FROM THE RECTOR: OPPORTUNITY

In the Angelus for Sunday, October 3, 2021, I wrote about the ministration of Communion at Trinity-by-the Cove Church, Naples, Florida. I didn’t mention the parish’s name and its rector, the Reverend Edward Campbell Gleason, because I didn’t have a chance to be in touch with Father Gleason before the Angelus was due to go out. He and I are both graduates of Nashotah Seminary. We were both curates at Saint Luke’s Church, Baton Rouge. I was the first curate called by Saint Luke’s then-new rector, the Reverend Charles E. Jenkins, III, later the tenth bishop of Louisiana. It was the late Bishop Jenkins who ordained Edward deacon and priest. I repeat here Father Gleason’s words to me after the service, “The celebrant shouldn’t be the only person to receive the Wine.”

I confess I had entirely forgotten the rubric in the Prayer Book in the section “Additional Directions” (pages 406–409) for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist: “Opportunity is always to be given every communicant to receive the consecrated Bread and Wine separately” (page 407). Full marks to Father Gleason for his clarity about this issue during this anxious time in our church and society.

Father Gleason shared his sources for shot glasses, serving trays, and folding server tables—the kind one sees in restaurants. Delivery dates are uncertain these days. But, everything arrived by Thursday, October 21. Yesterday, Sexton Jorge Trujillo helped me unpack everything. The commercial washer in the kitchen needs to be replaced, and I’m sure it will be when one is needed again. So, I used the dishwasher in the rectory. We bought 96 glasses, but I only washed 72 of them. A “quick wash” cycle takes 33 minutes. It took four cycles to wash them because of the interior configuration of the dishwasher. I will continue to take responsibility for washing them through Sunday, December 19, my last day to celebrate and preach. The glasses are very sturdy. I think a quarter of an ounce of Wine per glass is all that is needed.

Three larger glass cruets in the sacristy were filled with wine and water on Saturday and were on the altar at the Saturday Mass. After the ministration of Communion, were put in the tabernacle. Before the Sunday Solemn Mass, we will put 36 glasses on each of two trays and put the Wine in them so members of the congregation who want to receive the Wine can do so. There will be a second tray nearby for empty glasses. As the choir sings Agnus Dei, the trays will be placed by the chancel. They will be removed after the ministration of Communion. After rinsing in the sacristy, the dishwasher will wash them on Sunday afternoon.

Since the week of October 10, when there are no commemorations, the first lesson at the daily Mass has been from the Letter of Paul to the Romans. The first readings will be from Romans until the week of October 31. This year, with All Saints’ Day, All Souls’ Day, and the Requiem Eucharists that will follow on the next five weekdays, we will not hear one of my favorite passages in this letter at the daily Mass, a portion of the twelfth chapter of this letter. Instead, I share three verses that provide guidance and perspective on our relationship to God and each other. Paul wrote, “For as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another” (Romans 12:4–5). I found myself quipping to colleagues at a meeting last week, “There’s no Body of Christ in the tabernacle unless the Body of Christ has been in the pews.” One asked, “Who said that?” I responded, “Stephen Gerth.”

No one is ever required to receive the Wine, and some do not receive. That’s okay. Our Prayer Book requires that everyone have the opportunity to receive. I can find no reason why we should not offer Wine to communicants in small, individual glasses until it is once again safe to share the cup. Some final words from Romans: “Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good” (Romans 12:9). —Stephen Gerth

YOUR PRAYERS ARE ASKED FOR Julie, Linda, Shalim, Margaret, Dave, Ted, Arax, John, Karen, Gary, Greta, Larry, Pat, Liduvina, Gladys, Jonathan, Emerson, Marilouise, Quincy, Florette, Ralph, Mario, Peter, George, Abraham, Dennis, Emil, Ethelyn, Gypsy, Hardy, Margaret, and Robert; James, Randall, Louis, and Albert, priests; Bishop, all who work for the common good; all the friends and members of this parish; and for the repose of the soul of William Dennis Smith . . . GRANT THEM PEACE . . . October 24, 2021: 1882 Harold Herbert Bissell; 1884 Veronica Corrine Burke; 1885 Celia Ross; 1889 Mary Harburger; 1895 George Griss, Jr.; 1897 Louis N. Glover; 1918 Ella B. Caswell; 1957 Justus Krappe.

