FROM THE RECTOR: CHRISTIAN UNITY 2021

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity has its roots in the Episcopal Diocese of New York. The Rev. Paul James Francis Wattson, S.A., born Lewis Wattson in 1863, was still an Episcopal monk and priest, in 1908 when he suggested that the week between the January feasts of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (now known as the Confession of Saint Peter on January 18 and the Conversion of Saint Paul on January 25) be observed as a “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.” But Wattson, by that time, was on his way to Rome. In 1909, his Episcopal religious community, the Society of the Atonement, for men and women, the latter being led by Mother Lurana White, was received into the Roman Catholic Church as the Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Atonement. He continued to work for reunion throughout his life. He died in 1940.

Last week there were two commemorations of martyrs from the church in Rome. On Wednesday, the martyrdom of Fabian, bishop of Rome, from 236 until 250, on Thursday, Agnes, in 304. My copy of the second edition of The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (1970) credits Decius (c. 201–250; emperor 249–250) with initiating “the first systematic persecution of the Christians, beginning with Fabian, Bishop of Rome, in January 250” (s.v. Decius,” 384).

The worst persecution came in the reign of Diocletian (c. 244 –311; emperor 284-305). The paragraph about this persecution begins with this sentence: “For the greater part of his reign the Christians seem to have enjoyed the tranquility which had been theirs since the Rescript of [the Emperor] Galerius [in the year (260)]” (Ibid., s.v. “Diocletian,” 404). I confess I had never heard of this rescript, but it explains why Christian bishops would have property where believers could worship. Agnes in Rome and Vincent in Spain were victims of Diocletian’s systematic, empire-wide persecution. Diarmaid MacCulloch writes, “Nearly half [of] all recorded martyrdoms in the early Church period are datable to this period” (Christianity: The First Thousand Years [2009], 176).

Our commemoration of Fabian’s martyrdom is titled “Fabian, Bishop and Martyr of Rome, 250.” Yet the biographical sketch for this commemoration begins, “In 236, an assembly was held at Rome to elect a pope as successor to Antherus” (Lesser Feasts and Fasts [2006], 136). Michael Walsh’s The Conclave: A Sometimes Secret and Occasionally Bloody History of Papal Elections (2003) in its title makes the same mistake as the unknown author of the sketch for Fabian. In 236, the clergy and people of Rome met to elect a bishop.

MacCulloch writes, “It was in a dispute in 256 between Bishop Stephen of Carthage and the leading Bishop of North Africa, Cyprian of Carthage, that produced a Roman bishop’s first known pronouncement to Peter ‘on this rock I will build my church’ might be seen as conferring particular authority on Peter’s presumed successor in Rome . . . The first surviving use of the title ‘papa’ in Rome occurs in the time of Bishop Marcellinus (296 –304)” (page 137). Walsh tells us that “Papa” was used for bishops in the east and the west in the third century. It began to be used as a title in Rome’s bishop’s official documents in the eighth century.

Walsh does give us some useful information in what is a relatively short book. He keeps the focus narrow. He skips over the question of when Rome only had one bishop, not many. MacCulloch references the work of the late Adrian Hastings, a Roman Catholic priest and scholar: “The switch to Latin [from Greek] in Christian Rome may have been made by one of the bishops at the end of the century, Victor (189 –99). He may indeed have been the first monarchical bishop in Rome” (page 136). During his episcopate, Pope Gregory VII (c. 1015–1085; bishop of Rome 1073–1085) made this title exclusive in the West to Rome’s bishop (Walsh, 2 –3).

I always want to write respectfully about ecclesial communities, including the Roman Catholic Church. I think the title “pope” carries the burden of a church that was reshaped by Gregory VII and his successors, not the church of the first thousand years. In the future, I will refer to the bishops of Rome before Gregory VII as bishops of Rome. With respect, the list of bishops of Rome cannot not include the Peter the Apostle, the title given him by the one who sent him. It will be truth that reunites us. —Stephen Gerth

YOUR PRAYERS ARE ASKED FOR Barbara, who is gravely ill, and Pam, Aaron, Michael, Caryn, Helen, Katie, Bridget, Burton, Aston, Penny, Beulah, Trevor, Marilouise, Barbara, Quincy, Florette, Mary, Shalim, John, José, Robert, Robert, Margaret, and Hardy; for all who suffer from COVID-19; for Damien, religious; for Scott, Gaylord and Louis, priests, and Charles, bishop, for all those who work for the common good, for all the members and friends of this parish; and for the repose of the souls of David Clothier and Renate M. Lippold . . . GRANT THEM PEACE . . . January 24: 1913 Sarah Walker; 1924 Sarah Munn Pier; 1945 Fred Moese; 1974 Hugh Addison McEdwards.

