CALENDAR STUDY

The first proofreading of the 2020 Parish Calendar has been completed. Now the corrections need to be made. Then, there will be another proofreading — and then prayers! There are so many details. But when it is finished, I hope it will be of help to everyone who is connected to Saint Mary's.

In the New Testament, "saint" is a word for a baptized person. In the church of the first centuries, the date of a Christian's death was his or her dies natalis, a birthday, the day on which the believer entered into eternal life. Whenever possible and practical, we have followed this practice. But there are notable exceptions. Today I write about three of these, Francis of Assisi, Teresa of Avila, and Dominic.

Since the arrival of Br. Damien Joseph SSF and Br. Thomas SSF, I have begun to learn more about the Franciscans and their own rhythms of life. Although Francis died on October 3, October 4 has always been his feast day. Saint Francis' transitus (from the Latin for "passage", or "crossing," in other words, death) is celebrated in the evening on the anniversary of his death, October 3. But his feast day has always been October 4 —and Br. Damien tells me no one is really sure why. That leads to another calendar curiosity: the date of the death of Teresa of Avila.

As in many of the biographical sketches in Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2006, the entry for Teresa does not mention the date of her death. My copy of The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (1978) tells me that, "she fell ill and died at Alba de Tormes on 4 Oct. [1582] . . . and her feast is kept on 15 Oct." (page 1350). A very helpful article on the internet gave the reason for this anomaly, "When Saint Teresa of Avila died on October 4th, 1582, Catholics everywhere went to bed that night and woke up 10 days later." In the spring of 1582, Pope Gregory VII had introduced a new calendar so that date of Easter would again occur in its traditional relationship to the spring equinox. Among other things, ten days had to go. Since October 4 was taken, as it were, by Francis, the next day available was October 15. Mystery solved.

The late Father Jack Altman (1952 - 1998) gave me a pre-Vatican II Roman Catholic office book, The Hours of the Divine Office in English and Latin (1963) — I've never used it to pray, but it's a very useful reference book. In 1963, the feast of Saint Dominic was on August 4 and that of Saint John Vianney was on August 8. Dominic died on August 6, 1221. How did he get to August 4 and, later to, 8?

When Dominic was canonized in 1234, the calendar preserved an ancient commemoration, the martyrdom of a third-century bishop of Rome, Sixtus II and his companions, on August 6, 258. August 5 was occupied by a commemoration of a legend attached to an apparition of Mary and the foundation of the church that would become the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome. I don't have a book that tells me if there was a commemoration on August 7 when Dominic died —one would come in 1629 when Gaetano dei Conti di Thiene (October 1, 1480 — August 7, 1547), known as Saint Cajetan, was canonized.

In the Christian East, the Transfiguration was being observed in fifth-century Syria (Adolf Adam, The Liturgical Year [1981, 1990], 180 - 81). The tenth century saw its spread to the Christian West. Pope Callistus III added it to the calendar of the Western Church in thanksgiving for an important victory over the Ottomans in 1456 (Ibid.). Sixtus and his companions were still commemorated on August 6.

In 1969, when the Roman Catholic Church revised its calendar, Sixtus and his Companions and Saint Cajetan became optional observances on August 7. Dominic was moved to August 8. John Vianney was moved to August 4, the actual date of his death in 1859. So, out of respect for their importance in the wider Christian community, we celebrate Francis on October 4, Teresa on October 15, and Dominic on August 8. — Stephen Gerth

A NOTE ABOUT OUR FRIARS . . . In early October, Br. Desmond Alban SSF, minister provincial of the Society of Saint Francis, and I began conversations about the shape of the ministry and life of the friars here at Saint Mary's. After conversation with Br. Damien and Br. Thomas, Br. Desmond asked that the friars pray one of the major offices of the day in their prayer area in their apartment to help nurture their lives as Franciscans. Anglican Franciscans have their own office book-and their book was the basis for the revision of the Daily Office in the Church of England. The rhythm of the Daily Office in a parish is different from the office of a religious community. Beginning this Sunday, November 10, the friars will not normally be present for Daily Morning Prayer with us, but they will continue to be present for Daily Evening Prayer-and this is fine. I know I speak for many when I say we are very thankful for the ministry of the Society of Saint Francis among us, as we were for the Community of St. John Baptist. —S.G.

