FROM THE PARISH TREASURER: SOME WAYS TO HELP SAINT MARY’S

Those of you who were at the annual congregational meeting or who read the written report know that Saint Mary’s is operating under a significant budget deficit this year as we emerge from a difficult couple of years and try to invest in the parish’s future. All this means that your financial support is more important than ever, and here are a few things to consider when planning how you might help this year.

First, with the stock market in decline, it is vital that you keep up with your pledge fulfillment. Since we planned a deficit budget, we know that we will have to dip into our savings to fund operations. Right now, however, dipping into our savings means selling off investments that have fallen in value with the market, so we can’t get what they might really be worth. That’s why keeping our cashflow healthy now by getting your donations in as soon as possible will really help the parish finances in the long run when those investments will rebound. We want to make sure we preserve as much of our principal as possible, especially as we transition to a new rectorship. Keeping up on your pledge, or fulfilling early, will definitely help.

If you are the owner of a retirement account, such as a 401(k) or an IRA, or if you inherited a retirement account, you may have to take a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) each year even if you don’t need the money. Donating that RMD can be a great way to contribute to Saint Mary’s and save you money on your taxes. RMDs generally count toward your yearly taxable income, but when you donate your RMD directly to Saint Mary’s it is considered a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) and will not be taxed (up to $100,000). Contact the administrator of your retirement accounts and ask them to help you designate your RMD this year for Saint Mary’s. It’s generally pretty easy to set it up, and it’s good to know that you’re helping the church and your tax bill.

Another option is donating appreciated securities directly to Saint Mary’s. Stocks that have increased in value while you’ve owned them can carry a significant capital gains tax liability when they’re sold. However, by giving the stock directly to Saint Mary’s, the parish gets the full present value of the stock, you get a charitable deduction for the full fair market value at the time of giving, and you avoid any capital gains tax on the increase in value altogether. Saint Mary’s maintains a brokerage account with Wells Fargo that can receive securities. If you think this might be a way to make a special gift or just fulfill your pledge, contact the finance office (Chris Howatt, 212-869-5830) for instructions on how to transfer securities to Saint Mary’s.

Even if you don’t have these types of assets, you can still help. It’s not too late to make a pledge for 2022. We are still counting toward our stewardship total and every bit helps. Go online here to either make a donation or let us know what you’re planning to give this year. Regardless of how you’re able to contribute, do your part. Your donations are what keep the doors of Saint Mary’s open and this beacon in Times Square burning! — Steven Heffner

THE PARISH PRAYER LIST

Prayers are asked for the sick and for all those for whom prayers have been asked, especially Harka, Carmen, Sharon, Brendon, Bradley, Louis, Carlos, Christopher, David, Emil, James-George, Marjorie, Pat, Charles, Shalim, Greta, Liduvina, Quincy, Florette, Brian, Peter, George, José, Jean, Abraham, Ethelyn, Gypsy, Margaret, and Robert; for Suzanne Elizabeth, religious, Sammy, priest, and the Brothers of the Society of St John the Evangelist; for all who work for the common good; for all the friends and members of this parish, and for the repose of the soul of Robina Gurung.

IN THIS TRANSITORY LIFE . . . Robina Gurung, Harka Gurung’s mother died this week at her home in Nepal. She is the mother of senior sexton, Harka Gurung. Please keep Robina and her family and friends in your prayers. Please keep Harka in your prayers, as he prepares to travel to Nepal to take part in his mother’s funeral rites.

LITANY FOR VICTIMS OF GUN VIOLENCE
We invite the members and friends of Saint Mary’s to pray this Litany during the coming week.

O God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth,
Have mercy upon us 

O God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy upon us 

O God the Holy Ghost, Sanctifier of the faithful,
Have mercy upon us 

O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, one God,
Have mercy upon us 

From all blindness of heart; from arrogance, vainglory, and hypocrisy; from envy, hatred, and malice; and from all want of charity,
Good Lord, deliver us. 

From all hardness of heart, and contempt of your Word and commandment by thought, word, or deed,
Good Lord, deliver us. 

From all terror, oppression, violence, and murder, and from dying suddenly and unprepared,
Good Lord, deliver us. 

That it may please thee to rule and govern thy holy Church Universal in the right way, and to bless and keep all thy people, so we all may be of one heart and one mind, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, faith and charity; one flock, led by one shepherd,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. 

That it may please thee to bring into the way of truth all such as have grievously erred, are deceived, and whose hearts and mind are shackled by anger or evil intent,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. 

That it may please thee so to rule the hearts of all in authority, that they may do justice, and love mercy, and walk and speak in the ways of the truth,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. 

That it may please thee to make wars to cease in all the world; to give to all nations and communities unity, peace, and concord; and to bestow freedom upon all peoples,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. 

That it may please thee to preserve all who are in danger because of the color of their skin, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or for any other reason,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. 

