FROM THE RECTOR: LITURGY IN ROME c. 700

In their book The Eucharistic Liturgies: Their Evolution and Interpretation, Paul Bradshaw and Maxwell Johnson write, “We possess the detailed ceremonial directions for papal liturgy stemming from around the year 700 in a document known as Ordo Romanus Primus” (London: SPCK Publishing [2012], 201).

In 2012, Alan Griffiths published a very accessible edition of this text with the Latin and English in parallel columns and many helpful notes (Ordo Romanus Primus: A Text for Students, Alcuin/GROW Joint Liturgical Study 73 [Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2012]). He is now a retired priest of the Roman Catholic diocese of Portsmouth, England. He writes, “ORP is a fascinating document. In describing the solemn mass of the Roman Church, it offers a portrait of the city of Rome some two centuries after the collapse of the Empire. It testifies to the ascendency of the pope as both a religious and civic leader. It originates in a city whose religious authority was growing even though its political importance had long declined” (page 23). It recounts the worship on Easter morning at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome.

All three scholars know that there was nothing extraordinary about the title taken from the Greek word for "father," papa, as the title of a bishop. It spread from the Christian East to the West “from the third century onward, including the Bishop of Rome. From the eighth century onward, the Bishops of Rome began to use of themselves in official documents, and in the eleventh century, Pope Gregory VII demanded that in the West the term should be applied only to the Bishops of Rome, and to no one else" (Michael Walsh, The Conclave: A Sometimes Secret and Occasionally Bloody History of Papal Elections (New York: Sheed & Ward, [2003] page 2). The bishop of Rome was the celebrant. Father Griffiths notes that this document uses a more ancient term for this bishop, pontifex (bridge builder)—never papa (page 26).

I ask, was the liturgy of ORP a “papal liturgy?” Were all of the episcopal liturgies in the Christian West “papal” as the eighth-century begins? One wonders why a book published in the first years of the twenty-first century capitalizes the word “bishop,” singular or plural, when it refers to the bishop of Rome.

I quote Bradshaw and Johnson frequently. I enjoy reading Griffiths's notes. Here is one of my favorites: “A reading of the provisions for the preparation of the 'consecrated' bread and wine for holy communion will rise questions as to whether all the wine collected at the offertory and used to supplement the chalices for the giving of holy communion was regarded as ‘consecrated’ in the post-medieval sense, or even whether such a question may be put at all” (page 22).

People brought loves to be shared as well as small flasks of wine. The archdeacon received the flasks and poured the wine into the one chalice that would be on the altar. When the chalice was filled, the wine was emptied into bowls. This wine was used for refilling the one chalice. One of Griffiths’s students remarked about “the volume of ‘consecrated crumbs’ that the breaking of bread in ORP would inevitably produce” (Ibid.). Griffiths commented, “This would be a serious problem for a generation of priests accustomed to the unleavened ‘hosts’ we customarily use, to say nothing of the spillage of wine” (Ibid.).

In ORP, it’s unclear where the bowls of wine were placed. All of the bread was not on the altar table. The then-normative practice of people bringing small loaves of bread and wine to be shared seems to me to be a relic of the table fellowship of early Christians. And it’s not until the end of the fourth-century, that Jesus’ words of ministration, “Take eat . . . Drink this all of you” begin to appear in texts of Eucharistic Prayers (Paul F. Bradshaw, “The Eucharistic Sayings of Jesus,” Studia Liturgica 35 [2005], 1-11). In other words, the Eucharist wasn’t about Good Friday, but about hungry people who were also hungry souls. The first generations of Christians longed to feed on the “life-giving Jesus Christ.” —Stephen Gerth 

LIVE-STREAM UPDATE . . . The system itself is ready to go, but we were not able to make the logins for Vimeo to work. We expect to be broadcasting on Sunday, September 26, 2021. Three parishioners have volunteered to learn to operate live-stream. Our newest sexton, Mr. Marcos Orengo, also has a background in this area. I repeat again this week the information about becoming a member of the live-stream team.

We hope the On September 1, 2021, Father Matthew Mead wrote his congregation about their new live-stream system. I shared it with Saint Mary’s Board of Trustees. Board Member Blair Burroughs has volunteered to head up the team of four or five persons who can rotate the working of this new ministry. I asked for his permission to edit and publish it for our situation. I think you will find Father Mead’s explanation very helpful. For this newsletter, I’ve made changes to make to reflect our parish’s installation and program. We are recruiting a team of adults and high-school-age teenagers who can serve as live-stream operators/producers for major services. If you are interested in this fun and rewarding new ministry or have any questions, please let me know ASAP! Below we have some Qs and As about live-streaming at Saint Mary’s.

What is a Live-stream Operator/Producer?
Our new live-stream system (see below for details on the system) requires an operator to run. The operator essentially produces the broadcast for each live-streamed service. The operator oversees audio levels, switches between cameras and camera views, and tracks and interacts with online viewers. The room next to the sacristy that we call the Morning Room will be the control room. Father Mead wrote of himself: “I’d love to be an operator. I have enjoyed playing around with the cameras as the system was installed. But I have a different ministry at church. It requires me to be in front of the cameras rather than behind them!”