IN THIS TRANSITORY LIFE . . . William Dennis Smith, the brother of Father Jay Smith, died suddenly early in the morning of Thursday, October 21. He was sixty-eight years old. He is survived by his wife, Patricia, two sons, William Robert and Brian, and three grandchildren. His funeral will take place at the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, Tonawanda, New York on Tuesday, October 26. Interment will follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Tonawanda, where Father Smith’s parents and his brothers, Lawrence and Stephen, are buried. Father Smith will preside at the Committal. Please keep William, Patricia, Father Smith, their family and friends, and all who mourn in your prayers.

TO INTRODUCE THE REVEREND CANON VICTOR CONRADO VARELA . . . Word spread pretty quickly that, with the departure of the Society of Francis, we had two vacant apartments. Canon Conrado is the canon for Congregational Vitality and Formation of the diocese of New York. He is a native of Columbia and was a Jesuit priest. He was received into the Episcopal Church in 2008 by the Right Reverend Jeffrey Dean Lee, XII Bishop of Chicago. His orders were received in 2011. He and his wife Lucia Conrado have two sons at Saint Thomas Choir School. Father Pete Powell and Barbara Powell have moved into the fifth-floor apartment in the Parish House. We have one more room to ready, so the Conrados can move in. In the meantime, we will welcome him to the altar on Saturday, October 30, for the Daily Mass. On Sunday, he will celebrate and preach the Solemn Mass. I’m very pleased that two more clergy families will be in residence at Saint Mary’s.

THE VIDEOGRAPHY PROJECT . . . Last Sunday, October 17, 2021, the system required a reboot that was not complete until the last minutes of the sermon. The rest of the service was livestreamed and recorded. You can view it here . . . We are aware of the need to relocate the microphones that pick up the organ and choral music. More wiring will need to go in for that move and another wire to the organ loft will also need to be moved. Equally important, we need to add a camera in the loft so we can see the choir while it sings. I am pleased with what we have done so far. I hope we will be able to complete the work soon. —S.G.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION . . . Father Jay Smith has been called away to attend a family funeral and will not be with us on Sunday morning. However, the Adult Education class will meet on Sunday, October 24, at 9:30 AM in Saint Joseph’s Hall. Father Peter Powell has very kindly volunteered to be our “substitute teacher” on Sunday. He writes, “The class on Sunday, October 24, will give us an unusual opportunity. Since I will be teaching at 9:30 AM and then preaching at 11:00, we will be able to think about and discuss a gospel passage before we hear the sermon. Will this make a difference? The class will discuss the miracles in Mark. The appointed gospel passage this Sunday is the story of the healing of Blind Bartimaeus. Can the class complement the sermon? This healing is the last in Mark’s Gospel. We will talk about how it is unique and what miracles mean in Mark’s time and ours.”

Father Smith will conclude his series on the spirituality of the Desert Elders next week, Sunday, October 31. Then, on November 7, Father Powell will begin his series on the Holiness Code in Leviticus.

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S . . . Saturday, October 23, Saint James of Jerusalem, Mass 12:0 PM . . . October 24, The Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 25, Year B). Adult Education 9:30–10:30 AM in Saint Joseph’s Hall. Solemn Mass, 11:00 AM. The appointed readings at the Mass are Isaiah 59:1–4, 9–19; Psalm 13; Hebrews 5:12–6:1, 9–12; Mark 10:46–52. The celebrant and preacher will be Father Peter Powell. Evening Prayer will be said in the church at 5:00 PM . . . Monday–Saturday, October 25–30, Mass 12:10 PM and Evening Prayer 5:00 PM. The church is open on weekdays from 10:00 AM until 5:30 PM . . . Tuesday, October 26, Racism Discussion Group Meeting, 7:00 PM via Zoom. For more information about this ongoing weekly meeting, please call the parish office . . . Thursday, October 28, Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles, Mass 12:10 PM . . . Friday, October 29, 6:30 PM, Saint Mary’s Online Centering Prayer Group . . . Next Sunday, October 31, The Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 26, Year B). Adult Education 9:30–10:30 AM in Saint Joseph’s Hall. Solemn Mass, 11:00 AM. The appointed readings at the Mass are Deuteronomy 6:1–9; Psalm 119:1–8; Hebrews 7:23–28; Mark 12:28–34. The celebrant and preacher will be Canon Victor Conrado. Evening Prayer will be said in the church at 5:00 PM.

