FROM FATHER SAMMY WOOD: SAINT MARY’S IS AN ANGLO-CATHOLIC WITNESS

This is the third in an ongoing series I’m writing to unpack our vision here at Saint Mary’s, and today we come to the element of being an “Anglo-Catholic witness.” Saint Mary’s traces her Anglo-Catholic roots to her first priest, the Reverend Thomas McKee Brown, who described the church he founded as “a Free Church in this City of New York, to be worked upon a thoroughly Catholic basis.” When the church opened in 1870, Father Brown instituted daily celebration of the Holy Eucharist, put music near the top of his list of liturgical priorities, celebrated Solemn High Masses with deacon, subdeacon, and incense, and committed the young community to restoring to its worship those “outward adornments which are called the Beauty of Holiness.”

Father Brown’s are among the same commitments that your Board of Trustees drew upon in adopting our current vision statement last fall: 

Saint Mary's is a vibrant Anglo-Catholic witness in the heart of New York City. With our identity in Christ and a preference for the poor, we are an inclusive, diverse community called to love God and each other for the life of the world.

In almost every parish meeting I’ve attended over the two years I’ve served here, I have heard how important our Anglo-Catholic heritage is to us all. In our parish family, though, there are some people who could easily give an impromptu series of lectures on catholicism, while some of our family would have a hard time explaining what exactly makes us catholic. That’s to be expected—Anglo-Catholicism isn’t exactly easy to pin down! But certainly there are aspects of the Anglo-Catholic movement that particularly resonate with us here, including a deep love for the liturgy, a high view of the Sacraments of the Church, the centrality of the Eucharist, Marian devotion, excellent music, elaborate ritual and ceremony, and—of course—lots of smoke.

Here’s why we feel our Anglo-Catholic identity is not just our past, it’s pivotal to our future. We live in a highly skeptical age, and insolent individualism is the spirit of the day. Evangelicalism is imploding, and the protestant mainline church continues to contract. The church has lost the ability to speak to the culture about goodness (scandal robbed us of that vocabulary) and truth (we live in a “post-truth” time when objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief). But Anglo-Catholicism can respond to these issues—respond to skepticism by pointing to the beautiful lives of our saints; we can resist individualism by insisting the Church is a divine society founded by Jesus of Nazareth and extending through time and across boundaries. We have a veritable treasure chest of beauty from which to draw when the world asks what the truly good life is. We are in Times Square to preserve the miraculous in a disenchanted world, and we don’t have to reinvent ourselves or cast about for a new model of church that works—we simply take seriously the issues of the day, and mine the best of our tradition for faithful responses, striving to live, work, and pray as good catholics under the gaze of a constantly changing world. As John Nash put it in The Sacramental Church: The Story of Anglo-Catholicism (Wipf & Stock, 2011):

Anglo-Catholics believe that their expression of Christianity is of timeless relevance, as applicable now as it was a hundred years, or a millennium, ago. The combination of the sacramental liturgy, personal spirituality, and service can fulfill a unique transformative role in the twenty-first century.

So how will we live into this part of our vision as a parish?

First, let us double down on beauty. In the coming months, I anticipate adding even more of the rich ceremony that makes Anglo-Catholic worship transcendent. If we’re inviting people to come all the way to midtown to pray with us, we could use some of our old “longest running show on Broadway” pageantry. But that doesn’t mean we should be fussy or petty about ritualism. Excessive fussiness can create an environment that feels stifling, where people don’t experience the freedom and joy of real worship. Instead, worship at Saint Mary’s will be transcendent, executed with all the skill we can muster, and our primary emotion will be something like hilaritas (ἱλαρότης)—joy. Anglo-Catholic worship is so much more than a didactic TED talk and a concert; we insist that in the Mass we are ushered into the very presence of the Crucified and Risen One. So the rationale for throwing ourselves with such abandon into worship is simply this: If the God of the universe is truly present on our altar by grace and in response to our prayers, no amount of awed reverence and adoration could ever suffice as we approach the precincts of the holy.

Second, we will emphasize belonging. Whether you’ve noticed it or not, our Sunday attendance has been steadily creeping up. As we finish our “Year of Conversion/Formation” and move into a “Year of Evangelism,” there’s never been a better time to invite someone to come with you to experience this place. And absolutely everyone is welcome! Anglo-Catholic parishes are famous for holding together people who disagree about some pretty important issues, and Saint Mary’s is a diverse family bound together not by unanimity of belief but by the broad faith enshrined in the ancient Creeds and by our common worship. We will work hard to be a good place to belong.

