FROM FATHER SAMMY WOOD: IN THE HEART OF NEW YORK CITY

This is the fourth in an ongoing series unpacking our vision here at Saint Mary’s:

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.

Last month, I wrote a little about our catholicity being key not just to our past but our future, and today we come to the element of being a witness “in the heart of New York City.”

So, let me start with a story. I know for certain my own vocational call came in two distinct steps. First, I wandered into an Episcopal Church on the North Shore of Boston two decades ago and immediately knew I was home—that I was called to be a parish priest in this church. I never saw that coming. The second shoe took a little longer to drop. My family and I moved from Boston back to Mississippi for a time while I was in the ordination process in the Diocese of Massachusetts, and our timing forced us to move into a house we’d never seen that a friend had rented for us. A couple weeks after moving into the new place, a little manila envelope arrived in the mail addressed to the previous occupant, and I could tell inside was a cassette tape (remember those?). It wasn’t addressed to me, so I put it in a drawer, where it soon became a whole cache of these things that arrived every week or so. Eventually, my curiosity got the best of me, and I opened one, thereby implicating myself in mail tampering. It was a recording of a sermon, from a preacher in New York City no less, and the title was something like “Shall I Not Love that Great City?” An exposition of Jonah 4 and Jeremiah 27-29, it called on Christians to “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile.” (Jonah 4.11) Twenty minutes later, I had the second part of my vocation—I felt God calling me to a city parish.

These great Old Testament stories captured my imagination, and they also resonate with the history and inform the vision for the future of Saint Mary’s. In 1868 God called our founding rector, Father Thomas McKee Brown, to plant a church in what was then Longacre Square, and the first Mass in the original Saint Mary the Virgin church on West Forty-Fifth Street was said on December 8, 1870. Every day since, we’ve flung open our doors to bring the ministrations of the Catholic Church to New York, and we feel God calling us to continue that work for years to come.

Saint Mary’s location is a critical part of her identity and requires us, if we are not just to survive but thrive, to be a church in and for the city. Cities are amazing places. Cities foster the search for truth as their inhabitants reexamine previously held assumptions when they “rub up against the sharp edges of the assumptions, beliefs, and expertise of other city dwellers.”[1] The city is a place of dynamic potential, enticing people from all over the world to come make their fortune or a name. The city is where dreams are realized, and the city is where dreams are shattered. Vulnerable people can find safety in community here. Density fosters connectivity across disciplines, lines of thought, and cultures, enabling innovation that would be inconceivable from lone individuals. And God loves cities because so many people who bear his image live in them.

Pope Francis said in his homily at Madison Square Garden on September 25, 2015: “God is living in our cities.”

Living in a big city is not always easy. A multicultural context presents many complex challenges. Yet big cities are a reminder of the hidden riches present in our world: in the diversity of its cultures, traditions and historical experiences. In the variety of its languages, costumes and cuisine. Big cities bring together all the different ways which we human beings have discovered to express the meaning of life, wherever we may be. But big cities also conceal the faces of all those people who don’t appear to belong, or are second-class citizens. In big cities, beneath the roar of traffic, beneath “the rapid pace of change,” so many faces pass by unnoticed because they have no “right” to be there, no right to be part of the city. They are the foreigners, the children who go without schooling, those deprived of medical insurance, the homeless, the forgotten elderly. These people stand at the edges of our great avenues, in our streets, in deafening anonymity. They become part of an urban landscape which is more and more taken for granted, in our eyes, and especially in our hearts.

God, in his providence, planted Saint Mary’s right in the middle of a city full of these people and asked us to love them for his sake.

In an inspiring article in the journal Direction, Professor Cory Seibel says the Church is “called to bear witness to God’s redemptive purposes for the world by manifesting an ‘alternative social order’ . . . to point beyond itself as a sign and foretaste of the reign of God . . . a ‘colony of heaven.’” Saint Mary’s shares, with other churches in New York, the call to build the heavenly City right in the heart of the earthly city. So we will seek the shalom of New York City, because when it prospers we prosper. (Jeremiah 29.7) We will build relationships across midtown and contribute to the common good through our art, music, literature, education, hospitality, and service. And along the way we will tell our story and name the name of Jesus.

