FROM THE RECTOR: MAY 2021

In the rectory, there is a collection of bound copies of the former parish magazine Ave and bound copies of service bulletins from 1917 through 1976. One of Saint Mary’s traditions that I encountered when I came here was the crowning on a Sunday in May of the statue of Our Lady before the conclusion of the Solemn Mass. This May devotion to Mary began here in 1936. This is the note about the service of Evening Prayer that was held on Sunday, May 17, 1936:

This evening at eight o’clock, in place of the usual Evensong and Benediction, a special service in honour of the Blessed Virgin will be held in the church. The service will include Vespers of our Lady, a brief address by the Reverend Gregory Mabry, Rector of St. Paul’s Church, Brooklyn, a procession to the statue of the Mother of our Lord, which will be crowned with a wreath of flowers by one of the children of the parish, and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament . . . All are invited to attend.”

In 1976, this annual service was being held on Sunday evening. It began with an organ recital by McNeil Robinson (1943–2015; assistant music director from 1965; organist & director of music 1965–1982) at 5:30 PM. He played Antiphons of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Marcel Dupré (1886–1971). Evensong of the Blessed Virgin Mary began at 6:00 PM. The sermon was given by the Reverend John Ritchie Purnell (1932–1981) rector, All Saints’ Church, Ashmont Street, Dorchester, Massachusetts. Then there was a procession and a station at the Shrine of Our Lady where a crown of flowers was placed on the statue of the Blessed Virgin. Eucharistic Benediction followed. The final organ piece was Ave maris stella (Final) by Dupré. Before I became rector, this devotion was moved to the end of the Solemn Mass. Father Jay Smith will be the celebrant and preacher on Sunday. He will lead the prayers at the Shrine of Our Lady.

The Season after Pentecost begins this year on Monday, May 24, the day following the Day of Pentecost: Whitsunday. The Paschal Candle will be moved from the high altar to the baptistry. Many of the Easter Season’s acclamations of “alleluia” will come to an end. Our Ascension Day Eucharist will be celebrated on Thursday, May 13, at 12:10 PM. The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary occurs on Memorial Day, May 31. Mass will be at 12:10 PM that day. Trinity Sunday will be on June 6. A quartet from the choir will be with us on Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, and Corpus Christi. Since Ascension Day is not a public holiday, we will only have a cantor—it will still be a special Mass for a special day.

With the return of the Season after Pentecost, Saturdays, without any commemoration, will be observed as of Our Lady. Of course, the ordinary Fridays of the year after the Easter Season are observed with special acts of discipline and self-denial in commemoration of the crucifixion of the Lord.

One of the topics that comes up when I am speaking with clergy colleagues is, “When do you think we will be able to sing in church?” None of us has any special knowledge. I hope that the number of vaccinations will increase rapidly during the last half of spring and the number of new infections will decrease dramatically, so that as summer begins, we may be able to move to being open more and doing more. —Stephen Gerth

YOUR PRAYERS ARE ASKED FOR Christopher, Liduvina, Modie, James, Jonathan, Emerson, Rita, Marilouise, Quincy, Florette, John, Shalim, Peter, George, Abraham, Dennis, Emil, Ethelyn, Hardy, Margaret, Robert, and Louis, priest; for all who suffer from COVID-19, remembering especially the people of India and Brazil; 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 Ann McGrath Smith, Sister Ida McGrath, SSJ, Sister Mary McGrath, SSJ, and Catherine McGrath Roach . . . GRANT THEM PEACE . . . May 2: 1950 Ferdinand Baumann.

