FROM FATHER SMITH: ON CONSOLATION

To “tell” sacred time means paying attention to dates, times, seasons—and lots and lots of numbers—and never more so than during Lent. In the West, for instance, our preparation for Easter lasts forty days, but not so very long ago, within living memory for some Saint Marians, forty days wasn’t quite enough. There was a period of preparation for the season of preparation—those three so-called “gesima” Sundays. For example, Septuagesima Sunday is the Ninth Sunday before Easter, the Third Sunday before Ash Wednesday, and seventy days before Holy Saturday (see, e.g., the Book of Common Prayer 1928). Holy Week lasts seven days, the Sacred Triduum three days. Easter Day is a highly symbolic day that is both first and eighth. There are exactly forty weekdays between Ash Wednesday and Holy Saturday. Leaving out the Sundays, however, leads to a different calculation and a different sort of meaning.

And what is the reason for all this counting? I think it is, in part, because we are human and to be human is to live in time. On Ash Wednesday, we hear these words, “You are dust and unto dust you shall return.” But we hear those words so we can ask ourselves, “Is this all there is?” The season of Lent says no, it is not. Death is not the only true thing. We are headed somewhere, towards Easter, towards the Risen Life: “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor 15:20–22).

There are five Sundays in Lent, six if you count Palm Sunday. This coming Sunday is the Fourth Sunday in Lent, the twenty-fifth day after Ash Wednesday, somewhat more than halfway through the Lenten fast. The fourth Sunday is called “Laetare” Sunday. Here at Saint Mary’s the reason for that becomes clear. As the Solemn Mass begins two days from now the choir will sing, “Laetare Ierusalem: et conventum facite omnes qui diligitis eam: gaudete cum laetitia, qui in tristitia fuistis: ut exsultetis, et satiemini ab uberibus consolationis vestrae.” (Rejoice with Jerusalem; and come together, all you who love her; rejoice exceedingly with a great joy, all you who have been sorrowful, that you may exult and be filled from her consoling breasts.) [1] The accent here is clearly on joy. Indeed, there are two different words that mean joy in this short passage, laetare and gaudete. The synonyms intensify the meaning of the verse and ask us to pay attention to the prophet’s message.

On the Fourth Sunday of Lent in the catholic tradition, the spiritual joys described in the Introit are made concrete by making appeals to the senses throughout the liturgy. The vestments and the frontal are rose-colored. There are flowers on the high altar and at the shrines. We may expect the music to be a bit more exuberant, and these physical, tangible expressions of joy have deep roots in liturgical history [2]:

• In Rome, early on, those preparing for baptism would be examined during the week after Laetare Sunday and would then be given the words of the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. Excitement and anticipation were in the air as the day of baptism approached.

• Also in Rome, at an early period, the liturgy on the Fourth Sunday in Lent took place at the Church of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, sometimes known simply as “Jerusalem.” This may explain the several references to Jerusalem in the liturgy. These liturgical references are pointing to the new Jerusalem, the church, which, through the Spirit, gives birth to new members of the Body of Christ through the sacrament of baptism.

• The fourth Sunday becomes associated with an early medieval custom of wearing flowers to mark the victory of spring over winter.

These historical details suggest that Laetare Sunday is not just a respite from some of Lent’s austerities, though it may be that. To realize that Easter Day will soon dawn out of the darkness of the Easter Vigil is to be reminded—as sacred time always does—that, yes, we are human and always and necessarily live in time. We are born. We age. We die. And yet the Eternal and Incarnate One, the Risen Lord, comes to meet us now, in time, just as we are, and shows us what salvation means. Our lives are not rendered meaningless by the fact of death. Resurrection spills into Lent, and this is a very great consolation.

In Sunday’s Introit, Isaiah uses a vivid image: Jerusalem, redeemed and vindicated, is able to console its people by nourishing them, as if it were a nursing mother. The New Jerusalem, redeemed and vindicated by the crucified and risen Lord, consoles its people through the waters of baptism and the promise of resurrection.