What skills are needed?
The only skills needed for being an operator are enjoying TV, Movies, Tech, and “Running the Show.” The basics of live-stream setup can be learned fairly easily. A good live-stream operator will soon understand advanced features and bring his or her vision and ideas to the broadcast. Suppose you or your teenager has a YouTube or TikTok channel, enjoys recording videos, is a movie or TV buff, has a background in theater, or knows even a smidge of tech or programming. In that case, you and your teenager probably already know half of what you need to know to be an operator. For a teenager, this is a great way to help Saint Mary’s. He or she can learn a new ministry, earn community service hours, add a skill set that looks good on a college application or resume, and, most importantly, have fun. Of course, training sessions will be held for the team as needed.

Which Services & Events will be live-streamed by the operator?
We are planning to live-stream our 11:00 AM Sunday Solemn Mass and other greater feasts during the year and weddings and funerals. Each service requires only one operator, and we hope to have a team of four to five Operators who can take turns. In addition, when Sunday Evensong & Eucharistic Benediction returns to our regular schedule, I hope we can live-stream those services as well.

What if we have no Operator on a given Sunday?
We can do a “set shot” without an Operator for any service using only a single camera that doesn’t move or zoom in during the service. Unfortunately, that is less than ideal, and it’s not much fun.  

What sort of Live-stream system does Saint Mary’s have?
Video: Saint Mary’s has installed and mounted three permanent video cameras that provide excellent views of our entire sanctuary. The cameras are new PTZ cameras that Point, Tilt, and Zoom. These cameras can each provide great views around the whole church.

Audio: We have installed new speakers, pulpit and lectern mics, and new headset mics for the clergy. The sound for in-person worship is excellent. Additionally, we have mounted microphones to ensure that the choir, organ, and congregation will be heard online clearly. The result will be good audio in church and online.

The Morning Room: The live-stream system hub is a room that was originally two rooms, one opening to the rectory entrance hall (a closet, I think) and a smaller room opening from the hallway by the sacristy. I suspect they were made into one room in 1964 when the original rectory kitchen became Saint Benedict’s Study. (If you open the door in Saint Benedict’s to see inside what seems to be a closet, you will discover the staircase that linked the room to the pantry. There was also a dumbwaiter that ran from the basement to the fourth floor.) The operator will run the live-stream from this room and be close enough to the chancel to receive Communion—or ask that Communion be brought to him or her. The morning room houses two monitors, control panels—including a joystick!—to run the cameras and audio. Everything runs off a powerful “gaming” computer. Again, if you are interested in this fun and rewarding new ministry, or if you have any questions, let me know ASAP!—S.G. 

YOUR PRAYERS ARE ASKED FOR José, Bradley, Shalim, David, Emily, Robert, Talia, Esmé, Gary, Ernest, Jessie, Greta, Larry, Pat, Eloise, Demetrio, Hortense, Ralph, Mario, Liduvina, Jonathan, Emerson, Rita, Marilouise, Quincy, Florette, John, Peter, George, Abraham, Burton, Dennis, Emil, Ethelyn, Gypsy, Hardy, Margaret, and Robert; Randall, Louis, and Albert, priests, and Andrew, bishop; all who work for the common good; and all the friends and members of this parish.. . . . GRANT THEM PEACE . . . September 19: 1914 Mary E. Charles; 1916 Daniel Prentice.

WE NEED YOUR HELP . . . If you have made a pledge for 2021, please continue to make payments on your pledge, if possible. If you have not yet made a pledge for 2021, we urge you to do so. If you can 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. —The Stewardship Committee

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S . . September 19, The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 20, Year B). The readings are Wisdom 1:16–2:1, 12–22; Psalm 54; James 3:16–4:6; Mark 9:14–37. The celebrant and preacher will be Father Peter Powell. Evening Prayer is said in the church on Sundays at 5:00 PM . . . Monday–Saturday, September 20–September 26, Mass 12:10 PM and Evening Prayer 5:00 PM. The church is open from 10:00 AM until 5:30 PM . . . Tuesday, September 21, Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist . . . Tuesday, September 21, Racism Discussion Group Meeting, 7:00 PM via Zoom. For more information about this ongoing weekly meeting, please call the parish office . . . Friday, September 24, 6:30 PM, Saint Mary’s Online Centering Prayer Group . . . Next Sunday, September 26, The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 21, Year B). The readings are Numbers 11:4–6, 10–16, 24–29; Psalm 19:7–14; James 4:7–12; Mark 9:38–50.

AROUND THE PARISH . . . Dr. David Hurd will be away from the parish on vacation until the end of September. He returns to the parish in time for the beginning of the choir season on Sunday, October 3 . . . Father Gerth will be away from the parish from Saturday, September 18. He returns Wednesday afternoon, September 29

ABOUT THE MUSIC . . . The organ voluntaries for Solemn Mass on Sunday continue to explore the liturgical music of Marcel Dupré (1886–1971), the French organist, composer, and pedagogue. Dupré, titular organist at St. Sulpice in Paris for most of his life, was one of the great organ prodigies, able to do such things as play all the works of J.S. Bach from memory. His legacy as a teacher is especially profound, and many of his liturgical compositions were written to help his students master both the instrument and the different styles they would encounter in the organ repertoire. Often woven around the ancient chant melodies familiar to us at Saint Mary’s, Dupré’s music sounds especially wonderful on the Saint Mary’s organ, with its French colors and elegant ensembles.

