FROM FATHER WOOD: ON STEWARDSHIP

When I arrived as your interim rector back in February, I couldn’t know I’d come to love this place so much so fast! And I had no idea the treasure I’d discover Saint Mary the Virgin to be.

Here’s one reason Saint Mary’s is so very important. Back in May, a New York Times article said 300,000 people are visiting Times Square every day — still 20% under the pre-pandemic high, but that’s over 50 million visitors this year! The author says Times Square is the “most Instagrammed landmark” in the US, and our intersection at 47th and 7th is “the most important corner in America” (which is why TSX is investing $2.5 billion in developing the property). Saint Mary’s Times Square footprint is invaluable as an outpost of the kingdom of God right in the heart of the country’s most important city. No other church is as strategically placed as ours — that’s one reason I’m convinced God still has great plans for Saint Mary’s and why Father Brown founded the parish in 1868 to be “the Episcopal Church in Times (then Longacre) Square.” 

It’s an exciting time to be part of Saint Mary’s. In the coming months, the parish will extend a call for the next rector to come alongside you to do the work God’s given you to do in the world. In anticipation, we’ll have lots of opportunities to dream together about who we are and who God’s calling us to be. Already I hear a vision for Saint Mary’s that embraces key values like:  

• Hospitality - Welcoming the world through our open doors (Her. 13.2)

• Beauty - Featuring excellent worship (Psalm 96.9) and music (Exod. 15; Col. 3.16-17)

• Truth - Practicing orthodox catholic faith at the crossroads of the world (1 Pet. 3.15)

• Community - Building a vibrant, inclusive family where the gifts of each are needed and the needs of all are met (1 Cor. 12.12-14)

• Justice and mercy - Caring for the vulnerable and binding up the broken (Micah 6.8)

That’s the kind of exciting and amazing work you’re invited to invest in at Saint Mary's. As we begin a monthlong period of reflection and prayer around stewardship this Sunday, we’re asking you to leverage your time, talent, and treasure — your energy and prayers, your presence and your money — for this work in the world; to put your resources at the disposal of the kingdom of God. God wants to do something new, as well as keep up a ministry that began back in 1868, through a collaboration between you and Saint Mary’s. Plus, this is an opportunity for you to grow, as well – “you will be enriched in every way for your great generosity” (2 Cor. 9.11). 

In my homily on October 30, I’ll announce the start of this Season of Gratitude and Generosity at Saint Mary’s. You should have received some stewardship materials in the mail already — a letter from the Stewardship Team, a pledge card, and a bookmark bearing a Collect for Stewardship that we’ll pray as a parish in October and November to spur our hearts as we consider how God is calling us to tether ourselves to this parish family by giving of our treasure, as well as our talent and time. Today I invite you to join me, both in giving thanks for our life together and in recommitting ourselves to share the financial burden of continuing to build this parish’s future mission and ministry. 

Culturally, we’re reticent to discuss finances, but this is why I believe it’s important: 

Money has a spiritual power over our lives, which is why there are 500 verses on prayer and more than 2,000 verses on money and possessions. God knows our hearts and seeks to disturb them when they are settled on the wrong things.

Therefore, I take seriously my obligation as a priest to address our financial discipleship. Indeed, I can’t not talk about money sometimes.

For some, prayerful discernment over the next four weeks will lead to a clear decision to vow to make a biblical tithe — the Episcopal Church continues to “embrace the biblical tithe of 10% as a standard for faithful generosity” — or to move in that direction with a “proportional” pledge, a commitment to give a percentage of your income. Others may decide to give a specific sum. If you haven’t been giving to Saint Mary’s, I encourage you to make a formal commitment to do so in 2023. If you are giving but aren’t able to tithe, I encourage you to consider increasing your level of giving from last year. Increased giving and an increased number of givers are the surest ways to guarantee the continued growth of our work for God’s kingdom here in and through us at Saint Mary’s. 

The stewardship mailing contained a card to record how you pledge to support our parish in the coming year — by treasure, time, and talent. Please submit the card to the parish office, fill it out online, or bring it with you in the accompanying envelope when you come to worship on Sunday November 20, Christ the King Sunday, when we will collect all the cards and pray over them at the offertory. And in the meantime, I ask that you pray the Prayer for Stewardship with me in the coming weeks, and I welcome the opportunity to speak with you directly about giving if you have any questions or would like to talk more.

