FROM FATHER SAMMY WOOD: ON ALL SOULS’ DAY

November is sometimes called the Month of Holy Souls, and our observances at Saint Mary’s are rich and deeply textured. I hope you will join us for the sung Requiem Mass at 6:00 PM on All Souls’ Day, November 2, or for one of several said Requiem Masses that follow on each weekday through November 8. The Requiem is a Mass offered for the dead, requiem being the first Latin word in the Introit for All Souls’ Day. 

Last year, you may remember, we used black vestments on All Souls’ for the first time in a little while. In the recent past, the custom in this parish became to use ivory white Easter vestments at funerals and the Masses for All Souls’ Day. This is in line with the Prayer Book, which says, “The liturgy for the dead is an Easter liturgy. It finds all its meaning in the resurrection. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we, too, shall be raised” (Book of Common Prayer, 507).

But to hope in the resurrection is not to deny grief. The same rubric in the Prayer Book continues: “The very love we have for each other in Christ brings deep sorrow when we are parted by death.” Our burial liturgy beautifully holds together these themes of hope and sorrow, grief, and triumph, expressing this most powerfully during the Commendation: “All of us go down to the dust; yet even at the grave we make our song: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia” (Book of Common Prayer, 499).

At Saint Mary’s we are fortunate to be able to draw from the deep well of the catholic tradition in marking such solemn occasions, including the rich tradition of wearing black vestments at Requiem Masses. This is from Father Ryan Erlenbush, writing at The New Theological Movement:

Black does not signify despair, not at all. Rather, black is the symbol of mourning, of loss, of death—but this mourning will be turned to joy, the loss is great gain, and death is birth unto true life. The color black is in no way contrary to Christian hope . . . . Rather, black directs us in a particular way to mourn and pray for the dead.

And this year, when we pray for the dead, we also bring back a related liturgical element. Before the principal Mass on All Souls’ Day, a catafalque, with lighted candles surrounding it, will be set up at the crossing for the solemn Commendation, which takes place at the end of the Mass. Related to an Italian word for scaffold, a “catafalque” resembles a coffin covered with a pall and represents a corpse in its absence. Its very conspicuous presence in the liturgy reminds us that death is itself conspicuous, something with which we must all reckon. In a recent post on The Living Church’s Covenant blog, Father Leander Harding wrote:

In practice, parishes that keep All Souls’ Day use the day to remember members of the parish that have gone before us. In some parishes a roll is read or at least published of those who have died in that parish since its founding. In many places those who have died in the past year are prayed for by name. There is real pastoral wisdom in keeping this feast which brings death to mind and calls forth the personal grief and mourning of the congregation and especially those for whom grief is fresh and raw…On at least this one occasion let us see death visible and our beloved dead visible, front and center, taking up space, demanding our attention and prayers. Let the liturgy do its work of bringing us to Christ and Christ to us, now and at the hour of our death.

This month, may we allow the liturgy to do its great work in our own lives at Saint Mary’s. Watch your mailbox for our annual All Souls’ Day letter and call for prayers for your own dearly departed loved ones, then join us for these incredibly meaningful liturgies in the Month of the Holy Souls. — SW

PRAYING FOR CHURCH AND WORLD:

On October 7, 2023, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York issued the following joint statement:

We are grieved and deeply concerned at the violence in Israel and Gaza, and we unequivocally condemn the attacks by Hamas. We pray for those who are mourning, those who are injured, and all those fearing for their safety. We pray for restraint on all sides, and renewed efforts towards a just peace for all. The way forward must be for both sides to build confidence in a secure future through which Israel and its people can live in security within its internationally recognised borders, and Palestinians have their own state and live in their lands in security, and with peace and justice.

At Saint Mary’s, we added the following prayers for peace to the public recitations of the Daily Office when the war began in Ukraine. We renew this effort now given the outbreak of violence in Israel and Gaza. We invite all parishioners to join us in praying for peace.

Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one God; to whom be dominion and glory, now and forever. Amen.

Almighty God, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed: kindle, we pray, in the hearts of all, the true love of peace and guide with your pure and peaceable wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth that in tranquility your kingdom may go forward, till the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

We pray for the sick, for those in any need or trouble, and for all those who have asked us for our prayers. We pray for those celebrating birthdays and anniversaries this week; for those who are traveling; for the unemployed and for those seeking work; for the incarcerated and for those recently released from prison; for all victims of violence, assault, and crime; for all refugees and migrants, especially those sheltering in our neighborhood; for those struggling with depression, anxiety, or addiction; for those whom we serve in our outreach programs, for our neighbors in the Times Square neighborhood, for the theater community, and for those living with drought, storm, punishing heat, flood, fire, or earthquake.

We pray for Aston Lindsay who celebrates his 95th birthday this week.

We pray for those for whom prayers have been asked: For Carl, Dianne, Patrick, Flannery, Elizabeth, Theodore, Emily, Michael, Tatiana, Tony, Mary, Eleanor, Eugene, Terry, Richard, Joe, Tristan, Mary Lou, Mary Barbara, Emily, Frank, Claudia, Joyce, June, Cooki, Sharon, Steven, Ingrid, Gigi, José, Brian, Carmen, Susan, Chris, Carlos, Charlotte, Jennifer, Harka, Suzanne, Quincy, Abe, Bob, Gypsy, Hardy, Don, Andrew, Bruce, Robert, John Derek, and Margaret; for Thomas, religious; Lind, deacon; Carl, Robby, Bob, Allan, and Stephen, priests; and Michael, bishop.

We pray for the repose of the souls of Covington Guion Burt (1880); Sarah Jane Patterson (1889); Elizabeth Ropes Trask (1896); August Vincent Schineller (1896); Edith Long (1941); Martha Elizabeth Fitch (1943); John Michael Root (1953); Florence Scheftel (1971); and Harold Polit (1987) whose year’s mind is on Sunday, October 15.

AND WE THANK YOU

We are grateful to Officer Pamela Bond of New York City’s Mounted Police Unit, and her horse, Torch, who joined us last Sunday for the Blessing of the Animals.

We want to thank our Spanish-speaking members, friends, and sextons, who are helping us to help the recent immigrants now sheltering in our neighborhood.

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S

Our regular daily liturgical schedule: Monday through Friday, Morning Prayer 8:00 AM, Mass 12:10 PM, and Evening Prayer at 5:30 PM. Holy Hour is offered on Wednesday at 11:00 AM and Thursday’s Mass includes anointing and prayers for healing. On Saturdays, Confessions are heard at 11:00 AM, Mass is celebrated at 12:10 PM, and Evening Prayer is prayed at 5:00 PM. On the third Saturday of each month, a Requiem Mass is celebrated at 12:10 PM in the Mercy Chapel. On Sundays, A Low Mass (Rite One) is celebrated in the Lady Chapel at 9:00 AM. Solemn Mass is offered at 11:00 AM and Evening Prayer at 5:00 PM. Evensong and Benediction (E&B) is normally offered on the first Sunday of every month and will be offered on November 5 and December 3.

Saturday, October 14, Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky, Bishop of Shanghai, 1906

Saturday, October 14, 11:00 AM, Confessions heard by the priest on duty

Sunday, October 15, The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, Year A, Proper 23 (Teresa of Ávila, Nun and Mystic, 1582). Readings: Isaiah 25:1–9; Psalm 23; Philippians 4:4–13; Matthew 22:1–14. Father Sammy Wood is the preacher.

