FROM FATHER JACOBSON: THE ANGLICAN CENTRE IN ROME

This morning, I attended the Tuesday midday Eucharist at the Anglican Centre in Rome. Many at this Mass are parishioners of either Saint Paul’s within the Walls or All Saints’ Church, the two Anglican churches in Rome. Saint Paul’s is part of the Episcopal Church and All Saints’ is a Church of England congregation. A third category are Anglicans from around the world who happen to be passing through Rome for work or as tourists. Afterwards, the Centre hosts a lunch for everyone.

These Tuesdays can help illustrate a fair amount about the Anglican Centre’s work. Just like the two Anglican churches in Rome, it is a part of the regular weekly rhythm of worship for many Anglicans who live here. It also serves to welcome those visiting with a ministry of hospitality, especially through the lunch following Mass and by offering classes and other events.

After Mass, I asked Archbishop Ian Ernest, the Director of the Centre, what he would want parishioners at Saint Mary’s to know about the Anglican Centre. He said that he would describe the Centre’s mission as “hospitality with a foundation in prayer,” and that through this, “relationships are being built and strengthened.”

This vision also ties into Archbishop Ernest’s role as the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Personal Representative to the Holy See, where he is tasked with strengthening the relationship between the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church. In fact, the Centre was founded in 1966 after the historic meeting between Pope Paul VI and Archbishop of Canterbury Michael Ramsey when the Pope took off his episcopal ring and placed it on Archbishop Ramsey’s finger. 

Much has changed since 1966, but this important work still carries on. I’ve been to several liturgies over the years where the Centre hosted an influential cleric from the Roman Catholic Church who offered a homily and joined with Anglicans in prayer. The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which falls in January between the Confession of Saint Peter and the Conversion of Saint Paul, is an especially important time each year when the Centre collaborates in worship services all week long throughout the city with the Roman Catholic Church as well as the other denominations active in Rome.

For those who are interested in learning more about the work of the Centre, have a look at their webpage. The site notes how “the Centre has sought to demonstrate that the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Anglican Communion are totally serious and fully committed to the belief that Jesus held up before us in John’s Gospel ‘that they may all be one.’” Please keep Archbishop Ernest and the Anglican Centre in your prayers. — MDJ

Almighty and everliving God, you have called us in the body of your son Jesus Christ to continue his work of reconciliation. In gratitude we celebrate the presence of the Anglican Centre in Rome and give thanks for its reconciling witness to Christian unity. As we remember the gift of hope that so inspired its creation, we pray that this same hope may strengthen us in our witness to justice and peace in the world, and encourage us in our commitment to one body, one faith, and one Lord, even Jesus Christ, your risen and glorified Son, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

THE PARISH PRAYER LIST

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 those struggling with depression, anxiety, or addiction; and for those living amid violence, or with drought, storm, inclement weather, flood, fire, or earthquake.

We pray for those who died in the submersible in the North Atlantic and for their families.

We pray for the members of the Search Committee of Saint Mary’s and for all those who are discerning a call to ministry here.

We pray for peace throughout the world, and especially for the people of Ukraine, Sudan, Ethiopia, Israel, Gaza, the West Bank, Syria, Yemen, and Myanmar.

We pray for reconciliation among the churches and people of the Anglican Communion.

During this Pride month, we pray for all LGBTQI+ people. May it be a time of celebration and joy. And we also pray for a growth in understanding and respect among all people and for an end to insult, contempt, intolerance, hatred, and violence.

We pray for John, Humberto, Steven, Bruce, Barbara, Robert, Sharon, Giovanna, Theo, Carlos, Christopher, Daniel, Liduvina, Richard, Chuck, Alexandra, Brendan, José, Carmen, Susan, Paris, Charlotte, Chelsey, Keith, Carl, Jennifer, Harka, Gigi, Julie, Carole, Suzanne, Greta, Quincy, Ava Grace, Phyllis, Jim, Abe, Bob, Gypsy, Hardy, and Margaret; for Monica Clare, Thomas and William, religious; and Stephen and Allan, priests.