AROUND THE PARISH . . . Vaya con Dios, Brothers . . . The friars will be leaving Saint Mary’s on Monday, May 10. Sunday, May 9, will be their last Sunday with us. Though we won’t be able to gather in Saint Joseph’s Hall to thank the brothers on that day, we invite the members and friends of the parish to join us at Mass in order to say goodbye, Godspeed, and yes, vaya con Dios . . . Last week, the Reverend Jim Lawson and Kent Wong, the director of the UCLA Center for Labor Research and Education, met with Saint Mary’s own Angeline Butler, to discuss her work in and for the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, including her leadership of the Nashville Sit-in Movement. You can watch their conversation here . . . On Wednesday, April 28, a group of Saint Marians, and former Saint Marians, gathered on Zoom to celebrate the eighty-ninth birthday of parishioner, Hardy Geer. No cake. No champagne, but good conversation, lots of laughs, and a chance to celebrate the life of one of the parish’s elders. The Saint Mary’s group was joined by a niece of Hardy’s, who lives in Vermont, writes children’s books, and runs a “magical” camp for young children . . . Sunday Volunteers Needed: Beginning on Sunday, May 9, we will need one volunteer each week to take some photographs during the Mass. These pictures are used to illustrate the Angelus and on social media. We also need a volunteer to set up their iPhone at the crossing, connect to the Saint Mary’s Facebook page, and to begin, monitor, and end the livestream. If you would like to volunteer for one or both of these very important tasks, please speak to Father Gerth, who will be able to provide additional details . . . Would you like to donate for altar flowers? . . . We are looking those willing to donate altar flowers for the Day of Pentecost on Sunday, May 23, and our observance of Corpus Christi on Sunday, June 6. Many other dates, June through August and beyond, are also available. The suggested donation is $250. Donors often give flowers in memory, thanksgiving, or celebration of people or life events they would like to pay tribute to. Please contact Chris Howatt, if you would like to donate or speak to Brendon Hunter for more information.

NEIGHBORS IN NEED . . . At our monthly Drop-by Days, we distribute clothing and toiletry and hygiene items to those in need in the Times Square neighborhood. Our next Drop-by Day is scheduled for Friday, May 21. 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 also support this ministry by making a cash donation (if using PayPal, please write “Neighbors in Need” in the memo line); or by making a donation of clothing or hygiene items. We welcome donations of gently used or new clothing and footwear; unopened toiletry items; backpacks, or small rolling suitcases. All these items should be clean and in good repair. Everyday wear is desirable, which is to say, no formal wear, party clothes or high-heeled shoes. We are not in need of men’s or women’s suits or evening wear at this time. Popular clothing items are: T-shirts, socks (e.g., white and black ankle socks), polo shirts, shirts, and blouses with collars; underwear for men and women in all sizes, including bras, slips, briefs; thermal underwear, sweaters, sweatshirts; slacks/blouses; caps, and scarves. Small blankets, towels and wash cloths, rain slickers, umbrellas, and zippered jackets are also desirable. Please speak to MaryJane Boland, Marie Rosseels, Sharon Stewart, or Father Jay Smith about scheduling a donation.

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S . . . Sunday, May 2, The Fifth Sunday of Easter and May Crowning, Adult Education, led by Jeremy Jelinek, 9:30–10:00 AM; Mass and Prayers at the Shrine of Our Lady 11:00 AM. The main doors of the church open at 10:00 AM on Sunday morning and close at 1:00 PM. (Access to Saint Joseph’s Hall for the adult-education class is via 145 West 46th Street). The preacher at the 11:00 AM Mass on Sunday, May 2, will be Father Jay Smith. The service will be played by Dr. David Hurd. Dr. Hurd will be joined by cantor, Christopher Howatt . . . Tuesday, May 4, Racism Discussion Group Meeting, 7:00 PM via Zoom. For more information about this weekly meeting, please speak to Charles Carson, Charles Morgan, Marie Rosseels, or Ingrid Sletten . . . Next Sunday, Sunday, May 9, The Sixth Sunday of Easter, Adult Education 9:30 AM, Holy Eucharist 11:00 AM. On May 9 at 9:30 AM, Brother Thomas Bushnell, BSG, will lead the adult-education class. Father Gerth will be the celebrant and preacher at the 11:00 AM Mass that day. Dr. David Hurd will play the service, and Ms. Charlotte Mundy will be the cantor.

MUSIC AT SAINT MARY’S . . . The setting of the Mass on Sunday is the Messe Premier Ton by Henri Dumont (1610–1684). Dumont was born in the Southern Netherlands, modern-day Belgium. As a child, he and his brother Lambert were choirboys at the Basilica of Our Lady in Maastricht. Henri was later named organist there and was eventually succeeded by his brother. In 1639, Henri moved to Paris to become organist of the parish of Saint Paul. Beginning in 1652 he was harpsichordist at the court of Phillipe I, Duke of Orléans. From that post he advanced to Master of the Chapelle Royale in Versailles in 1663 and, in 1673, Master of the Queen’s Music. He composed mostly religious music including nearly a hundred Petits Motets. His five plainsong Masses, known as Messes Royales, gained currency alongside the anonymous repertory of medieval plainsong Masses. The Gloria in excelsis, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei from Dumont’s plainsong Mass on the first tone will be sung as the ordinary on Sunday morning.

