FROM FATHER SMITH: NEW VOICES

Members of the staff have been working this week to make sure that the rectory is ready for the arrival of our new interim rector, Father Sammy Wood. The cleaners have been here. We’ve figured out the alarm system. We think the space is ready for Father Sammy’s arrival this week. Our parish administrator, Chris Howatt, has arranged for a car to meet Father Sammy and his son, Patrick, at the airport. Father Sammy’s wife, Renée and their daughter, Flannery, will arrive next week. If all goes well, Chris will greet Father Sammy and Patrick in the rectory one evening this week and get them settled. Father will be at the Solemn Mass on Sunday morning, when he will be introduced to the parish. I look forward to meeting him this weekend.

On the Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany, February 20, Father Sammy will be the celebrant at the Solemn Mass at 11:00 AM. The preacher that day will be someone well known to the parish community, Sister Monica Clare Powell, C.S.J.B., superior of the Community of Saint John Baptist. Sister Monica Clare came to Saint Mary’s in September 2015. She lived and ministered here until she was called back to her community’s convent in Mendham, New Jersey, in August 2018. While she was here, Sister Monica was involved in many aspects of parish life. She was a webmaster, graphic designer, spiritual director, counselor, teacher, and leader of Quiet Days in Advent and Lent. She prayed the Daily Office every day with the clergy and assisted at Mass. She also helped found and then directed for a time the outreach ministry that has become Neighbors in Need.

Sister Monica first came to New York to study acting at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. After college, she moved to Los Angeles, where she worked in motion-picture advertising for twenty years. She did some copywriting during that time, but worked mostly as a photo editor, developing skills that would greatly benefit Saint Mary’s during her time here.

Sister Monica entered the Community of Saint John Baptist in 2012, was first professed in June 2014, and life professed almost exactly four years later, on June 8, 2018. She was elected superior of her community in December 2019. Sister is a postulant for holy orders in the diocese of Newark. She has studied in the Master of Divinity program at Drew University, while also participating in the Alternative Clergy Training Program at Sewanee. It will be a pleasure to welcome Sister Monica Clare when she returns home to Saint Mary’s.

Also next Sunday, February 20, Ms. V.K. McCarty will begin her two-part series, “Encountering Women in the Ministry of Saint Paul” in our adult-education program. The class will meet in the Arch Room, on the second floor of the Mission House.

Ms. McCarty was born in Boston and studied acting and voice at Michigan State University, the University of Louisville, and the University of London. After her theater training, she performed here in New York, in regional theater, and at several music festivals.

Ms. McCarty later worked as a book editor and studied at the General Theological Seminary, where she earned a master’s degree with a focus on biblical studies. She worked as the acquisitions librarian at the Saint Mark’s Library at General for fourteen years. She has also served the church in several ways, as a hospital chaplain and as an acolyte and a trainer of acolytes at the Church of Saint Ignatius of Antioch. She has taught and was director of Christian education at several parishes in New Jersey, and has taught adult education at several parishes, including the Church of Saint Luke in the Field in Greenwich Village.

She has studied and an interest in the history of Christian pilgrimage, the history of Byzantium, ascetical theology, and biblical languages. She has edited several volumes, including a history of General Seminary. In March 2021, Gorgias Press published her book, From Their Lips: Voices of Early Christian Women, which won a Best Independent Book Award this year in the category of religion and spirituality. Her research for that volume will be the focus of her classes on February 20 and 27. We are very excited that V.K. has agreed to share her work with us.— JRS

YOUR PRAYERS ARE ASKED FOR Emily, John, Pat, Eloise, Sylvia, Karen, Jorge, Shalim, Brian, Patricia, Penelope, Carmen, Greta, Liduvina, Marilouise, Quincy, Florette, Peter, George, Abraham, Emil, Ethelyn, Gypsy, Hardy, Margaret, and Robert; for Sammy, James, Randall and Louis, priests; for Andrew, bishop; for all victims of natural disaster; all who suffer from COVID-19; all refugees and migrants; all health workers; all who work for the common good; our benefactors and friends; and all the members of this parish . . .  GRANT THEM PEACE . . . February 13: 1888 Mary Jane Bailey; 1923 Leila West de Wolffers; 1933 Charles Richard Graham.

