FROM DR. DAVID HURD: COME BEFORE HIS PRESENCE WITH A SONG —THE 2024–2025 CHORAL SEASON

Familiar as we may be with the annual succession of the seasons in the liturgical year, there is one season, faithfully observed by many parishes, which is neither mentioned nor specifically provided for in The Book of Common Prayer. In academic, business, and astronomical life, this season is known as summer. Although the life of the church and its ministry continue through all seasons, we also acknowledge this other indisputable cycle of the natural order and, in so doing, relax some of our activities for a time in accord with it. At Saint Mary’s, it has been customary for the choir to take a break following the observance of Corpus Christi on the Sunday after Trinity Sunday through the last Sunday of September. So, from the perspective of our parish’s music ministry, this summer season can be thought of as “cantor-tide,” a hot-weather subdivision of the long season of Pentecost when cantors replace the choir at Sunday Solemn Masses. As in past summers, past and present members of our choir have served as cantors, providing vocal leadership through the liturgy and offering solos during Communion. During these weeks of “cantor-tide” we have cycled three times through five different congregational Mass settings, and the essential musical components of the Solemn Mass have remained in place. As “cantor-tide” 2024 nears its end, however, we joyfully anticipate the return of our choir on October 6.

The Choir of Saint Mary’s is an ensemble of eight professional musicians normally composed of two sopranos, two altos, two tenors, and two basses. On most Sundays, the choir sings at the entrance of the ministers, between the scripture readings and before the Gospel, at the Offertory, and during Communion. The choir also sings choral settings of the Mass Ordinary, namely Gloria in excelsis (Kyrie during Advent and Lent), Sanctus, Benedictus qui venit, and Agnus Dei. These settings are most often sung in Latin or English but occasionally in other languages. (The texts, and translations when warranted, are always provided in the service bulletin.) Finally, in addition to supporting the congregation’s singing of hymns, responses, and other musical components of the liturgy, the choir offers an anthem or motet as the congregation receives Communion. The choral repertoire at Saint Mary’s ranges from some of the earliest notated monophonic chant to the premiering of newly composed music. The vast store of Renaissance choral music, sung unaccompanied, remains strongly present in the choir’s music schedule. In addition to the full choir’s participation on Sundays and major feast days from October through Corpus Christi, choral music will also be provided by quartets at Evensong and Benediction on the first Sundays of the months from October through June.

For the upcoming season, we are happy to welcome back sopranos Emma Daniels and Joy Tamayo, alto Kirsten Ott, tenor Christopher Howatt, and bass Muir Ingliss. The choir is fortunate to have an extended family, including former regular members, who will be with us occasionally. These include sopranos Rebecca Ehren and Charlotte Mundy, altos Catherine Aks and Cynthia Shaw, tenors Daniel Santiago Castellanos and Edward Washington, and basses Hayes Biggs and Dominic Inferrera, and several others. A choral ensemble is always a work in progress, and I feel privileged to work with the fine musicians who comprise the Choir of Saint Mary’s from week to week.

Jubilate Deo. The psalmist urges us in Psalm 100 to “Be joyful in the Lord . . . and come before his presence with a song.” This is but one of many, many biblical references to the rightness of singing in the presence of God. As we move from “cantor-tide” at Saint Mary’s back into the ongoing season of Pentecost, may the return of our parish choir energize the collective song of praise which we all, as the Body of Christ, raise ever thankfully to God’s honor and glory. — DJH

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 the people and clergy of the Church of All Saints, Margaret Street, London, UK.

We pray for those who have asked us for our prayers, especially Abraham, Tracy, and Jean, priest, who are gravely ill; and Linda, Olutoyin, Jacques, Dorian, Margaret, Frank, Cedric, Elena, Otis, David, Joseph, Steve, Susanna, Rolf, Richard, Josh, Maddie, Tony, Hattie, Nettie, Chrissy, Don, Robert, Duncan, Justin, Sheila, Jan, Pat, Quincy, Rick, Carlos, Keith, Hardy, Gypsy, Bob, and Liduvina; Laura-Katharine, religious; and Jay, Robby, and Stephen, priests.