In the collect appointed for the Fifth Sunday of Easter we pray to “so perfectly know Jesus to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life.” The beloved English priest and poet George Herbert (1593–1633) offered his reflection and prayer to Jesus as the “Way, Truth, and Life” in “The Call” (The Temple, 1633). The more recent poet W. H. Auden (1907–1973) reflected rather differently on the “Way, the Truth, and the Life” in For the Time Being (“A Christmas Oratorio”), written in 1941 and 1942 while he was living in America. For the Time Being was to be the libretto for a major collaboration with composer Benjamin Britten (1913–1976) which was never completed. Auden’s He is the Way, an excerpt from For the Time Being, is sung this morning during the Communion by tenor, Christopher Howatt. The musical setting, found at #463 in The Hymnal 1982, is by David Hurd and was dedicated to the late Dr. Barbara Hall, sometime Professor of New Testament at The General Theological Seminary.

The organ voluntaries this morning are two Praeludien, both in the key of G Major, by leading organ composers associated with German “High Baroque” period. The Prelude is by Nicolaus Bruhns who was born at Schwabstedt. Having received his early training from his father, a pupil of Franz Tunder (1614–1667) and organist in Husum, he went to Lübeck in 1681 to study with Tunder’s successor at the Marienkirche, Dieterich Buxtehude (1637–1707). During his short life, Bruhns established for himself the reputations of a virtuoso of both keyboard and stringed instruments. He is said to have been skilled in playing trios with two voices on the violin and the third on the pedals of the organ. Bruhns’s five extant organ compositions are works of particular spontaneity and imagination. The Praeludium in G is a particularly extroverted piece which features an unusual fugue of six-voices, two of which are played on the pedals. The postlude is by Buxtehude, who was Danish by birth, and is generally recognized as the most important organ composer in the generation before J. S. Bach. Most of Buxtehude’s organ works are thought to date from his earlier years at the Marienkirche in Lübeck, where he served as organist from 1668 until his death. Buxtehude’s Praeludium in G is one of his most restrained works in the genre. Rather than being cast in the usual multi-sectional format, this piece consists of two well-defined sections: a free opening section and a stately fugue with brief closing coda.

More about the Cantor on Sunday, May 2: Christopher Howatt has been a regular member of the Choir at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin for more than ten years and stepped into the role of Office Manager at the Church five years ago. Not only is he an actively performing singer in the realms of musical theatre and cabaret, but he was also a member of the Associate Chorus of the Metropolitan Opera for two seasons. He has been heard on recordings as diverse as Jessye Norman’s Christmas CD In the Spirit, to singing backup for The Pet Shop Boys on their cover of the Village People’s “Go West.” As an accompanist and music director he has worked with such talents as David Hyde Pierce, Howard McGillin, Tyne Daly, Rita Moreno, Brad Oscar and Cady Huffman and others. He has served as musical supervisor for productions of Sylvia, Lend Me a Tenor and Inspecting Carol at George Street Playhouse as well as musical director for their world premiere production of Come Back, Come Back, Wherever You Are, written and directed by the late theatrical legend Arthur Laurents. For several years he displayed both pianistic and vocal talents as music director/arranger and performer with the two-time MAC Award nominated vocal group Boulevard East, producing and recording their CD, Timeless, as well as performing with them in various cabaret venues.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR . . . Thursday, May 13, Ascension Day, Mass 12:10 PM . . . Sunday, May 23, The Day of Pentecost, Mass 11:00 AM . . . Sunday, May 30, Trinity Sunday, Mass & Solemn Te Deum 11:00 AM . . . Monday, May 31, The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary . . . Monday, May 31, Memorial Day . . . Sunday, June 6, Corpus Christi, Mass & Benediction 11:00 AM . . . Friday, June 11, Saint Barnabas the Apostle . . . Saturday, June 19, Juneteenth, Celebration of the Emancipation of the Enslaved People of the United States . . . Thursday, June 24, The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist . . . Sunday, August 15, The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION . . . We have begun a new adult-education series on Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM, How We Interpret Scripture and Why It Matters. The series will continue through and including Sunday, May 30. The classes will be led by a new teacher each Sunday. We will not be focusing just on modern historical-critical methods of interpreting the Bible, but rather on the variety of ways in which Christians have used and interpreted the Bible over the centuries: to create art and music, shape liturgy, found religious orders, do theology, speculate about cosmology, discuss morality, prepare baptismal candidates, and care for the newly baptized.