That it may please thee to preserve, and provide for, young children and orphans, the widowed, and all whose homes are broken or torn by the strife of hatred, violence, racism, sexism, nationalism, or any other prejudice,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. 

That it may please thee to give us true repentance; to forgive us all our sins, negligences, and ignorances; and to endue us with the grace of thy Holy Spirit to amend our lives according to thy holy Word,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. 

That it may please thee to forgive our enemies, persecutors, and all terrorists, and to turn their hearts, and our own, to forgiveness, compassion, and love,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. 

That it may please thee to grant to all the faithful departed eternal life and peace, especially those murdered at the supermarket in Buffalo, New York, Roberta A. Drury, Margus Morrison, Andre Mackneil, Aaron Salter, Geraldine Talley, Celestine Chaney, Heyward Patterson, Katherine Massey, Pearly Young, Ruth Whitfield, those who were killed in the school in Uvalde, Texas, Alexandria Aniyah Rubios, Alithia Ramirez, Amerie Jo Garza, Annabelle Guadalupe Rodriguez, Eliahana Cruz Torres, Eliana Garcia, Eva Mireles, Irma Garcia, Jackie Cazares, Jailah Nicole Silguero, Jayce Luevanos, José Flores, Layla Salazar, Makenna Lee Elrod, Maite Rodriguez, Miranda Mathis, Nevaeh Bravo, Rojelio Torres, Tess Marie Mata, Uziyah Garcia, Xavier Lopez, and to those whose names are known to you alone,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. 

That it may please thee to bring the healing power of thy love to those who are wounded, especially Zaire, Jennifer, and Christopher, to bless those who care for them, and to bring comfort and peace to those who mourn.
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. 

O Christ, hear us.
O Christ, hear us.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Sung Mass 6:00 PM
Tuesday, May, 31, 2022

Father Jay Smith, celebrant and preacher

Music to include Missa Dixit Maria and Beata Es, Virgo Maria by Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612)

AROUND THE PARISH

A Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated in the church for John Conner on Monday, June 6, at 10:00 AM. Father Jay Smith will officiate. The Reverend Pamela Bakal, the rector of Christ Church, Nutley, New Jersey, will preach the sermon.

The parish’s AIDS Walk Team had a successful fundraising campaign. The Walk was on May 15, but the team can continue to raise money until June 10 (click here to donate). The current total is $55,185. Thanks to all who supported the team this year!

We hope to receive donations for flowers on Sunday, June 5, the Day of Pentecost; Sunday, June 12, Trinity Sunday; and all the Sundays in June. Please contact the Parish Office if you have questions or if you would like to make a donation.

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S

Sunday, May 29, The Seventh Sunday of Easter, The Adult Education Class will meet 9:30–10:30 AM in the Arch Room, Mission House, second floor, 133 Forty-sixth Street. Father Peter Powell will lead the class. He will also preach at the Solemn Mass on Sunday morning.

Monday, May 30, Memorial Day, Mass 12:10 PM. The church opens at 10:00 AM and closes at 2:00 PM. Only the noonday services are offered. The parish offices are closed. Evening Prayer will not be said in the church.

Tuesday, May 31, The Visitation, Said Mass 12:10 PM. Sung Mass 6:00 PM. Father Jay Smith is the celebrant and preacher at the Sung Mass. Dr. David Hurd will play the service and will conduct a quartet of singers from the choir.

The Holy Eucharist is celebrated at the High Altar Monday–Saturday at 12:10 PM. Members of the congregation are now invited to sit in the pews in choir.

The Racism Discussion Group Meeting: The Group meets online on most Tuesday evenings from 7:00–8:00 PM. For more information about this ongoing weekly meeting, please call the parish office, or speak to one of the current members of the group, such as Charles Carson, Charles Morgan, Marie Rosseels, or Ingrid Sletten.

Holy Hour. Wednesday mornings 11:00–11:50 AM, in the Lady Chapel. A time for silent prayer and contemplation before the Blessed Sacrament. The Holy Eucharist follows at 12:10 PM. We invite you to join us.

The Saint Mary’s Centering Prayer Group meets online on most Friday evenings at 6:30 PM. If you are interested in participating, please send an e-mail to this address or speak to Ingrid Sletten or Blair Burroughs.

A Time for Prayer and Preparation Before Mass on Sunday: The acolytes, readers, and members of the audiovisual team are invited to gather in in the Lady Chapel each Sunday between 10:00 and 10:20 AM for a time of silent prayer and preparation before Mass. All are invited to join them.

Dr. David Hurd will be away from the parish, at the Victoria Bach Festival, June 6–10.