One last point—let’s close with a thought about the beloved. In the catholic tradition, worshipping God in the beauty of holiness and serving the poor are inseparable. The legend of the slum priest, faithfully ministering to the poor and displaced, is important to our self-understanding. Anglo-Catholics have a high doctrine of the Incarnation, the belief that God so loved the world that he came to live in it, become one with it, die for it. And if God loves the world and all its inhabitants that much, then so must we. A century ago, Bishop Frank Weston of Zanzibar concluded his famous address to the 1923 Anglo-Catholic Congress by charging catholic Anglicans with what he called our “present duty”:

Go out and look for Jesus in the ragged, in the naked, in the oppressed and sweated, in those who have lost hope, in those who are struggling to make good. Look for Jesus. And when you see him, gird yourselves with his towel and try to wash their feet.

One hundred years on, that duty to love God’s beloved world remains.

Thanks for reading these monthly pieces, and I continue to be interested to hear your thoughts. Let me know if you’d like to grab a cup of coffee and share your own hopes and dreams about the work and witness of Saint Mary’s and this vision for our common life.
— SW

PRAYING FOR THE CHURCH & FOR THE WORLD

We pray for an end to war and violence, remembering especially the people of Gaza, Israel, the West Bank, Ukraine, Russia, Mali, Iran, and Yemen. We pray for an end to violence and division in our neighborhood, city, and nation. We pray for justice and peace.

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 migrants and those seeking asylum, 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 around Times Square, for the theater community, and for those living with drought, storm, punishing heat, flood, fire, or earthquake.

We pray for those who are sick or in any special need, especially Willard, Virginia, Mina, Matthew, Celia, Rolf, Sharon, Victor, Murray, Jan, Charles, Maureen, Elizabeth, Ruth Ann, Barbara, Cindy, Tom, Avdi, Larry, Eleanor, Eugene, Quincy, Claudia, June, Joyce, Robert, Bruce, Christopher, Carlos, Shalim, Susan, José, Carmen, Brian, Antony, Manuel, Liduvina, Luis, Gladys, Patricia, Eustacio, Apple, Janice, Gene, Sandtoyer, Juan, Liz, Abe, Suzanne, Bob, Gypsy, Hardy, Margaret, and John Derek; James, Jamie, Jack, Monica Clare, Eleanor Francis, and Thomas, religious; Lind, deacon; Rob, Debbi, Robby, Allan, and Stephen, priests; and Michael, bishop.

We pray for the repose of the souls of Frank Guevara, James Patrick Grindley, and those whose year’s mind is on Sunday, March 17—Francis Gessner (1880); Mary Egan (1911); Elizabeth Oget (1932); Karen Marie Tyler (1949).

In This Transitory Life . . . We have been praying at Mass for Frank Guevara since last June when Frank was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Frank died here in New York on Wednesday, March 13. He was a history teacher and a close friend and colleague of parishioner, Grace Mudd. Frank and Grace worked together for eighteen years. Grace tells us that “he was just a gem of a human being and a great teacher.” Please keep Frank, Grace, his family, friends, colleagues, students, and all who mourn in your prayers. If you feel called to help Frank’s family with medical costs and bills, you may do so by making a donation here. 

PLAN YOUR TRIP TO SAINT MARY’S ON SUNDAY, MARCH 17:
HALF-MARATHON WILL CAUSE US SOME DIFFICULTIES

From WNYC’s The Gothamist:

The United Airlines NYC Half Marathon will bring roughly 25,000 runners to New York City. While it won’t conflict with the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, which will be held on Saturday, March 16 along Fifth Avenue from 44th to 79th streets, the 13.1-mile race will still shut down several streets to car traffic—including in Times Square—along its route from Prospect Park to Central Park.

Where does the race happen? The route starts on the edge of Prospect Park near the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It shoots straight up Flatbush Avenue and over the Manhattan Bridge before heading uptown along the East River, cutting across 42nd Street to Times Square, and up Seventh Avenue to Central Park, where the race ends.

More than 20 streets will be closed. A full list is available near the bottom of the page under “More Race Information” here.