Michael Ignatieff is a historian, educator, administrator, and sometime politician, with interests in philosophy and international affairs. Ignatieff was raised in Canada in the Russian Orthodox church. He describes himself now as an “unbeliever.” He recently published a remarkable book, On Consolation: Finding Solace in Dark Times. [3] In this book, he sets out to define what “consolation” might be for secular people, who are not “believers,” but does so without denying the paradoxical importance of religious consolations. He does this by examining a wide range of texts, both ancient and modern, among them the Psalms, the Book of Job, the Epistles of Saint Paul, and the works of Boethius and Dante. He writes, “[I set out to understand] the impact of the Psalms on me and others…How had ancient religious language exerted such a spell upon us, especially upon a nonbeliever like me? And what did it mean exactly to be consoled?” [4] He goes on to conclude, “The essential element of consolation is hope: the belief that we can recover from loss, defeat, and disappointment, and that the time that remains to us, however short, offers us possibilities to start again, failing perhaps, but as [Samuel] Beckett said, failing better. It is this hope that allows us, even in the face of tragedy, to remain unbowed.” [5]

Ignatieff says that he is an “unbeliever,” and I have no reason to doubt him. But, still, I think he is our brother, a fellow pilgrim in time, even “dark times,” a brother who senses that death may be the “last enemy” (1 Cor 15:26) but is not the victor and that somehow there is resurrection at the very heart of things, though he cannot see it and cannot quite believe it. — JRS

THE PARISH PRAYER LIST

We give thanks to God for giving us life; for showing us the beauty of the universe, for the warmth and tenderness of the world of nature, and for the goodness of God even in times of darkness when goodness, beauty, and grace are hidden from our eyes.

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, frigid weather, flood, fire, and earthquake.

We pray especially this week for the people of Ukraine, South Sudan, Türkiye, and Syria; and we also pray for Michael, Zulie, Harriet, Victor, Michael, Opal, Debbie, Willard, Richard, Gigi, Carole, Linda, Don, Michele, Bob, Ilde Luz, Henry, Mecca, Penny, Steven, Sharon, Pat, Lina, Charlotte, Ginny, Roger, Catherine, Tony, Richard, Gloria, Gladys, Luis, Liduvina, José, Lauren, Theo, Eric, Carlos, Christopher, Shalim, Greta, Quincy, Ava Grace, Bruce, Barbara, Robert, Suzanne, Abe, Gypsy, Hardy, John Derek, Margaret; for Sister Monica Clare, who celebrates a birthday this week; for Renee, Luis, Gladys, and Father Sammy, who are on pilgrimage; and for Rick and Allan, priests.

We also pray:

For the people of Saint Mary’s that we may persevere in our observance of Lent;
For the work of the Saint Mary’s Search Committee and the members of the Board of
Trustees of Saint Mary’s;
For the Chemin Neuf Community and the Community at the Crossing;
For the Episcopal Service Corps and the New York Service & Justice Collaborative fellows;
For all those suffering from COVID-19 and for all those recovering from COVID-19;
For those killed and injured in the mass shootings in the United States in 2023;
For all refugees and those seeking asylum;
For the work of Neighbors in Need and for its guests;
For those without food, shelter, or work; and for those seeking work;
For those troubled by depression, anxiety, or addiction;
For all those visiting Saint Mary’s and our neighborhood this week;
For the safety and welfare of our nation, city, and neighborhood.

A COLLECT FOR LENT

Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

GETTING TO SAINT MARY’S THIS SUNDAY

The United Airlines New York City Half Marathon will take place on Sunday, March 19, 2023. The 13.1-mile journey begins in Brooklyn, goes over the Manhattan Bridge, heads north on the FDR Drive, travels through Times Square and finishes in Central Park. Access will be difficult coming from Midtown West or if one needs to cross 42nd Street. Seventh Avenue from 42nd Street to Central Park South will be closed from 5:30 AM until 2:00 PM. 42nd Street from First Avenue to Seventh Avenue will be closed from 7:00 AM until 1:00 PM. A map of the route can be found here and additional information about the Half Marathon is available here.

AIDS WALK 2023: SUNDAY, MAY 21

AIDS Walk 2023 will be on Sunday, May 21, and Saint Mary’s is forming its team. We are just getting going, though we already have five people on board. Come join us! We will have a Vigil Mass on the Saturday evening before the event and then meet in Central Park on Sunday morning to walk with the thousands of others.

In 2022, thanks to the generosity of Saint Marians and their friends, we raised $57,078 and were the fourth ranked fundraising team overall (and first among religious organizations). We hope to do at least as well this year.

To join or to contribute, visit our page on the AIDS WALK website. Additional detail about our team’s history can also be found on the parish website. Our team captains—MaryJane Boland, Clark Mitchell, and Father Matt Jacobson—welcome your questions. 

