From the Rector: The Regular Worship of the Church

This Sunday morning, October 31, is the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost.  Sunday evening, All Hallows’ Eve, we begin our celebration of All Saints’ Day.  The Reverend Peter Cullen, rector, Saint Paul’s Church, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, will be our guest preacher at Solemn Evensong & Benediction at 5:00 PM.

As is our custom on greater feasts, on Monday, November 1, Morning Prayer will be sung at 8:30 AM.  Following the 12:00 PM Noonday Office, there will be a Sung Mass at 12:10 PM.  James Kennerley will play an organ recital at 5:30 PM, and we will welcome the Most Reverend Dr. Peter Carnley, AC, VI Archbishop of Perth and Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia as celebrant and preacher for the 6:00 PM Solemn Mass.  Archbishop Carnley is serving as Distinguished Visiting Professor of Anglican Studies at the General Theological Seminary this year.  It will be a great honor to have him with us.

Tuesday, November 2, is All Souls’ Day, formally known in the American Church as the “Commemoration of All Faithful Departed.”  At Saint Mary’s, this is also a day of solemn prayer.  Morning Prayer will be sung at 8:30 AM.  Following the 12:00 PM Noonday Office, there will be a Sung Mass at 12:10 PM.  Father Jay Smith is celebrant and preacher for the Solemn Mass & Blessing of the Vault at 6:00 PM.

All Saints’ Day seems to have originated in Eucharistic commemorations in the third century of the Christian era.  By the fifth century, celebrations were held in the eastern and western churches in the spring.  In the British Isles, All Saints’ Day was celebrated on November 1 by the middle of the eighth century.  November 1 was the date that was fixed for this celebration in Rome in the late ninth century.  When the Reformation swept away non-Scriptural commemorations from our Calendar, All Saints’ Day was retained.

All Saints’ Day didn’t matter very much in Anglican spirituality before the Anglo-catholic revival.  It began to matter in the nineteenth century when Anglo-catholics started praying for the dead and reintroducing the Medieval commemoration of All Souls’ Day.  The literally unspeakable numbers of troops killed –government censorship on both sides hid the enormous scale of the deaths – during World War I brought a liturgical pastoral response from the Church.  For Anglo-catholics, the natural focus was All Souls’ Day, when we remember the dead before God.  In the Prayer Book tradition, Anglicans have used “saint” in its New Testament sense, that is, to include all the baptized, the living and the dead.  For non-Anglo-catholics, All Saints’ Day soon took on new life.

When the 1928 Prayer Book was adopted, two changes were made that, within a generation and another World War, would alter the piety of Episcopalians.  The 1928 Prayer Book introduced an “octave” for All Saints’ Day.  (An “octave” is the practice of extending the celebration of a feast day over a period of eight days – so that a Sunday would always have an All Saints’ commemoration.)  And, for the first time since 1549, this Prayer Book included an explicit petition for the departed in the “Prayer for the Whole State of Christ’s Church and the World” – what we would call the “Prayers of the People.”

One should also not ever overlook the role of hymnody on the life of the Church.  The text For all the saints, who from their labors rest by William Walsham How (1823-1897) has been in the Hymnal since 1874.  Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924) composed a great tune, Engelberg, for this text in 1904.  We know Engelberg as the tune for the text All praise to thee, for thou, O King divine because Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) wrote a tune he called Sine Nomine for the English Hymnal (1906).  I do not think one should underestimate the importance of Vaughan Williams’ setting of this text for the spirituality of Episcopal Christians since its inclusion in The Hymnal 1940.

Just a little more detail: much as Saint Mary’s inherited a Sunday celebration in the octave of Corpus Christi and, following the lead of the Roman Church under Paul VI, celebrates this festival on a Sunday, the vast majority of Episcopal parishes and cathedrals celebrate All Saints’ on Sunday.  Most Episcopal parishes omit a separate commemoration of All Souls.  At this point in my life I find it hard to argue, when all things are considered, that one position is more correct than others.  That said, I am glad I belong to a tradition within the Church that keeps both commemorations with considerable devotion.

I find it helpful as a pastor and as an individual Christian to celebrate the fellowship all the baptized share with each other and the faithful departed on All Saints’ Day.  I find it helpful as a living human being to remember those I have known and loved in my life on All Souls’ Day.  This really is a case where two popular expressions can be used truthfully: “It’s all good” and “More is better.”  Stephen Gerth

YOUR PRAYERS ARE ASKED especially for Sylvia, Margaret, Carol, Mary, Gilbert, Owen, Jim, Alan, Pamela, Robert, Thomas, Edward, Larry, José, Sharon, Daisy, Gerardo, Cesar, Chris, Rolf, William, Gert, Rick, and Emil, religious; and for the members of our Armed Forces on active duty, especially John, James, Kayla, and Benjamin . . . GRANT THEM PEACE . . . October 31: 1896 William Samuel Diller; 1903 Charles Bauer; 1912 Ellen Bentz; 1941 Holbrook W. Coulter; 1945 Miiriam G. Redfield Snowden; 1964 Earl Brandt Bird; 1964 1974 Isabel Knight Hatfield

THE ORDINARY FRIDAYS OF THE YEAR are observed by special acts of discipline and self-denial in commemoration of the crucifixion of the Lord.