We pray for the repose of the souls of Alfred D. Price, who died on May 2, 2023, and William Carlyle, who died on June 25, 1891.

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S

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 anointing and prayers for healing. On Saturdays, 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, Solemn Mass is offered at 11:00 AM and Evening Prayer at 5:00 PM.

Friday, June 23, 5:30–6:45 PM, The Centering Prayer Group meets in Saint Benedict’s Study.

Saturday, June 24, The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, Mass 12:10 PM in the Lady Chapel.

Sunday, June 25, The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost. Summer schedule. Solemn Mass 11:00 AM. A cantor will assist the congregation’s worship. The readings are Jeremiah 20:7–13; a portion of Psalm 69; Romans 5:15b–19; and Matthew 10:16–33. The readings may be accessed on our website by clicking on this link.

Wednesday, June 28, 11:00 AM, Holy Hour. A time for silent prayer in the Lady Chapel in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.

Friday, June 30, 5:30–6:45 PM, The Centering Prayer Group meets in Saint Benedict’s Study.

Commemorations during the Week of June 25, 2023, at 12:10 PM. Weekday Masses are generally celebrated in the Lady Chapel:

Wednesday, June 28, Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, c. 202
Thursday, June 29, Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Apostles
Sunday, July 2, The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Lectionary Year A, Proper 8)

LIFE AT SAINT MARY’S: NEWS & NOTICES (AND REQUESTS FOR HELP)

Sunday, June 25, The Diocese of New York at the New York City Pride March 2023, 1:00–7:00 PM: Once again there will be an Episcopal presence at the March. Here is some useful information: 1:00 PM—Pre-March Gathering at the Church of the Transfiguration, 1 East 29th Street (between Fifth and Madison Avenues). 3:00 PM—Walk to March Check-in Point. If you would like to meet directly at the check-in point, you may come to Section 6 (East 26th Street between Fifth and Madison Avenues) beginning at 3:00 PM. Look for the Diocese of New York banner. Please remember to: Dress appropriately for the weather; bring water or other hydrating beverages; consider your own mobility; seating for the March itself this year is extremely limited and there is no float this year; bring banners, signs—and the more rainbows the better!

Readers of the Angelus will recall that our diocese’s Episcopal Service Corps interns have been meeting here at Saint Mary’s on Wednesday afternoons this year for formation, led by Brother Thomas Steffensen, SSF, their mentor. They have been assisting us with the ongoing work of Neighbors in Need, processing and sorting clothing deliveries and donations and hauling clothing and toiletry articles up from the basement in preparation for our Drop-by Days. Wednesday, July 2, will be their last day here. We are grateful to these young people for their faithful help, and we wish them well as they go forth to love and serve the Lord. Please keep them in your prayers.

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 of the parish 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 make a cash donation, the suggested amount is $100.00. 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 are grateful to all those who have already made donations to support this ministry.

Neighbors in Need: Last Friday, June 16, we served about 40 people during our monthly Drop-by Event, which lasted from 1:30 to 3:00 PM. Things went very smoothly, which was due in no small part to our corps of committed and experienced volunteers, led by MaryJane Boland and Marie Rosseels.

We continue to dismantle, bit by bit, our system of safeguards put in place during the pandemic. We are now allowing more people to “shop” for clothing items in the Lady Chapel. More volunteers are stationed in the chapel to facilitate this process and to answer questions. This makes for greater efficiency and reduces wait time for our guests.

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 next winter as well as jackets, t-shirts, polo shirts, and women’s tops suitable for spring and summer. And, of course, donations help us to purchase toiletries and underwear.

Next month’s distribution will take place on Friday, July 21, from 1:30 to 3:00 PM (volunteers work from 1:00 PM until 3:30 PM). Please contact us at neighbors@stmvnyc.org for more information about volunteering, making a donation, or about the goals, work, and methods of Neighbors in Need.

