FROM THE RECTOR: EDGAR FISHER WELLS, JR., MARCH 26, 1930–JUNE 7, 2020

I met Father Edgar Wells in the fall of 1980, at the beginning of my first year at Nashotah House Seminary. Father Wells was a member of the seminary board of trustees. The priest who sent me to seminary had been Father Wells’ seminarian when he studied at Nashotah House. Somewhere in the rectory, there is copy of an issue of Ave, Saint Mary’s newsletter before the advent of the digital age, which Father Wells sent me when he returned home. He inscribed it with a note that went something like, “Dear Stephen, Please come and visit St. Mary’s when you are in New York.” In the end, that visit never took place. I did not see Father Wells again until I came to New York to be interviewed by the board and also the bishop of New York to be considered for the position of rector. Father Wells invited me to come to his apartment for breakfast—pancakes, bacon, juice, and coffee. He was very gracious and honest about the work he saw ahead for the next rector.

Father Wells was born not far from Saint Mary’s, in Hell’s Kitchen, at the Polyclinic Hospital, 341 West 50th Street, which closed in 1977. The building is still there and was converted to apartments. Father Wells grew up in the Bronx. While a student at Collegiate School, he sang in the choir of men and boys at the Church of the Resurrection, East Seventy-fourth Street, here in the city. Hell’s Kitchen was not a good neighborhood during the war. He recalled that he and his buddies needed to run fast to make it through the neighborhood to the Hudson River to see the ships docked on the piers without getting themselves beat up.

He graduated from Brown University and Nashotah House Seminary. He was ordained and first served in the diocese of Fond du Lac. He came to St. Peter’s Church, Westchester Square, Bronx, as an assistant priest, and then served as vicar of the Church of the Annunciation of Our Lady, Gurnee, Illinois, in the diocese of Chicago. In 1976, that mission church became a parish and he became its first rector. It was from Annunciation that he was called to Saint Mary’s and began work here in February 1979.

When he came to Saint Mary’s, the parish faced enormous financial challenges, not to mention deferred maintenance. In 1981, HIV/AIDS was identified as a disease that would begin to take the lives of a generation of gay men. One of his first responsibilities was to put the 1979 Prayer Book in the pews—a new Prayer Book is not an easy thing to introduce. The ordination of women to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church began in 1977 and was a challenge for many in the Saint Mary’s community.

At a special convention of the diocese of New York, held in the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine on Saturday, June 10, 1995, the Reverend Catherine Roskam was elected Suffragan Bishop of the diocese of New York. Shortly after the election was announced, Father Wells went to the microphone and was recognized by the chair. He addressed the hushed congregation, saying, “Bishop Grein, members of the Convention: It has been almost twenty years since clergy of the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Manhattan, employed the floor of this Convention as a means of expressing their concern over major issues facing the life of the Church; and when they did so it was under the banner of traditionalist opposition to the presence of women in the priesthood and episcopate. A great deal has changed during the ensuing years, and many Episcopalians who would describe themselves as Anglo-Catholics have come to accept and affirm the presence of women in these ministries. On their behalf I want this afternoon to express great pleasure in the election of the Reverend Catherine Roskam as Suffragan Bishop of this diocese, and to assure you, Bishop Grein, of our loyalty to, and wholehearted support of, the Church’s mission in the Diocese of New York.” The applause, I’ve been told by more than one person, was thunderous.

Father Wells’s statement to convention was printed later in an issue of Ave. Father Wells was able to report to the readers of that same issue that, when he read those words to the congregation gathered for Solemn Mass on June 11, the applause was “spontaneous.” Mother Roskam was ordained bishop on Saturday, January 27, 1996. Her first celebration of the Eucharist following her ordination at the cathedral took place seven days later, when she was celebrant and preacher here for the Blessing of Candles, Procession and Solemn Mass on the Feast of the Presentation. Father Wells was deeply loyal to the Episcopal Church and the breadth of the fellowship within our Anglican Communion. He believed in a future for Saint Mary’s.