Sunday, October 15, 9:45–10:30 AM, Adult Formation Class: “Conversion, Transformation & Life in Christ.” This week: Father Jay Smith will continue his discussion of The Confessions of Saint Augustine of Hippo. We will consider the following: why “confessions”? What is going on in our lives before that moment—or that time—in which we experience an important, even a radical, change in our relationship with God? Is conversion always preceded by a state of dissatisfaction? Must conversion always be preceded by a crisis? When you think about your own spiritual narrative, how do you make sense of the ups and the downs, the confusion and the grace, the dissatisfaction, the choices, and the decisions? Can Augustine help us here? Can he help us to get at the desire beneath all of our other desires? We will read selected passages from The Confessions. Come and join us. Come and talk about your questions, what you think, about what matters to you, and read more about formation at Saint Mary’s here.

Monday, October 16, Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley, and Thomas Cranmer, Reformation Martyrs

Tuesday, October 17, Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch and Martyr, c. 115

Wednesday, October 18, Saint Luke the Evangelist, Morning Prayer 8:00 AM, Holy Hour of Prayer in the Presence of the Blessed Sacrament 11:00 AM, Mass 12:10 PM, Evening Prayer 5:30 PM, Mass 6:00 PM

Wednesday, October 18, 12:45–1:30 PM, Brown Bag Bible Study in Saint Benedict’s Study

Wednesday, October 18, 6:30–7:30 PM, Anglicanism 101 in Saint Benedict’s Study

Thursday, October 19, Henry Martyn, Priest and Missionary to India and Persia, 1812

Saturday, October 21, 11:00 AM, Confessions heard by the priest-on-duty

Saturday, October 21, Monthly Requiem in the Mercy Chapel (Readings are Set V)

Sunday, October 22, The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost, Year A, Proper 24

LIFE AT SAINT MARY’S: NEWS & NOTICES

A Message from Our Local Police Precinct (October 12) . . . Please be aware that you will see an increased presence of department personnel throughout midtown, however there are no credible threats at this time. Stay safe. — Anthony Bellantoni, Detective, NYPD

Saturday Confessions at 11:00 AM . . . During the pandemic, the sacrament of reconciliation (i.e., sacramental or private confession) was available by appointment only. Beginning this month, we have returned to our earlier practice of the Saturday priest-on-duty making himself available to hear confessions at a set time. The confessional near the Father Brown memorial is in need of repairs so, for the time being, the priest-on-duty will be found in one of the confessionals at the back of the church, near the 46th Street entrance, at 11:00 AM on Saturdays. Once nobody is left waiting to make a confession, the priest will return to his office. The priest will stay in the confessional until at least 11:15 AM, however, if you arrive later and he is no longer there, the sexton will be able to call him. Note, as it gets closer to noon, the priest will be preparing to celebrate Mass and may ask you to wait until after the liturgy to make your confession. Therefore, we recommend arriving promptly at 11:00 AM. The rite—The Reconciliation of a Penitent—begins on page 447 in the Book of Common Prayer. If you have any questions about the sacrament or how to prepare for making a confession, please contact a member of the parish clergy. Of course, one may still make an appointment for confession, either by calling the parish office or by contacting one of the priests on staff.

Stewardship Campaign 2023-2024

Stewardship packets are being mailed this month. We ask you to prayerfully consider how you might give of your time, talent, and treasure to Saint Mary’s during the coming year. If you have questions about stewardship or making a financial pledge, please speak to a member of the Stewardship Committee: MaryJane Boland, Steven Heffner, Father Peter Powell, Marie Rosseels, or Father Sammy Wood.

A Reception for Newcomers on October 15

Father Sammy Wood will be hosting a reception for newcomers on Sunday, October 15, at 1:00 PM. If you are new to Saint Mary’s and would like to learn more about the parish and get to know some folks, consider joining us for conversation and a bite to eat in the rectory after Solemn Mass. Please send Father Sammy an email at swood@stmvnyc.org if you plan on attending.

Roland Biermann’s Rheingold closes on October 26

Roland Biermann’s Rheingold, which has been on exhibit in Saint Joseph’s Chapel since the spring, will be closing on October 26. If you haven’t had a chance to view the exhibit, we encourage you to do so before the closing. Learn more about Rheingold on the Art's at Saint Mary's webpage.

