FROM FATHER WOOD: FOR THE LIFE OF THE WORLD

This is the eighth and final article in a series exploring our statement of vision for our common life 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.

To read the others, click on the following links for the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh articles.

When the Board of Trustees first began discerning this vision statement in the fall of 2023, I confess the last six words were the first ones that leapt to my mind. That final phrase actually sweeps back to modify all that’s come before it—at Saint Mary’s, we are all that we are, and we do all that we do, for love of God and for the life of the world.

This phrase isn’t original with us; it’s borrowed from the title of one of the most important books on Eastern liturgical theology in the last half century. In For the Life of the World: Sacraments and Orthodoxy, Alexander Schmemann, the late dean of Saint Vladimir’s Seminary in Yonkers, argues that the church is the “sacrament of the Kingdom of God.”

The Church is the sacrament of the Kingdom . . . because first of all she is the possibility given to man to see in and through this world the “world to come” . . . A Christian is the one who, wherever he looks, finds Christ and rejoices in Him. And this joy transforms all his human plans and programs, decisions and actions, making all his mission the sacrament of the world’s return to Him who is the life of the world.[1]

If Father Schmemann is right, then our very vocation at Saint Mary’s is sacramental—we are to be “an outward and visible sign” for the world to see what life looks like under the invisible reign of God. So, it’s important to contemplate that vocation (from vocare, “to call”) as we consider our self-understanding as a parish family. In Exiles on Mission, Paul Williams says “calling” is “essentially a salvation word, a conversion word, an identity word.” So, this calling, this being-for-others is who we are, it’s precisely why we are saved and converted. The Catechism says the mission of the church “is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.” (BCP, p. 855.) Our telos, the very reason we exist, is to draw others into the life of God. 

And this permeates every aspect of our common life. We pray the Daily Office and say the Mass every day not for ourselves, but for God and for the world. We stand as a vibrant Anglo-Catholic witness for God and for the world. We steward God’s gifts to us and the good creation for God and for the world. We attend Bible Study and Christian formation classes for God and for the world. We cultivate lives of virtue and charity for God and for the world. We walk for AIDS treatment and prevention for God and for the world. We run Neighbors in Need for God and for the world. We host art installations to deploy beauty for God and for the world. We welcome all people and gather to build beloved community in the heart of New York City for God and for the world.

As we begin our “Year of Invitation” next month, it is our privilege and purpose to invite others to experience God alongside us here at Saint Mary’s. I hope you’ll join us (and bring a friend!) in October for a sermon series on this parish vision, and thanks, as always, for your attention to these monthly pieces in The Angelus. Please continue to reflect on this vision statement, keep it ready at hand, pray through it often, and reach out to me if you’d like to talk more about it. — SW

PRAYING FOR THE CHURCH & FOR THE WORLD

We pray for an end to war, division, violence, and injustice, especially in the Middle East, Venezuela, Ukraine, Russia, Myanmar, Sudan, and Darfur. We pray for justice and for an end to violence and discord in our city and nation.

We pray for those who have asked us for our prayers, especially Abraham Rochester, Tracy Young, and Jean Jersey, priest, who are gravely ill, and Claudia, Maria, Suzanne, Dorian, Carl, Margaret, Steve, Patrick, Frank, Leroy, Rick, Thomas, Mario, Vincenzo, Dorothy, Carmen, Justin, Sheila, Charles, Lynn, Dennis, Susan, Susanna, Rolf, Joyce, Christine, Donald, Richard, Josh, Maddie, Tony, Hattie, Nettie, Chrissy, Robert, Duncan, Jan, Pat, Marjorie, Carole, Luis, Sharon, Quincy, June, Chris, Carlos, José, Brian, Manuel, Hardy, Giovanna, Gypsy, Bob, and Liduvina; Laura Katharine, Keith, James, Curtis, Monica Clare, Barbara-Jean and Eleanor-Francis, religious; Lind, deacon; and Julie, John, Robby, and Stephen, priests; and Sean, bishop.

We also pray for the repose of the souls of those whose year’s mind falls on September 15: Harold Bertrand Recouse (1899); Robert Giles (1924); George Albert Moss (1927); Adele Matthiessen Blow (1929); Maximilian T. Lenk and Charles Mason, Sr. (1952).

COMING UP

Saturday, September 14, Holy Cross Day
Confessions 11:00 AM, Mass 12:10 PM
A relic of the True Cross will be available for veneration at Saint Mary’s in the Mercy Chapel all day on Holy Cross Day,
as well as the following morning through Sunday’s Solemn Mass.