YOUR PRAYERS ARE ASKED FOR Margaret, Mel, Richard, Nathan, Shalim, Carlos, Ken, William, Linda, Dennis, George, Kenneth, Ruben, Mary Hope, Pat, Ann, May, Willard, Alexandra, Karen, Marilouise, Takeem, John, James, Michael, Rita, Ivy, Carolyn, and Robert; Horace, Gene, Gaylord, Louis, Edgar, priests, the members of our Armed Forces on active duty, especially Edward; and all the benefactors and friends of this parish . . . GRANT THEM PEACE: November 10: 1882 Edward C. Robinson; 1908 Ira E. Powell; 1943 Anna R. Irwin; 1955 Agnes Bausch; 1967 Jane Pease.

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

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY'S . . . Friday-Saturday, November 8-9, Convention of the Diocese of New York, Westchester Marriott, Tarrytown, NY, attended by Father Gerth, Father Smith, Father Jacobson, Mr. Blair Burroughs, and Mr. Clark Mitchell. Father Pace officiates at and celebrates the noon services on Saturday . . . Sunday, November 10, Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost, Sung Matins 8:30 AM; Mass 9:00 & 10:00 AM; Adult Forum 10:00 AM; Solemn Mass 11:00 AM, Solemn Evensong and Benediction 5:00 PM . . . Monday, November 11, Veterans' Day, all weekday services are offered and the parish offices are open. The church opens at 7:00 AM and closes at 6:30 PM on November 11. All scheduled twelve-step groups meet in the Mission House . . . Wednesday, November 13, Clothing Ministry: Wednesday Afternoon Grab-and-Go, 2:00-3:00 PM, Narthex; Bible Study Class 6:30 PM, Saint Benedict's Study: Friday, November 15, Centering Prayer Group 6:30 PM, Morning Room, Parish House, 145 West Forty-sixth Street . . ..

AROUND THE PARISH . . . The Adult Forum will meet this Sunday, November 10, at 10:00 AM, in Saint Benedict's Study. The class will be led by Father Peter Powell . . . On Wednesday, November 27, at 6:00 PM, The Eve of Thanksgiving Day, there will be a Sung Mass in the church. Father Jim Pace will be the celebrant and preacher. This will be our main Thanksgiving Day celebration, since the parade on the day itself makes life complicated here in Times Square. However, the noonday services will be offered on November 28, Thanksgiving Day itself . . . Flowers are needed for Sunday, November 17, and for many Sundays in January and February. Please be in touch with Chris Howatt in the parish office if you would like to make a donation for one of these dates. Donations to support the work of the Flower Guild at Christmas are always welcome . . . Attendance at all Offices and Masses: All Saints' 173; All Souls' 37; Last Sunday 185.

NEWS FROM THE FRIARY . . . Brother Clark Berge SSF was in New York this week to spend some time with the brothers and to attend meetings of Franciscans International (FI). Brother Clark is a member of the board of directors of FI, a non-profit, international non-governmental human rights organization established in 1989. Its staff consists of professionals of diverse backgrounds working to translate grassroots voices in human rights advocacy action at the United Nations level. Franciscans International seeks to promote and protect human rights and environmental justice. On Tuesday, November 8, FI held an event at the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, Thirty-first Street, to mark FI's thirtieth anniversary. Brother Clark, who lived and worked here at the parish many years ago, is currently on a three year "loan" to the European Province of the Society of Saint Francis. He is serving as Guardian at Hillfield Friary in Dorset, England. He was professed in 1993, and recently completed ten years of service for the Society worldwide as Minister General. It was good to have him here at Saint Mary's.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION . . . Father Peter Powell is teaching the Adult Forum on Sunday mornings during the month of November. Father Powell writes, "On the four Sundays in November, we will be reading from the last twelve books of the Old Testament. All you need to participate is curiosity about the Bible. Why should this interest you? The issues each prophet addressed are relevant today as we work out how to be faithful in a divided society. These books, known as The Twelve or as the Minor Prophets, include Hosea, Amos, Jonah, and Habakkuk. We will examine them in their original setting and then move into how they speak to us today. We will begin with Hosea and Amos and then get as far into the others as we can. Amos and Hosea tell us about how to be faithful in a time in which conservative religion appears to be in control of our culture. The twelve prophets lived in a time when religion dominated, but faith was absent. Our time is much like that. I invite you to join me in November as we begin this important study of how God works in our world." These classes will meet at 10:00 AM on Sunday mornings in November, in Saint Benedict's Study, in the Parish House, 145 West Forty-sixth Street . . . The Wednesday Night Bible Study Class, led by Father Jay Smith, is studying the forms of prayer in the Hebrew Bible, while exploring the ways in which we ourselves pray, asking ourselves: what does it mean to complain, lament, seek, inquire, meditate, intercede, praise, or give thanks. After an introduction to the topic, the class will study and read closely one or two biblical texts each week. The class meets next on November 13 at 6:30 PM. The class takes place in Saint Benedict's Study in the Parish House . . . On three Sundays in January-January 12, 19, and 26-Father Jim Pace will lead the Adult Forum in a discussion of healing ministry, hospice ministry, and end-of-life care. Father Pace is the senior associate dean for academic programs at the New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing, where he holds the rank of clinical professor.