On Sunday, May 2, the Fifth Sunday of Easter, Mr. Jeremy Jelinek will discuss the use of biblical texts in the “minor propers” which we hear sung at Mass on Sunday. The minor propers are the chants, the texts of which are in Latin, that we hear sung at the Offertory, Communion, and, sometimes, at the Entrance. These chants change week to week and the biblical texts used are related to the liturgical season and the readings of the day. Jeremy is a degree candidate in organ at The Juilliard School and is the interim choirmaster and organist at the Church of the Epiphany on the East Side. Jeremy has studied Gregorian chant at the famous Roman Catholic Benedictine Abbey of Saint Pierre de Solesmes in northwestern France. The abbey has long been a center for Gregorian chant.

Next week, on Sunday, May 9, the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Brother Thomas Bushnell, BSG, will lead the adult-education class. The title of his presentation is “What medieval people understood about reading the Bible that we (mostly) don’t.” Thomas is a software developer and a member of the Brotherhood of Saint Gregory. He has worked for Google since 2010. He studied philosophy and classics at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, graduating in 1999. In 2007, he completed his doctorate at the University of California, Irvine, under the supervision of Professor Bonnie Kent. The title of his dissertation was “Peter Abelard’s Conception of the Good.”

I am looking forward to hearing more about these very different interpretive techniques and points of view, and I am very grateful that so many members and friends of the parish have agreed to share their time and expertise with us. Please join us. All are welcome. —Jay Smith

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.

STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN 2021 . . . Our stewardship campaign has come to an end. We were not able to achieve our $400,000.00 goal, but we recognize that we are living in a difficult time, and we are all doing the best we can. We live in hope and trust in God. Still, we continue to ask you for your help. We would welcome your financial pledge if you have not yet pledged for 2021. and we are grateful to all those who continue to support Saint Mary’s so generously.

AT THE MUSEUMS . . . At the Frick Madison, 945 Madison Avenue (between 74th and 75th Streets), the Frick Collection’s temporary home while its buildings at 1 East 70th Street undergo renovation. The Frick Madison currently occupies the Marcel Breuer-designed building on Madison Avenue, formerly home to the Whitney Museum of American Art and most recently The Met Breuer. From the museum’s website, “For the first time, audiences will be able to enjoy a substantial gathering of highlights from the collection outside the domestic setting of the Frick’s Gilded Age mansion, only five blocks away. In a departure from the Frick’s customary presentation style, works will be organized chronologically and by region. The exhibition will feature treasured paintings and sculptures by Bellini, Clodion, Gainsborough, Goya, Holbein, Houdon, Ingres, Piero della Francesca, Rembrandt, Titian, Turner, Velázquez, Vermeer, Whistler, and many others, alongside impressive holdings in the decorative arts. Rarely displayed works will include important seventeenth-century Mughal carpets and long-stored canvases from the famed series by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, to be shown together in its entirety for the first time in the Frick’s history.”

Currently on view at the Frick Madison is a painting of Saint John the Evangelist (1450–69) by an exemplar of the early Italian Renaissance, Piero della Francesca (c. 1415–1492). Though John the Evangelist—Saint John the Divine, or the Beloved Disciple—is often depicted as a beardless young man, here he is elderly and white-haired, with a solemn expression and a downturned mouth. The painter seems to have read not only John’s Passion Narrative, but also chapter twenty-one of that gospel, which suggests that the Beloved Disciple will survive beyond his youth. The approaching death and “departure” of this Disciple seems to lurk below the surface of this Sunday’s gospel, John 14:15–24.

WORSHIPPING SAFELY AT SAINT MARY’S: If you are at all unwell, please 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 to focus on your breathing), go to an emergency room immediately. That said, we are very happy to be able to welcome you to worship with us here at Saint Mary’s (11:00 AM on Sunday, 12:10 PM Monday–Saturday).

When you arrive, please fill out the contact sheet at the ushers’ table. Please take a seat in one of the open pews, and feel free to ask an usher, one of the brothers, or a member of the clergy if you have questions about seating, Communion, or safe-distancing. Face masks are required while in the church building. We know all too well that many of these precautions are tedious, but we accept them to keep ourselves and each other safe and healthy. We continue to pray for those who are sick and for a swift end to the epidemic.

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.