One last point—Your Board of Trustees has been reading a book by the Reverend Anna B. Olson, the somewhat ominously named Claiming Resurrection in the Dying Church: Freedom Beyond Survival (Westminster John Knox, 2016). Mother Olson, the rector of another church called Saint Mary’s, in Los Angeles, says it’s high time for the Church to be a real neighbor to folks who dwell in our city with us. And to do that, we can’t stay in here.

At no point in Jesus’ ministry did he wait for people to come to him . . . At no point did Jesus suggest that the disciples set up camp in one pretty building, create quality programs, put out a sign, design a website, and wait for people to come. He sent them out.

A people sent on mission to love God and love our neighbors: that’s what it means to be a vibrant witness in the heart of New York City.

If you’re as excited by this idea as I am, let’s have a conversation about it. I’m grateful to you for reading these monthly pieces, and I’d love to grab a cup of coffee and hear your own hopes and dreams about Saint Mary’s and her work as a Christian witness in the heart of New York City. — 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, Lebanon, Sudan, Ukraine, Russia, Iran, the Red Sea, 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 people and clergy of our sister parish, All Saints Margaret Street, London, and of the parishes of the Midtown Clericus.

We pray for those preparing for confirmation and reception on Ascension Day and for baptism on the Day of Pentecost.

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 in and 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 Richard, Josh, Nettie, Chrissy, Jan, Jeff, Aliza, Bob, Chuck, Eleni, Erica, Linda, Pat, Marjorie, Carole, Eloise, Luis, Liduvina, Robert, Randy, Christopher, Carlos, David, Clark, Willard, Virginia, Rolf, Sharon, Quincy, June, José, Manuel, and Abe; Barbara Jean and Eleanor-Francis, RELIGIOUS; Lind, DEACON; Matthew, Rob, Robby, and Stephen, PRIESTS; and Michael, BISHOP.

We pray for the repose of the souls of Philo Shelter (1891), George Wise (1900), William Laverty (1916), Eugenia Bethune Stein (1926), Julia Loraine Gibord Habich (1936), and Christina Maresca (1939), whose year’s mind is on Sunday, April 28.

EASTERTIDE AT SAINT MARY’S

The Fifth Sunday of Easter
April 28
Said Mass (Rite One) 9:00 AM in the Lady Chapel
Adult Formation 9:45 AM in the Parish Hall, Fr. Jacobson on Theosis
Solemn Mass 11:00 AM, Fr. Powell, preacher
Evening Prayer 5:00 PM

The Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 5
Said Mass (Rite One) 9:00 AM in the Lady Chapel
Adult Formation 9:45 AM in the Parish Hall, Fr. Smith on Hope in the Second Half of Life
Solemn Mass and May Crowning 11:00 AM, Fr. Wood, preacher
Annual Meeting of the Parish in Saint Joseph’s Hall 1:00 PM
Evensong & Benediction 5:00 PM

Ascension Day
Thursday, May 9
Morning Prayer 8:00 AM
Sung Mass 12:10 PM in the Lady Chapel
Organ Recital 5:30 PM
Procession, Solemn Mass & Confirmation 6:00 PM
The Right Reverend Matthew Heyd, Celebrant & Preacher

The Day of Pentecost
Sunday, May 19
Procession, Solemn Mass & Holy Baptism 11:00 AM
The Reverend Landon Moore, Preacher

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION AT SAINT MARY’S

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is up and running on Sundays at 9:45 AM for the younger members of our congregation. Learn more about this formation program for children in an article by Renee Wood from a past issue of The Angelus. Catechesis of the Good Shephard Level 1 formation is designed for ages 3-6. Older children are welcome to join and assist with the younger children. Parents can drop off their children at the Atrium (Parish House, Second Floor) at 9:45 AM and pickup is at 10:45 AM. If you have any questions about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd or would like to enroll your child, please send Renee an email. Please keep this important program in your prayers!

The Sunday Morning Adult Formation Class . . . This Sunday, April 28, Father Matt Jacobson concludes his three-part series on the theological concept of theosis (also sometimes referred to as deification or divinization). In a prior issue of The Angelus, Father Matt outlined his plans for these sessions in which he explores what it could possibly mean for humans to become gods with a lowercase “g.” All are welcome even if you missed the first two classes.

