A CONVERSATION WITH ZACHARY ROESEMANN:

Zachary Roesemann is a parishioner and the resident iconographer at Saint Mary’s. He works in a studio in the Mission House and has done so for several years. He works there full time as an iconographer, painting icons by commission for individuals, churches, and religious orders. For over a year now he has been working on a large, life-size icon of the Archangel Michael. He recently completed it, and it will soon be blessed at a weekday Mass here at Saint Mary’s, after which it will be sent to Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, New York, where it will be placed in the Chapel of Saint Michael, in the crypt of the monastery church, near the tomb of the founder of the Order of the Holy Cross, James Otis Sargent Huntington (1854–1935).

Zach recently sat down with Father Jay Smith to discuss his training, his work, and the icon of Saint Michael, all in anticipation of the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels this coming Wednesday. Readers familiar with iconography, will note that Zach, for well-considered reasons, prefers to say that he “paints” rather than “writes” icons.

Readers will also note that, unfortunately, no image of the icon illustrates this interview. That is because the brothers at Holy Cross have not yet had a chance to see the image, and it would be unfair to them to show it here. We will publish an image of the icon later, after it has gone to its home in West Park. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How did you become an iconographer? About twenty years ago, in the middle of a career change, my spiritual director suggested that I call Father John Walsted, an Episcopal priest who lived on Staten Island, who had then been part of a revival of icon painting for several decades. He and I met, and after a few hours, he asked me if I would like to study with him. I thought, “Sure, at least I’ll learn something, if I paint one icon.” I didn’t anticipate that this was going to be my career. But after a month of working with him, it became clear that I’d been called to do this, and so I pretty much apprenticed with him, and spent one or two days a week at his studio on Staten Island for almost five years. Father John had been a monk, a member of the Order of the Holy Cross for several decades, until he left the monastery, was ordained a priest in our diocese, and worked as a rector on Staten Island. He had a background in art and was somewhat self-trained. He had also worked in art restoration and conservation at a museum. Then, along the way, he worked with several iconographers. He was my teacher. He died in 2014.

What was your training like? Was it difficult? It could be. Father John was a wonderful teacher for the right kind of student. He could be very strict about certain things, especially the basics, and certainly about liturgical things. He didn’t want his students to wander off too far into a kind of fantasy land. On the other hand, he was very “hands-off.” He never touched a student’s painting. He would demonstrate. He would supervise, if necessary, but he would never try to fix things. He always wanted you to learn how to do things yourself. He taught you the “canons” of iconography, but he didn’t have a fixed curriculum. I was with him a couple days per week, and we would talk, and he would just explain things. One thing that I’m very grateful to him for is this: he saw himself as part of an early tradition of iconographers, pre-1600s or so. Those iconographers were much more painterly. In the last couple of centuries, things have become much more standardized. Father John had no use for all that. If you look at Byzantine icons or the early Russian icons, you can see that they are freer, more painterly, though of course they always work within the canons. Father Walsted was not interested in any kind of cookie-cutter approach, which is not uncommon within the Episcopal Church.

So, I’d like to talk a bit about the Michael icon, commissioned by the brothers of the Order of the Holy Cross. How did the commission come about? I’m an associate of Holy Cross. I’ve been going to West Park for years. I’ve painted two other icons for them, and the brothers and I had been talking about me doing an icon of Saint Michael for a while. I’d suggested that the chapel could use an image of its patron saint, and they asked me to do one. Father Huntington is buried in that chapel, and it is also the brothers’ columbarium. Traditionally, Michael is regarded as, among other things, the protector and escort of souls to the heavenly realms, so he’s sometimes depicted in icons near a cemetery or a crypt. I thought it would be good to have his image there.

Did the brothers talk to you much about their understanding of Michael, or ask you to incorporate certain symbols or elements? No. The one thing like that we discussed was whether he would be wearing armor, which I wanted to do. They were fine with armor, because he’s the enemy of Satan and the protector against evil, so they didn’t have a problem with that, or consider it as militaristic in some problematic way.

