FROM THE RECTOR: COVID-19 AT ST. MARY’S

We begin the new church year with the church open for public worship only on Sundays, with one exception, Tuesday, December 8, the patronal feast and sesquicentennial of the opening of this parish. I write on Saturday afternoon, the Eve of Advent Sunday. On Wednesday morning, November 25, Father Jay Smith learned that he was positive for COVID-19. During Evening Prayer on Sunday, November 22, he coughed and sensed that a cold was coming on. His symptoms were, and continue to be, relatively mild. He reports that it feels as if he has the flu. He is at home and in contact with his physician. He is in isolation in a bedroom in the apartment. His husband, José Vidal, is in quarantine. José was tested on Thanksgiving Day for the virus. The rapid test result showed that he was negative. The more accurate test result should be available for him tomorrow or Monday.

First, we have contacted everyone who recorded his or her presence at a service celebrated by Father Smith from Wednesday, November 18, through Monday, November 23. We could not reach some people because we could not read the name and/or have a telephone number or an email for them. We hope that word reaches them. In addition, beginning on Wednesday afternoon, November 25, after he’d received his test results and we’d informed the friars and the members of the staff, Father Smith contacted, by e-mail or telephone, everyone with whom he had contact on Sunday in the sacristy or on the street after Mass. Not depending on the contact register alone, he also contacted everyone whom he could recall having given Communion that day, or in the days prior. (The congregation at the weekday Mass is small, and, for the most part, easily tracked.)

Second, Saint Mary’s will be open tomorrow, but you will not see Father Smith, the friars, or me. I’ve asked Father Pete Powell to be celebrant and preacher on Advent Sunday and Father Matt Jacobson to be celebrant on Sunday, December 6. Guidelines for safe-distancing and the wearing of masks remain firmly in place. Furthermore, it is imperative, going forward, that everyone attending Mass or adult-education classes at Saint Mary’s sign the register and provide contact information.

After hearing Jay’s news about his test, I decided to celebrate the 12:10 PM Mass on Wednesday before going out to find a test. For that service, I entered from the side aisle and stayed inside the altar rail for the entire Mass. Board Member Marie Rosseels, who is a eucharistic minister, was here that day. She vested and sat far from me in the chancel. I began the service by announcing the situation to the congregation. I had put a Bible and the text of my homily on the altar so that I could read the gospel and homily far away from everyone. Marie administered Communion. I was at least 30 or 40 feet away from everyone attending Mass that day and had contact with no one after Mass.

I spent most of Wednesday afternoon trying to find a place offering tests. Four locations turned me away, but Br. Desmond Alban discovered a walk-in clinic on 42nd Street between 10th and 11th Avenues. The management of the line and the office was safe and efficient. I was walking home on 46th Street, about to enter Times Square, when my phone rang. My rapid test, like those of the friars, was negative. I hope to get the results from the second test tomorrow or on Monday. Father Matt Jacobson took the Mass on Thanksgiving Day. Yesterday and today, I took the 12:10 PM Mass, again with Marie’s help, entirely from the high altar, entirely away from everyone.

On Friday, Matt, a priest and physician, helped me understand and apply the CDC Guidelines on Quarantine and Isolation. Jay’s physician said that at present, he would need to isolate through Saturday, December 12—two weeks after he was first aware of his symptoms. I wondered whether I had been in “close contact” with Jay for a total of fifteen minutes on either of the two days before Jay was aware of his symptoms.

Matt helped me understand the answer to the question, “Who needs to quarantine?” From the CDC Guidelines: “Someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period* starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.” (You are welcome to read the additional information indicated by the asterisk on the referenced link for the guidelines above.) I did not have this “close contact” with Jay. I also reviewed my situation with a physician who is very much involved with COVID-19 management at one of our major hospitals. He agreed with Matt.