May God bless you, and may God bless the life and ministry of Saint Mary’s! — SW

THE PARISH PRAYER LIST

We pray for those who are sick and for those in any need or trouble. We pray for those celebrating birthdays and anniversaries this week; for those living with drought, storm, flood, fire, and earthquake; and we pray especially for Julie, Carole, Pat, Charlotte, Lindsay, Greg, Stacy, Penny, Nadira, Peter, Eric, Carlos, Christopher, Larry, Luis, Clark, David, Barbara, Marjorie, Shalim, Greta, Liduvina, Quincy, Laverne, Abraham, Gypsy, Hardy, Margaret, Emil, Robert; Lind, deacon; Christian, Nicholas, and James, religious; the Brothers of the Order of the Holy Cross; and Matthew, Scott and Rick, priests.

We also pray for the repose of the souls of Lauren, Jürgen Dorff, and Clay Morris, priest.

You are invited to keep these intentions in your minds, hearts and prayers this week:

We pray that the citizens of our city, state, and nation will exercise their right to vote in the coming weeks and will do so with a concern for the common good;
We pray that God will grant to all those in authority the wisdom and strength to do God’s will.
We pray also for peace and justice  in Ukraine, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Syria, Iran, and Yemen; and we pray for the people of Somalia, who are experiencing a severe drought;
For those ill with COVID-19;
For those suffering from depression, anxiety, or addiction;
For victims of physical and sexual abuse;
For all refugees and for those seeking asylum in the United States, especially those now sheltering in the Times Square neighborhood;
For those without food, shelter, or work, and for those seeking work;
For the ministry of Neighbors in Need;
For the Search Committee of the parish.
For the Diocese of New York as it prepares to elected a Bishop Coadjutor.

IN THIS TRANSITORY LIFE

Father Clay Morris, who was for a time Program Officer for Liturgical and Spiritual Resources at the Episcopal Church Center here in New York, died unexpectedly last weekend at his home in Brooklyn. He was in the midst of preparations for a move to Portland, Oregon. Father Morris was a good friend of Saint Mary’s and worshipped here from time to time. Please keep Clay, his family, Ricardo Miranda, and all his friends in your prayers.

Jürgen Dorff, the godfather of parishioner Clark Mitchell, died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Germany on Thursday morning. He was ninety years old. Please keep Jürgen, his family, Clark, all his friends, and all who mourn in your prayers.

STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN 2022–2023

The annual stewardship letter and pledge cards were recently mailed and should have arrived in your mailboxes by now (pledge cards may also be found on the ushers’ table in the church and in Saint Joseph’s Hall). The 2023 pledge cards include ways to pledge your time and talent as well as your treasure. In an insert accompanying the letter, the Stewardship Committee highlighted some of the many ways to contribute to the mission of Saint Mary’s. We hope that all the members of our community will read the insert and prayerfully consider new ways of service and involvement in the coming year.

It is possible to submit 2023 pledges of treasure, time and talent electronically, via our website. Please click here for the online pledge card. If you aren’t on our mailing list and would like to be, please contact Chris Howatt in the parish office or fill out a welcome card here on our livestream page.

Thank you in advance for your generosity in 2023! And all to the greater glory of God.

NEIGHBORS IN NEED, SAINT MARY’S OUTREACH MINISTRY

There will be two Drop-by distributions of clothing and hygiene items in November. The first, on Tuesday, November 15, 2:00 to 3:00 PM, will be primarily for families with children, especially for the asylum seekers now sheltering in our neighborhood. The second will take place on Friday, November 18, 2:00-3:00 PM, and will be primarily for the guests, mostly single adults, who we've served for some time now. This two-part distribution system will allow us to prepare somewhat different items for each group and also to provide Spanish-speaking interpreters for those who have come from South and Central America, many of whom have limited English.

If you would like to ask questions about volunteering for any of our Neighbors in Need activities or if you would like to volunteer, please send us a message at neighbors@stmvnyc.org.

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S

Sunday, October 30, The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 26C), Adult Education 9:30 AM in the Parish House; Solemn Mass 11:00 AM. The readings at Mass are Isaiah 1:10–20; Psalm 32:1–8; 2 Thessalonians 1:1–5, 11–12; Luke 19:1–10. Father Smith will celebrate and Father Wood will preach. The musical setting of the Mass on Sunday is the Missa secunda of Hans Leo Hassler The Communion motet is Jauchzet dem Herrn, a German setting of Psalm 100, by Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847).

On Tuesday, November 1, All Saints’ Day, Solemn Mass will be celebrated at 6:00 PM in the church. The Bishop of New York, the Right Reverend Andrew M.L. Dietsche will celebrate and preach. Mass is preceded by an organ recital that begins at 5:30 PM. The recitalist is Tyrone Whiting, Church of Saint Martin-in-the-Fields, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A reception follows Mass in Saint Joseph’s Hall.