Sunday’s voluntaries come from Dupré’s collection of organ works on the Vesper antiphons for feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 15 Versets sur les Vêpres du commun des fêtes de la Sainte Vierge (1919). He composed six versets on the Magnificat, two of which we will hear today. The prelude begins at the beginning, setting the verset, “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. For he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden.” Played on the softer 8’ flutes, it combines the rhythm of a lullaby with constant chromatic changes, creating a shimmering texture that evokes both praise and wonderment. The postlude continues with the next verset, “For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty has magnified me; and holy is his Name.” Dupré calls here for a full, rich sound, with the pedal playing the Gregorian melody first alone and then in canon, keeping both feet busy.

The cantor on Sunday is tenor, Daniel Santiago Castellanos. His musical offering during the Communion will be Ave Maria, Opus 3, by Louis Vierne (1870–1937). Daniel is a composer, tenor, and pianist based in New Jersey. His piece for mezzo-soprano and piano, Death is nothing at all, won first prize at the 2019 NYC songSLAM competition. Ensembles that have performed his music include the Semiosis Quartet, The Orchestra Now (TŌN), Da Capo Ensemble, and The Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys. He graduated from the Bard College Conservatory of Music in 2018 and will begin graduate studies in composition at the Mannes School of Music in the fall. Daniel has been a member of the Choir of Saint Mary’s since the fall of 2018.

Saint Mary’s organist and music director, David Hurd, is on vacation this week. Our guest organist on Sunday will be parishioner, Clark Anderson. Clark took his first job as church organist at the age of thirteen and went on to hold a variety of organist and music director positions over the next thirty years, until his day job as a banker forced him to retire from the organ bench. Since then, he has performed and accompanied periodically, and he is always happy to be at the St. Mary’s console. Clark holds degrees from Princeton University (where he was University Organist and Assistant Conductor) and Pomona College. Clark is currently a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley here in the city, and he and his husband Zachary have been members of Saint Mary’s since 2014.

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, October 15. 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.

We would welcome donations of new packets of underwear for both men and women, including undershirts, briefs, boxers, boxer briefs, brassieres, etc. We are so grateful to all those who continue to support this ministry so generously.

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 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.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION . . . There has been a change in our Christian Education offerings for the fall. Father Jay Smith will not be teaching his series on Virtue and the Virtues as Guides for Christian Living. He plans to teach that series in spring 2022. Instead, on the five Sundays in October 2021, he will teach a series on the Desert Fathers and Mothers, their sayings, their lives, and their enduring influence and significance. During the month of November, Father Peter Powell about The Holiness Code, Leviticus 17–27.

VOLUNTEERS & DONORS NEEDED . . . A Note to Our Faithful Ushers: If you are at Mass and notice that the ushers’ table is understaffed, we invite you to jump in and lend a hand. It’s vacation season, and on some Sundays, we do not have a full complement of ushers . . . Would you like to donate altar flowers? We are hoping to receive donations for flowers for the following Sundays: October 17, 24, and 31. The flowers on the altar on October 31 will, of course, remain on the altar for All Saints’ Day, Monday, November 1. The suggested donation for flowers is $250. Donors often give flowers in memory of, thanksgiving for, or celebration of certain people or life events. Please contact Chris Howatt in the parish office, if you would like to donate or you may also speak to Brendon Hunter for more information . . . Please speak to the rector if you’d like to volunteer to take photographs on Sunday morning, during Mass or the adult-education classes. The photographs are used to illustrate the weekly newsletter.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR . . . Wednesday, September 29, Saint Michael and All Angels . . . Sunday, October 3, The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, The Beginning of the 2021–2022 Choir Season and the 2021–2022 Christian Education Season . . . Monday, October 11, Columbus Day, Federal Holiday Schedule . . . Monday, October 18, Saint Luke the Evangelist . . . Saturday, October 23, Saint James of Jerusalem . . . Thursday, October 28, Saint Simon and Saint Jude, Apostles . . . Monday, November 1, All Saints’ Day . . . Tuesday, November 2, All Souls’ Day . . . Thursday, November 25, Thanksgiving Day.

AT THE MUSEUM . . . Saint Marians must often travel some distance to attend Mass on Sunday morning. come to Mass on Sunday morning. They walk down streets that are not abandoned but are much quieter than usual, giving them time to think about many things, including their destination and their reasons for rising so early when others are still in bed. On display at the Whitney Museum just now is Edward Hopper’s famous painting Early Sunday Morning (1930). From the museum website, “Early Sunday Morning is one of Edward Hopper’s most iconic paintings. Although he described this work as ‘almost a literal translation of Seventh Avenue,’ Hopper reduced the New York City street to bare essentials.” It’s worth going to the museum to see the painting and to compare Hopper’s experience with yours. 

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.