When does it start? The first wave hits the route at 7:20 AM, with several more staggered starts until the final wave at 9:20 AM. Competitors in the wheelchair divisions will start slightly earlier, around 7:00 AM.

This means that getting to Saint Mary’s will be particularly difficult from the West Side. Crossing Seventh Avenue will be problematic. Heading to a cross street just below 42nd Street and walking over to Sixth Avenue and back up to 46th Street is one way to do it.

HOLY WEEK & EASTER AT SAINT MARY’S

The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday
March 24, 2024
Blessing of Palms & Said Mass 9:00 AM
Blessing of Palms, Procession to Times Square & Solemn Mass 11:00 AM

Monday–Wednesday, March 25–27
Morning Prayer 8:00 AM
Mass 12:10 PM
Evening Prayer 5:30 PM

Maundy Thursday
March 28, 2024
Morning Prayer 8:00 AM
Solemn Mass 6:00 PM
Mass is not celebrated at 12:10 PM on Maundy Thursday

Good Friday
March 29, 2024
Morning Prayer 8:00 AM
Liturgy of Good Friday 12:30 PM
Members of the parish clergy hear confessions
in the church after the liturgy.

Holy Saturday/Easter Eve
March 30, 2024
Holy Saturday Liturgy 9:00 AM
The Great Vigil of Easter 7:00 PM

Easter Day
Sunday, March 31, 2024
Said Mass with Hymns 9:00 AM
Procession and Solemn Mass 11:00 AM
Evening Prayer is not said in the church on Easter Day.

The Second Sunday of Easter
April 7, 2024
Said Mass (Rite One) 9:00 AM
Solemn Mass 11:00 AM
Evensong & Benediction 5:00 PM

LIFE AT SAINT MARY’S

Update on Construction Work in the Parish House and Mission House . . . I am happy to be able to report that re-construction in the Mission and Parish Houses was completed late last week. In the fifth-floor apartment, the flooring was replaced in the laundry and kitchen areas. On the fourth floor, in the room below the fifth-floor apartment, the plaster was repaired, flooring was replaced, and the entire room repainted (same for the second- and third-floor meeting rooms). As of Wednesday, March 13, all the larger twelve-step groups that had met pre-flood on the third floor have returned to the third floor. Starting on Thursday, March 14, the second floor was reorganized and is ready for meetings, thanks in part to Andy, a volunteer from one of the twelve-step groups who came by to lend a hand. Also, thanks to our three sextons as they assisted our 12-step groups during this time.

In the parish house, the outer finance office was scraped, replastered and repainted where necessary. The kitchen ceiling was repaired, replastered, and repainted where necessary. We are thankful for Regal Restoration who worked with us to get things back to normal and did quite a bit in just four weeks. — Chris Howatt

A Lenten “Pilgrimage” on March 17 at 1:30 PM (after Coffee Hour) . . . Saint Mary’s is pleased to offer a special formation offering this Lent that invites us to walk with Jesus over the course of the last few days of his earthly life. Join us in Saint Joseph’s Hall for a live Zoom presentation from Jerusalem. Beginning with the Raising of Lazarus, which led to the plot to kill Jesus (John 11.53), Manuel Abu Ali will use photographs and insightful commentary to guide us as we visit sites of the events from Palm Sunday to the Last Supper, from the Garden of Gethsemane to the Via Dolorosa, culminating in the empty tomb of Easter.

Manuel Abu Ali is a Christian tour guide living in Jerusalem—he guided the pilgrimage Father Sammy and Renee led to the Holy Land in 2023. Manuel grew up in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem and has lived his whole life in the Holy City. He has a B.A. in Theology and the History of the Holy Land. He describes his job as “bringing the Bible alive to pilgrims, leading them to walk where Jesus walked in the Holy Land, the ‘Fifth Gospel.’” The pilgrimage is free to attend, but we are collecting an offering for our leader. If you would like to make a donation to support this very fine teacher and guide, click here and write “Manuel: in the memo line. To join us remotely via Zoom, click here (Meeting ID: 850 9295 9799; Passcode: 698757).