AROUND THE PARISH . . . Aston Lindsay celebrated his ninety-third birthday on October 10. Aston is a faithful parishioner and member of the Ushers’ Guild. Before the epidemic, he frequently attended the Wednesday Night Bible Study Class. He is a much-respected member of our community, and we congratulate him and wish him many more years! . . . Sister Monica Clare, CSJB, and Sister Laura Katharine, CSJB, paid us a visit this past Wednesday. They attended Mass, spoke to friends, greeted members of the staff, and then had lunch with Father Gerth and Father Smith. It was very good to have them back at Saint Mary’s, if only for the day. The sisters lived and ministered here for many years until they were called back to their convent in Mendham, New Jersey. They have continued to be good friends of the parish, offering counsel on matters as varied as websites and the orphreys on vestments.

NEW AND EASIER WAY TO GIVE TO SAINT MARY’S . . . Our parish administrator, Christopher Howatt, has been working hard with some of the parish’s lay leaders to make it possible to make cash donations, including annual pledges, safely and more efficiently online. So, as the annual Stewardship Campaign begins, we invite you to consider making your pledge or other donations online. This is how it works:

First, go to www.stmvirgin.org, and then click on Donate Now in the menu bar along the top of the web page. Then, click on the Give Now button in the center of the page, and the new giving form appears. (Do not click on any other button.)

Then, fill in the amount you wish to give. Next, select the applicable fund to which you wish to direct your donation by clicking on the arrow to the right of the words “general donation.” A list of possible funds will appear. If the funds listed aren’t specific enough for what you intend to do, write in the memo line any specific designation, memorial, or purpose for your gift.

Then, click on the square denoting whether this is to be a one-time or a recurring gift. If you choose a recurring gift, the system will ask you how often and what date you wish to start making your recurring gift.

Click Continue, and you will open another screen to enter your payment information. You will have a choice of making your donation using your credit/debit card or having an amount deducted directly from your checking account. Click on the applicable box and fill in the account information as requested.

You will see some grayed-out text at the bottom of that page asking if you wish to make an additional donation to cover our processing costs. It would help us if you did so. Then, click on the button to the left. The text will change to black, and a button at the bottom will appear with your total donation amount. Click on that button to complete your donation.

Before you go, the system will ask you if you wish to set up an account with us. Establishing an account will enable you to change or cancel your recurring donation in the future; it is recommended you do so. If you do, when you return to the giving page, you will be able to Sign In at the top, right-hand corner of the page, which will allow you to manage your account in various ways, including tracking and confirming your gifts.

This all sounds more complicated than it, in fact, is. We invite you to try it out. We are grateful to all those who continue to support Saint Mary’s so generously.

NEIGHBORS IN NEED . . . We hope to receive donations of socks and underwear for both men and women in all sizes. Since the weather is beginning to grow colder, we also welcome donations of sweatshirts, thermal underwear, and coats . . . At our monthly Drop-by Days, we distribute clothing, toiletry, and hygiene items—and Metro Cards when they are available—to those in need in the Times Square neighborhood. Our next Drop-by Day is scheduled for Friday, November 19. Volunteers work from 1:30 PM until 3:30 PM. Our guests are invited into the church at 2:00 PM, and we close our doors at 3:00 PM. We need six (6) volunteers for each Drop-by. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Marie Rosseels, MaryJane Boland, or Father Jay Smith. You may reach them by calling the Parish Office at 212-869-5830.

ABOUT THE MUSIC . . . Prelude and Fugue in B minor, BWV 544, by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) is one of only six such major Bach organ works for which a complete autograph is extant. This manuscript, now in Oxford, bears the title Praeludium pro Organo cum pedale obligato. This Prelude and Fugue is thought to have been composed in the late 1720s. The expansive Prelude, played before Mass on Sunday morning, is shaped like a concerto movement with recurring ritornelli alternating with episodic sections rich in imitative counterpoint. The Fugue, played for the postlude on Sunday, is built on a theme which moves entirely in equal note values and stepwise motion. This serpentine theme arises naturally from the melodic elements and scale-wise figuration of the Fugue’s companion Prelude. The Fugue falls neatly into three sections: the exposition with pedal; a manual episode which, nonetheless, continues to quote the theme; and a final section with pedal, which is announced by a new and rhythmically distinctive thematic element. The drama of this final section is further enhanced by a foreshortening of the distance between statements of the theme until it is stated several times back-to-back in the drive to the final cadence.