Still, out of an abundance of caution, I have decided to quarantine, even if I learn that my PCR test result is negative in the next day or so. Therefore, I have also decided that Saint Mary’s will only be open for public worship on Sundays until Jay is out of isolation and I am out of quarantine on Saturday, December 12. Mass will be celebrated on November 29 by Father Pete Powell and on December 6 by Father Matt Jacobson, priests who have not had close contact in the past two weeks or more with Father Smith or with me. Again, the Holy Eucharist will be celebrated on December 8, 2020, the sesquicentennial of the opening of the parish—details forthcoming.

The Clothing Drop-by ministry will resume when we re-open for public worship on weekdays. If my PCR test is negative, I will try to celebrate Mass daily during this time, though the church will remain closed. More will be revealed as we learn more. If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me by e-mail or by phone in the rectory (212-764-4089). Let us continue to pray for each other and for the parish during this difficult time. —Stephen Gerth

YOUR PRAYERS ARE ASKED FOR Robert, Bradley, Brady, Barbara, Nan, Renate, Gladys, Matt, Carmen, Shalim, Quincy, Michael, Brice, Margaret, Clara, Evan, John, Marilouise, José, and Ethelyn; for all who suffer from COVID-19; for Desmond, Damien, Thomas, Barbara Jean and Rafael, religious, for Matthew, Jay, Stephen, Gaylord, and Louis, priests, and Charles, bishop, for all those who work for the common good, and for all the members and friends of this parish. . . GRANT THEM PEACE . . . November 29: 1893 Adolph Seitz; 1907 Peter Heim; 1929 Mabel R. Beardsley; 1935 Helen Morgan Fahnestock; 1949 Amelia Isobel Pratt.

STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN 2021 . . . Our stewardship campaign is well underway, and we are receiving pledge cards each day here at the parish. Some statistics may be helpful. We mailed packets to 117 households that pledged last year; to 47 households that did not pledge last year, but did pledge at some point during the previous four years households; and to 698 households that have expressed an interest in supporting the parish in the past. Our goal for the campaign is $400,000. As of November 10, we have received $235,954.00 in pledges from 69 households, 59% of our goal. This is a good start, but we still have a ways to go. We encourage all the friends and members of the parish to return their pledge cards before Christmas. This will help the Budget Committee in its work. However, if making a commitment by that date is not possible, we will gladly receive pledge cards at any point during the coming year. Our needs are urgent, especially in these days of the pandemic. Our mission is clear. We invite your support.

THE ORDINARY FRIDAYS OF THE YEAR are observed by special acts of discipline and self-denial in commemoration of the Lord’s crucifixion.

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S . . . Sunday, November 29, The First Sunday of Advent: Adult Education 9:30 AM; Mass 11:00 AM. The church opens at 10:00 AM and closes at 12:30 PM. The preacher is the Reverend Dr. Peter Powell. The service is played by Dr. David Hurd. He will be joined by cantor, Jonathan May, alto. This service is live-streamed.

AROUND THE PARISH . . . A Reminder about the Parish Office: Our office manager, Chris Howatt, continues to work only three days per week, normally Tuesday–Thursday. You may always leave a message for him on the office’s voicemail (212-869-5830 x 10).

MUSIC AT SAINT MARY’S . . . Sunday’s organ voluntaries are two of the three settings of Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland from the Great Eighteen Leipzig Chorales of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750). The chorale (54 in The Hymnal 1982) is Martin Luther’s sixteenth-century adaptation of the fourth-century Latin hymn Veni Redemptor gentium attributed to Ambrose of Milan (55 in The Hymnal 1982). BWV 659, played for the prelude, presents a poignant ornamented version of the chorale melody above a walking bass and two accompanying voices. BWV 660, played for the postlude, is an animated trio featuring an ornamented version of the chorale melody above two quasi-canonic accompanying voices played by the left hand and on the pedals.