IN THIS TRANSITORY LIFE . . . Brother Desmond Alban’s uncle, David Clothier, died on Monday, January 18, after a long illness, at a hospital near his home in the United Kingdom. He was in his early eighties. David is survived by his wife, Helen, his daughters, Katie and Bridget, Brother Desmond, and their family and friends. Please play for David, his family, and for all who mourn.

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

STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN 2021 . . . Though a new year has begun, we are still eager to receive pledges from our friends and members who have not yet made a financial pledge for 2021. This is especially the case, since the Budget Committee is meeting this month in order to prepare a budget for the coming year. A reminder about 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; 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 January 12, 2021, we have received $340,239.00 in pledges from 100 households, 85.1% of our goal. We know that time are tough, and, if making a commitment at this time 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.

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S . . . Sunday, January 24, The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, Mass 11:00 AM. The church opens at 9:00 AM and closes at 12:30 PM. The preacher is the Reverend Stephen Gerth. The service is played by Dr. David Hurd. He will be joined by cantor, Jonathan May, countertenor. This service is live-streamed . . . Monday, January 25, The Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle, The End of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Mass 12:10 PM.

THE GIFT OF FLOWERS . . . We are hoping to receive donations for Sunday, February 14 (The Last Sunday after the Epiphany), Sunday, March 14 (The Fourth Sunday in Lent), and Palm Sunday (March 28). If you would like to make a donation, please contact Chris Howatt in the parish office. If you are interested in the work of the Flower Guild, please speak to Brendon Hunter, Grace Mudd, Marie Rosseels, or Brother Thomas.

AROUND THE PARISH . . . On Thursday, January 21, we learned that the condition of longtime parishioner, board member, and faithful parish volunteer, Barbara Klett, had worsened in recent days. At present, she is at the New Jewish Home Manhattan on the Upper West Side. Father Jay Smith visited her on Friday. Because of the epidemic, patients are only permitted one visit per week. Please keep Barbara in your prayers . . . We received news this week that longtime parishioner and faithful usher, Dennis Smith, is safe and well at his home in West New York, New Jersey. He is somewhat frail and is not able to go out much these days, but he remembers his fellow parishioners with fondness. Please keep him in your prayers . . . Thursday, January 28, 5:00–6:00 p.m., COVID-19 and the Vaccines: Where Are We Now? An informational webinar. Via Zoom. Presented by the EHA Consulting Group, Inc. Sponsored by the Diocese of New York. Click on this link to register for this webinar via Zoom. You will be asked to submit your parish affiliation and a question for consideration by the panelists. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar on January 28 . . . It makes us very happy to be able to open our doors again for public worship, on weekdays as well as on Sundays. The surge of infections in our city and around the country is concerning. We have committed ourselves to redoubling our efforts to keep every member of the community safe and healthy. If you are at all unwell, do not come to church. If you are experiencing symptoms, contact your primary-care physician and get tested. If you have a fever of 103.5, which is not being handled by an analgesic, and/or you are having difficulty breathing (by difficulty we mean you must stop talking in order to focus on your breathing), go to an emergency room immediately.

NEIGHBORS IN NEED . . . Our next Drop-by Day will take place on Friday, February 19, 2:00–3:00 PM in the church and Lady Chapel. We need eight (8) volunteers for the event. (Volunteers work from 1:30 to 3:30 PM. However, doors do not open to guests until 2:00 PM.) If you would like to volunteer or make a donation of cash, clothing, or toiletry articles, please contact Brother Desmond Alban, SSF . . . Saint Mary’s has long provided assistance to our neighbors at the Saint Clement’s Food Pantry, sending cash donations, but also receiving non-perishable food items which were then delivered to the Pantry. The pandemic has made collecting and delivering difficult for a number of reasons. However, since food insecurity has increased in the city—also because of the pandemic—we would like to re-double our efforts in assisting the Saint Clement’s program. Cash donations are gratefully received. Please put Saint Clement’s Food Pantry in the memo line or field when you make your donation, and we thank you.

NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS COVID-19 TESTING SITES . . . COVID-19 testing is walk-in only. No appointment is needed. Walk-in testing is available at no cost to you at NYC Health + Hospitals locations. Please visit the NYC Health + Hospital website for further information and for a listing of testing locations. The site also provides information about tests for children both above and below the age of two.

MUSIC AT SAINT MARY’S . . . The fact that Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) composed nearly a dozen organ settings of Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr reveals the importance and popularity of this chorale which paraphrases Gloria in excelsis (“All glory be to God on High”) in the liturgical culture of his time. In fact, long before Bach, the leading German composers had set this melody repeatedly and, in our day, one finds this tune with its translated text in the hymnals of many denominations. Today’s prelude is one of the three settings of Allein Gott among the “Great Eighteen” Leipzig chorales of Bach’s later years. It is written for two manuals and pedal and features an ornamented version of the chorale melody in the tenor register. The postlude is another setting of the same chorale found among Bach’s miscellaneous chorales. In this short piece Bach separates phrases of the carol melody, stated in unabashedly vivid harmony, with free fantasia passages sounding very much like they might have been improvised. The settings for the Mass today are from Saint Paul’s Service by David Hurd, organist and music director at Saint Mary’s. Saint Paul’s Service, a setting of the Rite I Mass ordinary, was commissioned in 2000 by Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, New York, in honor of the sesquicentennial anniversary of the parish. This setting is sung today in anticipation of the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul to be celebrated tomorrow, January 25. Since this setting is scored for unison voices and organ, it is suitable to be sung by a single cantor, as it will be offered at Mass today. The unifying stylistic feature of this Mass setting is the flavor of French impressionism which can be recognized in its harmonic and melodic elements throughout.

Today’s cantor is countertenor Jonathan May. During the Communion he will sing Sehet, welche Liebe by Josef Rheinberger (1839–1901), the first of his Six Sacred Songs, Opus 157. The text is credited to Lutheran pastor and hymn-writer Karl Johann Philipp Spitta (1801–1859). Rheinberger was a prodigy of his time; at the age of seven he was already serving as organist of the parish church in his hometown of Vaduz, a small town along the Rhine River, and compositions of his were performed there shortly thereafter. In 1851, he entered the Munich Conservatorium where, soon after graduating, he was appointed professor of piano and composition. Influences upon Rheinberger include his more famous contemporary Johannes Brahms and earlier notable German composers, including Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, and Franz Schubert. Rheinberger’s works include two operas, two symphonies, songs, piano works, chamber works and assorted other compositions. His twenty sonatas for organ, the next most significant body of organ pieces after Mendelssohn, continue to stand at the center of German Romantic organ literature. Rheinberger’s sacred choral works include a Christmas cantata, fourteen Masses, three requiem settings, two settings of Stabat Mater as well as motets and miscellaneous other compositions.More about our Cantor: Jonathan May, countertenor, performs regularly with ensembles such as Early Music New York, Trident Ensemble, Bach Vespers at Holy Trinity, and 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.

He 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 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.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION . . . Please note: all the adult-education classes this year begin at 9:30 AM, NOT at 10:00 AM. They normally conclude at 10:30 AM, allowing those attending the class to serve at the altar or to attend Mass in the nave.

If you would like to attend Brother Damien’s five-week series via Zoom, please send an e-mail to Grace Mudd or to Brother Damien, who will send you a link.