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S . . . The Adult Forum meets on Sunday, October 31, at 10:00 AM, in the Arch Room on the second floor of the Mission House . . . Monday, November 1, All Saints’ Day: Sung Matins 8:30 AM, Noonday Prayer 12:00 PM, Sung Mass 12:10 PM, Solemn Pontifical Mass 6:00 PM . . . November 2, All Souls’ Day: Sung Matins 8:30 AM, Noonday Prayer 12:00 PM, Sung Mass 12:10 PM, Solemn Mass & Blessing of the Vault 6:00 PM . . . Wednesday, November 3: Wednesday Night Bible Study 7:00 PM, Arch Room, Mission House, 2nd Floor . . . Father Smith will hear confessions on Saturday, October 30.  Father Gerth will hear confessions on Saturday, November 6.

PARISH REQUIEMS . . . On November 4, 5, 6 and 8 there will be two Masses each day, one at 12:10 PM and one at 6:20 PM.  Continuing the custom of many years, prayers will be offered for the departed at both Masses on those days according to the following schedule, by the last name of the person making the request: Thursday, November 4: last names A–G; Friday, November 5: last names H–M; Saturday, November 6: last names N–R; Monday, November 8: last names S–Z.  Please return your forms with the names of those for whom you are requesting prayers as soon as possible.

STEWARDSHIP 2011 . . . Stewardship Packets were mailed on Monday, October 25.  The packet includes a pledge card, a return envelope, a letter from the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees, and a fact sheet that addresses a number of frequently asked questions about stewardship and pledging.  On the reverse side of that sheet, there are three extracts from the “Why I Love Saint Mary’s” series.  Commitment Sunday is November 21, the Feast of Christ the King.

AROUND THE PARISH . . . The staff is grateful to all those who volunteer their time and give of their talents, helping out in so many different ways around the parish: thank you to George Handy, Dick Leitsch, and José Vidal for organizing and producing the All Souls Appeal mailing; thank you to MaryJane Boland and Marie Rosseels, who worked hard to produce the stewardship mailing; to Terry Carlson, who continues to work on the lighting in and around the church; to Clint Best, Scott Holman, Dick Leitsch, and Bob Picken, who have been helping out in the finance and parish offices; to Tom Heffernan, Rita Johnson, and Marie Rosseels, who have been helping the sisters in the sacristy; thank you to Charles Brand, who has been helping James Kennerley in the music office . . . Flowers are needed for Sunday, November 7; Sunday, November 14; and for the one Sunday in Advent when flowers are used, this year, December 12.  If you would like to give them, please contact Aaron Koch in the parish office . . . Attendance: Last Sunday 253.

CELEBRATE A NEW MINISTRY . . . On Saturday, November 20, at 11:00 AM, at Saint John’s Church, Huntington, New York, the bishop of Long Island will institute and induct the Reverend Allen Shin as rector.  The preacher will be the Right Reverend Frank T. Griswold will preach.  Members of the Saint Mary’s community are invited to attend.  Visit www.stjohnshuntington.org for directions by car.  The Huntington Station of the Long Island Railroad is near but not within walking distance of the church – allow time to take a cab if you plan to travel by train.  Father Shin was a member of the Saint Mary’s staff, first as assistant and then as curate, from 1996 to 2001.  Please keep Allen and his wife, Clara Mun, in your prayers.

FROM THE MUSIC DIRECTOR . . . The prelude on Sunday is Voluntary for Double Organ by Henry Purcell (1659–1695).  The setting of the Mass ordinary is Missa de Beata Virgine by Heinrich Finck (c. 1445-9 –1527), sung by Jonathon Hampton, countertenor, James Kennerley, tenor, and Mark Risinger, bass.  Little is known about Finck, save that he was born in Germany and held court musician positions in Warsaw and Salzburg.  The majority of his compositions are for voice, including mass settings, and secular solo and part-songs. At the ministration of communion, the trio sings In God’s word will I rejoice by Purcell . . .  On All Saints’ Day, the minor proper, usually sung to plainsong settings, will be sung to settings by William Byrd (1543–1623).  Byrd composed Gradualia, two massive cycles of motets containing 109 items and published in 1605 and 1607.  The setting of the Mass ordinary is Missa O Quam gloriosam by Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611), which is modeled on the motet of the same name, also by Victoria . . . At Solemn Mass on All Souls’ Day, the setting of the ordinary is Requiem by Ildebrando Pizzetti (1880-1968).  A rarely heard gem, the setting is paired with Pizzetti’s motet De profundis, an impassioned setting of Psalm 130.  James Kennerley