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S . . . On Sunday, February 13, The Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany, the Adult Education class will meet from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM in the Arch Room, on the second floor of the Mission House. Access is via 133 West Forty-sixth Street or via the sextons’ lodge off the Narthex of the church . . . Tuesday, February 15, Racism Discussion Group Meeting, 7:00 PM via Zoom. For more information about this ongoing weekly meeting, please call the parish office . . . Friday, February 18, Saint Mary’s Online Centering Prayer Group, 6:30 PM. Send an e-mail for more information . . .  Holy Eucharist and the Daily Office: The Angelus is recited Monday through Saturday at 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM. The Holy Eucharist is celebrated Monday through Saturday at 12:10 PM. Evening Prayer is normally said in the church Monday through Saturday at 5:00 PM, except on Federal holidays and certain holy days. Solemn Mass is celebrated at 11:00 AM on Sunday morning and Evening Prayer is said at 5:00 PM in the church on Sunday afternoons.

LOOKING FORWARD . . . Monday, February 21, Washington’s Birthday (Presidents’ Day), Federal Holiday. Mass 12:10 PM. Parish offices closed . . . Thursday, February 24, Saint Matthias the Apostle, Mass 12:10 PM . . . March 2, Ash Wednesday, Mass 12:10 PM, Solemn Mass 6:00 PM . . . Sunday, March 13, Daylight Saving Time begins.

AROUND THE PARISH . . . On the afternoon of Wednesday, February 9, Jeremy Jelinek, a good friend of the parish, played his degree recital here in the church. Jeremy is enrolled in the master’s program at The Juilliard School. He is a student of Paul Jacobs. Jeremy’s recital program was a varied one and included works by Dieterich Buxtehude, John Cage, Maurice Duruflé, and Max Reger. It seemed to us that he played the pieces in this program brilliantly, fully employing the range and power of the organ, with a deep understanding of the music, the instrument, and the building’s acoustic. Jeremy is currently working as an assistant organist at the Church of Saint Boniface in Brooklyn, but worships with us when he can. His partner, Matthew Lobe, serves here as an usher and is a member of the Flower Guild. Matthew was baptized at the Easter Vigil in 2021. Jeremy presented him for baptism. It was wonderful that Jeremy decided to play his recital here. We wish him well in all his future endeavors. — JRS

IN THE DIOCESE OF NEW YORK AND THE WIDER CHURCH . . . A Celebration of the Life and Work of Blessed Absalom Jones, Saturday, February 12, 10:30 AM, at the Church of Saint Philip, Manhattan. The Right Reverend Andrew ML Dietsche, Bishop of New York, will be the celebrant at the Eucharist and the preacher will be the Most Reverend Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church. This service will be live-streamed. It appears that you need to register in order to view the live-stream. Bishop Curry will also preach the sermon at a Memorial Service for Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine on Sunday, February 13. The service will be live-streamed from 4:00 to 6:00 PM.

ADULT EDUCATION . . . The Adult Forum will meet this coming Sunday, February 13, at 9:30 AM in the Arch Room on the second floor of the Mission House. Father Peter Powell will lead the class in a discussion of Luke 6:17–26, the gospel passage appointed for the day. Father Powell will preach on that text at the Solemn Mass later that morning.

ABOUT THE MUSIC . . . The composer of Sunday’s prelude, Nicolaus Bruhns (1665–1697), was a significant North German composer in the generation before Johann Sebastian Bach, having been a student of Dieterich Buxtehude from 1681 in Lübeck. 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. The Praeludium in G is one of Bruhns’s only five surviving organ works. It is a model of the improvisatory, multi-sectional North German Baroque organ toccata style and includes a notable fugue in six voices, two of which are played by the feet on the pedals.