Donations for altar flowers. If you would like to make a donation to cover the cost of flowers to be placed on the high altar and at the shrines on an upcoming Sunday or holy day, you should know that there are many available dates coming up: Sunday, July 23, and 30; and, in August, The Transfiguration, Sunday, August 6; Tuesday, August 15, the Assumption, and these Sundays, too: August 13, 20, and 27. The suggested donation is $250. To reserve a date and make your donation for the altar flowers, please contact Chris Howatt. If you’d like to explore other dates or have questions about the flowers or the Flower Guild, please contact Brendon Hunter.

Father Matthew Jacobson is away from the parish on vacation until Thursday, July 6.

Father Jay Smith will be away from the parish on a work assignment between Tuesday, June 27 and Thursday, June 29. He will be away on vacation between July 4 and August 2.

ABOUT THE MUSIC AT THE SOLEMN MASS ON THE FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, JUNE 25, 2023

The organ prelude on the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost is Rhosymedre by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958). This is the second of the composer’s Three Preludes on Welsh Hymn Tunes. Published in 1920, the three preludes were composed to be played either as a set or separately. They were dedicated to British organist and composer Alan Gray (1855–1935), who was organist at Trinity College, Cambridge from 1893 to 1930. The hymn tune Rhosymedre (“Lovely”), number 587 in The Hymnal 1982 with F. Bland Tucker’s text, “Our Father, by whose name all fatherhood is known,” was composed by John Edwards (1806–1885). Vaughan Williams’s prelude on this tune, doubtless his most well-known organ work, exploits the tune’s inherent lyricism, harmonized in chords rich with added sevenths. Today’s postlude is also an organ setting of a Welsh tune. Paul Manz (1919–2009), distinguished American Lutheran organist, composer, and teacher, was especially known for his organ improvisations on hymns and chorales. Many of these improvisations occurred at his acclaimed hymn festivals and were later transcribed and published. His bright and assertive prelude on the hymn tune Cwm Rhonda, published in 1974, has become an American standard.

The settings for the Mass on Sunday are from Saint Paul’s Service by David Hurd, organist and music director at Saint Mary’s. Saint Paul’s Service, a setting of the Episcopal Rite I Communion Service, was commissioned in 2000 by Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn New York, in honor of the Sesquicentennial Anniversary of the parish. This setting was originally scored for unison voices and organ and is suitable to be sung by a single cantor, as it will be offered at Mass today. More recently, a choral version of this setting has been produced. The unifying stylistic feature of this Mass is the flavor of French impressionism which can be recognized in its harmonic and melodic elements throughout. — DH

The cantor at the Solemn Mass on Sunday is tenor, James Ruff, a member of the Choir of Saint Mary’s. During Communion, James will sing his arrangement of the Traditional Irish song Seacht nDólás na Maighdine Muire (“The Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary”), accompanying himself on an early Gaelic harp. He has written the following about this music:

“The Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary” is a wonderful example of traditional devotional song in Ireland—not necessarily for use in a worship service, but in the home and community. It is constructed in a typical call and response style, where one singer might lead by singing each of the seven verses, each followed by a repetition of the refrain, “Allelu, O Jesus” by the assembled group. In this way, the piece proves an extended meditation for all involved on the Virgin’s witnessing of Christ’s Passion. In addition, details of Irish culture have been added to the narrative, bringing it closer to the people’s own lives, such as: the black caps: black Tudor felt hats traditionally worn by British judges when giving a death sentence, Christ’s horsehair shirt, his head on the spike: typical of old Irish battle practice, and his final burial under the flagstones as opposed to the great stone rolled across Christ’s tomb.”