Saturday, September 21, Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist
Confessions 11:00 AM, Mass 12:10 PM

The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, September 22
Guest Preacher: Father Peter Anthony,
Vicar of All Saints, Margaret Street, London, UK
At both the Rite I Mass 9:00 AM & Solemn Mass 11:00 AM

Tuesday, September 24, Our Lady of Walsingham
Morning Prayer 8:00 AM, Sung Mass 12:10 PM, Evening Prayer 5:30 PM

Monday, September 30, Saint Michael and All Angels (tr.)
Morning Prayer 8:00 AM, Mass 12:10 PM, Sung Mass 6:00 PM

Thursday, October 3, Transitus of Saint Francis
The Church of the Holy Trinity, 316 East 88th Street at 7:00 PM
A small reception follows. See below for more details.

Friday, October 4, Saint Francis of Assisi
The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin
Morning Prayer 8:00 AM, Mass 12:10 PM, Evening Prayer 5:30 PM

The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, October 6
Rite I Mass 9:00 AM, Adult Formation 9:45 AM, Solemn Mass 11:00 AM
The program year begins and the full choir returns at Solemn Mass!
&
Blessing of the Animals
Sunday afternoon. Forty-sixth Street, in front of the church. Time to be announced.
&
Evensong & Benediction, 4:00 PM
Note the new time!

NEWS & NOTICES

Bible Study on Sundays in September: “Who is Jesus and Why Does It Matter?” . . . 9:45 AM in Saint Benedict’s Study, led by Father Jay Smith. Refreshments provided. Please join us as we look at Gospel passages that show us who Jesus is and invite us to consider how that experience might change our lives. We’ll use works of imagination—art and poetry—to help us interpret the Gospel text. All are welcome.

This coming Sunday, September 15, we’ll be studying the story of Jesus’ encounter with a potential disciple and his demand that the man “sell all that he owns” in order to follow him. If you have a few minutes before Sunday, you might take a look at Matthew 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-31, and Luke 18:18-30.

The Young Saint Marians Group will be meeting on Tuesday, September 24, at 6:00 PM in the Mission House apartment for an evening of food and conversation, closing with Compline. Please email Katherine Hoyt or Benjamin Safford to RSVP or if you have any questions about this group which focuses on those in their 20s and 30s.

Transitus of Saint Francis Service . . . The Society of Saint Francis (both first and third orders) will be holding a Transitus service on Thursday October 3 at 7:00 PM at Church of the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church (316 E. 88th St.). The service commemorates the death of Francis and begins his feast day which is celebrated on October 4. Everyone is welcome to attend the service and small reception afterward. When our community lived at Saint Mary's we did hold this service in 2019 in the Lady Chapel, so some may remember it. In attendance will also be three others from my community—Desmond who many people know as well as the two new novices. The four of us will also be at Saint Mary's on that Sunday (10/7) so don't be alarmed when you see a flock of Franciscans in brown.
— Thomas Steffensen, SSF 

The Fourteen Stations of the Cross in the nave of the church were recently lit. The difference has been dramatic. These beautiful and colorful images have emerged from the shadows of the side aisles and are now available in a new way for prayer and meditation.

The Station pictured here is the Second Station: The Cross is Laid on Jesus. Looking at the image we might think about why this instrument of horrible and excruciating torture and death has become for Christians the sign of our salvation.

Tomorrow is the Feast of the Holy Cross. Why is the cross “holy”? Is it holy for you? One of our fellow parishioners sent me a quote of Saint Rose of Lima this week, “Apart from the cross there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven.” Do you think this is true? Is it true for you? There are many crosses and crucifixes in the church at Saint Mary’s. Why do you think our forebears placed so many images of the cross in the church? What does the image of the cross mean to you? What does it say that Jesus of Nazareth was forced to carry the thing that would cause his death? What does it mean in a spiritual sense that Jesus the Christ was asked to carry this instrument of sin, shame, and death? Some of the earliest Christian texts say that Jesus did this very thing “for us.” What does this “for us” mean to you? — JRS

The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all: For the transgression of my people was he stricken.

Let us pray.

Almighty God, whose beloved Son willingly endured the agony and shame of the cross for our redemption: Give us courage to take up our cross and follow him, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

Evening Prayer on Saturdays and Sundays: A Time Change . . . Beginning on Saturday, October 5, Evening Prayer will be said in the church at 4:00 PM, instead of 5:00 PM, on both Saturday and Sunday. This will include monthly Evensong and Benediction, which normally takes place on the first Sunday of every month. We hope that this will allow more of our members and friends to attend this beautiful form of prayer and worship.