Jean Langlais (1907–1991) was one of several notable twentieth-century organist-composers to have been strongly associated with prominent Paris churches. In Langlais’s case, the church was the Basilica of Sainte-Clotilde where in 1945 he followed in the footsteps of César Franck (1822-1890) and Charles Tournemire (1870–1939) being named organiste titulaire, a title he retained until 1988. Langlais, who lost his sight to glaucoma at age two, began organ study with André Marchal (1894–1980), a prominent Paris organist and teacher who was also blind. He later was a prize-winning student at the Paris Conservatory where his studies included composition with Paul Dukas (1865–1935) and Marcel Dupré (1886–1971). Langlais also had a distinguished teaching career at the Schola Cantorum in Paris, where he taught from 1961 to 1976. In addition, he toured widely in Europe and the United States as a concert organist and composed extensively. His choral and organ compositions frequently have chant references or other neo-medieval characteristics. Of his Missa in Simplicitate, Langlais wrote:

One day in July [1952], the rector of La Richardais, where I was spending my holiday, knowing we had invited Jeannine Collard of the Paris Opera to join us, came by to ask me to try to persuade her to sing at Mass on Sunday. Because she had not brought any sacred music along, she asked me to compose something. I made a Kyrie for her, to which she replied, “It’s really not enough to sing just the Kyrie at Mass!” “Alright, I’ll make you an Agnus Dei so you can sing a Kyrie at the beginning and an Agnus Dei at the end.” In due course I composed an entire Mass, even adding a Credo in passing. The idea for its long recitative came from the monologue of the Messenger in Act II of Monteverdi’s Orfeo, which Jeannine Collard had sung magnificently shortly before.

The Kyrie, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei from this Mass, dedicated to mezzo-soprano Jeannine Collard will be sung on Sunday morning.

More about Sunday’s cantor: Jonathan May, alto, performs regularly with ensembles such as Early Music New York, Trident Ensemble, Bach Vespers at Holy Trinity, and the Mark Morris Dance Group. He was most recently featured as a soloist in SWELL, a music-theater work by Melisa Tien that weaves together ten original avant-garde/new music compositions written by ten composers drawing from their personal histories as immigrants and children of immigrants. Through SWELL, he worked with Carolyn Chen, Tamar Muskal, Polina Nazaykinskaya, and other composers to premiere several new music pieces written specifically for his voice.

Jonathan has appeared with New York City’s TENET Vocal Artists in unconducted performances of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, featuring only twelve singers and the instrumental ensemble The Sebastians. He also appeared as Testo in Academy of Sacred Drama’s modern premiere of Vincenzo de Grandis’ Il Nascimento di Mose. Other season highlights include appearances as alto soloist in C.P.E. Bach’s Magnificat with American Classical Orchestra and in Handel’s Dixit Dominus with Canticum Scholare; singing the role of Spirit in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with Mark Morris Dance Group; singing Philip Glass’s A Madrigal Opera at National Sawdust; and performing Tallis’s Spem in alium with The Tallis Scholars. He holds a degree in music from Dartmouth College. — David Hurd

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION . . . Please note: all the adult-education classes this year begin at 9:30 AM, NOT at 10:00 AM. On November 29 and on December 6 and 13, Father Peter Powell will lead a class on the final book in the Christian Bible, the Revelation to John. (The second half of this series will resume during Lent 2021.)

Up Next: In January, after the Christmas break, Brother Damien Joseph SSF will lead the Sunday morning adult-education class in a discussion of Christian mysticism, focusing on four different figures from the Western Christian mystical tradition.

For all these classes, seating in Saint Joseph’s Hall will be arranged to maximize social-distancing. Unfortunately, we will not be able to provide refreshments. All those attending the class must wear a face covering.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR . . . Thursday, December 24, Eve of The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The sun will set on Christmas Eve at 4:34 PM. Christmas Music & The Holy Eucharist 4:00 PM. The Mass itself will begin at 4:10 PM and conclude by 5:10 PM . . . Friday, December 25, The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ: Christmas Day. The church will be open today from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM. Angelus & Mass 11:00 AM.