About the Cantor: James Ruff has performed as tenor soloist with such early music groups as the Handel and Haydn Society, Newberry Consort, King’s Noyse, Aradia Ensemble, New York Collegium, Early Music New York, and Music of the Baroque. He has toured the U.S. and abroad singing the title role in the medieval Play of Daniel with EMNY and GEMS. He has sung at the Spoleto Festival/Italy, the Tanglewood, Ravinia, and Rockport Chamber Music Festivals, the Boston and the Connecticut Early Music Festivals. He has been featured with the New York City Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, St. Louis Opera, and the Boston Academy of Music. Since 2005, James has focused his energies on researching and performing the early repertoires of Scottish Gaelic Song and the Early Gaelic Wire Harp—the “Classical Music of the Gael”—as well as learning the Scottish Gaelic language. He has presented concerts of this music at the Scoil na gCláirseach Festival of Early Irish Harp in Kilkenny, Ireland—where he has taught since 2017, Boston Early Music Festival Fringe, Gotham Early Music Scene Midtown Concerts, Beacon Hill Concerts, Stone Church Arts Concert Series, and the Mount Holyoke and Vassar College Concert Series. He has won awards for Gaelic singing at the US National and the ACGA North Carolina Gaelic Mòd, and the Royal National Mòd in Scotland. His 2018 recording The Gaels’ Honour: Early Music for Harp and Voice form Gaelic Scotland and Ireland showcases this music. James has taught voice at Vassar College since 2008, and also teaches voice and harp privately. For more information, please visit www.jamesrufftenorharper.com. — JR

CHRISTIAN MISSION: CREATED, CALLED, SENT, LOVED

It is always a lovely thing when invisible connections among people are revealed. A college roommate of mine (Cornell, Class of 1973) recently sent me  an obituary that had been posted in early May on the Episcopal News Service. The obituary notice reports the death on May 2 of Alfred D. Price Jr., a “longtime lay leader in the Diocese of Western New York and an esteemed professor of urban and regional planning at the University at Buffalo.” My roommate Artie is Jewish and, he claims, not at all religious, so I wondered how and why he had found his way to the Episcopal News Service. It turns out that Artie’s sister had happened to date Professor Price for a brief time all those many years ago. And so, Artie did a kind thing, he sent me the obituary because, he wrote, “As a Buffalonian and an Episcopalian (though not both at the same time), you might know some of the people and institutions mentioned in this obituary.” Artie was right, I am a native Western New Yorker. I went to high school in Buffalo, and I became an Episcopalian only after I’d moved to New York City. What Artie may not know is that I have long been interested in the life and history of the Episcopal Church in Western New York, a life that was going on all around me, but which was for me back then almost entirely invisible.

I commend Dr Price’s obituary to you. He was clearly a remarkable man, and what stands out to me is the deep and rich way in which his faith shaped his life. I was inspired and greatly encouraged by that. Dr. Price was African American. If you read the obituary, you’ll discover that when he was a child, the then-bishop of Western New York asked Dr. Price’s family to integrate an all-white Episcopal parish in Buffalo, and Dr. Price’s parents agreed to do so. I find their willingness to say yes to that request truly remarkable. For those of us of a certain age it must remind us of the Black children and young adults who were asked to integrate educational institutions in both North and South back then. What is the source of such faith and such incredible courage?

On Sunday, we’ll hear the next part of the missionary discourse in chapter 10 of Matthew’s gospel. The evangelist reports Jesus’ hard and realistic words: to bear witness to the love of God can be a risky, even a dangerous, thing to do, but, Jesus says, “The one who endures to the end will be saved” (10:22). Our presiding bishop, Michael Curry, also a sometime Buffalonian, speaks often of the Beloved Community. May the Holy Spirit continue to mold us into that Community and give us the courage to bear witness to the abiding reality and transforming power of God’s love. And may Alfred Price, beloved child of God and follower of the Lord Jesus, rest in peace and rise in glory. — Jay Smith

SUMMER AT HOLY CROSS MONASTERY, WEST PARK, NEW YORK
A Silent Retreat: Contemplative Days, led by the Monastic Community

When: From the afternoon of Tuesday, July 4, 2023, until after the Holy Eucharist and then dinner on Sunday, July 9, 2023. Suggested Donation: $580.