Oktoberfest 2023: Come join us on Saturday, October 28

For many years, each October, we celebrated the end of summer, the arrival of autumn, and the beginning of a new program year here at Saint Mary’s with a potluck supper, good conversation, plentiful beverages—including beer, that Oktoberfest staple—and the chance to sing some of our favorite hymns. Oktoberfest returns this year on Saturday, October 28, at 5:30 PM, following Evening Prayer in the church. All are invited.

This year we’ll try something new. Rather than a break post-dessert and a trip to the organ loft, we’ll stay in Saint Joseph’s Hall, where Dr. Hurd will lead the hymn sing. If you would like to join us—and we hope you will—please let Grace Mudd or Father Jay know so we can get a sense of how many folks will be joining us. Also, this is a potluck: so, please let us know what you would like to bring. If you could tell us whether you’re bringing a main dish, a side dish, an appetizer, or a dessert, that would be very helpful. Beverages will be provided.

Remaining Dates to Donate the Altar Flowers in 2023 are Sundays, October 22 and 29; Sundays, November 12 and 19; and Advent 3 on Sunday, December 17. The suggested donation is $250. We are also always happy to receive donations for flowers at Christmas. To make a donation, please contact Chris Howatt. If you’d like to check about other dates available or have questions about the flowers or the Flower Guild, please speak with Brendon Hunter.

Some links with suggestions for aid and assistance:

• Neighbors in Need: Saint Mary’s Outreach to Our Neighborhood

• Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen and Pantry

• Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres

• Episcopal Relief & Development

• Jewish Federations of North America

• The Diocese of Jerusalem: The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East

• Charity Navigator

• The Little Shop of Kindness (Pequeña Tienda de Bondad)

Words of Wisdom from Saint Teresa of Avila . . . Saint Teresa’s feast day normally falls on October 15. We will commemorate her during the prayers of the people on Sunday. Saint Teresa once wrote, “The surest way to determine whether one possesses the love of God is to see whether he or she loves his or her neighbor. These two loves are never separated. Rest assured, the more you progress in love of neighbor, the more your love of God will increase.” She is reputed also to have said, “Trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be”; and this, “God walks among the pots and the pans.”

ABOUT THE MUSIC AT THE SOLEMN MASS ON THE TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, OCTOBER 15

Dr. David Hurd will be away from the parish this weekend. He will be playing a recital before Evensong at Grace and Saint Peter’s Church in Baltimore on Sunday afternoon at 5:00 PM. This is, in part, a dedication service as the parish celebrates its newly restored Austin Organ, Op. 1074 (1922, 1956, 2023). We are always happy when David can represent Saint Mary’s in this way. We will be praying for him and for the people of Grace and Saint Peter’s on Sunday.

Here at Saint Mary’s, Clark Anderson has kindly agreed to play at Solemn Mass once again in David’s absence. Clark is a member of the parish, as well as a member of the Board of Trustees. We are grateful to him for his ministry and his artistry.

Sunday’s organ voluntaries are two of Bach’s settings of the chorale “Jesus Christus, unser Heiland” (“Jesus Christ, our Savior”), dating from his period in Weimar (c. 1708) but slightly revised late in his life for inclusion in the so-called “Leipzig Chorales” collection. Each setting bears a subtitle or note: BWV 665, today’s postlude, has “for Communion” (sub communione), and BWV 666, today’s prelude, “another version” (alio modo). Both settings share a somewhat formal, old-fashioned structure, with clear cadences at the end of each of the four lines of the chorale text. BWV 666 is almost improvisational, as if Bach were experimenting with alternative ideas after he composed BWV 665. He uses a somber dance-like triple rhythm for the first and second lines, with the fast notes that introduce the second line then becoming a streaming cascade of notes in the third and fourth lines. The pedal enters only at the end, anchoring a flourish upwards and downwards in an extended final cadence. BWV 665 is more sophisticated, with masterly harmony and chromaticism virtually unprecedented at the time. Many interpreters and scholars over the years have sought to find symbolic meaning in this chromaticism, and indeed in the setting in general, seeing Luther’s dramatic text reflected in Bach’s dramatic setting: “Jesus Christ, our Savior / who turned God’s anger away from us, / through his bitter suffering / helped us out of the torment of Hell.” I invite you to find your own meanings in these remarkable works. — Clark Anderson

