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FROM THE RECTOR: BEING OPEN

I may be mistaken, and I would be delighted to know that I am. Still, I think Saint Mary's is the only Episcopal Church parish in Manhattan that opened for public worship on July 1, 2020, the first-day parishes of our diocese were permitted to be open. We continue to be open daily.

Good News: Our neighbors at Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue will be open Monday through Saturday beginning Monday, July 13, from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM. Shrine Prayers and Mass will be celebrated on these days at the Chantry Chapel. Their larger building and location present challenges for the safety of visitors and staff. I know that the clergy and lay leaders at Saint Thomas want their church to open on Sundays too soon as it is practical.

The Eucharist is now celebrated daily at the high altar-safe distancing for more than six or eight people is not possible in any of our chapels. For now, our hours of opening are limited. Among other things, this gives our sextons time to disinfect the church daily when it closes to the public.

On Sunday, July 5, there were 32 of us at Mass. Dr. David Hurd played before and after the service, and he played improvisations during the Said Eucharist. It was great to hear the organ again. Because of the way COVID-19 is now understood to be spread, it will be months before congregational singing returns. There was only one person in the congregation, I think, whom I hadn't seen before. I know I was happy that we were able to open-and I believe that those who joined us were happy too. It was a good Sunday.

It goes without saying that if you are aware that you may be sick, do not come to church. Let us know so that we can pray for you and check to see if you need any help. On Sundays at 11:00 AM and on Major Feast Days at 12:10 PM, we will live-stream our Mass on our Facebook page. After the service, our videos are also available on our Vimeo page. Virtual worship is real worship. From the Prayer Book: "If a person desires to receive the Sacrament, but, by reason of extreme sickness or physical disability, is unable to eat and drink the Bread and Wine, the Celebrant is to assure that person that all the benefits of Communion are received, even though the Sacrament is not received with the mouth" (page 457). A form of these words has appeared in all Prayer Books of the Church of England and the Episcopal Church.

A few words about our city: unless it is raining, I walk for exercise daily. Some days the walk is just a walk; other days, it has a destination-usually a grocery store. Central Park is still a happy place. The vast majority of people everywhere are good about face coverings and safe distancing. There are more people on our sidewalks and more cars on our streets. Some of the plywood, but by no means all that went up on storefronts when looting occurred last month, has come down. These are hopeful signs for the future. More worrying is the increasing number of storefronts where signs and furnishings are now gone.

Finally, the board of trustees will be making decisions this week about the budget for the balance of 2020. We've been closed for three and a half months now. Donations from support groups and use of space fees from other non-profits that use our spaces have fallen significantly. Please pray that the graces of faith, charity, and wisdom will be our guides. We want our doors to remain open. —Stephen Gerth

YOUR PRAYERS ARE ASKED FOR Michael, Larry, Scott, Samantha, Luis, Leroy, Shalim, Philippe, Donald, Emily, Nam, John, James, Marilouise, Ken, May, Willard, Alexandra, Takeem, and Dennis; for Ronald, Rafael, and Curtis, religious; for Gene, Gaylord, Charles, Louis, priests; and Charles, bishop; for the members of the armed forces on active duty, especially Isabelle; for all health-care workers; for all those who work for the common good; and for all the members, benefactors, and friends of this parish. We pray for justice and peace for the people of this nation. We pray for the safety and welfare of our city and for those who dwell herein . . . GRANT THEM PEACE: July 5: 1884 Edith Centre Burleigh Just; 1902 Martha Frances Brown; 1939 Eyland Jarvis Hall; 1948 Hector Recousie.

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

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 are closed. Entry is only on 46th Street.

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

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

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

-           Face masks must be worn in the church.

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

-           The State, 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 40 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.

-           Mass bulletins will be provided, but will be removed from the church after each service.

-           All electric fans have been removed from the church.

-           There will be no hand-held fans available at the door

-           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.