It was not easy to introduce the new Prayer Book or its contemporary language rites, but he voted, as it were, for the future. It was not easy for some to have a woman at the altar as a regular celebrant at the Sunday Solemn Mass. Father Wells was person of deep integrity. I don’t think I ever addressed him as “Edgar.” Very occasionally he called me, “Stephen.”

The most important words I have heard about Father’s ministry was his enormous pastoral capacity. He believed in the sacraments and the sacramental rites of the church. I can’t begin to remember how many times I have been told that he was remarkable pastor to the sick and the dying. His generation of Episcopal priests in this city had more than their share of funerals. He was at home at the altar, in the pulpit, and in the confessional. He also had a great laugh and a great smile.

With the current pandemic, the normal patterns of burying the dead are on hold. As I write on Thursday, June 11, the Feast of Saint Barnabas the Apostle, Father Wells’s mortal body is being cremated today. His ashes will be brought to the church next week. Father Jay Smith and I will receive his ashes and pray the prayers for the Reception of the Body. The ashes will repose in the Vault of the Lady Chapel until it is possible to celebrate the Burial of the Dead for him here at Saint Mary’s.  His ashes will then be interred in the columbarium at the cathedral, along with the ashes of his parents and of a good friend, the Reverend Walter Edgar Hartlove, who died in 1996.

His friendships were many, and many of his friends have already gone before him to the life of the world to come. We too, by God’s grace, will join him. Rest in peace, Father Wells, and pray for us. —Stephen Gerth

YOUR PRAYERS ARE ASKED FOR Jordan, Wes, Michael, Leroy, Shalim, Nam, John, Marilouise, Ken, May, Willard, Alexandra, Takeem, and Dennis; for Damien, Desmond, Robert James, Monica Clare, James, and David, religious; for Jake, Ryan, Ginger, Gene, David, Gaylord, and Louis, priests; and Charles, bishop; for the members of the armed forces on active duty, especially Isabelle; for all health-care workers; all those who work for the common good; for all the members, benefactors, and friends of this parish; and for the repose of the soul of Edgar Fisher Wells, priest and rector emeritus of this parish. We pray for justice and peace for all the people of this nation. We pray for the safety and welfare of our city and all who dwell herein.

GRANT THEM PEACE: June 14: 1878 Robert Hiddle Wishart; 1890 Hugh Agnent McKeon; 1897 Monika Steckler; 1902 Charles Bourguignon; 1913 Harry Lowery; 1944 Arthur Francis Campbell; 1964 Viola Lee Parks.

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

SAINT MARY’S WORSHIP VIDEOS are live-streamed daily at 10:00 AM on Saint Mary’s Facebook page. And they can be viewed there even if you don’t have a Facebook account. They are uploaded after the Mass, first to our Vimeo page and then to our parish webpage. We also have a parish YouTube account, but at the moment we are not posting our videos there. Weekday Masses average a little less than thirty minutes and include a homily written for the day.

THE FLOWER MARKET HAS REOPENED . . . We welcome donations for flowers for the altar in the Lady Chapel and for the shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham on June 28. A donation of $150.00 is asked. Please be in touch with Chris Howatt by email if you would like to make a donation. We hope to make an announcement about plans for Sundays in July before too long.

MUSIC AT SAINT MARY’S . . . Dr. David Hurd, organist and music director at Saint Mary’s has been sharing with the parish community a series of articles entitled “Music Listening for the Easter Season.” These were followed by articles for Trinity Sunday and Corpus Christi Sunday. All ten articles are on the Music Department page of the parish website . . . Dr. Hurd and the Virtual Choir of the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin have also recorded two choral pieces, If ye love me by Thomas Tallis (c. 1505–1585) Jesu dulcis memoria by Tomás Luis de Victoria (c. 1548–1611).