We also pray for the repose of the soul of Joann and of Helen Wade Stetson (1920), whose year’s mind falls on September 29.

COMING UP

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, 7:00 PM
The Church of the Holy Trinity, 316 East 88th Street
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, 2:00 PM
Forty-sixth Street, in front of the church.
&
Evensong & Benediction, 4:00 PM
Note the new time!

The Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost, October 27
Guild Fair in Saint Joseph’s Hall, 12:30–1:30 PM

NEWS & NOTICES

Anglican Heritage Pilgrimage: June 9–20, 2025 . . . Father Sammy Wood will be leading a pilgrimage to England in June 2025! For Episcopalians in the Anglican tradition, England holds a place of distinct significance. The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin’s Anglican Heritage Pilgrimage will trace Christianity’s early days in Great Britain, medieval England, and the Reformation as we experience the treasures of our Anglican tradition. Skilled guides will lead our small group through the sacred places that bore witness to Christian saints, Protestant martyrs, and significant events in Anglican church history. Click here for additional details and please speak with Father Sammy if you have any questions.

Bible Readings at Saint Mary’s . . . Until recently, we had been using the Revised Standard Version (RSV) of the Bible at all public liturgies, though we often read from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), as well as other translations, at Bible Study and Adult Formation. In fact, Father Powell often recommends reading a passage from multiple translations to get a sense of the possible ways to render the original text without having to study Hebrew and Greek.

Over the summer, we began using the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) at Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer. Prayer Book Offices by Church Publishing includes all the office readings appointed by the Book of Common Prayer in the NRSV translation. It also contains the Prayer Book’s office rites and psalter. We are now using this book for the readings at the Daily Offices, but it may also be of interest to those who pray the offices at home. Click here to learn more.

On the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels, we will start using the NRSV translation at Masses as well. Readings at upcoming Masses will be posted on our website here, which can be reached from the “Worship” dropdown on our homepage. We will continue to use the RSV translation at the Sunday morning Rite I Mass (9:00 AM).

The Preface to the NRSV offers a thorough description of the translation committee’s approach and is worth reading in its entirety. Here are a few highlights:

• “Following the publication of the RSV Old Testament in 1952, significant advances were made in the discovery and interpretation of documents in Semitic languages related to Hebrew . . . In order to take these discoveries into account, along with recent studies of documents in Semitic languages related to Hebrew, in 1974 the Policies Committee of the Revised Standard Version, which is a standing committee of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., authorized the preparation of a revision of the entire RSV Bible.”

• “As for the style of English adopted for the present revision, among the mandates given to the Committee . . . was the directive to continue in the tradition of the King James Bible, but to introduce such changes as are warranted on the basis of accuracy, clarity, euphony, and current English usage. Within the constraints set by the original texts and by the mandates of the Division, the Committee has followed the maxim, ‘As literal as possible, as free as necessary.’ As a consequence, the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) remains essentially a literal translation.”

• “The mandates from the Division specified that, in references to men and women, masculine-oriented language should be eliminated as far as this can be done without altering passages that reflect the historical situation of ancient patriarchal culture . . . In the vast majority of cases, however, inclusiveness has been attained by simple rephrasing or by introducing plural forms when this does not distort the meaning of the passage.”

In addition to the webpage with the Mass readings, we also post a detailed a Calendar of Services for each month. We hope that you find these resources helpful as you prepare to come worship at Saint Mary’s. Please let me know if you have any questions about this change to the NRSV translation or about finding the readings for any of our upcoming liturgies. — Father Matt

Bible Study on Sundays in September: “Who is Jesus and Why Does It Matter?” . . . 9:45 AM in Saint Joseph’s Hall, led by Father Jay Smith. Refreshments provided. This coming Sunday, September 29, we’ll be studying another set of “difficult” sayings, this time the gospel passage appointed for the day. Father Jay will be preaching on the passage at 11:00 AM. Come and here about his process—his exegetical “homework,” his impressions of the passage, his problems with the passage, his struggle to interpret the text in ways that would be useful to this congregation. He’ll also be talking about his thoughts about the act and art of preaching—and the art of listening to a sermon. Come and join him and your fellow Saint Marians. If you can, please read Mark 9:38–43 before Sunday. This is the final session in the September series of Bible Study classes.