SAINT MARY’S ONLINE CENTERING PRAYER GROUP . . . The Saint Mary’s Centering Prayer Group continues to meet! The Group meets online, via Zoom, every Friday evening at 7:00 PM. If you are interested in participating, please send an e-mail to this address. The convenors of the group will then send the link to the Zoom meeting.

AT THE GALLERIES . . . Hosted by the Museum of the City of New York, “Our Fair City: Building a More Equitable New York, Part 2”. From the museum website, “The past eight months have provided astonishing lessons in urban transformation. We’ve come to appreciate how fragile even a great city is and how sturdy it can be. When the virus swept through, New Yorkers beat it back, turning one of the most dangerous spots in the nation into one of the safest—temporarily, at least. The combination of failure, epiphany, improvisation, and determination gives us a once-in-a-lifetime shot at molding the next phase of the city’s evolution. We are approaching a critical moment of possibility (indeed, necessity) for city officials, planners, developers, and community leaders to come together to respond to current conditions, but if New York simply returns to the city it was in 2019, with all its manic wealth and grinding inequities, it will have failed the future. The post-COVID-19 recovery, and the election of an almost completely new city government in November 2021, has the power to alter nearly all aspects of the city, including home, work, and everything "in between.

“Part 2: Work,” a virtual conversation. Wednesday, December 9, “Shipping, manufacturing, finance, tourism—each has buoyed the city, then left a wake of wreckage. New York will have to continue to find new ways to spread the risk, helping industries to expand beyond their niches. Even after the pandemic has passed, workspace and commuting patterns may shift, and a lot of the city will adapt. How can a new generation of offices, factories, and hybrid work/retail/community spaces transform the concept of a business district? Curbed’s Justin Davidson invites David Ehrenberg (Brooklyn Navy Yard), Esmeralda Herrera (Communitas America), and Claire Weisz (WXY) to discuss.” Follows this link in order to register.

SOME GUIDELINES FOR ATTENDING SERVICES AT SAINT MARY’S:

We are now open for public worship. In order to ensure the health and safety of all, we have instituted the following procedures and guidelines:

-The 47th Street Doors, though open for ventilation, won’t be used for entry into the church. Entry is only via 46th Street.

-Exit only through the most western 46th Street door (near the former gift shop).

-The Chapel of Our Lady of Mercy and Saint Joseph’s Chapel are closed.

-The Lady Chapel is open, but all chairs, kneelers, candles, hymnals, and Prayer Books have been removed.

-Facemasks must be worn in the church at all times, except when consuming Communion. Masks should cover both mouth and nose.

-Hands-free sanitizer dispensers are available by the doors and at the head of the center aisle, where Communion will take place.

-The city, state, and diocese of New York encourages all those attending services to sign a registry and to provide one means of contact. This will be used only if it emerges that an infected person has been in attendance at a particular service and contact tracing is required.

-Everyone must maintain safe distancing (at least 6 feet apart).

-Pews have been marked with blue tape to indicate where seating is allowed.

-Only 44 people will be allowed in the nave at any time (this includes 6 couples or pairs—people who live together—who may sit together).

-All cushions have been removed from the pews. All prayer books and hymnals have been removed from the church. Service bulletins will be provided, but will be removed from the church after each service.

-Electric fans have been removed from the nave of the church. There will be no hand-held fans available at the door.

-A basket has been placed at the head of the main aisle, where pledge envelopes and other donations may be safely placed. There will be no collection taken by ushers.

-Communion (wafers only) will be administered at the foot of the chancel steps. Gluten-free hosts are available. Please inform an usher or a member of the clergy.

-All communicants must proceed down the main aisle, maintain social distance as indicated by the decals on the floor, and return to their seats via the side aisles.

-Restrooms will be available only to those who are attending the service.

If you have questions or wish to make a suggestion, please contact the rector.

This edition of the Angelus was written and edited by Father Stephen Gerth and Father Jay Smith. Father Gerth is responsible for posting the newsletter on the parish website and for distributing it via mail and e-mail, with the assistance of Christopher Howatt.