Where: Holy Cross Monastery, 1615 Rte 9W, West Park, NY 12493, on the west side of the Hudson River, a few miles northwest of Poughkeepsie, the last stop on the Hudson Line of the Metro-North Railroad. The monastery is located about 85 miles from New York City.

What: You are invited to join the Holy Cross brothers in this time of complete silence, with no programs or spiritual direction offered and a reduced worship schedule.

To register, please contact the Monastery’s Guesthouse Office by phone (845-384-6660, ext. 3002) or e-mail (guesthouse@hcmnet.org).

SUMMER IN THE CITY

The Central Park Conservancy offers tours that give New Yorkers a chance to learn more about the Park’s often hidden treasures. One of those tours explores the Conservatory Garden, which is located on the East Side between 104th and 106th Streets. Entry is via Fifth Avenue and from within the Park itself. From the Conservancy website, both here and here: “The Conservatory Garden is Central Park’s formal garden and one of the most significant public gardens in New York City. It is composed of three areas, each with a distinct design: the French-style North Garden, the Italianate Center Garden, and the English-style South Garden. The main entrance is marked by an ornate gate, known as the Vanderbilt Gate, which was donated to the City by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney and once adorned the mansion of Cornelius Vanderbilt II at Fifth Avenue and 58th Street.

“The South (English-style) Garden is once again open to the public. Construction has begun in the North (French-style) Garden, and not all of that Garden is open to visitors at this time. The Center (Italianate) Garden will remain open for the time being.

“A destination for neighborhood residents and visitors from all over the world, the Conservatory Garden’s six acres are well-known for plantings of tulips, lilacs, crabapple trees, summer perennials, and chrysanthemums. Its more formal design and specular floral displays have also made it a popular destination for small weddings. The Garden opened in 1937 and is named for the glass conservatory that was built at this location in 1899 to offer seasonal plant displays to the public. Even earlier, this area had a horticultural function—it housed a large greenhouse designed by Park co-designer Calvert Vaux for growing plants for the Park’s landscapes.”

Tours of the Conservatory Garden are being offered on the following dates: Saturday, June 24; Saturday, July 8; Saturday, July 22; Saturday, August 5; Wednesday, August 16; Saturday, August 19. There is a fee of $25.00 for the tour (20% off for Members) and private tours may be booked. You can sign up for the tour on the Conservancy website. The length of the tour is 75 minutes. This tour is recommended for those interested in horticulture, blooms, and an escape from city life.

SUMMER READING LIST AT SAINT MARY’S: A FEW SUGGESTIONS & NO QUIZZES

Saint Augustine, The Confessions (Father Matt recommends Maria Boulding’s translation, published by New City Press, 1997)

Day, Dorothy, The Long Loneliness: The Autobiography of Dorothy Day (HarperOne, 2017)

Gioia, Luigi, Saint Benedict’s Wisdom: Monastic Spirituality and the Life of the Church (Liturgical Press, 2020)

Lewis, C. S., Mere Christianity (HarperOne; Reissue edition, 2023)

Olsen, Derek, Inwardly Digest: The Prayer Book as Guide to a Spiritual Life (Forward Movement, 2016)

Radcliffe, Timothy, O.P., What Is the Point of Being A Christian? (Burns & Oates, 2005)

Taylor, Barbara Brown, Leaving Church: A Memoir (HarperOne, 2012)

McGrath, Alister, C. S. Lewis–A Life: Eccentric Genius, Reluctant Prophet (Tyndale Elevate, 2016)

COMING UP

Tuesday, July 4, Independence Day. Federal Holiday Schedule.

Saturday, July 15, Monthly Requiem Mass, 12:10 PM in the Mercy Chapel

Saturday, July 22, Saint Mary Magdalene

Tuesday, August 15, The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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.