“Cross the Pond” and Connect with Our Sister Parish . . . Our brothers and sisters at All Saints Margaret Street in London offer a regular Zoom Theology discussion. Their next discussion—which has an interesting and perhaps deceptively lighthearted title—takes place this coming Tuesday. From the parish website: “Zoom Theology – Holy Murder! Join us for our next Zoom Theology session on Tuesday, March 19th at 7:00 PM [3:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time in New York City as the clocks don’t change in the UK until March 31]. We’ll be discussing two instances of detective fiction with an ecclesiastical context–P.D. James’ Death in Holy Orders and Murder before Evensong, by the Rev’d Richard Coles. We’re especially excited to be welcoming the detective fiction writer Kate Charles to speak to us about her own work, and about this genre more broadly. Kate has published 13 crime novels set against the rich background of the Church of England. She is a former Chair of the Crime Writers’ Association and the Barbara Pym Society, and a member of the prestigious Detection Club. Kate lives in Ludlow but joins us weekly as part of our online congregation. Fr. Alan will be leading us in teasing out the theological and ethical themes that often emerge in mystery stories and thrillers set in an ecclesiastical context. The link for the Zoom seminar can be found here. Meeting ID: 883 2739 3693 Passcode: 1234. More information about All Saints’ online Zoom Theology Seminars (including Zoom links) can be found here.

Our regular daily liturgical schedule: Monday through Friday, Morning Prayer 8:00 AM, Mass 12:10 PM, and Evening Prayer at 5:30 PM. On Wednesdays, Holy Hour is also offered at 11:00 AM and an additional Mass is said at 6:00 PM. 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 normally 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 next be offered on April 7 and May 5. May 5 will be the last offering of E&B until October.

Friday, March 15, Neighbors in Need Distribution Event 1:00–3:30 PM in the Church and Lady Chapel, Evening Prayer 5:30 PM, Stations of the Cross 6:00 PM, Centering Prayer 6:30 PM

Saturday Confessions at 11:00 AM . . . The priest-on-duty can be found in one of the confessionals at the back of the church, near the 46th Street entrance, at 11:00 AM on Saturdays to hear confessions. Once nobody is left waiting, if it is after 11:15 AM, the priest will return to his office. If you arrive later, the sexton will be able to call him if it is not too close to the midday Mass.

Saturday, March 16, 12:10 PM, Monthly Requiem Mass in the Mercy Chapel. Those coming to the parish from the East side, should note the following about the Saint Patrick’s Day parade:

March 16 is also the day of the Saint Patrick’s Day parade and we’ve received the following details from the NYPD. Beginning at 9:00 AM, 44-48th Streets will be closed to traffic between 6th and Park Avenues.  At 9:45 AM, 44-59th Streets will be closed between 6th and Madison Avenues. Pedestrian crossings will be available at 50th, 51st, 54th, 57th and 59th. The parade begins at 11:00 AM and should be done by 4:00 PM.

Sunday, March 17, The Fifth Sunday in Lent, Mass (Rite One) in the Lady Chapel at 9:00 AM, Adult Formation 9:45–10:40 AM, Confirmation Class 9:45–10:45 AM, Solemn Mass (Rite Two) 11:00 AM, Evening Prayer 5:00 PM. Our guest preacher at both Masses is Sister Monica Clare Powell, CSJB.

Wednesday, March 20, Weekday in Lent, Morning Prayer 8:00 AM; Holy Hour 11:00 AM; Mass 12:10 PM; Bible Study 12:45; Evening Prayer 5:30 PM; Mass 6:00 PM. Mass is followed by the adult-formation class—Wednesday Nights in Lent: “Introduction to a Rule of Life.” On Wednesdays in Lent join Father Sammy and others, including our own Brother Thomas Steffensen, as we examine the concept of a Rule of Life as a “trellis” to help us grow toward our God-ordained purpose. The class meets on four consecutive Wednesdays during Lent—this coming Wednesday, March 20, is the final class— from 6:30–7:30 PM in Saint Benedict’s Study right after Evening Prayer at 5:30 PM and the 6:00 PM Mass. All are welcome!

NEWS & NOTICES

The Saint Mary’s Shape of Lent Booklet . . . The electronic version of this year’s guide to Lent at Saint Mary’s can be downloaded here. Hardcopies are also available at the usher’s table. The booklet contains suggested prayers, readings, and devotions for the parish community during Lent. This is Week Five, March 17–23, “It is finished.” (John 19.30) Psalm of the Week 27; Monday Genesis 3.1-15; Tuesday Genesis 15; Wednesday Ezekiel 36.22-32; Thursday Isaiah 53; Friday John 10.7-18; Saturday Hebrews 10.11-25; Fast: Unnecessary Spending. Practice living simply and consider giving away the money you save. Reading: The Sixth Word: The Bible has a single narrative from beginning to end. After the Fall, our sin separated us from God, and God’s great project has been to bridge this gap, to repair the rift between us. From the first promises in Genesis, through the prophets, and in the Life of Jesus, God has been at work. At the cross, Jesus pronounced the labor “finished.”