Wednesday, November 2, is All Souls’ Day. There will be two Masses that day: a Said Mass at 12:10 PM in the Lady Chapel and a Sung Mass, which concludes with the Blessing of the Vault, at 6:00 PM in the church.

Thursday–Saturday, November 3–5, and Monday–Tuesday, November 7–8, the Annual Requiem Masses will be celebrated at 12:10 PM on those days in the Lady Chapel.

Sunday, November 6, 5:00 PM, Evensong & Benediction; Daylight Saving Time will end at 2:00 AM on Sunday, November 6. Clocks should be turned back one hour.

AROUND THE PARISH

On Wednesday, November 23, The Eve of Thanksgiving Day, Sung Mass will be celebrated at 6:00 PM in the church. On Thursday, November 24, Thanksgiving Day, Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 AM in the Lady Chapel. Please note earlier time. We will be experimenting with this earlier time on other Federal holidays. We hope to encourage increased attendance at Mass on those days.

Dr. David Hurd will be away from the parish on Sunday, November 6. He will be playing the Joy Huttar Memorial Recital that afternoon at Grace Church, Holland, Michigan. We are always honored that David is able to represent Saint Mary’s in this way. Please keep him in your prayers. Parishioner Clark Anderson will play the organ and conduct the choir at the Solemn Mass on November 6. Larry Long will play and conduct the choir at Evensong and Benediction that day.

SAINT MARY’S BOOK CLUB

The next book that we will read is Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking. This nonfiction book is a brilliant, compelling, and moving reflection on grief, mortality, family, marriage, motherhood, illness, and death. It was much praised when it appeared in 2005 and it won the National Book Award that year. It is available in paper, hardcover, and as an e-book at the usual online retailers. The book will be a fitting continuation of our November meditations on life, death, and resurrection following All Souls’ Day. Please join us. The group will meet in Saint Benedict’s Study on Sunday, November 20, at 1:00 PM. Please contact Father Jay Smith, if you would like to attend.

COMING UP

Friday, November 11–Saturday, November 12, 246th Diocesan Convention, Westchester Marriott, Tarrytown, New York.

Wednesday, November 16, 7:00 PM: Evening Meet and Greet with Candidates for Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of New York at Saint Andrew’s, Harlem, 2067 Fifth Avenue, between 127th and 128th Streets. 2 or 3 Train to 125th Street.

Thursday, November 17 at 7:00 PM:  Evening Meet and Greet with Candidates for Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of New York at Trinity-Saint Paul, New Rochelle, Westchester County.

Friday, November 18 at 7:00 PM: Evening Meet and Greet with Candidates for Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of New York at Saint Margaret’s, Longwood, Bronx, New York.

Sunday, November 20, The Last Sunday after Pentecost.

Sunday, November 27, The First Sunday of Advent.

Saturday, December 3, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Advent Quiet Day, led by Father Sammy Wood.

Saturday, December 3, Special Convention to Elect a Bishop Coadjutor for the Diocese of New York, Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine.

ABOUT THE MUSIC AT THE SOLEMN MASS ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30

The organ prelude on Sunday is from Dieterich Buxtehude’s Te Deum laudamus. Buxtehude (1637–1707) was the most important Germanic composer for the organ in the generation before Johann Sebastian Bach. His Choralefantasia Te Deum laudamus is a set of movements based upon particular verses of Te Deum, the ancient Latin hymn traditionally (but doubtfully) attributed to Saints Ambrose and Augustine. Conceivably these versets belonged to a larger set of which only five are now extant.  They may have been intended to be played in place of or in alternation with verses sung to Solemn Tone plainsong. The movement played as the prelude today is based on the verse Pleni sunt caeli et terra maiestatis gloriae tuae (Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory). It is itself a fully developed, multi-sectional chorale fantasia in which Buxtehude successively embellishes short segments of the chant employing a full range of stylistic devices typical of baroque chorale fantasias.  