Zach then went on to discuss the tension between tradition and something like artistry. He says that beginning students are usually asked to copy earlier icons, while being taught the canons of iconography along the way. At this stage in his work, Zach no longer copies his own earlier images of Michael—he’s painted several icons of Saint Michael—but he does not feel free simply to invent. For one thing, originality is not a value in iconography. For another, icons usually include symbols which identify the icon’s subject, and those symbols have become traditional. Changing the symbols would only serve to confuse the viewer. Zach continued:

When you see the armor, you immediately think, strength, power. But Michael is also often portrayed holding a disc or a sphere on which is an image of Christ-Emmanuel or the monogram of Christ’s name, all to show that Michael’s power is not his own but comes from God. He is God’s representative. I’ve put this element in the icon, an image of Christ-Emmanuel, who is often seen as the Christ of Nicene orthodoxy, “only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father.” And so, traditionally, by including that image, the icon contains it all, the eternal Word of God who exists before all time and all created things and Jesus Christ returning in glory, since Michael is often associated with the Last Things. First and Last, Alpha and Omega.

Does this Michael have a personality? I think so. I wasn’t trying for that. I just—it’s a very meditative process. Icons are painted using egg tempera, which is a medium that slows things down. It makes things meditative, slow, and if you have the right temperament, that can work, with a mixture of prayer, meditation, stepping back, letting things happen. For instance, with Michael, he’s meant to be a strong figure and I think that comes across, but I wasn’t modelling the face on any particular person. Another thing, as one works in that way, the medium can help guide you because certain pigments, mixed with the egg yolk, have certain qualities and those qualities move you in certain directions. Using a lot of blue does one thing, using red another. There’s both red and blue in this icon.

Father Jay and Zach then talked for a bit about other qualities in the icon, which led them to discuss angels and gender, angels and androgyny, angels as spiritual beings, angels as incorporeal. Zach continued:

I think that because Michael is traditionally regarded as a protector and a fighter, he perhaps emerged as a bit more “masculine” in this icon. His sword arm was important to me, and I wanted that arm to look quite strong . . . also, of course, the icon is going to a community of men, so that made a difference, too, I suppose, not that the brothers made any sort of request about these sorts of things . . . I think that protection and spiritual strength was the direction I was going in . . . And of course, there are some ironies here. In Orthodoxy, the Feast of Saint Michael is The Feast of Saint Michael and All Bodiless Powers, so there you go. Angels don’t even have bodies. And then they go and make a whole lot of icons that depict them all—as if they had bodies. But it’s also very important to remember that the attributes of the angels in iconography are part of this traditional language, and the attributes are symbolic. In Orthodox icons, angels are not fluffy little angels. They often say, “Fear not,” because they are strange, powerful, awe-inspiring, startling. They say “fear not” because people are afraid when angels suddenly show up in their lives. They have wings not because they are bird-like but because they are swift to do God’s will. They have fluttering hair ribbons because they are always hearing God’s word and listening to God’s will. They are a bit archaic looking in traditional iconography because they come from a different realm, a heavenly realm. They’re just different from humans. In icons, they look different than the other saints. And there is one more thing, in the icons, angels seem to share attributes. Raphael is associated with healing, but Michael is too!

Zachary, we are so honored and pleased that you are here at Saint Mary’s. We look forward to seeing this new icon and all the work yet to come. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with the Saint Mary’s community, and thank you for preparing us to celebrate the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels.

YOUR PRAYERS ARE ASKED FOR Thomas, Shalim, David, Ernest, Jessie, Jack, Emily, Robert, Talia, Esmé, Gary, Greta, Larry, Pat, Eloise, Demetrio, Ralph, Mario, Liduvina, Jonathan, Emerson, Marilouise, Quincy, Florette, John, Peter, George, Emil, Ethelyn, Gypsy and Hardy; Randall, Louis, and Albert, priests, and Andrew, bishop; all refugees and migrants; the people of Afghanistan and Haiti; all who suffer from COVID-19; all who work for the common good; all the friends and members of this parish; and for the repose of the soul of Mireya Calderon . . . GRANT THEM PEACE . . . September 26: 1937 Colonel Warren Ray Thompson.

NEIGHBORS IN NEED . . . It’s Socktober! Warm Feet, Warm Hearts! We get to celebrate Socktober by making donations of socks to Neighbors in Need. White and black socks, and woolen socks, for both men and women in all sizes are most welcome! Socks are an item much in demand with our guests especially as the weather begins to get colder . . . 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.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION . . . On the five Sundays in October, Father Jay Smith 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 will teach a series about The Holiness Code, Leviticus 17–27 on Sunday mornings. Classes meet from 9:30 to 10:30 AM. Location at Saint Mary’s TBD.