The setting of Sunday’s Mass is the Mass for Four Voices of William Byrd (c. 1540–1623). Byrd composed settings of the Latin Mass for three, four, and five voices. The Mass for Four Voices dates from about 1592 and was probably the first of the three to be composed. The whole business of Latin Masses in post-Reformation England needed to be a somewhat clandestine matter to protect those involved from the possibility of arrest. This being the case, Byrd’s part books were undated and without title page or preface, nor was the printer (Thomas East) identified. Fortunately, Byrd’s settings survived the period in which their performance—if not their very existence—was illegal and rightly regarded as great treasures of Western music. Although composed with the Continental Tridentine liturgy in mind, Byrd’s Mass for Four Voices was also influenced by the pre-Reformation Mean Mass of John Taverner (c. 1490–1545), particularly in the opening of the Sanctus. The older Taverner setting had already served as a model for settings by English masters Christopher Tye (c. 1505–c. 1573), John Sheppard (c. 1515–1558), and Thomas Tallis (c. 1505–1585). Byrd’s four-voice Agnus Dei ends with a particularly expressive Dona nobis pacem.

The Communion motet on Sunday is a setting of the fourteenth-century Eucharistic hymn Ave verum corpus by Colin Mawby (b. 1936). The words are attributed to Pope Innocent VI (d. 1362). As a meditation on the presence of Christ in the sacrament and the relationship between suffering and redemption, this text has been sung consistently for centuries in various Eucharistic contexts and set to music by the leading composers of sacred music. Colin Mawby began his musical education in the choir school of Westminster Cathedral, where he served as assistant to George Malcolm from age twelve. His immersion in plainchant and polyphony from an early age was supplemented by further study with distinguished teachers at the Royal College of Music. He was named Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral in 1961. His considerable contributions as a composer, especially music for the English Catholic liturgy, have been widely recognized. His richly expressive Ave verum corpus for eight-voice choir and organ, dating from 1995, is one of his best-known works. — David Hurd

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 at 6:30 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.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR . . . Monday, November 1, All Saints’ Day . . . Tuesday, November 2, All Souls’ Day . . . Wednesday–Saturday, November 3–6, and Monday, November 8, Annual Requiem Masses, Mass 12:10 PM . . . Sunday, November 7, All Saints’ Sunday . . .  Thursday, November 25, Thanksgiving Day . . . November 28, The First Sunday of Advent (Year C/Year Two).

STREAMING NOW . . . Now available for viewing on Amazon Prime, “My Name is Pauli Murray,” a documentary about the life and work of that most remarkable and too-little-known lawyer, activist, and priest. This is how Pauli Murray was described in a 2017 article in The New Yorker, “A poet, writer, activist, labor organizer, legal theorist, and Episcopal priest, Murray palled around in her youth with Langston Hughes, joined James Baldwin at the MacDowell Colony the first year it admitted African-Americans, maintained a twenty-three-year friendship with Eleanor Roosevelt, and helped Betty Friedan found the National Organization for Women. Along the way, she articulated the intellectual foundations of two of the most important social-justice movements of the twentieth century: first, when she made her argument for overturning Plessy [i.e, Plessy v. Ferguson, the notorious 1896 Supreme Court decision that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation], and, later, when she co-wrote a law-review article subsequently used by a rising star at the A.C.L.U.—one Ruth Bader Ginsburg—to convince the Supreme Court that the Equal Protection Clause applies to women” (Kathryn Schulz, “The Many Lives of Pauli Murray,” New Yorker, April 17, 2017). Several books about and by the Reverend Pauli Murray are in print and available for purchase on bookshop.org and other online retailers.

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 distributing it via mail and e-mail, with the assistance of Christopher Howatt and parish volunteer Clint Best.