-           There will be no collection taken by ushers.

-           A donations basket will be placed at the head of the center aisle, near the Communion area.

-           (Donations are encouraged and gratefully received.)

-           There will be no Offertory procession.

-           There will be no communal singing.

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

-           There will be no coffee hour.

-           These guidelines are to ensure the health and safety of all. Please follow the directions of the ushers and the members of the clergy. If you have questions or wish to make a suggestion, please contact the rector.

THE FLOWER MARKET HAS REOPENED . . . We now welcome donations for flowers for the high altar. The suggested donation for those arrangements is $250.00. Please be in touch with Chris Howatt by email if you would like to make a donation.

AROUND THE PARISH . . . Parishioner Michael Merenda at home and receiving palliative care. He is gravely ill. Please keep him and his spouse, Leroy Sharer, in your prayers . . . Bishop Andrew M.L. Dietsche’s Guidance on Re-Opening Churches for Public Worship, Outreach, and the Accommodation of Outside Groups is available on the diocesan website . . . The New York State Department of Health’s Interim Guidance for Religious & Funeral Services During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency is available online.

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S . . . Sunday, July 12, The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, Mass 11:00 AM. The church opens at 10:00 AM and closes at 12:30 PM. The celebrant and preacher is Father Stephen Gerth . . . Monday–Tuesday, July 13–14, Weekdays after Pentecost, Mass 12:10 PM . . . Wednesday, July 15, Bonaventure, Bishop and Friar, July 15, 1274. Mass 12:10 PM . . . Thursday, July 16, Weekdays after Pentecost, Mass 12:10 PM . . . Friday, July 17, William White, Bishop of Pennsylvania, July 17, 1836, Mass 12:10 PM . . . Saturday, July 18, Of Our Lady, July 18, Mass 12:10 PM.

CONFRONTING RACISM: WORDS & DEEDS . . . In light of recent events and ongoing realities in our society, some members of Saint Mary’s have begun weekly conversations about racism and about how we as individuals and as a community can respond. At present, conversations are informal, and are being held via the online Zoom platform. Participants will decide the shape and content of the discussion moving forward.  Options might include a structured curriculum, book and film discussions, or other routes.  If you’d like to join in these discussions, please email Brother Thomas or Brother Damien.

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.

FROM THE FRIARY . . . The meditations of our resident Franciscan brothers and the other brothers of the Society of Saint Francis are archived on the Society’s website. (Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the titles of the archived meditations.) Brother Thomas posted a new meditation his week that is entitled “Digging at the Roots.” 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.

ONLINE RETREATS . . . Holy Cross Monastery, West Park, New York, is offering several online Zoom retreats this summer. Among them are Praying with the Spanish Mystics: Dark Night and Interior Castle, led Carl McColman, Tuesday, July 21–Thursday, July 23, 2020, at 2:00 PM on Zoom. Visit the monastery website for more information about registration, suggested donations, and information about online retreats to take place during the month of July.

AT THE MUSEUMS . . . A Talk at The New-York Historical Society, Religious Liberty and the American Constitution. This talk took place on November 9, 2019, and has been archived on the museum’s website. The audio file may be downloaded. Speakers: Eddie S. Glaude, Jr.; Akhil Reed Amar; Marcia Coyle, moderator. During this talk Professor Glaude discusses the legal precedents, protections, and debates surrounding religious liberty in the United States with legal experts Akhil Reed Amar and Marcia Coyle. Duration: 1:24:24. Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., is chair of the Department of African American Studies and James S. McDonnell Distinguished Professor of Religion and African American Studies at Princeton University, and a distinguished author. Akhil Reed Amar is Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University and author of several books, including The Constitution Today: Timeless Lessons for the Issues of Our Era (Basic Books, 2016). Marcia Coyle is Chief Washington Correspondent for The National Law Journal, where she covers the Supreme Court of the United States, and national legal issues.

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 e-mail. 

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