The setting of the Mass on Sunday, October 30, is the four-voice Missa secunda of Hans Leo Hassler. Born in Nuremberg and baptized on 26 October 1564, Hassler’s musical career bridged the late Renaissance to the early Baroque periods. His initial musical instruction was from his father, Isaak Hassler (c.1530–1591). Hans Leo left home in 1584 to study in Venice with Andrea Gabrieli (c.1532–1585) and become a friend and fellow pupil with Gabrieli’s nephew Giovanni (c.1554–1612). Thus, Hassler was one of the first of a succession of German composers to experience in Italy the musical innovations that were shaping what would later be identified as baroque style. Hassler was recognized in his day not only as a composer, but also as an organist and a consultant on organ design. Although he was a Protestant, Hassler’s early compositions were for the Roman church. His Missa secunda, first published in Nuremberg in 1599, is a model of efficient and concise text setting. The text is mostly set syllabically, and much of the musical texture is homophonic and rhythmically energetic. Often Hassler has the higher two voices and lower two voices singing phrases in playful alternation. These aspects all help to set forth the text with particular clarity.

The Communion motet on Sunday is by Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847). His Jauchzet dem Herrn, a German setting of Psalm 100, begins and ends in economical four-voice choral texture. The slower middle section, however, is maked Soli and expands out to eight parts. Mendelssohn blossomed early as a conductor, composer, and pianist. His initial music studies in Berlin were followed by travel in England, Scotland, Italy, and France before his 1833 appointment as music director in Düsseldorf. Two years later he became conductor of the Gewandhaus concerts in Leipzig where, together with Schumann and others, he founded the Leipzig Conservatorium in 1842. His 1829 Leipzig performance of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion helped decisively to stimulate the nineteenth-century rediscovery of the music of J. S. Bach. His contributions as a composer span the categories of orchestral, choral, stage, chamber, piano, vocal and organ works. His music is said to have set the canons of mid-Victorian musical taste.

Sunday’s organ postlude is indisputably the most well-known organ work of J. S. Bach. Toccata in D minor, BWV 565, was probably composed about 1704 and as such is among Bach’s earlier works. Its vigor and freshness, its brash spurts of figuration, and its dramatic harmonies are born of the improvisatory organ music of an earlier age. At the same time, these same qualities prefigure the range of romantic expression which would bloom a century and a half later. While known to some as “Toccata and Fugue in D minor,” the fugal writing which follows the improvisatory opening section of this piece is more like an orderly interlude in the course of an extended fantasia. The fugal theme itself is hardly a melody but rather a figure or pattern suggestive of the string writing of Vivaldi and his Italian contemporaries. Consequently, the lone descriptive title Toccata for this work seems both appropriate and sufficient. — David Hurd

ORGAN RECITALS AT SAINT MARY’S 2022–2023

Tuesday, 1 November, All Saints’ Day 5:30 PM
Tyrone Whiting, Church of Saint Martin-in-the-Fields, Philadelphia

Thursday, 8 December, Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary 5:30 PM
Michael Hey, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, New York City

Friday, 6 January, The Epiphany 5:30 PM
Gail Archer, Barnard College, New York City

Thursday, 2 February, The Presentation 5:30 PM
David Hurd, Church of Saint Mary the Virgin New York City

Friday, 24 March, Eve of The Annunciation 5:30 PM
Timothy Pyper, Church of the Holy Apostles, New York City

Thursday, 18 May, Ascension Day 5:30 PM
Mickey Thomas Terry, Howard University, Washington, D.C.

CONCERTS AT SAINT MARY’S

Saturday, November 19, 2022, 8:00 PM. The Miller Theatre Early Music Series at Saint Mary’s presents The Orlando Consort: Josquin’s World. From the Theatre’s website, “The brilliant Orlando Consort marks the end of an era with their final season together. For their farewell program, they reflect on Josquin Desprez, the greatest and most influential composer the Western world had yet seen at the time of his death, 500 years ago. Experience a magical sequence of music that reflects on the composer and his world. And don’t miss your last chance to hear one of the most joyous and legendary vocal ensembles of our time.”

Information about purchasing individual tickets or tickets for the entire Early Music series is available on the Miller Theatre website. Please do not call the Parish Office to purchase tickets.

On Saturday, December 3, 2022, The New York Repertory Orchestra (NYRO) will play an all-Wagner Concert:  Das Rheingold, Entry of the Gods into Valhalla and Die Walküre, Act I (complete). David Leibowitz, music director; Sarah Cambidge, soprano, and Kyle van Schoonhoven, tenor. Saint Mary’s parishioner Mark Risinger, bass, will also sing at this concert.

There is no charge for admission to NYRO concerts. However, a $15.00 donation will be much appreciated.

