FROM BLAIR BURROUGHS: ON CENTERING PRAYER

Centering Prayer is a receptive method of silent prayer in which we experience God’s presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself. This method of prayer is both a relationship with God and a discipline to foster that relationship. This definition comes from Contemplative Outreach, an organization founded to promote Centering Prayer. What this means to me is Centering Prayer is a method that allows me to be open and experience the reality that I am in communion with God always. Yet despite this fact, I need to cultivate this reality, this relationship, through discipline. I pray, worship, read, and I meditate. These are the ways that develop my relationship with God. Centering prayer does not take the place of any other activity. It complements them.

In Christianity, what is commonly called meditation in eastern religions is known as contemplation. Contemplation has a long history in the Church. Centering Prayer is most directly connected to the fourteenth century Cloud of Unknowing written by an anonymous English monk. This text was rediscovered by Father William Meninger, a Trappist, monk in the 1970s. Meninger used this text to teach contemplative prayer at Saint Joseph’s Abby in Spencer, Massachusetts. Meninger, along with fellow Trappists Basil Pennington and Thomas Keating, developed, taught, and promoted the method. The name of the method came from the writings of another Trappist, Thomas Merton. Today, Centering Prayer, Lectio Divino, and other contemplative practices are growing.

Thomas Keating wrote, “God’s first language is silence. Everything else is a poor translation. In order to understand this language, we must learn to be silent and rest in God.” From my perspective, it isn’t too difficult to understand. For me, coming to Saint Mary’s through the streets of Times Square, as I enter the church, the first thing that greets me is the silence. It is in that silence that I experience a closeness to God. Likewise, when I sit to do Centering Prayer, internally I experience the noise of my conscious mind as I engage in the prayer. As I let go of my thoughts, I can experience some interior silence. I relax and rest in God. In Centering Prayer, I resist no thought, I retain no thought, and I don’t react to my thoughts. I just return to the method gently. That is, I don’t engage with my thinking. I don’t try to stop my thinking. I just let them go. It is like taking a vacation from myself.

There is an introductory video on the method on the Centering Prayer Group page of the Saint Mary’s website. Feel free to ask me about the prayer. I am a certified presenter. I would be willing to do an introductory presentation, either live or on Zoom or both. — BB

The Centering Prayer Group meets online on Fridays at 6:00 PM and on Sundays at 10:00 AM. For more information, speak with Blair Burroughs or Ingrid Sletten (or send them an email at centeringprayersmv@gmail.com.)

PARISH PRAYERS

We pray for the people and clergy of our sister parish, the Church of All Saints, Margaret Street, London, and for the Anglican Church of Tanzania, in the Anglican cycle of prayer.

We pray for those who have asked us for our prayers, for Dolores, Violet, Tod, Vanessa, Peter, Bill, Tim, Tyisha, Phoebe, Peter, Pat, Allen, Vanessa, Melvin, Vicki, Bella, Valdez, Helen, Fanny, Brendon, Nadia, Christian, Carol, Giovanna, Mary, Yuri, Priya, Wally, Christine, Ronald, Jose, Ben, Russell, Duncan, Robert, Sandy, Marty, Lexi, Georgia, Desarae, David, Claudia, Nettie, Chrissy, Tony, Rick, Jan, Carlos, Liduvina, Quincy, Leroy, Margaret, and Robert; Victoria, Suzanne Elizabeth, and Laura Katherine, religious; Lind, deacon; and, Jay and Stephen, priests.

We pray for the repose of the souls of those who have died and for those whose year’s mind is on October 5: Elizabeth Rice (1881), Edna Lena Farson (1896), Anita Powers (1950), Eleanor Harris Burgen (1955), Marion Woodworth Check Raymond (1957), Grace Bauln (1958), Martha Adams Reese (1963), and George Henry Blackshire (2009).

AROUND THE PARISH

Blessing of the Animals this Sunday . . . In honor of Saint Francis Day (October 4), we will bless animals on Sunday, October 5, at 2:00 PM on the steps in front of the church.

Evensong & Benediction this Sunday . . . We will offer Evensong & Benediction on Sunday, October 5, at 4:00 PM. Evensong & Benediction is prayed in lieu of Evening Prayer on the first Sunday of the month during the program year and is supported musically by a quartet from the Saint Mary’s Choir.