BEING HOSPITABLE, WELCOMING OUR GUESTS

Hospitality is an important ministry at Saint Mary’s, since it is our privilege to welcome guests from near and far almost every Sunday morning. Coffee Hour and other receptions are an important part of that ministry, but the cost of hosting such events continues to rise.

We are seeking your help. We invite the members and friends to volunteer to “host” a Coffee Hour or reception. That can be done in one of two ways: you can make a cash donation, or you can provide food and beverages for the event. If you would like to do this, please contact the Parish Office or speak to Father Jay Smith.

In order to prevent duplications and therefore waste, if you plan to bring food for a Coffee Hour, please let us know a week ahead of time. That way we can work with Marcos Orengo, our weekend sexton, to prepare for that day’s event.

We hope that this will not be taken as an invitation to compete. That is not desirable, and is likely to discourage some who would otherwise like to help. We hope to keep things fairly simple—something look forward to, but neither brunch, lunch, or supper.

We are grateful to all those who already make donations that are a great help to and for this ministry.

“All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ, for he himself will say: ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me’ (Matt 25:35).”— The Rule of Saint Benedict

GUEST PREACHERS AT SAINT MARY’S

On Sunday, March 26, our guest preacher at the Solemn Mass at 11:00 AM, will be Sister Hannah Spiers, CCN, of the Community of Chemin Neuf, who is working with other members of the Community to create the ecumenical Community at the Crossing at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine. Click here for a video where Sister Hannah speaks a little about and being an Anglican consecrated sister within a Roman Catholic religious order. Sister Hannah will discuss her order and this new community after Solemn Mass in the parish hall.

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S

Friday, March 17, Stations of the Cross 5:30 PM, following Evening Prayer at 5:00 PM.

Our regular daily liturgical schedule, Monday through Friday, is Morning Prayer 8:00 AM, Mass 12:10 PM, and Evening Prayer at 5:00 PM. Holy Hour is offered on Wednesday at 11:00 AM and Thursday’s Mass includes a Healing Service. On Saturdays, Mass is celebrated at 12:10 PM and Evening Prayer is prayed at 5:00 PM. On Sundays, Solemn Mass is offered at 11:00 AM and Evening Prayer at 5:00 PM.

Sunday, March 19, The Fourth Sunday in Lent (Laetare Sunday).

Monday, March 20, Saint Joseph (transferred). Special devotion is not required on the Feast of Saint Joseph.

Friday, March 24, The Eve of the Annunciation.

Saturday, March 25, The Annunciation. Special devotion is not required on the Eve of the Annunciation nor on the Feast itself.

On Friday, March 24, at 5:30 PM, the Eve of the Annunciation of Our Lord Jesus Christ to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Timothy Pyper will play the organ recital. Tim is well known to many Saint Marians. He played for us during Holy Week some years ago, coming to our rescue at a difficult moment and doing so with grace, artistry, and great calm. He remains a friend of the parish. We are very happy to be able to welcome him back to Saint Mary’s. We will be able to announce his recital program shortly. Click here to learn more about Dr. Pyper.

Friday, March 24, The Eve of the Annunciation of Our Lord Jesus Christ to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Solemn Mass 6:00 PM. Mother Anna Pearson, rector of the Church of the Holy Apostles, will preach.

During Lent at Saint Mary’s, it is our custom to keep most weekdays as Lenten Weekdays or ferias. Among other things, this allows us to hear the Scripture readings in course. However, if there is a saint associated with a date, he or she will be noted in our parish liturgical calendars in parenthesis.

Tuesday, March 21, Thomas Ken, Bishop of Bath and Wells, 1711

Wednesday, March 22, James De Koven, Priest, 1879

Thursday, March 23, Gregory the Illuminator, Bishop and Missionary, c. 332

Friday, March 24, Oscar Romero, Archbishop and Martyr, 1980

AROUND THE PARISH

Father Sammy Wood and his wife, Renee, along with parishioners Luis and Gladys Reyes and Katherine Hoyt, and a number of others from Boston, New York, and Nashville, flew to Israel on Tuesday evening, March 14, beginning their ten-day pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Please keep them in your prayers.

