FROM MARK RISINGER: THE MINISTRY OF LISTENING

In my classroom at school, there is an entire shelf filled with copies of a music appreciation textbook by a well-known critic and historian with a simple, one-word title: “LISTEN.” I’ve often told my students that my class might be more appropriately called “listening class” rather than “music class,” since one of the most important skills I want them to develop is the ability to listen carefully, closely, and with understanding, not only to the music we study but also to each other. I want them to perceive the difference between merely hearing that someone is talking and actively listening to that person. Listening—really listening—is an active choice rather than a passive occurrence. It is an activity that is growing in its importance for all of us, given the increased complexity of the world in which we live.

I’ve learned some valuable lessons about the importance of active listening over the last three years or so as a result of my friendship and collaboration with an extraordinary person and musician, violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins. In 2005, Kelly created a program that she calls “Music Kitchen: Food for the Soul,” a program that takes classical musicians into homeless shelters around the city to perform concerts of chamber music. One of the most vital aspects of these concerts happens after the music stops, when the shelter residents in the audience are invited to share their reactions to and feelings about what they’ve just heard. Furthermore, they are invited to write down their thoughts and comments on index cards that Kelly provides, all of which she has kept since the inception of the program. Listening to the comments after the performances and reading the feedback on these cards are deeply moving experiences. No one is trying to impress anyone else with their knowledge; there is no “wrong” response when you tell someone how music makes you feel. People with limited musical background or knowledge express their honest, visceral reactions to the sounds of instruments and voices they’ve just heard while everyone else, performers and audience alike, listens to them. Some recall piano lessons they took in childhood; others remember songs that they heard their parents sing. Some even evoke the memory of “Bugs Bunny” cartoon soundtracks. The range of memories and feelings that people share is truly wonderful, and it’s inspiring for us as performers to hear so immediately how we have reached and touched those in the audience.

In 2019, the year I became involved in my first shelter performance, Kelly commissioned a group of composers—including a number of Pulitzer prize winners—to choose remarks from the thousands of comment cards she had saved over the course of fifteen years and to turn them into original songs. The resulting compositions have now been recorded and performed as a song cycle entitled “Forgotten Voices,” celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of “Music Kitchen: Food for the Soul.” Apart from the intrinsic musical beauty of this cycle, its central purpose —like the post-concert discussion itself—is to give a broader audience the chance to listen to the words and hear the voices of people whom society has largely ignored and marginalized. Participating as a performer has been a richly rewarding and deeply meaningful experience for me.

In those moments when I find myself not tuning in as carefully as I should to the words of others or feeling impatient with another person’s telling of a story that seems to drag on too long, I try to remind myself that everyone deserves to be heard, that we all need to listen with patience and to love to one another. The inspiring work of Music Kitchen has helped bring that point home to me repeatedly, reminding me not only of the power of music to heal the soul, but also giving me the desire to be a better listener to whomever I meet.

Dr. Mark Risinger teaches music at Saint Bernard’s School in Manhattan. He was born in Tyler, Texas, and is the son of Janice Ruth Preston Risinger and the late B.F. Risinger. He is a graduate of Baylor (B.A.) and Rice (M.A.) universities. He studied musicology at Harvard University, where he earned his doctoral degree in 1996. Mark is also a professional singer. He has sung throughout the United States, performing in opera, concert, and in recital. He was confirmed and became a member of Saint Mary’s in 2008. Mark serves Saint Mary’s in several ways, as a member of the choir, as reader and acolyte, as volunteer for Neighbors in Need, as a member of the ushers’ guild, and as vice president of the Board of Trustees.

THE PARISH PRAYER LIST

Prayers are asked for the sick and for all those for whom prayers have been asked, especially Mavis, Brianna, Richard, Anders, Margaret, Shay, Ari, Sharon, Terra, Ava, Ray, Harka, Carmen, Brendon, Bradley, Emil, Pat, Shalim, Greta, Liduvina, Quincy, Florette, José, James, Frank, Jean, Brian, Abraham, Ethelyn, Gypsy, and Robert; David and Lain, religious, and Matthew, priest; and for the repose of the souls of Angel Rodriguez and Paul S. Naumann, S.J., priest.

IN THIS TRANSITORY LIFE

Angel Rodriguez, USN (Ret.), a classmate of parishioner Ricardo Miranda, died suddenly on June 16. He is survived by his wife and two adult children. Please keep Angel, his family and friends, and all who mourn in your prayers.