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 

From Bishop Matthew Heyd . . . On Monday, Bishop Heyd announced that Diocesan Council had passed a budget. He writes, in part, “This year, we set Mission Priorities together for the first time in 50 years. We’ve begun implementation of the Mission Priorities through increased support for property needs and calling a new canon to the ordinary with a focus on congregations and a new chief of finance & operations with a focus on aligning operations with mission. We’ve offered clergy additional care and support for needs they identify. Next year, we’re going to focus on our congregations through re-structuring program staff and providing direct resources. Bishops and canons will visit every congregation, every year. We’ll offer resources for spiritual formation with a particular focus on our commitment to reparations, anti-racism and creation care. We’ll expand networks for legal, property, and fundraising help. We’ll support funding for clergy sabbaticals and recommend supporting spiritual direction and retreats also. And, we’re preparing for the long-term health and vibrancy of the Diocese of New York by exploring new revenue models that decrease reliance on congregational apportioned share and by building systems for property support and development.” A detailed narrative presentation of the budget is available here. An online pre-convention briefing on the budget will take place online on October 2, 2024, 5:00–6:00 PM.

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 Fourth Station: Jesus Meets His Afflicted Mother

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

“Mary and the church in Latin America are marked by poverty. Vatican Council II says that Mary stands out among the poor who await redemption from God. Mary appears in the Bible as the expression of poverty, of humility, of one who needs everything from God. When she comes to America, her intimate, motherly converse is with an Indian, an outcast, a poor man. Mary’s dialogue in America begins with a sign of poverty, poverty that is hunger for God, poverty that is joy of independence. Poverty is freedom. Poverty is needing others, needing brothers and sisters, supporting one another so as to help one another. This is what Mary means and what the church means in Latin America. If at some time the church betrayed its spirit of poverty, then it was unfaithful to the gospel, which meant it to be distinct from the powers of the earth, not depending on the money that makes humans happy, but depending on the power of Christ, on God’s power. That is its greatness.” — Archbishop Oscar Romero, December 12, 1977, The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

To what can I liken you, to what can I compare you, O daughter of Jerusalem? What likeness can I use to comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For vast as the sea is your ruin. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. The Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended. 

A sword will pierce your own soul also:
And fill your heart with bitter pain.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, may your most Blessed Mother, whose most holy soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the hour of your Passion, intercede for us before the throne of your mercy, both now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Would you like to donate the altar flowers? . . . The following Sundays are available: October 13, 20, November 1, 10, 17, and 24. The customary donation requested is $250. Please call the Parish Office for more information (212-869-5830).

ART AT SAINT MARY’S

Michael Takeo Magruder’s artwork
Reconstructed Landscape(s) – Central Park

This work is part of a larger series entitled Un/familiar Terrain{s}

On Display in the Wedding Chapel at Saint Mary’s
September 29–November 29, 2024

Opening Night Reception, Sunday, September 29, 5:30 PM

Un/familiar Terrain{s} is an exhibition series by British-American visual artist Michael Takeo Magruder arising from a sophisticated partnership between artist and Artificial Intelligence (AI). This creative “collaboration” transforms personal footage captured on AI-enabled smartphones into otherworldly installations rooted in specific places of renowned natural beauty.