MAKING DONATIONS FOR FLOWERS AND DECORATIONS

There is one date left in 2022 for a donation of flowers for the altar and in the church: November 13. However, many Sundays and feast days are now available for 2023, including the Epiphany and Baptism of Our Lord, January 6 and 8; Sundays January 15, 22, and 29; Candlemas, February 2; Sundays February 5, 12, and 19; and the Annunciation, March 25. The flowers on the high altar and at the shrines are often given in memory, celebration, or honor of someone, a life event, or other occasion, which is printed in the bulletin.

We also welcome donations for flowers and other decorations at Christmas and Easter. Please contact Chris Howatt if you would like to make a donation for one of the available dates or for the holy days.

ADULT EDUCATION 2022–2023

This coming Sunday, October 30, at 9:30 AM, in Saint Benedict’s Study, we will conclude the first part of this year’s study of the Holy Eucharist in the Adult-Education program. Brother Thomas Bushnell will teach the class on October 30. His theme will be The Eucharist as Presence.

Participation by the members of the class is invited and encouraged.

To find Saint Benedict’s Study, please enter Saint Joseph’s Hall via the entrance at 145 West 46th Street, bear right and head down the long hallway which takes you past the rest rooms, the windows, and then heads toward the Sacristy. The classroom is located on your left, just short of the doors to the Smoke Room, the Control Room, and the Sacristy.

On Sundays in November, and on the first two Sundays in December, Father Peter Powell will teach a series of classes on Ephesians, Colossians, and 2 Thessalonians. Father Peter writes:

“We have the church that we have largely because of Paul of Tarsus. The New Testament includes many letters ascribed to Paul, and what those letters all have in common is the founding or nurturing of what we now call a church. Seven of the letters are accepted by all scholars as authentic, which is to say that they were almost surely written by Paul himself. Scholars disagree about the rest. Some scholars argue for Pauline authorship, some disagree, often vigorously.

“What difference does this make? That’s the underlying question we will explore for six weeks each Sunday morning in November and early December, and then again during Lent. All of the letters are included in the biblical canon, and are, therefore, of equal value, at least theoretically. However, most of us, whether consciously or not, value some parts of the Bible more than we do others. For instance, I prefer Mark over the other gospels and Romans and 1 Corinthians over the other epistles. I have my reasons for these preferences, but I recognize that preferring certain books can mean neglecting others.

“Some people value Paul’s ‘authentic’ letters more than they do the rest. This series of classes gives us an opportunity to discuss those canonical issues, but also to read some texts that it would be a shame to neglect. We will begin with Colossians, then study Ephesians, and finally turn to 2 Thessalonians. If we have time, we’ll look at 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. I hope you will join us. I think we will enjoy reading these challenging texts together.”

January 15–February 20, 2023, The Holy Eucharist, Part II.

AT THE WHITNEY MUSEUM: EDWARD HOPPER’S IMPRESSIONS OF NEW YORK CITY

At the Whitney Museum of American Art, 99 Gansevoort Street, New York, NY 10014, Edward Hopper’s New York, October 19, 2022–March 5, 2023. From the museum’s website: “The city of New York was Edward Hopper’s home for nearly six decades (1908–67), a period that spans his entire mature career and coincides with a historic time of urban development. As skyscrapers punctuated the skyline and elevated trains and construction sites roared below, Hopper’s New York betrays only glimpses of the broader changes underfoot. His city was human-scale, decidedly non-iconic, and largely rooted in a past that had fallen out of step with the present; ‘I just never cared for the vertical,’ Hopper reflected in 1956. This exhibition will be the first of its kind to focus on Hopper’s rich and sustained relationship with New York: how the city served as the subject, setting, and inspiration for so many of the artist’s most celebrated and persistently vexing pictures.

“Edward Hopper’s New York will take a comprehensive look at Hopper’s life and work through his city pictures, from his early impressions of New York in sketches, prints, and illustrations, to his late paintings, in which the city served as a backdrop for his evocative distillations of urban experience. Drawing from the Whitney’s extensive holdings by the artist and amplified by key loans, the exhibition will bring together many of Hopper’s iconic city pictures as well as several lesser-known yet critically important examples. The presentation will be significantly informed by a variety of materials from the Museum’s recently acquired Sanborn Hopper Archive—printed ephemera, correspondence, photographs, and journals that together inspire new insights into Hopper’s life in the city. By exploring the artist’s work through the lens of New York, the exhibition offers a fresh take on this formidable figure and considers the city itself as a lead actor.”

This edition of the Angelus was written and edited by Father Jay Smith, except as noted. Father Matt Jacobson also edits the newsletter and is responsible for formatting and posting it on the parish website and distributing it via mail and e-mail, with the assistance of Christopher Howatt, parish administrator, and parish volunteer, Clint Best.