The setting of the Mass on Sunday is Missa “Il me suffit” by Orlando di Lasso (c. 1530–1594).  Lassus, as he was also known, was one of the most prolific and admired European composers of his time.  Born at Mons in the Franco-Flemish province of Hainaut, Lassus was well traveled particularly in northern Italy, but was centered in Munich much his adult life. His compositions include about sixty authenticated Mass settings, most of which are elaborate parody works based upon motets, often his own, as well as French chansons, and Italian madrigals from such composers as Gombert, Willaert, Resta, Arcadelt, Rore and Palestrina. Missa “Il me suffit” is based upon a French chanson by Claudin de Sermisy (c. 1490–1562), a notable composer both of sacred and secular music who may have been a student of Josquin des Prez (c. 1450–1521) and was a singer in the Royal Chapel of Louis XII. Lassus’ Mass, based upon Sermisy’s chanson, is a reasonably concise setting for four voices. The opening phrase of Sermisy’s chanson is clearly represented in the soprano voice of Lassus’ Kyrie, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei.

Sunday’s Communion motet is Os justi meditabitur by Anton Bruckner (1824–1896). Bruckner was born in Ansfelden, now a suburb of Linz, and was the eldest of eleven children. He took to the organ at an early age, his father being his first music teacher. In 1837, he became a choirboy at the Augustinian monastery in Sankt Florian where his music studies also included violin lessons. He later returned to Sankt Florian as teacher and organist for several years before assuming teaching positions in Vienna beginning in 1868. Known especially today for his massive symphonies and large-scaled choral works, Bruckner’s more modest works include four settings of Graduals for unaccompanied choir. Os justi is one of these, the other three being Locus iste, Christus factus est and Virga Jesse. The text of Os justi is Psalm 37:32–33. The music is in Lydian mode, centered on F but with neither sharps nor flats throughout. Opening quietly in four voices, the choral texture of the motet dramatically expands to eight parts and then thins again to the original four voices. A section of imitative counterpoint carries the text “and his tongue speaks what is right” after which verse 33 reprises the music of the opening section. A final Alleluia in unison chant concludes the motet.

The Danish-born Dieterich Buxtehude (1637–1707) has long been recognized as one of the most significant and influential musicians of the generation before Johann Sebastian Bach. His works for organ span the range of styles and forms characteristic of his time and place. 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. His Praeludium in G, played for the postlude on Sunday, is an uncharacteristically straightforward Prelude and Fugue. It opens with a brief pedal passage and continues in an improvisation-like manner as an extended introduction to the stately fugue. A brief final coda in free style closes the piece. — 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 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.

NEIGHBORS IN NEED . . . The next Drop-by Day is scheduled for Friday, February 18. Volunteers work from 1:30 PM until 3:30 PM. Our guests are invited into the church a bit before 2:00 PM, and we close our doors at 3:00 PM. We need 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. The March Drop-by will take place on Friday, March 18.

We are especially eager to received donations of coats, thermal underwear, socks, and sweatshirts during these winter months. We are always happy to receive transit cards with one or two trips on them as well. Thank you to all who have supported this important ministry.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A DONATION FOR ALTAR FLOWERS? . . . Donations for altar flowers on Sundays, February 20 and 27 are available, the last two Sundays before Ash Wednesday. Other dates available are Sundays, May 15 and 22, the Day of Pentecost, and Trinity Sunday. If you’re interested in these or any future dates in 2022, please contact Father Smith and Chris Howatt to arrange the donation. The suggested amount is $250, which can be shared between multiple donors. For questions about flowers and the Flower Guild, please contact Brendon Hunter.

This edition of the Angelus was written and edited by Father Jay Smith. Father Matt Jacobson is responsible for helping to edit the newsletter and for 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.