ABOUT THE MUSIC

The organ prelude before the Solemn Mass on Sunday is the first movement of L’Ascension by Olivier Messiaen (1902–1992). Born in Avignon, son of the poetess Cécile Sauvage, Messiaen was a student of Marcel Dupré and Paul Dukas at the Paris Conservatory where he became professor of musical analysis, philosophy, and aesthetics in 1942. His legendary tenure as titular organist at L’Église de la Sainte-Trinité, Paris, began in 1931. The brilliant light and vivid colors of that magnificent church proved a defining stimulus to Messiaen’s musical imagination for sixty years. The majesty of Christ asking that the Father glorify him is the first of the four movements of L’Ascension. This movement, like the fourth, was originally scored for orchestra in 1933 and transcribed by the composer for the organ later the same year. It carries the text from the Gospel according to John, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your son as your son has glorified you.”

The Mass setting on Sunday morning is Missa Brevis by David Hurd, organist and music director at Saint Mary the Virgin. Missa Brevis was composed for and first performed on Ascension Day 1991 while Dr. Hurd was director of music at All Saints Church, Manhattan. It is dedicated to the Reverend R. DeWitt Mallary, Jr., who was rector of All Saints Church at that time. The Kyrie, not sung at Sunday’s Solemn Mass, is in Greek, and the remaining Mass parts are in Latin. The musical themes of each movement of this setting are derived from the rendering of the letters of Father Mallary’s name as musical pitches. These pitches are intentionally arranged to achieve upward melodic gestures suggestive of ascension and the Ascension. Each movement of the Mass is compact and rhythmically straightforward. The words are presented directly in angular melodic shapes and lean harmonic textures. The Mass is scored for four-part choir, although solo voices complement the choral parts in the Agnus Dei.

The motet sung during the administration of Communion is by William Byrd (c. 1540–1623). Byrd, like the slightly older Thomas Tallis (c. 1505–1585), enjoyed the favor of Queen Elizabeth I and composed effectively for both the English and Latin rites of his time. His motet, Non vos relinquam orphanos, often sung in English as I will not leave you comfortless, is a five-voice setting of a Magnificat antiphon for the first Vespers of Pentecost. It was published in the second book of his Gradaulia (1607). The text source for this motet is John 14:18 and 16:22.

Sunday’s organ postlude is from the Orgelbüchlein (“Little Organ Book”) of J. S. Bach (1685–1750), a collection of forty-six short and masterful pieces based on chorales for the liturgical year, mostly composed between 1708 and 1717 while Bach was court organist in Weimar. The text of the chorale Heut’ triumphiret Gottes Sohn, first published in 1591, has variously been credited to Kaspar Stolzhagen, Jakob Ebert, and Basilius Förtsch. Its first line translates as “Today God’s Son arose from death and triumph won.” The melody used by Bach in BWV 630 is attributed to Bartholomäus Gesius in Gesius’s own hymn publication of 1601. — David Hurd

ADULT EDUCATION

On Sunday, May 29, the Seventh Sunday of Easter, Father Peter Powell will lead the class in a discussion of the gospel appointed for the day, John 17:20–26, which includes these verses, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you, “The glory which thou hast given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them even as thou hast loved me.” This will be the final class in the Adult Education 2021–2022 season. Classes will resume in the fall.

NEIGHBORS IN NEED

The Neighbors in Need program is Saint Mary’s principal outreach ministry. It was founded by members of the parish, along with resident sisters and friars and members of the parish’s clergy staff. We “own” it and run it. We provide clothing and basic, but essential, hygiene items to our neighbors in Times Square. Your cash donations and gifts of new and lightly used clothing make this ministry possible.

The June Drop-by will take place on Friday, June 17.

The July Drop-by will take place on Friday, July 15.

With the arrival of warmer weather, we are now eager to receive donations of lighter clothes such as shirts, blouses, T-shirts, slacks, shorts, jeans, socks and athletic shoes.

However, as you do your spring cleaning, please know that we would love to receive donations of coats, jackets, and sweatshirts. We did not receive many coats from our usual suppliers this past winter and we would like to prepare for Winter 2022–2023. We would be happy to receive donations of coats and other cold-weather clothing even during the summer months.

Our goal is to continue to distribute clothing and hygiene items to those in need in the Times Square neighborhood. We are grateful to all those who continue to support this ministry.

FROM THE FINANCE OFFICE

Our parish accounts recently moved from HSBC Bank to Citizens Bank. As part of that move, our account numbers and bank transfer numbers changed. We have successfully migrated over sall the regular automatic payments and deposits (payroll, investment income, taxes, etc.). All credit card processing is already running on the new accounts as well. However, there might still be some donors out there using old legacy account numbers for transfers. If you are notified by your financial institution that a transaction with Saint Mary's was unsuccessful, rejected, or returned, please contact Chris Howatt  in the parish office (chowatt@stmcnyc.org; 212-869-5830, ext 10), so we can make sure you have the new account information. Thank you!

This edition of the Angelus was written and edited by Father Jay Smith. Father Matt Jacobson also helps to edit 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.