Young Saint Marians BYOV Party . . . We had such a great time at our last BYOV (Bring Your Own Vinyl) Party that we're hosting another on Thursday, October 9, at 7:00 PM. Feel free to bring snacks, drinks, and of course your favorite tunes. We'll have a record player, but Spotify/Apple Music works just as well. It’ll be a fabulous night of music, conversation, and friendship, and we can't wait to see you there! The party will be hosted in Astoria, Queens (M/R subway lines, Q101/Q104 bus lines). Please RSVP to youngstmarians@gmail.com for the exact address. All are welcome! Young Saint Marians is a group of young adults associated with The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin who gather together for fun, fellowship, and service!

Newcomers Reception . . . Father Sammy and Renee Wood will host a reception in the rectory for newcomers on Sunday, October 12, after Solemn Mass. This is an opportunity for those who are new to the parish to get to know us better and to learn more about Saint Mary’s. Please let Father Wood know if you plan on attending.

Adult Formation . . . Dr. James Como continues his class on C.S. Lewis at 9:45 AM on Sunday. Please click here for the reading list and here for more details about the 2025-26 program.

Guild of All Souls . . . The monthly parish Requiem Mass will take place on Saturday, October 11, at 12:10 PM in the Mercy Chapel (rather than the third Saturday of the month, which is Saint Luke’s feast day). The Annual Requiem Mass of the Guild of All Souls will take place on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at 11:00 AM at the Church of the Resurrection on 119 East 74th Street. The sermon will be by Fr. Martin Yost, Rector, St. Paul’s, Troy, New York, and Resurrection’s Professional Choir will support the liturgy.

Bible Study starts October 16 . . . Thursday evening Bible study in 2025-2026 will be structured in a way that will help prepare us for Mass on Sunday. The sessions will be based on the Sunday lectionary for the upcoming Sunday and generally will be led by the preacher for that day. We will meet over Zoom at 6:00 PM. If interested, please email Fr. Wood for the link.

Saint Marians about Town . . . Two museum trips are planned for this fall. On Sunday, October 26, after Solemn Mass and the rosary, we will visit the exhibit To the Holy Sepulcher at the Frick. On Sunday, November 30, after Solemn Mass, we will see Sing a New Song: The Psalms in Medieval Art & Life at the Morgan Library. Please contact Father Wood to RSVP for either visit or with any questions.

Grant Writer Needed . . . From time to time, Saint Mary’s becomes aware of grant opportunities, and we are seeking a volunteer to research these opportunities and write persuasive proposals. Key skills include strong research, writing, organizational, communication, and project management abilities, as well as a deep understanding of our parish mission. If you are able to help, please contact Chris Howatt in the parish office.

Interested in being Confirmed? . . .  Please contact Fr. Sammy Wood if you are interested in receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation or being received into the Episcopal Church (for those already confirmed in another Christian denomination). Confirmation class begins in early 2026 and will prepare candidates to be confirmed at Bp. Allen Shin’s visit on Pentecost.

Altar Flowers . . . November 16 is still available for a flower donation. The suggested donation is $250. Please contact Chris Howatt (chowatt@stmvnyc.org or 212/869-5830, ext. 10) to reserve a date and to have the dedication for your flower donation appear in the bulletin.

Neighbors in Need . . . With winter coming, our priority needs are for practical shoes (no dress shoes or high heels) and jeans and khakis for men and women. We also welcome jackets, sweaters and tops. Soon, coats will be in peak demand. Thanks to generous cash donations, we are able to purchase toiletries and underwear for our guests. Please speak to MaryJane Boland or Marie Rosseels for more information or send an email to neighbors@stmvnyc.org. The next Drop-by Day takes place on October 17.

KENDYLL HILLEGAS’ KEPT LIKE A SECRET

The parish is proud to host a showing of artist Kendyll Hillegas’s newest work, Kept Like a Secret, in Saint Joseph’s Hall beginning Friday, October 17. This new show explores the relationship between what wants to be noticed, and what cannot be kept, and features 12 new oil paintings with a focus on the quietly persistent images that call for our attention. Kendyll Hillegas is a commercial illustrator and fine artist based in southeastern Pennsylvania. Originally from Southern California, she earned her BFA in Fine Art before establishing herself in commercial illustration, working with notable clients including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, YouTube, A24 Films, and Coca-Cola. Her work for A24 Films was featured on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and she has collaborated on projects with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and The Rolling Stones. An opening reception is scheduled for Friday, October 17, with the artist in attendance from 6:00-8:00 PM.

THE DIOCESE AND WIDER CHURCH

Transitus at the Church of the Holy Trinity (316 East 88th Street) . . . On Friday, October 3, at 7:00 PM, brothers of the Society of St. Francis and members of the Third Order Society of St. Francis will lead a Transitus service on the Eve of St. Francis Day to remember Francis's passing through death into new life. A reception follows the service. Click here for more details or to join online.