Adult Formation on Sunday Mornings at 9:45 AM . . . This coming Sunday, March 17, Father Pete Powell will continue his series on Isaiah 1–12. He will discuss Isaiah 11: “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see or decide by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge for the poor and decide with equity for the oppressed of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist and faithfulness the belt around his loins” (Isa 11:1–5). The class meets in Saint Joseph’s Hall, though if you can’t make it to the parish, click here to join the March 10 class live via Zoom. Recordings are also available to watch from prior classes on February 25, March 3, and March 10.

Wednesdays at 12:45: Brown Bag Bible Study. The class meets on Wednesdays, at 12:45 PM, in Saint Benedict’s Study. The class will meet this coming Wednesday, March 20. It will not meet on Wednesday in Holy Week, March 27. We have been reading the Gospel of Mark in this class, and during Lent we have jumped ahead to the Passion Narrative in Mark (14:1–16:8). This is the gospel text appointed to be chanted at Mass on Palm Sunday. It is the text that begins our Holy Week journey. This past week we read the account of Jesus’ arrest. On March 20, we will read and study the account of his Trial.

The Saint Mary’s Centering Prayer Group meets in the Atrium on most Fridays at 6:00 PM, following Evening Prayer. During Lent, they meet on Fridays at 6:30 PM, following Stations of the Cross. Click here or speak to Blair Burroughs for more information about this beautiful and distinctive form of prayer.

Preparing for Holy Week . . . Please see the following from MaryJane Boland about upcoming dates to save for helping with Holy Week preparation. All are welcome and we would love your help.

Saturday, March 16, morning starting at 10:00 AM. We will be veiling the church and polishing many, many things.

Saturday, March 23, after the 10:00 AM rehearsal required for servers the next day, Palm Sunday. For those not serving, let's say 11:00 AM. We will be stripping palms, bringing things up from the basement, polishing many things and an array of other tasks. Big work day!

Holy Week, March 24–30.  This is when the flower people go into high gear. Whether you are skilled at arranging flowers or a broom pusher like me, we can use your help!

Thanks to everyone who will help Saint Mary’s! — MaryJane Boland

A MESSAGE FROM THE BISHOP OF NEW YORK

The Good Friday offering has traditionally supported ministries in Jerusalem. This year I am suggesting that the Good Friday offering be directed to the Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, a ministry of the Diocese of Jerusalem.  The offerings can be designated through the American Friends of the Diocese of Jerusalem.

The hospital has been dramatically affected by the Israel-Hamas war and continues to provide care for the people of Gaza, regardless of their background. Last Friday I had the opportunity to meet the hospital director. Their experience has been both horrifying and inspirational.

Blessings as we prepare to walk together through Holy Week.

Grace & Peace,
— The Right Reverend Matthew Heyd, Bishop of New York

OTHER NEWS . . .

We are again collecting non-perishable food items for those in need in our neighborhood, who have access to kitchen facilities. We are looking for canned soups, canned vegetables, tuna fish, and stews, in addition to breakfast cereals, pasta, bottled sauces, peanut butter, jams and jellies, and bottled condiments. Please place these items in the basket at the ushers’ table or take them in a bag to the parish kitchen. Please label the bag “donation” and tell us who the donor is. And we thank you!

Confirmation Preparation for Young People 13–18 . . . Father Sammy is leading a confirmation class for young people on Sundays. The class will meet on Sunday mornings at 9:45 AM in Saint Benedict’s Study, January 14 to May 5. The class will not meet on Palm Sunday (March 24) or Easter Day (March 31). If you are interested in the class, please speak to Father Sammy.

Donating Flowers for Altar and Shrines . . . We are looking for donations for flowers for the many Sundays in Eastertide. In order to make a donation and reserve a date, please contact the parish office. In addition, we always welcome donations to support the ministry of the Flower Guild during Holy Week and at Easter.