The last set of classes in the Conversion & Transformation series will take place on Sunday mornings in May—May 5, 12, and 19—when Father Jay Smith will lead the class in a series entitled Living in Hope: Following Jesus in the Second Half of Life. We’ll consider the work and thought of writers such as Richard Rohr, OFM, and Joan Chittister, OSB, as well as others who have talked about regret, forgiveness, managing retirement, the “missed life,” the spirituality of aging, and living, thriving, and being transformed after fifty (or thereabouts) This is a class for one and all, and we will benefit from the presence of both the young and those who have entered into this “second half of life.”

AIDS WALK NEW YORK UPDATE

We’ve begun to form our team and fundraise. We gained two team members this week and are now eleven and growing. We’ve raised $1,800 out of our goal of $50,000. This is up from $1,425 last week, but there is still much more to do. Saint Mary’s is consistently one of the top teams in the city and we hope to repeat that accomplishment in 2024. Won’t you consider helping us?

This year, AIDS Walk New York takes place on Sunday, May 19. To join the team, to support us with a donation, or to follow our progress, please click here. We are grateful to all those who continue to support this ministry.

NEWS & NOTICES

A video of Saint Mary’s from 1995 unearthed . . . Our parish archivist, and secretary of the Board of Trustees, Mary Robison, recently digitized footage given to her by José Vidal. The video, which can be watched here, contains a discussion of our parish’s history by Father Edgar Wells, the eighth rector of Saint Mary’s, as well as an organ recital and portions of Solemn Evensong and Benediction filmed on the occasion of the blessing of our completed organ.

Guest Preachers at Saint Mary’s . . . We will have two guest preachers during the month of May, the first is our bishop, the Right Reverend Matthew Heyd, who will be celebrant and preacher at the Solemn Mass on Ascension Day, Thursday, May 9. This is the bishop’s first visitation to Saint Mary’s, and we are happy that we have candidates to present to him for confirmation and reception into the Episcopal Church. The second guest is the Reverend Landon Moore of the Diocese of Long Island, who will preach at the Solemn Mass on the Day of Pentecost, Sunday, May 19. We told you about Bishop Heyd last week and here are some details about Father Moore:

Father Landon Moore is the Diocese of Long Island’s Vicar for Vocation. In this role, he serves as the point person for those considering or in the discernment process for ordained ministry as well as for those seeking specialized ministries. Father Moore looks to identify, encourage, and support the next generation of ordained and lay leaders in diocesan ministry. He also attends national conferences and seminary meetings to recruit priests for open positions in the Diocese. Father Moore is a graduate of Marist College in Poughkeepsie and of the Yale Divinity School.

The Restoration work on the Twelfth Station of the Cross and the damage to the surrounding wall has been completed. A very special thanks to the anonymous donor who funded this project! Thanks also to Lisa Ingram and the team at see. studios for their great work!

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

Would you like to donate altar flowers and support the work of the Flower Guild? We are hoping to receive donations for May 26, and all the Sundays in June, including June 2, Corpus Christi. The suggested donation is $250. Please contact Chris Howatt in the parish office for more information and to reserve a date.

Father Jay Smith returns to the parish on Saturday evening after leading a retreat this week for the sisters of the Community of Saint John Baptist in Mendham, New Jersey. Father Matthew Jacobson will be away from the parish on retreat at Holy Cross Monastery from Tuesday, April 30, through Thursday, May 2.

You may assist the work of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem through the Friends of the Diocese website. The website provides information about the work of the Diocese in the Middle East and updates concerning the Israel-Hamas War and the war’s impact on the region. We continue to pray “for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6) and all the peoples of the Middle East.

The New York City Landmarks Conservancy Sacred Sites Open House 2024 will take place once again this year on Saturday and Sunday, May 18-19! Saint Mary’s has once again registered for the Open House and will welcome visitors to use our recorded self-guided tours.