Reconstructed Landscape{s}–Central Park is the latest work in this ongoing project. Created for Saint Mary’s, the installation is a pair of “tapestries” generated from a digital photograph of New York City’s renowned green space. Through a sequence of processes that alternate between traditional media production tools and leading-edge AI systems, the ordinary scene is remade into a moment of striking luminosity. Focusing on an area of the flowering treescape, each pixel in the composition is expanded, producing an aesthetic reminiscent of stained-glass windows. The natural world is thus suffused with technology, encouraging viewers to consider the synthetic nature of their memories and inviting them to reimagine the world anew.

Michael Takeo Magruder (born 1974) is a British-American new media and digital artist who uses digital technologies to create work that connects with real-time data, virtual worlds and networked mobile devices. Magruder studied at the University of Virginia in the United States during 1992–96, gaining a BS degree in Biological Sciences.

OUTREACH AT SAINT MARY’S

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.

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 September 20, and the next one will take place on Friday, October 18, 1:00–3:00 PM. We are looking for a few more good volunteers, who feel called and inspired to give this work a try. Please speak to MaryJane Boland or Father Jay about our work and how you might help.

Resisting Misinformation about Immigration . . . From the website of the Diocese of New York, “Recently, the Diocese of New York gathered to reaffirm its nearly decade-long relationship with Haiti through the New York Haiti Project at Bishop Matthew Heyd’s residence on the Cathedral Close. This event came just days after troubling misinformation about Haitian immigrants surfaced, perpetuated by political figures. The New York Haiti Project, with support from 19 parishes, sustains Saint Luke’s Episcopal School and Church in rural Martel, Haiti, offering a vital and safe haven for families fleeing violence in the capital. Haitian priest Fr. Jean Quatorze, who lost his home to gang violence, shared, ‘I built my house in a city called Croix-des-Bouquets–I lost my house because a gang lives in it now. Many families in Haiti are now in the same situation. Now, they want to leave Haiti not because they don’t love Haiti, but because they are looking for a safe place to stay. We hear the declaration of the former U.S. President saying we eat dogs. It’s not true.’ He added, laughing, ‘We have good food there! In the end, we still have hope; if God helps, we will survive.’ Bishop Matthew Heyd emphasized, ‘The Haitian community is essential to New York. We’re stronger together, and our communities reflect that. We stand in solidarity with those hurt by recent lies. Together, we will persist.’” Learn more about the New York Haiti Project here: www.newyorkhaitiproject.org

A webinar series offered to encourage and empower individuals to be agents of positive social change . . . In September and October, the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine is hosting four webinars in preparation for the election. They will explore key issues precisely from an Episcopal perspective, taking note especially of resolutions of General Convention. The Very Rev. Patrick Malloy, PhD, will be in conversation on four topics with featured guests. The webinars may be accessed in real time by RSVPing at each of the calendar pages linked below. They will subsequently be available on the Cathedral's YouTube channel.

Upcoming webinars:

Wednesday, October 2 at 4 PM: Reproductive Rights with the Rev. Dr. Danielle Tumminio Hansen. The Rev. Dr. Danielle Tumminio Hansen, Associate Professor of Practical Theology and Spiritual Care at Candler School of Theology, Emory University; editor of the Summer 2024 Issue of the Anglican Theological Review, Anglican Theologies of Reproductive Choice.

Wednesday, October 9 at 4 PM: The Environment with Dr. Andrew Thompson. Dr. Andrew Thompson, director of the Center for Religion and Environment at The University of the South (Sewanee); author of Reconsider the Lilies: Challenging Christian Environmentalism's Colonial Legacy.

ABOUT THE MUSIC AT THE SOLEMN MASS ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2024, THE NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

The Hymnal 1940 Companion contains the following entry under the heading “Fourth Communion Service.”

The various portions of this service are plainsongs which have long been associated the Feasts of the B.V.M. The present adaptation to the American liturgy was made by Winfred Douglas for the use of the Community of St. Mary, and published in 1915 under the title Missa Marialis.