The setting of the Mass this coming Sunday is Canterbury Mass by Anthony Piccolo. Piccolo’s note on the 1996 published edition reads, “Written in 1978 for Dr. Allan Wicks and the Choir of Canterbury Cathedral, these settings were intended for use in the Cathedral’s resonant Nave during the rebuilding of the organ. They are here presented somewhat revised and in accordance with current liturgical practice.” The Mass is scored for unaccompanied mixed choir, mostly in four parts but with occasional further division of voices. The text is disposed efficiently with occasional overlapping of text phrases. Piccolo grew up in New Jersey and completed a master’s degree at Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland. During a subsequent nine-year residence in England, he sang with the cathedral choirs of Litchfield, Canterbury, and Saint Paul’s, London, and performed extensively as a pianist. Since returning to the United States, he has remained very active as a composer, pianist, and conductor in a variety of venues. 

The Communion motet, Ego sum pastor bonus, by Costanzo Porta (c. 1529–1601), is a setting for six voices of verses from the tenth chapter of the Gospel according to John. The text of Porta’s motet occurs in the Roman cycle of antiphons attached to Magnificat at vespers on the third Sunday of Easter, and as the Communio at Mass for the Fourth Sunday of Easter. As an Italian Renaissance composer, Porta is generally classified with the Venetian School, of which the Dutch-born Adrian Willaert (c. 1490–1562), Porta’s probable teacher, is considered the principal founder. Porta and his fellow Venetian composers were significant in bridging the established polyphonic compositional practice of his time to the newer emerging polychoral art. Their music embodied stylistic developments which anticipated Baroque musical conventions to come. That said, Porta’s bright setting of Ego sum pastor bonus is in a conventional polyphonic style. — David Hurd

CHOIR UPDATE: THE 2023-2024 ROSTER

When the Choir of Saint Mary’s returned two weeks ago on 1 October from its summer hiatus, most of its members had sung summer Sunday Masses as cantors and the music notes in the bulletin on those days included profiles of these musicians. As the choir’s core membership of eight singers continues to evolve, we welcome two new members for our 2023-2024 and I am pleased to introduce them to you.

Joining Kirsten Ott in the alto section this season is Emily Drossell. Emily, formerly a student of tenor James Ruff, is, in her own words, a classically trained singer and multihyphenate based in New York City. She has had the pleasure of performing in major venues across the country, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Madison Square Garden, and Walt Disney Concert Hall, and has shared the stage with renowned musicians such as Andrea Bocelli, Jon Batiste, and Nadine Sierra. When not performing herself, Emily is a vocal mentor for the GRAMMY Award-winning National Children’s Chorus. She holds a BA in music and drama from Vassar College and is an alum of the Berlin Opera Academy's Emerging Artist Studio.

Joining James Ruff in the tenor section is George Luton. George (they/he), in his own words, is an experienced musician and composer of sacred and secular works. He has sung tenor at the Church of Notre Dame in Morningside Heights, as well as Saint John’s Lutheran and the Fish Church in Stamford, CT and has also appeared with Downtown Voices in collaboration with Camerata Notturna, The Orchestra Now, and the Hudson Valley Philharmonic. His compositions have been heard at Christ Episcopal Church in Poughkeepsie, NY, and Saint Paul’s Church in Riverside, CT, having been premiered by the Mahogony Ensemble, the Illinois Wesleyan University chamber trio, and the Vassar College Choir and Orchestra, twice earning him the Jean-Slater Edson Prize in Composition. His scores have been heard at off-Broadway, developmental, and regional theaters around the country, such as at the York Theatre, Stage 284, In Vivo Productions, and the Tank NYC. He has also served as a music director at Grace Episcopal Church and Saint Augustine's Church in Vineyard Haven, MA, and the Larchmont Avenue Church in Westchester, in addition to conducting opera and musical theatre for NYC institutions such as Columbia University School of the Arts, the Powerhouse Theatre, and Prospect Theatre Company. George currently teaches voice at the First Congregational Church of Darien and A Class Act NY and is a member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop.

