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FROM THE RECTOR: SATURDAYS OF OUR LADY

When Father Thomas McKee Brown, Saint Mary’s first rector, died on December 19, 1898, the parish community and many others mourned. He died in the rectory from pneumonia. He was only fifty-seven years old. In one of the meetings of the Saint Mary’s board of trustees in January 1899, there was a report about which vestments then in use were “property of the corporation” or personal property of Father Brown. The practice of Saturday Masses in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary went back to the beginning of the parish in 1870 in the church at 228 West Forty-fifth Street. Newbury Halsted Frost Read, a member of the board of trustees from 1929 until he died in 1950, wrote an account of the parish that was published in 1931, The Story of St. Mary’s: The Society of the Free Church of St. Mary the Virgin, New York City, 1870–1931.

Read wrote, “It will be noticed that no reference is made in this list to any green vestments. This was due to the fact that in Father Brown’s day—how natural that phrase had already become although Father Brown was not yet two months dead—there were no green vestments at St. Mary’s.” He continued, “In churches dedicated to Our Lady the ferial color is properly blue, and the ancient and traditional color had been adhered to until the advent of Dr. Christian [rector 1899–1913]. Let us hope the day is not far distant when the color we derive from our dedication will be restored and the ancient usage reestablished at St. Mary’s.” As far as I know, Mr. Read’s hope remains unfulfilled. That said, Saint Mary’s does have white vestments with Marian ornaments, but no blue vestments.

There are proper Masses appointed for the Saturdays of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. In the Advent and Christmas Seasons, the Blessed Virgin Mary comes up all of the time. The Feast of the Annunciation of Our Lord Jesus Christ to the Blessed Virgin occurs most years during Lent. When March 25 falls during Holy Week or Easter Week, the feast is transferred to Monday after the Second Sunday of Easter.

In the Epiphany Season and the Season after Pentecost, the Eucharist is of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturdays when no other commemoration is appointed. We wear white vestments, and one of the Marian collects in the Prayer Book is used—those for the Annunciation, the Visitation, and Saint Mary the Virgin (Assumption). Count me among those who consider Elizabeth's greeting to Mary carrying God's Son is an early witness of an understanding and veneration of the one all generations called blessed (Luke 1:39–49). I suspect I’m thinking about these Masses because on Saturday, October 10, 2020, the gospel lesson is about Jesus’ mother and us. It’s short enough to quote here: “A woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to Jesus, ‘Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that you sucked!’ But he said, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!’ ” —Stephen Gerth

YOUR PRAYERS ARE ASKED FOR Shalim, Ingrid, Gloria, Jennifer, Mary, Margaret, Larry, David, James, Samantha, John, Randy, Carmen, Tony, Marilouise, Ken, May, Willard, Alexandra, Takeem, Barbara, Dennis, Robert, and Abraham; for Donald, our president, Melania, his wife, and all who suffer from COVID-19; for Nicholas, Lawrence, and Leo, religious; for Gaylord and Louis, priests; and Charles, bishop; for all those who work for the common good; and for all the members and friends of this parish. . . GRANT THEM PEACE . . . October 18: 1897 David Abeel Storer; 1931 Wallo Gerald Campbell; 1950 Alice Louise Brown; 1960 Mary Cornish; 2013 Charles M. Barker.

COVID-19 INFORMATION & RESOURCES . . . We invite you to visit the COVID-19 page of the New York City Department of Health’s website . . . More information with a particular focus on the Times Square neighborhood can be found on the Times Square Alliance’s website.

AROUND THE PARISH . . . Parishioner Ingrid Sletten underwent a surgical procedure this past Thursday at NYU Langone Hospital. She is now at home recuperating. She tells us that the procedure went well and that she is doing well. Please keep her in your prayers . . . If you would like to make a cash donation to support the parish’s Clothing Ministry and its Friday Afternoon Drop-in Days (note change of day), you may do so by following this link. When making a donation, please make sure to indicate that the donation is for the Clothing Ministry . . . Saint Mary’s Discussion Groups on Racism are continuing. One group meets at 4:00 PM on Tuesday afternoons and the other meets at 7:00 PM on Tuesday evening. Both groups meet via Zoom. At the moment, both groups are reading and discussing Isabelle Wilkerson’s book, Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents (Random House, 2020). For more information, please contact Brother Damien Joseph, Brother Thomas, or Father Smith . . . Many thanks to Dr. Leroy Sharer for taking photographs on the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, Sunday, October 4, 2020.

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 . . . Sunday, October 11, The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 23), Mass 11:00 AM. The church opens at 10:00 AM and closes at 12:30 PM. The preacher is the Reverend Dr. Matthew Daniel Jacobson . . . Monday, October 12, Columbus Day, Mass 12:10 PM. The parish offices are closed . . . Monday through Saturday, the church opens at 11:00 AM and closes at 2:00 PM. Mass is celebrated daily at 12:10 PM. Please see the Calendar of the Week below, and on the website, for this week’s commemorations . . . Father Jay Smith returns to the parish on Monday, October 12. The Rector will be away from the parish from Monday, October 12, He returns Wednesday, evening, October 14.