ABOUT THE MUSIC AT THE SOLEMN MASS ON THE FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER, APRIL 28, 2024

Girolamo Frescobaldi was born in Ferrara, Italy. Contemporary accounts describe him as a child prodigy who gained prominence as a performer as well as the patronage of important noblemen. Composers who visited Ferrara during his youth included numerous important masters such as Claudio Monteverdi, John Dowland, Orlande de Lassus, Claudio Merulo, and Carlo Gesualdo. Frescobaldi established himself in Rome as early as 1604 and, by 1608, had been named organist of Saint Peter’s Basilica. He is recognized as the first of the great composers of the ancient Franco-Netherlandish-Italian tradition who chose to focus his creative energy on instrumental composition. Keyboard music occupies the most important position in Frescobaldi’s extant works, many of which were unusually virtuosic for their time and were noted for their stylistic daring. Frescobaldi’s work was known to, and influenced, numerous major composers in Italy as well as such persons as Johann Jakob Froberger, Henry Purcell, Johann Pachelbel, and Johann Sebastian Bach. His eleven posthumously published Canzoni alla francese are presumed to have been named as dedications to Italian families. Alessandro Vincenti, whose family is named at the eighth Canzon, was responsible for the 1645 publication. These late Canzoni demonstrate Frecobaldi’s development of that genre from its roots as transcriptions of French chansons to fully idiomatic keyboard works. While Canzon terza is a single section in the older style, Canzon prima and Canzon ottava are multi-sectional works, sharing the characteristics of later Baroque preludien and toccaten.

The musical setting at Solemn Mass will be Missa “In illo tempore” by Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643). Claudio Monteverdi, the great Italian madrigalist, was one of the most important composers to flourish at the juncture of European Renaissance music and the emergence of the Baroque musical art. He was one of the legendary musicians to have directed music at San Marco, Venice, and later in his life was ordained a priest. Monteverdi is considered a founder of opera as we know it today with his L’Orfeo (1609), and his Vespro della Beata Vergine of 1610 may well have provided both model and inspiration for the great Passions and oratorios of the later Baroque composers—notably Bach and Handel—which would also stand as monumental pillars of sacred music even to our own day. Monteverdi’s Mass In illo tempore (“In that time”) is scored for four voices throughout. It is a parody Mass with themes drawn from the like-named motet of the Spanish-born composer Cristóbal Morales (c. 1500–1553). Morales’s motet sets the text of John 16:16–19 in which Jesus speaks to his disciples of his going to the Father.

In the collect appointed for the Fifth Sunday of Easter we pray to “so perfectly know Jesus to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life.” The beloved English priest and poet George Herbert (1593–1633) offered his reflection and prayer to Jesus as the way, truth, and life (John 14:6) in “The Call” (The Temple, 1633). Herbert’s three-stanza poem points toward “love,” its final word, and Jesus’ new commandment which Saint John’s Gospel quotes at chapter 13, verse 34. Herbert’s prayer-poem has inspired many musical settings. One of the most well-known is from Five Mystical Songs by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958), which has been distilled into many modern hymnals. (See 487 in The Hymnal 1982.) The setting of Herbert’s “The Call,” sung during Communion, is by David Hurd, organist and music director at Saint Mary’s. This setting for four-part choir was commissioned in honor of the Reverend Dr. William Greenlaw and Mrs. Jane Greenlaw in 2008, shortly before Father Greenlaw’s retirement as rector of Holy Apostles Church, Chelsea, Manhattan. — David Hurd

AN INVITATION TO THE PEOPLE OF SAINT MARY’S

The Sisters of the Community of Saint John Baptist would like to invite the people and clergy of Saint Mary’s to the Celebration of the Community’s 150th Anniversary of the Community in the United States. The Celebration will take place at the Convent of Saint John Baptist, 82 West Main Street, Mendham, New Jersey 07945 on Saturday, June 15. The Holy Eucharist will be celebrated at 10:30 AM. The guest celebrant and preacher will be the Right Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, XXVI Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. A luncheon will follow the Mass. RSVP the Sister Superior. Clergy: White Stoles

UPCOMING AT ROYAL FAMILY PRODUCTIONS

On Saturday, May 4th, at 3:00 PM, Royal Family Productions is kicking off a revival of their education program with an abridged version of Anne of Green Gables: Part 1. The Royal Family Performing Arts Space is located on the 3rd Floor of the Parish House (145 West 46th Street) at Saint Mary’s.

Anne of Green Gables: Part I shares the journey of Anne Shirley, an imaginative, red-headed, hot-tempered, eleven-year-old orphan and what happens when she is accidentally brought to the home of quiet siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert in Prince Edward Island. The performance features 10-year-old Emmaline Gioia as Anne Shirley as well as other characters. Maggie Langhorne, with dancers Emily Anne Davis and Maddy McLean, round out the ensemble. The running time is about 45 minutes.

RSVP via email. For more information, please visit www.royalfamilyproductions.org.

  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.

[1] Steven Um and Justin Buzzard, Why Cities Matter: To God, the Culture, and the Church (Crossway, 2013): 16.