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S . . . 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. The celebrant and preacher will be Father Matthew Jacobson. Evening Prayer is said in the church on Sundays at 5:00 PM . . . Monday–Saturday, September 27–October 2, Mass 12:10 PM and Evening Prayer 5:00 PM. The church is open from 10:00 AM until 5:30 PM . . . Tuesday, September 28, Racism Discussion Group Meeting, 7:00 PM via Zoom. For more information about this ongoing weekly meeting, please call the parish office . . . Wednesday, September 29, Saint Michael and All Angels, Mass 12:10 PM . . . Friday, October 1, 6:30 PM, Saint Mary’s Online Centering Prayer Group . . . Saturday, October 2, The Burial of the Dead, Mass of the Resurrection for Michael Merenda, 10:30 AM. Masks are required in the church. A reception will follow in Saint Joseph’s Hall. Masks and proof of vaccination will be required for the reception . . . Next Sunday, October 3, The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 22, Year B). The readings are Genesis 2:18–24; Psalm 128; Hebrews 2:9–18; Mark 10:1–16. The celebrant and preacher will be Father Stephen Gerth.

AROUND THE PARISH . . . The Stewardship Committee has been hard at work on the 2021 Stewardship Campaign. Materials are being written, designed, and printed. Stewardship packets will be mailed during the third week of October. The theme of this year’s campaign is With God’s Help, Meeting Challenges & Finding Opportunities. We invite all our readers to begin to pray about how they might offer their time, talent, and treasure to the glory of God and to support this parish in the coming year . . . Dr. David Hurd, organist and music director, will play a solo recital at Saint John’s Church, West Hartford, Connecticut, on Saturday, September 25, at 3:00 PM. For more information and to see his program, you may visit the event website. David 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 . . . Angeline Butler, a great friend of Saint Mary’s, who often worships with us, will be attending the 37th Annual Conference of the International Black Women’s Congress this coming weekend via Zoom. Angeline will be making a presentation during the virtual conference on Septima Poinsette Clark, the Citizenship School, and voting rights. She will also be one of the four recipients of an ONI award. The name of the award is “is taken from the life culture of Nigeria and represents a spiritual force that protects the people. An ONI recipient is someone who protects, defends, and enhances the general well-being of African people. An ONI recipient is diligent, persistent and uncompromising.” Angeline also celebrates her eightieth birthday this weekend. We congratulate her. We are proud of her. Please keep her in your prayers . . . Father Gerth will be away from the parish from Saturday, September 18. His return has been delayed. now plans to return to the parish on Wednesday, September 29.

ABOUT THE MUSIC . . . The organ voluntaries for Solemn Mass 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 St. Mary’s organ, with its French colors and elegant ensembles.

Sunday’s voluntaries look to the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels on Wednesday, September 29. The prelude is a chorale used for church dedications, but which clearly points us heavenward: “Heavenly city of Jerusalem, blissful vision of peace, which, built of living stones, rises unto the stars, and, like a bride, is surrounded by myriads and myriads of angels.” Dupré uses a rising and falling figure around the melody, a traditional musical motif sometimes referring to John 1:51, “For truly, truly I tell you, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” The postlude is one of Dupré’s grandest organ settings, a five-part contrapuntal embellishment of the great Michaelmas hymn Te splendor et virtus Patris: “Splendor and power of the Father, O Jesus, the life of our hearts; hearkening to orders from Thy mouth, we praise Thee among the angels. Thy thousand, thousand hosts stand ready, while Michael bears Thy standard, and lifts the mighty Cross on high.”

The cantor on Sunday is soprano Sharon Harms, a regular member of the Choir of Saint Mary’s, who will sing Samuel Barber’s “The Crucifixion” from Hermit Songs during the administration of communion. Twice a winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Music, Samuel Barber (1910–1981) remains one of the most revered twentieth-century American composers. His Hermit Songs, Opus 29, was premiered in 1953 at the Library of Congress, sung by soprano Leontyne Price, with the composer at the piano. Barber’s Hermit Songs is a cycle of ten settings of anonymous poems written by Irish monks and scholars from the eighth to the thirteenth centuries. “The Crucifixion” is the fifth song of the cycle. The original text is from The Speckled Book (Leabhar Breac), a collection of Irish homilies dating from the twelfth century.  The English translation which Barber set is by the noted literary critic, journalist, poet and scholar, Howard Mumford Jones (1892–1980).

Our guest organist on Sunday is 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. Dr. David Hurd is on vacation this month.

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.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR . . . 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 . . . November 28, The First Sunday of Advent (Lectionary Year C/Daily Office Lectionary Year Two).

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.