FROM THE FRIARY . . . Brother Desmond and Brother Damien were recently interviewed by the Reverend Canon Patrick Malloy, sub-dean of the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine. The Cathedral normally marks the Sunday closest to the feast of Saint Francis with their annual Saint Francis Fair. Their truly extraordinary celebration usually includes a famous animal procession and blessing which in the past has included the usual household pets, along with camels, peacocks, tortoises, pigs, goats, llamas and at least one kangaroo. Since COVID prevented their usual gala event this year, the cathedral asked our Brothers to help them make connections to the larger life of Saint Francis, and the various lessons we might take from him for our spiritual lives today. Alas, we’re no camels, or kangaroos (keep your remarks to yourself!), but we had a lovely conversation. The cathedral debuted the edited interview as part of their virtual Sunday services on October 4, the Feast of Saint Francis, 2020 . . . On Sunday, October 4, the Feast of Saint Francis, Brother James Nathaniel SSF and Brother Jude SSF, who live in the San Damiano Friary in San Francisco, were at the Church of Saint Francis, Novato, California. Brother James Nathaniel preached the sermon at the Mass that day. Sermon, accompanied by photographs of the visit, can be found on the Society’s website . . . Meanwhile, back at Saint Mary’s, Brother Desmond Alban preached the sermon at the 11:00 AM Mass on the Feast of Saint Francis, Sunday, October 4. The sermon is available here . . . The brothers are now live-streaming their Evening Prayer service each Thursday evening. They will go live at 5:50 PM Eastern time, and the office will begin at 6:00 PM. One can get notifications about when the service will go live by liking their Facebook pages @ssfamericas and @timessquarefriars. To access these services or any of the brothers’ other live feeds, one should use this link

MARK YOUR CALENDAR . . . Sunday, November 1, 2:00 AM, Daylight Saving Time ends. Clocks are set back one hour . . . Sunday, November 1, All Saints’ Day, Said Mass with Organ and Cantor, 11:00 AM. This service will be livestreamed . . . Monday, November 2, All Souls’ Day, 12:10 PM, Said Mass with Organ, Cantor, and Blessing of the Vault, 12:10 PM. This Mass will be livestreamed . . . Sunday, November 22, Last Sunday after Pentecost: Christ the King & Commitment Sunday, Mass 11:00 AM . . . Thursday, November 26, Thanksgiving Day, Mass 12:10 PM . . . Sunday, November 29, First Sunday of Advent, Mass 11:00 AM.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION . . . We invite you to join us for the beginning of a new season of adult-education classes at Saint Mary’s during the month of October. On October 4, 11, 18, and 25, at 9:30 AM in Saint Joseph’s Hall, Grace Mudd will present a series of classes entitled “Living in a Time of Plague.” Grace writes, “Since COVID-19 triggered massive changes to our ordinary way of life in March, historical plagues have piqued the interest of many people who may only have heard of the Black Death in passing before. The Black Death of 1347–1351 killed about a third of the population of Europe, triggering profound changes in European society. During the month of October, I will lead a class exploring how this (and other historical plagues) influenced religious and secular society and culture and how these changes point toward later developments that may be more familiar. Some parallels like quack cures and scapegoating will feel very familiar, but others like shifts in popular culture and social structures may not.” This class may be attended in person or via Zoom. If you would like to attend the class via Zoom, please contact Grace by e-mail.

Please note: the class “Living in Times of Plague”, and all the adult-education classes this year, begins at 9:30 AM NOT 10:00 AM.

Next up: On November 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29, and December 6 and 13, Father Peter Powell will lead a class on the final book in the Christian Bible, the Revelation to John. Father Peter writes, “Episcopalians rarely study or refer to the last book of the Bible, the Apocalypse or the Revelation to John. It’s not a simple read and the images are fantastic. Nevertheless it exerts a huge impact on the way Christianity is understood in our culture. It underlies the popular understanding of how God works in the world. This Fall, beginning on All Saints’ Day and continuing until the second Sunday in December, then resuming in the spring during Lent, we will explore how we can understand and appreciate the Apocalypse, while weighing its theology against that of the Gospels and Pauline Epistles. As we work through the text we will encounter the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Michael and the Dragon, the concept of God keeping an accounting of our misdeeds, Armageddon, the Crystal Sea, and much more. We will also see how the imagery of the Apocalypse fueled the contest for faith during the Reformation. You can get a feel for that by searching online for the woodcuts of Albrecht Dürer. Ever wonder why 666 is an evil number? We will encounter it in Revelation. When a Jehovah Witness visits you, why do they speak of 144,000 saved? We will encounter it in Revelation. This promises to be a visually and intellectually stimulating study of the last book of the Bible.”

For all these classes, seating in Saint Joseph’s Hall will be arranged to maximize social-distancing. Unfortunately, we will not be able to provide refreshments. All those attending the class must wear a face covering.