TIMES AND LOCATIONS OF DAILY AND SUNDAY LITURGIES:

Monday–Saturday: Daily Mass 12:10 PM, Lady Chapel

Monday–Saturday: Evening Prayer 5:00 PM, Choir and Church

The Solemn Mass on Sunday morning at 11:00 AM is celebrated in the Church

AROUND THE PARISH

Flannery Wood, the daughter of Renee Wood and interim rector, Father Sammy Wood, graduated this week from eighth grade at the West End Secondary School on Sixty-first Street in Manhattan. She will attend high school at West End beginning in the fall. Congratulations, Flannery!

There are hymnals in the pews!: At the Solemn Mass on Sunday, June 26, the three hymns during Mass will not be found in the service bulletin. Rather, we will use the copies of the blue-covered Hymnal 1982 found in the pews in order to sing those hymns. We are making the change for these reasons: the digital database that we have long used, called Ritesong and now maintained by Augsburg/Fortress Press, is not complete. Some ten or twenty percent of the hymns in Hymnal 1982 have not received permission from their publishers for reproduction outside of the hymnal itself. This makes it very difficult, and expensive, for us to reproduce those hymns in a service bulletin. Moreover, we believe that the more frequent use of the hymnal will help acquaint Saint Marians with the great riches contained in the book. Finally, over time, we will save paper, since the bulletins will be shorter. The number of each hymn will be printed in the bulletin. Simply pick up your blue hymnal and turn to the indicated number. N.B. the hymn section in the hymnal begins with #1 and begins after the so-called S-section. Music numbered S-1 to S-288 is service music, such as the Kyrie and Gloria, and not hymns.

The parish’s AIDS Walk Team had a successful fundraising campaign for the Walk that took place on May 15. The donations deadline runs until June 30 (click here to donate). The current total is $56,878. Thanks to all who supported the team this year!

We hope to receive donations for flowers on the following Sundays: July 3, 10, and 31 and August 7 and 28. There are also dates available in the fall and winter months. Please contact Chris Howatt, our parish administrator, if you would like to make a donation.

Let there be light! . . . In the adult-education class in May, we learned that in the Episcopal Church during the first half of the nineteenth century, one almost never saw either flowers or candles placed on altars. Such things were regarded as “too Catholic.” Things have changed. You may have noticed that on Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, and Corpus Christi, the candles and flowers on the altar and around the church were a significant part of the day’s festivity. If you would like to help with these aspects of the Altar Guild’s work, please contact Brendon Hunter.

Father Matt Jacobson is on vacation, spending his weeks away along with his wife, Meredith, in his beloved Italy. He returns to New York on Wednesday, July 20. He can be reached by email while away and will be continuing his office work remotely.

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S

Sunday, June 26, The Third Sunday after Pentecost, Solemn Mass with Organ and Cantor, 11:00 AM. The readings are 1 Kings 19:15–21; Psalm 16:5–11; Galatians 5:1, 13–25; Luke 9:51–62. Father Victor Conrado will preach the sermon. The celebrant is Father Jay Smith. The musical setting of the Mass will be New Plainsong by David Hurd, organist and music director here at Saint Mary’s. The cantor will be Charlotte Mundy. During Communion, Charlotte will sing the final section of Exultate, Jubilate by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791).

Commemorations this Week: Tuesday, June 28, Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyon (c. 202); Wednesday, June 29, Saint Peter and Saint Paul; Saturday, July 2, Moses the Black (c. 400).

The Holy Eucharist is celebrated Monday–Saturday at 12:10 PM in the Lady Chapel.

The chalice is now being administered at all the Eucharists here at Saint Mary’s. Please speak to one of the priests if you have questions.

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 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.

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 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.

THE GALLERY IN SAINT JOSEPH’S HALL

On Thursday, June 30, between 6:00 and 8:00 PM, there will be an opening of a new exhibition in the Gallery in Saint Joseph’s Hall. We are now showing the photographs of Luis Carle. Luis, who lives in our neighborhood, is a photographer and activist. Originally from Puerto Rico, Luis first came to New York City to study photography at Parsons. For the past forty years, he has worked to document LGBTQ+ lives, culture, activism, and politics. We hope that this exhibition will allow Saint Marians and their friends the opportunity to see, and perhaps to acquire, Luis’s work. Please join us on Thursday evening. All are welcome. For more information, please contact gallery curator, José Vidal.

The Gallery at Saint Mary’s is committed to the belief that God is truth, goodness, and beauty.

HEALING MASS ON THURSDAYS

The noonday Mass on Thursdays at 12:10 PM includes anointing, also known as unction, and prayers for healing immediately after the homily or, on holy days, after the Nicene Creed. “Unction is the rite of anointing the sick with oil, or the laying on of hands, by which God's grace is given for the healing of spirit, mind, and body” (Book of Common Prayer, page 861). Anointing is a much-respected rite here at Saint Mary’s, and all are invited, though none are compelled, to come to the rail for anointing during Mass should they wish.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE BAPTIZED, CONFIRMED OR RECEIVED?