WE NEED YOUR HELP . . . If you have made a pledge for 2020, please continue to make payments on your pledge, if possible. If you have not yet made a pledge for 2020, we urge you to do so. If you are able to make an additional donation to support the parish at this time, we would happily receive it. Donations may be made online via the Giving section of the parish website. You may also make arrangements for other forms of payment by contacting our parish administrator, Christopher Howatt, who would be happy to assist you. We are grateful to all those who continue to support Saint Mary’s so generously. —Stewardship Committee

AROUND THE PARISH . . . Parishioner Michael Merenda remains at Mount Sinai Hospital receiving treatment. Please keep him in your prayers . . . On Thursday, June 11, at the 10:00 AM Mass we experienced some technical difficulties that interrupted the live-stream of the liturgy. We apologize for any distractions or confusion. We are purchasing some new equipment that we hope will solve the problem. We are grateful for the patience, and the kindness, of all those who were watching the live-stream that day.

LIVES OF THE SAINTS . . . On Thursday, June 18, we will commemorate Bernard Mizeki, Catechist and Martyr in Mashonaland, who died on that day in the year 1896. Mizeki was born in what is now Mozambique in 1861. As a young man he moved to South Africa, where he worked as a laborer during the day, and, after a time, attended an Anglican school at night. The school was run by the members of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist, the same religious order that provided this parish with clerical leadership early in the twentieth century. While studying at the Cowley Fathers’ School, Mizeki revealed his innate intelligence, his gift for leadership, and a remarkable gift for languages. He also came to faith during that time and was baptized on March 9, 1886. Upon graduation, he was invited to undertake mission work in Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. He eventually founded a mission-complex which included a school. Though there were some bumps along the road, Mizeki developed a sensitivity to the religious beliefs of the local people, in particular their traditional monotheism. He brought many people to the Christian faith. Nonetheless, this was a time of tension between African nationalists and the European colonizers. Mizeki refused to leave his mission during a period of unrest and was martyred on June 18, 1896. One reads that, “The place of [Bernard Mizeki’s] death has become a focus of great devotion for Anglicans and other Christians, and one of the greatest of all Christian festivals in Africa takes place there every year around the feast day that marks the anniversary of his martyrdom, June 18.” Our own presiding bishop, the Most Reverend Michael Curry, attended the festival in 2017, during which time he preached what one American bishop has described as “the best sermon [Bishop Curry] has ever given.” Bernard Mizeki is an Anglican saint who continues to inspire during this time of anxiety and ferment. Mizeki was a layman and his exercise of what Brother Thomas, in his own work, calls “baptismal ministry” remains a model for the church today.

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S . . . Sunday, June 14, The Feast of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ: Corpus Christi, Sung Mass 10:00 AM. Mass concludes with Eucharistic Benediction. The readings at Mass on Sunday are Deuteronomy 8:2–3; Psalm 34:1–8; John 6:47–59. The celebrant and preacher is Father Stephen Gerth. We cannot have a procession this year, but the Sung Mass on Corpus Christi will conclude with Eucharistic Benediction . . . Tuesday, June 16, Joseph Butler, 1752, Bishop of Durham, June 16, 1752, Mass 10:00 AM . . . Thursday, June 18, Bernard Mizeki, Catechist and Martyr in Mashonaland, June 18, 1896, Mass 10:00 AM.

A BLACK LIBERATION READING LIST . . . The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, a division of the New York Public Library, published a well-illustrated reading list this week that was curated by the Center’s staff. The list of ninety-five works includes fiction, non-fiction, history, poetry, memoir, essays, drama, biography, political and cultural analysis, and current events. There is a place to start—or to continue—for every interested reader. We invite you to read, study, and join the conversation.