On Sunday, March 19, Dr. David Hurd, organist and music director, will be away from the parish. He will be in Rochester, New York, playing a recital at Rochester’s Third Presbyterian Church. The following day, Monday, March 20, he will be speaking at the Eastman School of Music. Parishioner and member of the Board of Trustees, Clark Anderson, will play the organ and conduct the choir at the Solemn Mass on Sunday, March 19.

The Saint Mary’s Centering Prayer Group has returned to in-person gatherings. Please speak to Blair Burroughs or Ingrid Sletten for more information about the practice of Centering Prayer or click here. Perhaps the season of Lent would be a good time to explore this particular form of prayer. The group is meeting in Saint Benedict’s Room following Stations of the Cross on Fridays and has also begun to gather on Sundays after Solemn Mass.

Saint Mary’s Book Club. On Sunday, April 23, at 1:00 PM, Father Jay Smith will lead a discussion of Pat Barker’s 1993 novel, Regeneration. The book is set in England during the Great War, and is focused on Siegfried Sassoon, poet and war hero, who has spoken out against the war and, as a result, been committed to an institution for “rest and rehabilitation.” The novel portrays the relationship between Sassoon and a psychiatrist, who has been assigned the morally ambiguous task of returning Sassoon and other young men, shattered in mind, body, and spirit to the front. The novel is well written and explores the difficult interplay between nationalism, patriotism, virility, psychiatry, and modern technological warfare. In some sense, World War I “changed everything” in the Western world. Barker puts a human face on those changes.

We’d love to have you join the discussion in April. We are a small group, but we have lots of ideas and opinions. Come share your opinions with us!

The Annual Easter Appeal letter will be mailed next week. In the letter, Father Wood invites donations to help with improvements in the nave of the church building. We invite you to be generous.

ABOUT THE MUSIC ON THE FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT, MARCH 19, 2023

Sunday’s organ voluntaries are chorale preludes built on two of the hymns listed for Laetare Sunday in J.S. Bach’s Neu Leipziger Gesangbuch (“New Leipzig Hymnbook”). This was one of several templates that Bach, a busy church musician, compiled listing music appropriate for the seasons of the liturgical year. The prelude, In dich hab’ ich gehoffet, Herr (“In you have I hoped, Lord”), with its dancing triple meter and bright A-Major tonality, is appropriately joyful as it leads into this morning’s Introit. The structure is a series of fughette (“short fugues”), clearly delineated, with an increasing tendency towards running figures in the final bars. The postlude, Wir danken dir, Herr Jesu Christ, returns us to a more somber mood and is a straightforward fugue on the Lenten chorale, “We thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, that you for us have died and through your blood have made us right before God.” This work is part of the “Neumeister Collection,” a group of eighty-one chorale settings rediscovered at Yale University in the 1980s, which includes thirty-one previously unknown works now attributed to Bach. — Clark Anderson

The setting of the Mass on March 19, the Fourth Sunday in Lent, is by Stefano Bernardi (c. 1577–1637). Bernardi, musician and priest, was maestro di cappella at the cathedral in Verona, the city of his birth, from 1611 to 1622. In 1624, he became director of court music for Paris von Lodron, Prince-Bishop of Salzburg, where he remained for the next ten years and was active in the musical life of Salzburg Cathedral. Notably Bernardi composed a Te Deum for twelve choirs, unfortunately now lost, for the Cathedral’s consecration in 1628. During his Salzburg years Bernardi was ordained to the priesthood and also received a doctorate in canon and civil law. Bernardi was one of the significant Italian composers standing at the juncture of late Renaissance polyphonic and early Baroque concertato syles. His Missa Praeparate corda vestra takes its inspiration from a responsory which, translated, begins “Prepare your hearts for the Lord and serve Him only” (1 Samuel 7:3). The Mass is compact in its construction and is scored for four voices. Each movement begins with a recognizable common melodic phrase derived from the source motet. 