We continue to collect nonperishable food items for distribution to those in the neighborhood seeking food assistance. They may be placed in the basket near the ushers’ table at the Forty-Sixth Street entrance on Sunday mornings. We are also happy to receive cash donations that allow us to purchase food vouchers at a local bodega.

CPR Training . . . We are planning a CPR training session for this fall, which is required for the recertification of our AED (automated external defibrillator). If you are interested, or have any questions, please send Father Matt an email. Depending on the size of our group, we may be able to have our training session onsite at the parish. All are welcome. Ushers are particularly encouraged to learn (or refresh) these important skills.

Neighbors in Need . . . If you would like to volunteer or make a cash donation, please speak to MaryJane Boland. We are also eager to receive donations of new or lightly used sneakers and shoes, in all sizes, for both men and women. A Drop-by was held on August 16, and the next one will take place on Friday, September 20, 1:00–3:00 PM. We are looking for a few more good volunteers. Please speak to MaryJane Boland or Father Jay about our work and how you might help.

Would you like to donate the altar flowers? . . . The following Sundays are available: September 22, and October 13, 20, and 27. The customary donation requested is $250. Please call the Parish Office for more information (212-869-5830).

SEMINARIANS ARRIVING THIS FALL

We are excited to announce that we will have two seminarian interns joining us this fall. Here’s a little bit about Chris and Alden:

Chris Edling is a first-year student at General Theological Seminary and a parishioner of Holy Trinity Inwood in uptown Manhattan. He’s a former Peace Corps Volunteer, WWOOFer (World Wide Organization of Organic Farms), UN consultant, and two-time Fulbrighter (Armenia, Kyrgyzstan). Chris moved to New York in 2012 to attend Columbia University and currently teaches at NYU.

Alden Fossett is a seminarian at Yale Divinity School/Berkeley Divinity School, where he is preparing for ordination to the priesthood. In his sending diocese of Massachusetts, he is focused on the work of racial justice, reconciliation, and reparations. Alden grew up in Los Angeles, California.

ABOUT THE MUSIC AT THE SOLEMN MASS ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2024, THE SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

The organ voluntaries on Sunday are the Prelude and Fugue in C minor, Opus 37, by Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847). Mendelssohn blossomed early as a conductor, composer, and pianist. His initial music studies in Berlin were followed by travel in England, Scotland, Italy, and France before his 1833 appointment as music director in Düsseldorf. Two years later he became conductor of the Gewandhaus concerts in Leipzig where, together with Schumann and others, he founded the Leipzig Conservatorium in 1842. His 1829 Leipzig performance of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion helped decisively to stimulate the nineteenth-century rediscovery of the music of J. S. Bach. His contributions as a composer span the categories of orchestral, choral, stage, chamber, piano, vocal, and organ works. His music is said to have set the canons of mid-Victorian musical taste. Composed in 1837 (Prelude) and 1834 (Fugue), this pairing is the first of three Preludes and Fugues dedicated to his friend Thomas Attwood, the London organist and composer, and former student of Mozart. The Prelude is marked Vivace and has a stern, assertive nature. One wonders if Mendelssohn drew inspiration from Bach’s similarly muscular Prelude, BWV 546, in the same key. Mendelssohn’s fugue is marked Con moto and, despite its dark key, it maintains the rhythmic character of a Gigue. 

On most Sundays, the music of the Ordinary of the Mass at Saint Mary’s is the work of a single composer or drawn from a single source. This coming Sunday, however, the setting will be a composite from three different places and times.

The Gloria is a metrical paraphrase translated into English from the German Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr as found in The Hymnal 1982 at #421. Both the German paraphrase and its chorale melody are credited to Nikolaus Decius (c. 1490–1541). The present English translation is credited to The Reverend F. Bland Tucker (1895–1984). Father Tucker served on the Commission which produced The Hymnal 1940 and is represented by twenty-six hymn texts in The Hymnal 1982. Like many chorale melodies, Allein Gott exists both in duple and triple rhythmic forms. The stately duple rhythm version was included in The Hymnal 1940 at #303 with a harmonization by Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1849). However, the older and more dance-like triple rhythm form, with harmonization by Hieronymous Praetorius (c. 1560–1629), was chosen for the metrical Gloria in The Hymnal 1982.