MUSIC AT SAINT MARY’S . . . The organ prelude on Sunday morning is one of two similar settings of the chorale An Wasserflüssen Babylon by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750). Among Bach’s Eighteen Leipzig chorales is a lovely setting of An Wasserflüssen Babylon, a German paraphrase of Psalm 137 (“By the waters of Babylon”), in four voices with a modestly ornamented melody (cantus firmus) in the tenor register. Bach revisited this chorale with another version, very similar in musical elements, but this time in five voices, two in the pedal, and with the chorale melody (cantus firmus) weaving among and about the soprano and alto voices of the accompaniment. This second version, BWV 653b, more sumptuous than the first, will be played this morning. It captures the heartbreak expressed in the psalm text in a tone of faithful resolve.

The settings for the Mass on Sunday are from Christ Church Service by David Hurd, organist and music director at Saint Mary’s since 2016. Christ Church Service, a setting of the Rite I Ordinary, was commissioned in 1998 by Christ Episcopal Church, New Haven, Connecticut. It is scored for unison voices and organ, and therefore is also suitable to be sung by a single cantor, as it will be offered at Mass on Sunday. The melodic shapes of the Kyrie (not sung this morning) and Gloria are inspired by modal chant, although set by the accompaniment in a more modern harmonic context. The vocal line of the triple-meter Sanctus is punctuated by a bold succession of major and minor chords, interrupted only by the rhythmic shifts of hemiola at two cadences. The melody of Agnus Dei is derived from the Kyrie but accompanied more simply than before.

The cantor at Mass on Sunday is tenor, Christopher Howatt. During the Communion he will sing The King’s Highway, composed by David Hurd. The words were written in 1922 by Evelyn Atwater Cummins (1891–1971), the wife of an Episcopal priest, inspired by a sermon she had heard on the radio while convalescing at home on a Sunday morning. Cummins’ three-stanza poem was subsequently included in The Hymnal 1940 and retained in the present Hymnal with music by Arnold George Henry Bode (1866–1952), also an Episcopal priest. The present musical setting by David Hurd was composed in 1975 in honor of the composer’s maternal grandmother, Mable Haynes. It is an “art song” style hymn setting in which continuous music connects the three stanzas of the text. This setting, in keeping with the travel imagery of the text, visits many key centers in each stanza’s cyclical journey from B-flat Major to G Major. It was premiered in a 1975 recital at Carnegie Recital Hall by the late Thomas A. Moore, tenor, and first published in a 1982 collection of twenty-nine of Dr. Hurd’s hymn settings.

Chris Howatt has been a regular member of the Choir at the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin for more than ten years and stepped into the role of office manager at the parish nearly five years ago. Not only is he an actively performing singer in the realms of musical theater and cabaret, but he was also 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, among others. He has served as musical supervisor for productions of Sylvia, Lend Me a Tenor, and Inspecting Carol at the 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. —David Hurd

SAINT MARY’S ONLINE CENTERING PRAYER GROUP . . . The Saint Mary’s Centering Prayer Group continues to meet! The Group meets online, via Zoom, every Friday evening at 7:00 PM. If you are interested in participating, please send an e-mail to this address. The convenors of the group will then send the link to the Zoom meeting.

SOME GUIDELINES FOR ATTENDING SERVICES AT SAINT MARY’S

We are now open for public worship. In order to ensure the health and safety of all, we have instituted the following procedures and guidelines:

-The 47th Street Doors, though open for ventilation, won’t be used for entry into the church. Entry is only via 46th Street. Exit only through the most western 46th Street door (near the former gift shop).

-The Chapel of Our Lady of Mercy and Saint Joseph’s Chapel are closed. The Lady Chapel is open, but all chairs, kneelers, candles, hymnals, and Prayer Books have been removed.

-Facemasks must be worn in the church at all times, except when consuming Communion. Masks should cover both mouth and nose.

-Hands-free sanitizer dispensers are available by the doors and at the head of the center aisle, where Communion will take place.

-The city, state, and diocese of New York encourages all those attending services to sign a registry and to provide one means of contact. This will be used only if it emerges that an infected person has been in attendance at a particular service and contact tracing is required.

-Everyone must maintain safe distancing (at least 6 feet apart).

-Pews have been marked with blue tape to indicate where seating is allowed.

-Only 44 people will be allowed in the nave at any time (this includes 6 couples or pairs—people who live together—who may sit together).

-All cushions have been removed from the pews. All prayer books and hymnals have been removed from the church. Service bulletins will be provided, but will be removed from the church after each service.

-Electric fans have been removed from the nave of the church. There will be no hand-held fans available at the door.

-A basket has been placed at the head of the main aisle, where pledge envelopes and other donations may be safely placed. There will be no collection taken by ushers.

-Communion (wafers only) will be administered at the foot of the chancel steps. Gluten-free hosts are available. Please inform an usher or a member of the clergy.

-All communicants must proceed down the main aisle, maintain social distance as indicated by the decals on the floor, and return to their seats via the side aisles.

-Restrooms will be available only to those who are attending the service.

If you have questions or wish to make a suggestion, please contact the rector. 

This edition of the Angelus was written and edited by Father Stephen Gerth and Father Jay Smith. Father Gerth is responsible for posting the newsletter on the parish website and for distributing it via e-mail.

The Calendar of the Week