We received news this week that the Bishop of New York will be with us at the Solemn Mass on All Saints’ Day, Tuesday, November 1, 2022, at 6:00 PM. The bishop’s visitation is a time when Baptism, Confirmation, and Reception into the Episcopal Church are particularly appropriate. If you would like to be baptized—or confirmed or received—please speak to Father Wood, Father Smith, or Father Jacobson.

We will plan on holding a series of “confirmation classes” before the bishop’s visitation. If you have already been confirmed but would like to learn more about the fundamentals of the Christian faith, please let us know. We would love to have you join the class.

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

The August Drop-by will take place on Friday, August 19.

We badly need donations of men’s athletic shoes, sizes 8 to 15. They should be lightly used or new.

We also welcome donations of jeans, socks, and underwear for both men and women.

If you would like to volunteer for Neighbors in Need, please contact Marie Rosseels.

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.

ABOUT THE MUSIC

Hermann Schroeder (1904–1984) served for seven years as cathedral organist at Trier and later as professor and ultimately director of the Music Academy at Cologne. He was a product of the German neo-classical movement in the first half of the twentieth century. Perhaps as a response to the extreme sonic saturation of the Romantic and post-Romantic schools of the late nineteenth century, the neo-classicists sought leaner textures, sparer and less triad-oriented harmony, shorter and more concise forms, and a more transparent counterpoint. Schroeder composed extensively for the organ and organ with instruments. A Roman Catholic, he also composed much sacred choral music. Many of his works have chant melodies strung through them. He was a close friend of the Belgian composer Flor Peeters and each composer honored the other with several dedicated works. The six Kleine Präludien und Intermezzi (“Little Preludes and Intermezzi”), Opus 9, are free works, most of which are in ABA form. Each movement is short but distinctive, and they make an effective suite. The first three movements are played as the prelude today, and the sixth movement is played as the postlude.

The musical setting of the Mass on Sunday is New Plainsong by David Hurd, organist and music director here at Saint Mary’s. This setting was composed in 1978 at the request of the Standing Commission on Church Music of the Episcopal Church as the revision of The Hymnal 1940 was gaining momentum. The Commission desired a setting which would be for the contemporary Eucharistic texts what John Merbercke’s 1550 setting had been for the traditional English words. As such, New Plainsong is chant-like and almost entirely syllabic, that is, only one note is sung per syllable. Modest keyboard accompaniment is provided but it may also be sung unaccompanied. New Plainsong was subsequenlty published in The Hymnal 1982 and in worship resources of other denominations. A revised edition of New Plainsong issued in 2018 accommodates newer Roman Catholic usage.

The cantor on Sunday morning will be soprano, Charlotte Mundy, a longtime member of the Choir of Saint Mary’s. During the Communion she will sing the final section of Exultate, Jubilate by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) which is devoted entirely to the word “Alleluia.” Exultate, Jubilate (“Rejoice, be glad”) is classified as a three-movement motet or a solo cantata. It was originally composed by a very young Mozart in 1773 and subsequently revised a few years later. When Mozart was on tour in Milan with his father to hear the premiere of his opera, Lucio Silla, he was impressed by the voice of its lead singer, castrato Venanzio Rauzzini. It was for Rauzzini that he then composed Exultate, Jubilate. The delightfully bright “Alleluia” final movement of Mozart’s motet is a fully developed aria and stands alone very successfully.  — David Hurd

AT THE MET MUSEUM FIFTH AVENUE AT 82ND STREET

Winslow Homer: Crosscurrents. Through July 31, 2022. Exhibition Galleries 899. From the museum website, “Renowned for his powerful paintings of American life and scenery, Winslow Homer (1836–1910) remains a consequential figure whose art continues to appeal to broad audiences. This exhibition reconsiders Homer’s work through the lens of conflict, a theme that crosses his prolific career. A persistent fascination with struggle permeates his art—from emblematic images of the Civil War and Reconstruction that examine the effects of the conflict on the landscape, soldiers, and formerly enslaved people to dramatic scenes of rescue and hunting as well as monumental seascapes and dazzling tropical works painted throughout the Atlantic world. The centerpiece of the exhibition is Homer’s iconic The Gulf Stream, a painting that reveals his lifelong engagement with charged subjects of race, geopolitics, and the environment. Featuring 88 oils and watercolors, Crosscurrents represents the largest critical overview of Homer’s art and life in more than a quarter of a century.”

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.