Canon Charles Winfred Douglas (1867–1944) was a giant in the history of music in the Episcopal Church. A priest and member of the Committee which produced the 1916 edition of the Episcopal Hymnal, he was the principal editor and driving force behind The Hymnal 1940 which, for decades was the indisputable benchmark for American hymnals. Composer, author, musicologist, editor, historian, liturgiologist, theologian, linguist, poet, teacher (in no particular order) are some of the well-deserved attributions accorded him. Missa Marialis is an enduring example of Canon Douglas’ zeal for merging medieval plainsong with English Prayer Book texts. Its components under the heading “Fourth Communion Service” in The Hymnal 1940 were Kyrie (Mass IX), Gloria (Mass X), Sanctus (Mass IX), and Agnus Dei (Mass IX). Also included were Canon Douglas’ rendering of Credo I (which we customarily sing at Saint Mary’s during Lent) and the traditional Lord’s Prayer setting which is sung weekly at Saint Mary’s. All of these settings, edited by Douglas, were retained in The Hymnal 1982. At the Solemn Mass on Sunday we sing Gloria, Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei.

The cantor on Sunday is soprano, Emma Daniels, who will sing Samuel Barber’s “The Crucifixion” from Hermit Songs during the administration of Communion. Twice a winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Music, Samuel Barber (1910–1981) remains one of the most revered twentieth-century American composers. His Hermit Songs, Opus 29, were premiered in 1953 at the Library of Congress, sung by soprano Leontyne Price, with the composer at the piano. Barber’s Hermit Songs is a cycle of ten settings of anonymous poems written by Irish monks and scholars from the eighth to the thirteenth centuries. “The Crucifixion” is the fifth song of the cycle. The original text is from The Speckled Book (“Leabhar Breac”), a collection of Irish homilies dating from the twelfth century. The English translation which Barber set is by the noted literary critic, journalist, poet and scholar, Howard Mumford Jones (1892–1980).

Emma Daniels is a conductor, composer, and soprano originally from Chicago. She is the music director of Philomusica Concert Choir and a founding member of Triad: Boston’s Choral Collective, an organization made up of singers, composers, and conductors who share artistic responsibility and perform new music. Today, she sings, conducts, and composes with C4: the Choral Composer/Conductor Collective in NYC, the choir after which Triad was modeled. Emma’s compositions have been performed by Triad: Boston’s Choral Collective, Westminster Chapel Choir, Tufts Chamber Singers, and other college, synagogue, and church choirs from Boston to Los Angeles. As a vocalist, she has performed both solo and ensemble work in the Midwest and on the East Coast, including with Saint Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Wilton, Connecticut, Saint James Cathedral Choir of Chicago, Philadelphia Symphonic Choir, Princeton Society of Musical Amateurs, and Hans Zimmer Live US Tour. Emma holds an MM in Choral Conducting from Westminster Choir College and a BA in Music from Tufts University. She has been a member of the Choir of Saint Mary’s since 2022.

AWAY FROM SAINT MARY’S

An Exhibition Opening in March 2025
The Jewish Museum
Fifth Avenue at 92nd Street

The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt
March 7–August 10, 2025

We’ve been reading through the Book of Esther at Morning Prayer in recent days, and so news of this exhibition caught our eye.

From the museum website, “Paintings, prints, and drawings representing the Book of Esther made by Rembrandt van Rijn and his contemporaries will be presented with Jewish ceremonial art related to the holiday of Purim from seventeenth-century Amsterdam.

In the age of Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669), the biblical Book of Esther was a key source of inspiration for diverse communities in Holland, both Jewish and Christian. Traditionally, the Esther story is read annually on the Jewish holiday of Purim. For immigrant Jewish communities living with new freedom in more tolerant Amsterdam, celebrating Purim—notably through finely produced Esther scrolls and theater productions—became meaningful expressions of Jewish culture. For the Dutch, Queen Esther’s heroism came to represent their emerging nation’s identity. Rembrandt and his contemporaries depicted essential scenes of Esther’s story in paintings, prints, drawings, and decorative arts. This exhibition gives expression to this full range of the Book of Esther’s popularity and meaning in Rembrandt’s time.”

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.