So, the roster of the choir this season is as follows:

Emma Daniels
Joy Tamayo
Kirsten Ott
Emily Drossell
James Ruff
George Luton
Muir Ingliss
Jonathan Roberts

I am happy to recognize our continuing choir members and to welcome our new members. We are also fortunate to have additional singers with us from time to time substituting for our regular members as needed. Among our recent recurring subs are Catherine Aks, Hayes Biggs, Dominic Inferrera, Heather Meyer, Cynthia Shaw, and Samuel Strickland and as well as former regular members of the choir.

May we all continue to experience the great richness of worship through choral music. — DJH

ORGAN RECITALS AT SAINT MARY’S 2023–2024

Dr. Hurd has announced this year’s organ-recital schedule. The first recital this year will take place on All Saints’ Day, Wednesday, November 1, at 5:30 PM. The recitalist is Cynthia Powell, Artistic Director, the Stonewall Chorale & Melodia Women’s Choir, New York City.

NYRO CONCERT ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, AT 8:00 PM

The New York Repertory Orchestra will perform their first concert of the 2023-2024 season this Saturday at Saint Mary’s. The program for Saturday is: Cecile Chaminade: "Callirhoë" Suite; José White Lafitte: Violin Concerto; and Pyotr Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2 "Ukrainian." Admission is free. A $15 donation is suggested. Learn more about NYRO, our orchestra-in-residence, on their webpage here.

TIMES SQUARE: 125 YEARS OF CHANGE

An online book presentation of Times Square Remade by Lynne B. Sagalyn, sponsored by The Gotham Center for New York History and the CUNY Graduate Center, will take place on Thursday, October 19, at 6:30 PM. They write:

What is it about Times Square that has inspired so much attention, despite its many profound changes, for more than a century? In Times Square Remade, Lynne B. Sagalyn masterfully recounts the story of this symbolic space’s hold on the public imagination, twenty years after her widely acclaimed Times Square Roulette. The book chronicles its history, from its early days as the nexus of speculation and competitive theater building to its darkest period as vice central, and the years of aggressive public-private intervention that followed, cleansing West 42nd Street and nearby areas like Hell’s Kitchen of pornography and crime.

Accompanied by nearly 160 images, Times Square Remade is a deftly woven narrative of urban transformation that will appeal as much to the general reader as to urbanists, city planners, architects, urban designers, and policymakers. Kenneth T. Jackson, Editor-in-Chief of The Encyclopedia of New York City, writes, “no other intersection on Earth has been as iconic, famous, and frequented as the crossroads of the world in New York. And no other person has written with such authority and knowledge about the place as Lynne Sagalyn.” Sharon Zukin, author of Naked City: The Death and Life of Authentic Urban Places, adds, “Sagalyn's erudition marches off every page.”

The event is open to the public. Click here to register.

COMING UP AT SAINT MARY’S 

Wednesday, November 1, All Saints’ Day
Mass 12:10 PM, Organ Recital 5:30 PM, Solemn Mass 6:00 PM

Thursday, November 2, All Souls’ Day
Mass 12:10 PM, Sung Mass 6:00 PM

Sunday, November 5, Daylight Saving Time Ends

Wednesday, November 22, 2023, The Eve of Thanksgiving Day
Sung Mass 6:00 PM

Thursday, November 23, 2023, Thanksgiving Day
Said Mass 10:00 AM

Saturday, December 2, 2023, Quiet Day

Sunday, December 3, 2023, The First Sunday of Advent

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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.