ABOUT THE MUSIC ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10 . . . The setting of the Mass on Sunday morning is the Mass for Four Voices by Thomas Tallis (c. 1505-1585). Tallis was one of the most foundational composers of English church music. His long life and musical career included service under four English monarchs — Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary Tudor, and Elizabeth I —with all the shifts in the church's liturgical and institutional life that these different reigns occasioned. Tallis' early life is not well documented, but references to his musical employment begin to appear as early as 1532 when he was appointed organist at the Benedictine Priory of Dover. Notably, he was later employed at Canterbury Cathedral and served as a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal. Along with William Byrd, Tallis enjoyed an exclusive license to print and publish music that was granted by Elizabeth I in 1575. While he was one of the first musicians to compose for the new Anglican rites of the mid-sixteenth century, Tallis retained an affection for the Latin forms and continued to compose extensively for them. Tallis' unnamed Latin Mass for Four Voices probably dates from the 1550s. Its musical style reflects the trend of that time away from very florid liturgical settings and toward syllabic and chordal compositions, favoring clearer declamation of the text.

The composer of today's Communion motet is Peter Matthews (b. 1944). Dr. Matthews was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. His studies included piano, violin, and conducting. He has earned certifications and degrees from the Royal Academy of Music, London; Andrews University, Michigan; and the University of Missouri at Kansas City. He has conducted and taught widely in churches and academic settings and has received significant commissions as a composer from many different institutions. He is, in addition, an experienced choral singer which undoubtedly informs his writing for choirs. His anthem Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem, sung today at Saint Mary's, is a setting of Psalm 122, verses 6 and 7, composed in 1995. Its dedication reads "Commissioned by Dr. Rick Effinger and dedicated to the glory of God and to Father Warren and Pam Richardson, Diocese of Central Florida, Liaison to the Diocese of Jerusalem." It begins and ends meditatively and achieves effective expression through varying choral textures and fluid harmonic development.

The organ prelude on Sunday morning is the Ciacona in E minor, BuxWV 160, by Dieterich Buxtehude (1637 - 1707). A Ciacona or Chaconne is a stately dance in triple meter which, not unlike a Passacaglia, is characteristically a series of variations on a ground bass theme. BuxWV 160 is one of two Buxtehude organ pieces named Ciacona, the other being BuxWV 159 in C minor. Of interest as well is a close cousin, BuxWV 161, which is named Passacaglia and is in D minor. Buxtehude used the same technique of composing variations on a "ground" in many other pieces for organ as well as sections of vocal works and compositions for other instrumental combinations. In the present piece, the four-measure repeating ostinato pattern, rather than being a bass melody as such, is really more a recurring harmonic progression. Also, there are many eight-measure segments which are comprised of two virtually identical four-measure variations. The postlude today will be improvised. —David Hurd

THE VISUAL ARTS PROJECT . . . A new art exhibition has appeared in the Gallery in Saint Joseph's Hall: Equidistancia/Equidistance. It is a solo exhibition of work by the interdisciplinary artist Daniel Djuro-Goiricelaya. The work was created during Daniel's recent residency in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico. For more information, please contact gallery curator, José Vidal.

OUTREACH AT SAINT MARY'S . . . The next Drop-in Day will take place Wednesday, November 20, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM, in the Mission House basement. On those Wednesdays when a Drop-in Day does not take place, we continue to offer our Grab-and-Go days —from 2:00 to 3:00 PM —in the former Gift Shop, just off the church Narthex. On those days, basic, even emergency, items can normally be provided-socks, underwear, toiletry articles, and, in the winter months, cold-weather clothing. Please contact Brother Damien if you would like to donate cash, clothing, or toiletry articles, or to volunteer for this important ministry. We have a particular need at the moment for cooler weather clothing: gently used jackets, coats and sweatshirts of varying weights, jeans, slacks and sweatpants. We always need new socks and underwear in various sizes. Our number of guests continues to grow, and we are always grateful for your financial contributions to this project. We can also use a few more volunteers for our once per month drop-in days . . . We continue to receive donations of canned goods and other nonperishable food items for the Saint Clement's Food Pantry. Donations may be placed in the basket next to the Ushers' Table at the Forty-sixth Street entrance to the church

CLICK HERE for this week’s schedule.

CLICK HERE for the full parish calendar.