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION . . . The Adult Forum meets on Sunday, October 31, at 10:00 AM, in the Arch Room on the second floor of the Mission House.  Grace Bruni leads the final part of her four-part series, The Church in England during the Middle Ages through the Lens of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales . . . . Wednesday, November 3, 6:30 PM, Bible Study, Arch Room, Mission House, 2nd floor . . . November 7, 14, and 21: Saint Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians: Father Peter Powell will lead a three-part series on 1 Corinthians.  The series is designed to be an introduction to this very important letter.  During Lent 2011, Father Powell returns and will do a close reading of 1 Corinthians 15.  The fall series will be good preparation for the Lent series, but it is not a prerequisite . . . The Adult-Education Class will not meet on Sunday, November 28, the Sunday after Thanksgiving Day . . . Sunday, December 5, “Bishop Anthony Bloom’s Beginning to Pray”.  A brief introduction to a well-known work by a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church in Great Britain.  Led by Father Jay Smith.

CONCERTS AT SAINT MARY’S . . . Saturday, November 13, 8:00 PM, Riverside Choral Society.  Patrick Gardner, conductor & James Kennerley, organ.  Music by Britten, Bernstein, and other works for chorus and organ . . . Saturday, November 20, 2010, 8:00 PM, The Early Music Series of the Columbia University’s Miller Theatre : New York Polyphony.  Music of Taverner, Ockeghem, Dunstable, Brumel, des Prez, and others . . . Saturday, December 11, 2010, 8:00 PM & Monday, December 13, 2010, 8:00 PM: Voices of Ascension: Christmas Concert, Dennis Keene, artistic director.

OUTREACH AT SAINT MARY’S . . . Sunday, October 31, Saint Joseph’s Hall, Book Sale.  All proceeds are used to benefit those in need.  If you would like to donate books, please speak to Father Smith . . . We continue to collect non-perishable food items for the Saint Clement’s Food Pantry.  Please look for the basket in the back of the church or in Saint Joseph’s Hall.  We also hope to make a cash donation to the Food Pantry to help out during the holiday season.  For more information, please speak to Father Smith . . . During the month of November we will be collecting toys and other holiday gift items for children and adults.  These gifts are then donated to AIDS Action International and the New York Foundling Hospital.

LOOKING AHEAD . . . Sunday, November 7, 2:00 AM: Daylight Savings Time ends (clocks are set back one hour) . . . Saturday, November 13, 1:00 PM, Meeting of Saint Mary’s Guild . . . Saturday, November 13, Diocesan Convention, Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine.  Because the parish clergy will be attending Convention, the noonday services will not be offered . . . Sunday, November 21: Commitment Sunday: Offering of 2011 Pledge Cards . . . Father Alan Moses, Vicar, All Saints Church Margaret Street, London, England, will preach at Evensong, 5:00 PM . . . Tuesday, December 7, 6:00 PM, Solemn Evensong and Legacy Society Reception . . . Wednesday, December 8, Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Solemn Pontifical Mass 6:00 PM, the Rt. Rev. Mark Sisk, XV Bishop of New York, celebrant and preacher . . . Saturday, December 11, 10:00 AM-3:00 PM, Advent Quiet Day, led by Father John Beddingfield . . . Sunday, December 26, 5:00 PM, Christmas Lessons and Carols.

AWAY FROM THE PARISH . . . The Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater at the West Side YMCA, 5 West 63rd Street, New York, NY 10023: Freud’s Last Session.  Box Office: 866-811-4111.  From the theater’s website, “[This play] centers on legendary psychiatrist Dr. Sigmund Freud, who invites a young, rising academic star, [Anglican scholar and theologian] C.S. Lewis, to his home in London.  Lewis, expecting to be called on the carpet for satirizing Freud in a recent book, soon realizes Freud has a much more significant agenda. On the day England enters World War II, Freud and Lewis clash on the existence of God, love, sex and the meaning of life - only two weeks before Freud chooses to take his own.”

The Parish Clergy
The Reverend Stephen Gerth, rector
The Reverend James Ross Smith, curate
The Reverend Rebecca Weiner Tompkins, deacon
The Reverend Canon Edgar F. Wells, rector emeritus

Saint Mary’s Mission House
Sister Deborah Francis, C.S.J.B.
Sister Laura Katharine, C.S.J.B.
The Community of St. John Baptist

The Parish Musicians
Mr. James Kennerley, organist and music director
Mr. Lawrence Trupiano, organ curator

The Parish Staff
Mr. Aaron Koch, business manager

Mr. Miguel Gonzalez, Mr. Mario Martinez, Mr. H. Antonio Santiago, sextons