Brother Damien writes, “On Sunday, January 10, we began our five-part introduction to mystical theology in the Western Christian tradition, “Christian Mysticism and the Secret of Knowing God.”. On Sunday, January 24, we will discuss Dilectio – the delights of God’s love. We will sample the rich (and historically often controversial) theme of romantic and even erotic love as an image for knowing God, specifically through selections from Ramon Llull’s Book of the Lover and the Beloved. We’ll also briefly touch on this theme’s roots in the Biblical Song of Songs. On the last Sunday in January, Sunday, January 31, this will be our focus: Passio – knowing God in suffering. The cross, suffering, and death of Christ may seem an unlikely ground for a way of contemplation often associated with “raptures” and “ecstasy,” but it is in fact central to the mystical vision. We’ll look at excerpts of Bonaventure’s reflections on the Cross and Passion of Christ and on Francis of Assisi as an example of mystical union with Christ. Finally, on Sunday, February 7, we will discuss Ablatio – the way of negation and unknowing. The pinnacle of experiencing God, according to virtually all of the great mystics, is the entry into a state of unknowing, beyond conceiving or describing. In this session, we’ll use selections from Angela of Foligno’s Memorial to approach the mystical via negativa (“way of negation”) and the compelling, if counter-intuitive idea, of the “darkness of God.” (Please note: Brother Damien Joseph has kindly agreed to extend his series one week. There will be a class on February 7. There will not be a class on Sunday, February 14.

Next Up: Father Peter Powell will resume his series on the Revelation to John, the Christian Bible’s final book, on February 21. (There will be no class on February 14.) Father Powell will teach on all the Sundays of Lent and on Palm Sunday. His classes in the fall on Revelation were extremely interesting. Our current political situation reminds us that certain ways of apocalyptic thinking persist in our society. Reading Revelation together and confronting that text’s beauties and its challenges has many benefits. We invite you to join us.

If you would like to attend Brother Damien’s five-week series via Zoom, please send an e-mail to Grace Mudd or to Brother Damien, who will send you a link.

The class will meet in Saint Joseph’s Hall, with face coverings and social distancing required.

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.

AT THE GALLERIES . . . At the Metropolitan Museum Fifth Avenue at East Eighty-second Street, Goya’s Graphic Imagination, February 12–May 2, 2021. (Thank you to Kenny Isler for bringing this exhibition to our attention.) From the museum website, “Regarded as one of the most remarkable artists from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, Francisco Goya (1746–1828) is renowned for his prolific activity as a draftsman and printmaker, producing about nine hundred drawings and three hundred prints during his long career. Through his drawings and prints, he expressed his political liberalism, criticism of superstition, and distaste for intellectual oppression in unique and compelling ways. This exhibition will explore Goya’s graphic imagination and how his drawings and prints allowed him to share his complex ideas and respond to the turbulent social and political changes occurring in the world around him. The broadly chronological presentation will follow Goya’s evolution and different phases as a graphic artist as well as his approaches to his subjects. Around one hundred works on display will come mainly from The Met collection—one of the most outstanding collections of Goya’s drawings and prints outside Spain—with other works coming from New York, Boston, and Madrid’s Museo Nacional del Prado and the Biblioteca Nacional.

ON OUR SCREENS . . . The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song will premiere February 16 and 23, 2021, at 9:00 p.m. ET on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings). This moving four-hour, two-part series from executive producer, host and writer Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor at Harvard University and director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research, traces the 400-year-old story of the Black church in America, all the way down to its bedrock role as the site of African American survival and grace, organizing and resilience, thriving and testifying, autonomy and freedom, solidarity and speaking truth to power. The documentary reveals how Black people have worshipped and, through their spiritual journeys, improvised ways to bring their faith traditions from Africa to the New World, while translating them into a form of Christianity that was not only truly their own, but a redemptive force for a nation whose original sin was found in their ancestors’ enslavement across the Middle Passage. Renowned participants in the series include media executive and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey; singer, songwriter, producer and philanthropist John Legend; singer and actress Jennifer Hudson; Presiding Bishop Michael Curry of The Episcopal Church; gospel legends Yolanda Adams, Pastor Shirley Caesar and BeBe Winans; civil rights leaders Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. William Barber II; scholar Cornel West; and many more. Through their interviews, viewers will be transported by the songs that speak to one’s soul, by preaching styles that have moved congregations and a nation, and by beliefs and actions that drew African Americans from the violent margins of society to the front lines of change.

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 and parish volunteer, Clint Best.