The motet sung during the administration of Communion on Sunday morning is O nata lux by Thomas Tallis (c. 1505–1585). Tallis was one of the most foundational composers of English church music. His long life and musical career included service under four English monarchs—Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary Tudor, and Elizabeth I—with all the shifts in the church’s liturgical and institutional life which these different reigns occasioned. Along with William Byrd (c. 1505–1585), Tallis enjoyed an exclusive license to print and publish music which was granted by Elizabeth I in 1575. He was one of the first musicians to compose for the new Anglican rites of the mid-sixteenth century. The preferred style of the time tended toward less florid liturgical music which favored clear text declamation. Tallis’s motet O nata lux models this restraint and clarity. — David Hurd

Dr. Hurd is away on Sunday and our guest organist is parishioner, Clark Anderson. Clark took his first job as church organist at the age of thirteen and went on to hold a variety of organist and music director positions over the following thirty years, until his day job as a banker forced him to retire from the organ bench. Since then, he has performed and accompanied periodically, and he is always happy to be at the Saint Mary’s console. Clark holds degrees from Princeton University (where he was University Organist and Assistant Conductor) and Pomona College. Clark and his husband Zachary have been members of Saint Mary’s since 2014.

NEIGHBORS IN NEED

For the next several months, Neighbors in Need is blessed with help from five young people working with the Diocese of New York’s branch of Episcopal Service Corps, the New York Service & Justice Collaborative. We expect that they will help with sorting and hanging clothes as well as carrying them up from the basement to set up for our drop-by days. Even so, we would welcome your inquiry about volunteering.

We held our monthly Drop-by Event today, March 17, during which we distributed clothing and personal items to around forty people. Next month the Drop-by takes place in Easter Week, on Friday, April 21.

Our biggest needs now are clothing, especially shoes (sneakers or athletic shoes and other sturdy shoes), men’s and women’s pants and tops, and coats—for winter and for warmer weather. And, of course, donations help us to purchase toiletries and underwear.

Please contact us at neighbors@stmvnyc.org for more information about volunteering or about the goals, work, and methods of Neighbors in Need.

ADULT EDUCATION: LENT COMES AND BIBLE STUDY RETURNS
Sunday, March 19, New Testament Letters in the Pauline Tradition, continued

This coming Sunday we continue our examination of the writings from the time the New Testament was formed. Imagine you’re a first-century Christian. Paul has died. The Second Coming has not occurred. Is your faith pointless? The New Testament takes shape and the church is formed in part to answer these questions. We know the Gospels reach their present form after 60 CE. What about the Epistles? How do the followers of Paul understand their faith in light of Paul’s death? How do the followers of Paul understand their faith after the Jewish Revolution and the destruction of the Temple? How do they make sense of worshiping a Jewish Savior when essentially no Jews are Christian? In other words, how do they remain faithful?

We continue to seek answers to those questions, and others, when we continue our discussion of Ephesians 1–3 on Sunday, March 19, 9:30–10:30 AM. We’ll continue our discussion on all the Sundays in Lent, including Palm Sunday, April 2.
— Father Peter Ross Powell

LIVING LENT, PREPARING FOR EASTER

An electronic copy of the booklet, The Shape of the Lent, can be downloaded here. In it you’ll find suggestions for keeping a Holy Lent and an invitation for us to observe Lent together, as a community.

Week 4: March 19–25

Abstinence: Unnecessary Spending
This week, resolve to spend nothing on yourself except what is absolutely necessary. Buy no new clothes or gadgets, books or music. Resist the impulse buying that is so easy and instant on the Internet. Eat cheaply and save money. Practice living simply and consider giving away the money you save.

Reading: The Prophets & Exile
As a result of their idolatry and social injustice, the people have been sent into exile. They are in a foreign land not as tourists, but as an oppressed people. Listen to the prophets as they declare the sins of God’s people. Are we guilty of some of those same sins? Listen also to the hope given by a gracious God who forgives sin and remembers his promise to rescue the world.

Psalm of the Week: Psalm 44

Readings:

Sunday: Hosea 2
Monday: Amos 5.1-6.8
Tuesday: Isaiah 1.12-31; 35
Wednesday: Jeremiah 29.1-14; 31.31-37
Thursday: Ezekiel 36.22-36
Friday: Nehemiah 2.1-8; 8.1-12; 9
Saturday: Zephaniah 3.9-20

Book of Common Prayer Online
Holy Bible, New Revised Standard Version
Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version
Common English Bible

On Friday, March 24, we will not say Evening Prayer in the church, and we will not walk Stations of the Cross, since it is the Eve of the Annunciation. There will be an organ recital at 5:30 PM and a Solemn Mass at 6:00 PM that evening.

Quiet Day led by Mother Deborah Lee at Saint Mary’s on Saturday, March 25, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Mother Deborah will lead reflections and be available for spiritual direction. Father Matt will celebrate Mass at 12:10 PM and lunch in Saint Joseph’s Hall will follow. There will be opportunities for prayer, quiet, journaling, and reading in the church and chapels and in Saint Joseph’s Hall between Mother Lee’s addresses.