JOINING THE CONVERSATION . . . J. Chester Johnson, poet and author, was here at Saint Mary’s not long ago to discuss his book, Auden, the Psalms, and Me (2017). On Sunday, June 14, at 2:30 PM, Trinity Church, Wall Street, will be hosting an online conversation with Mr. Johnson about his new book, Damaged Heritage: The Elaine Race Massacre and A Story of Reconciliation (Pegasus Books, 2020). The story that Mr. Johnson tells began in 1919, when more than one hundred African Americans were massacred in Elaine, Arkansas, when a number of African American sharecroppers, newly returned from military service in World War I, formed a union in order to negotiate for higher cotton prices. The massacre was a long-buried but traumatic event in the history of Arkansas, an event whose effects endure to this day. Some years ago, Mr. Johnson, who is white, learned that his beloved grandfather had participated in the massacre. Attempting to come to terms with this now “bifurcated” understanding of his family’s history, Mr. Johnson began to research the events surrounding the Elaine Massacre, research that resulted in his new book. Along the way, Johnson was introduced to Sheila Walker, a native Arkansan, who is African American, and whose uncles were badly wounded during the massacre. Their conversations helped shape the book and have led to a friendship and to a mission. Walker and Johnson hope that telling the truth about the painful events of 1919 will ultimately lead to justice and reconciliation. You can hear Mr. Johnson talk about this history and about his book on Sunday, June 14, at 2:30 PM in an online event, “Damaged Heritage: A Conversation.” He will be joined by Dr. Catherine Meeks of the Absalom Jones Episcopal Center for Racial Healing. You may register for the event here. Mr. Johnson’s book is now available for sale as an e-book for Kindle at Amazon for only $0.79. The hardcover edition is $18.57.

FROM THE FRIARY . . . The meditations of our Franciscan brothers and other brothers of the Society of Saint Francis are archived on the Society’s website. Brother Damien Joseph SSF posted a new meditation this week that is entitled “A Tale of Three Mothers.” It can be read here. We are grateful that the brothers are sharing their reflections, rooted in their reading of Scripture, the Franciscan tradition, and their experience with us. We recommend them to all of our readers.

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.

ONLINE RETREATS . . . Holy Cross Monastery, West Park, New York, is offering three online Zoom retreats during the month of June: Entering the Bridal Chamber of the Heart: Plumbing the Depths of the Luminous Gospels (a Zoom retreat), led by Father Matthew Wright (June 9–11); A Maker’s Pilgrimage (a Zoom retreat), led by Brother Aidan Owen, OHC (June 17–19); and An Introduction to Centering Prayer (a Zoom retreat), led by Brother Bernard Delcourt, OHC (June 24–26). Visit the monastery website for more information about registration and suggested donations.

AT THE MUSEUMS . . . Online at the New-York Historical Society: The Historical Society has in its archives a collection of cookbooks, including handwritten volumes, lovingly preserved by local families. The Society has started to publish on their website a “Recipe of the Week.” Featured this week is an “Election Cake.” From the Society’s website, “[The Election Cake] is a civically minded recipe from the Duane Family cookbook collection. During the nineteenth-century, Election Day was considered a holiday and women would bring special celebratory cakes to polling sites to feed the male voters, many of who traveled a long way to vote.” The strict division of labor based on gender is telling; and a reminder: Election Day 2020 in New York City for Federal and State primaries is Tuesday, June 23. Visit the New York City Board of elections website for more information, including information about early and absentee voting.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION AT SAINT MARY’S . . . Father Peter Powell has kindly agreed to continue his online bible study, begun in March, focusing first on the Book of Exodus. He writes, “My Exodus papers will begin a study of the Book of Exodus. You will remember that Martin Luther King used the Exodus event to understand the Civil Rights movement. I believe that Exodus continues to have much to teach us about how God works in the world today and how God continues to care for the powerless. Among many other things Exodus shows how deeply God wants a relationship with us. We have been taught that God is omniscient, but Exodus reveals that God’s actions are influenced by Moses’s intercession with him. Frequently in Exodus Moses reminds God that God’s reputation is linked to the people he has brought out of Egypt. If God wants the world to know that YHWH is Lord of all creation then God is bound to his people and cannot destroy them despite their stiff-necked behavior and their outright apostasy (e.g., the Golden Calf). Moses provides us with a model on how to relate to God and the assurance that God desires to relate to us. We will explore the stories of Exodus to better understand the importance of worship, faith, and prayer.” The next part of Father Powell’s series on Exodus will be distributed to the parish via e-mail early next week.

This edition of the Angelus was written and edited by Father Stephen Gerth and Father Jay Smith. The photographs from Father Wells’s anniversary are not credited. If the photographer will identify himself or herself, credit will be given in the next issue of this newsletter. Father Gerth is responsible for posting the newsletter on the parish website and for distributing it via e-mail.

The Calendar of the Week