Neighbors in Need . . . The March Drop-by took place today, Friday, March 15. The April Drop-by will take place on Friday, April 19. (If you’d like to volunteer, please contact MaryJane Boland.) Warm-weather clothing is a particular need at the moment. In addition, we have been providing food support to a number of folks in our neighborhood in recent months, including many recent immigrants. We do this through a voucher system. We welcome financial donations so that we may continue this work. You may donate online or with a check—when making the donation please be sure to indicate that your gift is for “Neighbors in Need.”

ABOUT THE MUSIC AT THE SOLEMN MASS ON THE FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT: MARCH 17, 2024, 11:00 AM

The organ prelude on Sunday is a setting of O Lamm Gottes unschuldig (“O Lamb of God, pure, spotless”), BWV 656, one of the eighteen Leipzig Chorales of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750). The “Great Eighteen” were collected and published in the final decade of Bach’s life and are considered to represent the summit of chorale-based baroque organ composition. Bach’s setting of O Lamm Gottes from the “Great Eighteen” is based upon the melody for the Lutheran troped Agnus Dei, both text and melody being attributed to Nikolaus Decius (c. 1480–1541). This three-stanza chorale echoes the Latin Agnus Dei, which is sung three times in the liturgy, the third time praying for peace rather than for mercy as in the first two. Bach, therefore, has set the entire melody three times in his extended organ chorale. The first stanza is played entirely on the keyboard and has the chorale melody in the highest of the three voices. Stanza two, which follows without break, maintains the same texture but shifts the chorale melody to the middle of the three voices. In the third stanza, the pedals of the organ are employed to play the chorale melody and undergird the four-voice texture. Right before the final phrase of this last stanza is a very chromatic interlude which characterizes the agony of the Passion. Bach’s four-voice harmonization of O Lamm Gottes, cataloged as BWV 401, is played as the postlude on Sunday.

The name Healey Willan (1880–1968) is well known to many Episcopalians because of his Missa de Sancta Maria Magdalena, composed in 1928, which appeared in The Hymnal 1940 as the “Second Communion Service.” Although this setting, named in honor of the Toronto parish Willan served as organist and choirmaster from 1921 until his death, was never used regularly in that parish, its usage had become fairly ubiquitous in Episcopal parishes in the years leading up to the 1979 edition of The Book of Common Prayer. The Willan setting was retained in The Hymnal 1982 and remains well-known, although its usage has attenuated as parishes have gravitated to worshiping in more modern English. However, Willan’s career and reputation went far beyond composing the congregational Mass setting for which Episcopalians remember him. He composed more than eight hundred works including operas, symphonies and other music for orchestra and band, chamber music and music for piano and organ, in addition to a great quantity of choral church music. His liturgical music included fourteen choral Masses, motets for many occasions, canticles, and hymn settings. Willan was a champion of historic liturgical chant and the aesthetic of Renaissance church music. He incorporated these influences and mingled them with an appreciation of the rich harmonic palette used by the late nineteenth-century masters. Through his compositions and choral direction, he significantly set the standard for North American Anglo-Catholic church music in his time. Willan’s esteem was such that he was commissioned to compose an anthem for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and was present for the ceremony.

The Communion motet on the Fifth Sunday of Lent is a modern setting of the fourteenth-century Eucharistic hymn, Ave verum corpus. The text, attributed to Pope Innocent VI (d. 1362), is a meditation on the presence of Christ in the sacrament and the relationship between suffering and redemption. It has been sung consistently for centuries in various Eucharistic contexts and set to music by the leading composers of sacred music in each generation. John Cantrell (b. 1972) is choirmaster and organist of Saint Michael’s Episcopal Church on the Upper West Side. He holds degrees in music from the University of Louisville and from Yale University. As an organist, pianist, conductor, and composer, his creative fluency in a broad range of musical styles is particularly noteworthy. His Ave verum corpus motet is dated 2008 and is scored for unaccompanied eight-voice double choir. The four upper voices initially exchange dialogue, phrase by phrase, with the four lower voices in subtle velvet harmonies. In the motet’s final section, the upper and lower choirs join together in a richly expressive fabric. — David Hurd

 We need your help to keep holding our services. Click below, where you can make one-time or recurring donations to support Saint Mary’s. We are very grateful to all those who make such donations and continue to support Saint Mary’s so generously.

Saint Mary’s is a vibrant Anglo-Catholic witness in the heart of NYC. With our identity in Christ and a preference for the poor, we are an inclusive, diverse community called to love God and each other for the life of the world.

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.