Mother Lee writes:

In these forty days of the season of Lent, we are encouraged to step away from our regular routine and make space for quiet reflection and prayer. In the Bible, the number 40 symbolizes the formation and transformation of God’s people. Just as Jesus made his way into the wilderness to pray for forty days, we are also invited to pause, rest, and seek God away from the busyness of life. Come and experience a quiet day retreat for meditation, devotional reading, contemplation, and simply being attentive to God.

The Reverend Deborah A. Lee is an Episcopal priest who graduated with a Master of Divinity degree and Certificate in Spiritual Direction from General Theological Seminary in Manhattan. She is an ecumenical spiritual director in private practice and also offers spiritual direction through the Annand Program for Spiritual Formation at Berkeley Divinity School at Yale and the Center for Christian Spirituality at General Theological Seminary. She served as an associate rector at St. Bartholomew’s in Manhattan, as priest-in-charge at St. Paul’s in Chester, NY, as assisting priest at Christ Church in Warwick, NY, and was formerly the Program Manager for Pastoral Care and Community at Trinity Church Wall Street. She holds a master’s degree in Clinical Counseling and served as a mental health counselor and educator, both internationally and within the U.S. Click here to learn more about Mother Lee.

Please RSVP if you plan on attending the Quiet Day on March 25.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

April 2, Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday, Blessing of Palms, Procession in the Church, and Solemn Mass 11:00 AM, Evening Prayer in the Church at 5:00 PM.

April 6, Maundy Thursday, Solemn Mass 6:00 PM, Watch before the Blessed Sacrament until Midnight.

April 7, Good Friday, Liturgy of the Day 12:30 PM.

Saturday, April 8, The Great Vigil of Easter, 7:00 PM.

Sunday, April 9, Easter Day, Said Mass with Hymns 9:00 AM; Procession and Solemn Mass 11:00 AM.

CONCERTS AT SAINT MARY’S

Saint Mary’s resident orchestra, the New York Repertory Orchestra, will present concerts here at Saint Mary’s on March 25 and May 20. Admission is free. A $15.00 donation is most welcome. Click here for more details about the 2022–2023 season.

The program on March 25 is: George: RUIN (World Premiere/NYRO Commission); Boulanger: Faust et Hélène; Martinů: Symphony No. 2.

AWAY FROM SAINT MARY’S

At the New-York Historical Society, Seventy-seventh Street and Central Park West, Kara Walker: Harper’s Pictorial History of the Civil War (Annotated). Until June 11, 2023.

From the museum website: “For over two decades, artist Kara Walker (b. 1969) has been making work that weaves together imagery from the antebellum South, the brutality of slavery, and racist stereotypes. Her work has stirred controversy for its use of exaggerated caricatures that reflect long-standing racialized and gendered stereotypes and for its lurid depictions of history.

“Harper’s Pictorial History of the Civil War (Annotated) is a series of 15 prints based on the two-volume anthology published in 1866 and 1868. Walker’s work comments on the omission of African Americans from this narrative and urges viewers to consider the persistence of violent caricature and stereotype today. To create her prints, Walker enlarged select illustrations and then overlaid them with large stenciled figures. The silhouettes visually disrupt the scenes and suffuse them with scenarios evocative of the painful past left out of Harper’s original images. The Center for Women’s History contextualizes the exhibition—which is traveling from the Smithsonian American Art Museum—with objects, images, and documents from New-York Historical’s collections.”

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.

[1] Cf. Isaiah 66:10–11. The English translation of the original Hebrew verses suggest that the prophet is not addressing Jerusalem (“O Jerusalem), but is inviting his listeners to rejoice with Jerusalem because God has vindicated her. The verse is about redemption and therefore entirely appropriate for us as we prepare for Holy Week and Easter.
[2] See Ludwig Eisenhofer and Joseph Lechner, The Liturgy of the Roman Rite, trans. by A.J. and E.F. Peeler (Herder and Herder, 1961), pp. 183–184.
[3] Michael Iganatieff, On Consolation: Finding Solace in Dark Times (Metropolitan Books, an imprint of Henry Holt and Company, 2021).
[4] Ibid., xii.
[5] Ibid., 7.