturday, February 9 . . . Attendance Last Sunday: 208.

 

SUMMARY OF THE JANUARY 22, 2002, BOARD MEETING . . . At its January 22, 2002, meeting, the Board of Trustees: 1. Heard that the Stewardship Campaign is ongoing.  At least 30 people who pledged in 2001 have not been heard from this year, and they will be contacted once more.  2.  Heard that a budget planning meeting for 2002 will be held shortly.  3.  Discussed plans for development of the Mission House.  Board member Mr. Fred Peelen has been active in contacting people in building and development about this project. 4.  Heard that the Annual Parish Meeting will be held this Sunday, January 27, 2002.  There will not be a brunch, since there are plans for a brunch two weeks later, for Carnival Sunday, the last Sunday before Lent, February 10, 2002.  5.  Received a report from Mr. Terry O’Dwyer and the Investment Committee, concerning Saint Mary’s investment accounts.  6.  Learned that the deficit in the Flower Fund has been eliminated.  7. Signed a recommendation for Ryan Edwin Lesh to be a postulant for Holy Orders.  Leroy Sharer, Secretary

 

 

The Calendar of the Week

Sunday             The Third Sunday after the Epiphany

            Monday                     Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest & Friar

Tuesday                     Weekday

Wednesday               Weekday

Thursday                  Weekday

Friday                        Saint Brigid, Abbess

                                    Eve of the Presentation of Our Lord

                                    Blessing of Candles, Procession & Solemn Mass 6:00 PM

Saturday                   The Presentation of Our Lord

 

 

The Parish Clergy

The Reverend Stephen Gerth, rector,

The Reverend Matthew Weiler, curate, The Reverend James Ross Smith, assistant,

The Reverend Canon Maurice Garrison, The Reverend Amilcar Figueroa,

The Reverend Rosemari Sullivan, assisting priests,

The Reverend Canon Edgar F. Wells, rector emeritus.