The Sanctus on Sunday is from A Community Mass by Richard Proulx (1937–2010). Organist, composer, and conductor, Richard Proulx was one of the brightest lights in American Roman Catholic church music in the late twentieth century. He was also sought out internationally and ecumenically to compose, to consult, to teach, and to direct music programs. In addition to church music, his works include operas, orchestral music, and film scores. From 1980 to 1994 Richard Proulx directed a distinguished music program at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago during which time the Casavant choir organ and landmark four-manual Flentrop gallery organ were commissioned and installed. Proulx’s A Community Mass was composed in 1970 and quickly became a staple in Roman Catholic congregations. Its sturdy Sanctus, when sung by congregations, carries the text and its liturgical function powerfully.

The Agnus Dei is from John Merbecke’s Communion setting originally published in The booke of Common praier Noted of 1550. Merbecke (c. 1510–c. 1585) was known to have been a lay-clerk and organist at Saint George’s, Windsor in 1541. Apart from an obscure Latin Mass and two motets composed in his earlier years, Merbecke’s lasting musical contribution is his collected plainsong settings of the 1550 Prayer Book, most likely the earliest musical setting of the English Ordinary. Merbecke’s settings for the Mass are scrupulously syllabic and free of melodic fancy but yet melodically graceful. Although his original notation and instruction clearly indicate notes of long and short duration, nineteenth- and early twentieth-century editions of his music made all but final syllables of phrases equally short. The Hymnal 1982 edition has restored the original rhythms to Merbecke’s chant. His Agnus Dei is found at S 157.

The cantor at Mass on Sunday will be tenor, Christopher Howatt, parish administrator at Saint Mary’s and long-time member of the parish choir. During the distribution of Communion, he will sing A Simple Song from Mass (1971) by Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990). Bernstein, a giant of American twentieth-century musical life, called the piece “Hymn and Psalm: A Simple Song.” The text consists of verses taken from a number of psalms, which have been adapted and woven together by the composer in collaboration with Stephen Schwartz (b. 1948).

Christopher Howatt has been a regular member of the Choir at the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin since 2008 and stepped into the role of parish administrator more recently. An actively performing singer in the realms of musical theater and cabaret, he was a member of the Associate Chorus of the Metropolitan Opera for two seasons. He has been heard on recordings as diverse as Jessye Norman’s Christmas CD In the Spirit, to singing backup for The Pet Shop Boys on their cover of the Village People’s “Go West.” As an accompanist and music director he has worked with such talents as David Hyde Pierce, Howard McGillin, Tyne Daly, Rita Moreno, Brad Oscar and Cady Huffman and others. He has served as musical supervisor for productions of Sylvia, Lend Me a Tenor and Inspecting Carol at George Street Playhouse as well as musical director for their world premiere production of Come Back, Come Back, Wherever You Are, written and directed by the late theatrical legend Arthur Laurents. For several years he displayed both pianistic and vocal talents as music director/arranger and performer with the two-time MAC Award nominated vocal group Boulevard East, producing and recording their CD, Timeless, as well as performing with them in various cabaret venues.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO VOLUNTEER?

Have you been coming to Saint Mary’s for a while, but have been unsure about how to get more involved? We’d love to talk to you about that. During 2024–2025 we hope to recruit more volunteers for the following ministries: Neighbors in Need, Acolytes, Readers, Ushers, Hospitality Teams, and Livestream Broadcasters. In order to do what we do for this congregation and for our neighborhood, we need your help. We urge you to pray about this, asking God to help you discern how you are being called to serve here at the parish. We promise you that greater commitment produces great rewards. For more information, speak to Father Sammy or Father Matt.

AWAY FROM SAINT MARY’S

At the Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Parkway
Brooklyn, New York 11238-6052

The Brooklyn Della Robbia
Long-Term Installation
Focus Gallery, 3rd Floor of the Museum

Giovanni della Robbia’s Renaissance glazed terracotta masterpiece The Resurrection of Christ is a compositional and technical tour de force. The massive relief sculpture, comprised of forty-six pieces, portrays a vision of faith and salvation unfolding amid a vibrant cornucopia of naturalistic plants, flowers, and animals.

The Resurrection was commissioned around 1520 by the Antinori family, historical Tuscan vintners since 1385, to adorn a wall of their villa outside Florence, Italy. Almost four hundred years later, in 1899, it became the first Italian Renaissance work to enter [the Brooklyn Museum’s collection]. Since the late 1990s the large, colorful relief sculpture has not been on public view.

The restoration in 2015 of della Robbia’s vibrant masterwork by the museum’s conservation team was generously funded by the same Antinori family whose ancestors originally commissioned it. The restoration is highlighted in a video accompanying this focused look at one of our most significant works of European art.

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] Alexander Schmemann, 113.