Christian Formation
2026–2027

Sunday Morning Adult Formation

Sundays at 9:45 – 10:45 AM in Saint Joseph’s Hall

Intro to Anglo-Catholicism
October 4, 11, 18, 25

Saint Mary’s vision statement says we are “a vibrant Anglo-Catholic witness in the heart of New York City.” But what exactly is Anglo-Catholicism? This course traces the history of the Anglo-Catholic movement, highlights how it forms our worship, and explores how it affects our lives as individual followers of Jesus and as members of Saint Mary’s. Led by Fr. Sammy Wood.

Intro to Patristics
November 1, 8, 15, 22

Patristics is the study of the early Church from the Apostolic Fathers, those who may have had direct contact with the Twelve, through Late Antiquity. During these four weeks, the class will provide an overview of the field and look at select examples of writings from both the Greek East and the Latin West. Our primary goal is to gain a better appreciation for why the study of Patristics remains foundational for the Church today. Led by Fr. Matt Jacobson.

Intro to the Book of Common Prayer
November 29 and December 13

Details will be posted when available.
Led by the Very Rev. Dr. Patrick Malloy, 11th Dean of the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine.

Book Presentation: How Do You Baptize a Whale?
December 6

How Do You Baptize a Whale? raises the question of why humans believe they rule the universe—especially when they share planet Earth with amazing creatures like whales and elephants. Fr. Drew Kadel’s argument is that it’s not tools or technology that make humans great; it’s their ability to show compassion toward fellow humans and, indeed, all of God’s creation. He also explores how religion has been misused to justify power, colonialism, and racism and invites readers to rethink what it really means to live faithfully and ethically. Led by Fr. Andrew Kadel.

CHRISTMAS BREAK
December 20 – January 10

Foundations Course: Called & Gifted
January 17, 24, 31 and February 7

Saint Mary’s “Foundations Courses” exist to increase our proficiency in various aspects of the Christian life and are geared for people curious about Anglican spirituality or wanting to go deeper in their life of faith. Every member of Saint Mary’s is called to participate in the very life of God, a process variously called sanctification, theosis, or spiritual maturity. To quote Evelyn Underhill: “We are to be transformed, consecrated, made sacred to God’s creative purpose; and so fulfill the meaning of our life.” The “Called & Gifted” course invites us to examine our individual spiritual lives and discover/develop our own spiritual gifts. Whether you’re a newcomer to Anglicanism or a longtime parishioner brushing up on the basics of faith, Foundations Courses are for all adults who find themselves around Saint Mary’s! Led by Fr. Sammy Wood and Mtr. Elis Lui.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus
February 14, 21, 28

Before every Solemn Mass at Saint Mary’s, we place the bread, wine, and water for the Holy Eucharist at our Sacred Heart shrine. Many light a candle and say a prayer there every day. The statue is by Lee Lawrie (1877–1963), who is perhaps best known for his Atlas statue around the corner at Rockefeller Center. Over these three Sundays, we will look at the development of a devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Western Church’s tradition with the goal of better appreciating this important piece of sacred art at Saint Mary’s. Led by Fr. Matt Jacobson.

Saint Dominic and the Rosary
March 7, 14

On the reredos behind the High Altar, there are three saints depicted below the Queen of Heaven who all have a special relationship with Our Lady: St. Anselm, St. John, and St. Dominic. In these sessions we will focus on St. Dominic, who tradition holds received the rosary from the Blessed Virgin Mary in a vision. Below St. Dominic, along the bottom of the reredos, are also five panels which depict the joyful mysteries of the rosary. During these two sessions at Adult Formation, we will spend time on St. Dominic and the rosary to understand the choice of these images when the reredos was installed in 1922 as well as learn more about the mission of our parish’s present-day rosary guild. Led by the parish clergy.

EASTER BREAK
March 21 – April 4

Saint Mary’s University
April 11, 18, 25; May 2, 9

Over these five weeks, we will have a series of sessions led by Saint Marians for Saint Marians. Additional details will be posted when available.

April 11: Mr. Andrew Fairweather on John Donne

Join us as we follow the life and work of John Donne—courtier, poet, and Dean of Saint Paul’s Cathedral from 1621–1631. Through various examples from Donne’s poetry and prose, this lecture aims to chart his beginnings as a Roman Catholic apostate and religious libertine; his youth as a soldier and ambitious Elizabethan courtier; his living as an outcast due to his scandalous marriage; and his eventual taking of holy orders in the Anglican Church. In doing so, we hope to better understand Donne’s developing sense of self, love, and God, so that we may meditate on how God reaches us in our own lives.

April 18: Dr. Allen Reddick on Dr. Samuel Johnson

April 25: Br. Thomas, SSF, on “Learning from St. Francis on the 800th anniversary of his death”

May 2: Ms. Ingrid Sletten will lead a panel discussion on Spiritual Direction.

May 9: Dr. John Phan on J.R.R. Tolkien

Wednesday Evenings in Lent:
Supper and Conversation with Father Morris

6:30 PM in Saint Joseph’s Hall
Please RSVP to Fr. Wood

Icons: The Gospel in Color

Icons are more than religious art. Icons are a proclamation of the Gospel in color. The Word of God is manifest on wooden boards, using gesso, egg yolks, pigment, oil, gold leaf, and clay—the Incarnation happens as the icon takes shape. The iconographer’s virtues and vices are revealed as well—inner peace and patience are revealed in the brushstrokes as well as inner turmoil, hastiness and impatience.

Join us as we explore how five particular icons reveal the Good News—Christ Almighty, Our Lady and the Annunciation, the Crucifixion, the Burial, and Resurrection of Christ. How do these icons proclaim the Gospel and why is the veneration of icons a crucial aspect of authentic Christianity?

Join us! Mass at 6:00 PM, followed by soup and bread at 6:30 PM with conversation about the topic for the evening. Led by Fr. Stephen Morris. Everyone is welcome! Please RSVP to Fr. Wood.

Parish Retreat and Quiet Days

Advent Quiet Day — Pilgrimage with Mary
Saturday, December 12, 2026, led by Shannon Truss

Parish Retreat Day
Saturday, January 23, 2027, led by the Society of St. John the Evangelist

Lent Quiet Day — The Black Madonna
Saturday, February 27, 2027, led by Br. Thomas, SSF

Sunday Morning Formation for Children — Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

Sundays at 9:45 – 10:45 AM in the Atrium
For information about the program or to enroll your child,
please contact Renee Wood at rwood@libertyellisfoundation.org.

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) is a religious formation approach based on scripture and liturgy that uses Montessori educational and pedagogical principles. CGS is rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition and has been adapted for the Episcopal Church. Through CGS, children are encouraged to ask questions and discover answers through work with specially crafted presentations and materials corresponding to the liturgical seasons and the life of the church.

The word “atrium” actually means “a portico, or a porch entrance to a large house.” In the ancient church, the atrium was a gathering space between the church proper and the street. It was the place where the catechumens, those preparing for initiation to the Church, would receive instruction. The Atrium at Saint Mary’s has a similar purpose for our children, as it is a place to help them enter into active participation in the liturgical and communal life of the Church. The atrium includes child-sized furniture, fine religious art hung at child eye-level, and representations of Scripture that can be seen, touched, and moved around. It is a place of spiritual retreat for children: a place of work, study, and prayer, where work and study become contemplation of God and of prayer.