John Henry Newman: Responding to Questions . . . On Tuesday, October 7, at 6:15 PM at the House of the Redeemer (7 East 95th Street), The Rev. Dr. Michael Rowe will explore how Newman responded to big questions with superb, groundbreaking books—books which shaped theology and philosophy in profound ways. He will look at An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine, Apologia Pro Vita Sua and An Essay in Aid of a Grammar of Assent, considering the questions that challenged Newman, how he responded to them and perhaps considering our own related questions and possible responses. Fr. Michael Rowe studied at Keble College, Oxford under Bishop Geoffrey Rowell and has served as a parish priest in Canada, England, Bermuda and the United States. This event is free and open to all! Click here to RSVP.

The 2025 Hobart Lecture . . . The Diocese of New York’s 2025 Hobart Lecture will feature Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde and Poet Theologian Pádraig Ó Tuama. The lecture will take place at Saint Thomas Fifth Avenue on Wednesday, October 15, at 7:00 PM. Click here for tickets and more details.

Diocesan Trip to Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture on October 25 . . . This is a one-day round trip by coach bus to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. We will have 5-6 hours to view and experience the exhibits of the museum. The cost is $150 for transportation, paid with registration in an online event program and the fee is non-refundable, unless the trip is cancelled. Entrance tickets are no cost. The buses will leave from two places promptly at 5:00 AM on October 25 (The Cathedral of Saint John the Divine and Christ Episcopal Church in Tarrytown). Buses will return between 11:00 PM and midnight. Registration is required. Please click here to register.

PIPES: David Hurd — A tribute to the incomparable composer and organist . . . Saint Mary’s organist and music director, Dr. David Hurd, will be honored with a concert at Trinity Church on November 4 at 6:00 PM. “Trinity organists past and present—Bruce Neswick, Alex Leonardi, and Alcée Chriss III—team with Trinity Choir to spotlight the artistry of another former Trinity organist: the incomparable David Hurd. A leading composer and organist in Episcopal church music for decades, Hurd will direct his own choral works, which blend spiritual depth and bold harmonies.”

THE CHOIR RETURNS

After fourteen weeks of music at Sunday morning Masses being led by cantors, our full choir, a professional octet, returns this Sunday for our 2025-2026 season. Our choir leads the congregation’s singing of hymns and responses, and offers choral settings of the Ordinary of the Mass, namely, the Song of Praise Gloria in excelsis (Glory to God in the highest), Kyrie eleison (Lord, have mercy) in Advent and Lent, Sanctus (Holy, holy, holy), Benedictus qui venit (Blessed is he that comes), and Agnus Dei (Lamb of God). The texts of these musical offerings are common to all celebrations of the Eucharist and considered the Ordinary. The Proper of the Mass consists of those texts which change from day to day such as the lessons. At Saint Mary’s, it is customary for the choir to offer the traditional medieval chants of the Minor Proper, specifically the Introit at the entrance of the ministers, the Alleluia before the Gospel, the Offertory, and the Communion. These secondary chants are different for every Eucharistic occasion. This past summer, when a single cantor provided the singing, the Introit chants were replaced by congregational hymns in accordance with the rubrics of The Book of Common Prayer. This gave us the opportunity to sing several wonderful hymns intended for the beginning of Sunday worship which we normally have no occasion to sing. With the choir’s return, the chant Introits will be restored. These ancient entrance songs consist of a sentence or phrase, usually from scripture, as an antiphon designated for the Sunday, a psalm verse, Gloria Patri (praise to the Holy Trinity), and the repeat of the antiphon.

ABOUT THE MUSIC AT SOLEMN MASS ON THE SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

The organ voluntaries this morning are the first and second movements of Cantata 29 by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750), transcribed for organ solo. Cantata 29, Wir danken dir Gott, wir danken dir (We thank you, God, we thank you) was first performed at the installation of the town council in Leipzig in 1731 and is known to have been performed subsequently on like occasions in 1739 and 1749. It opens with the brilliant instrumental Sinfonia which, itself, is Bach’s own reworking of the Prelude from his own third Partita for solo Violin, BWV 1006. As Bach recast this movement for Cantata 29, it is transposed from E to D-major, and the original violin solo part is assigned to the organ. French organ virtuoso Marcel Dupré (1886–1971) transcribed this movement as an organ solo, and it will be played as today’s prelude. The second movement of Bach’s Cantata 29, played for the postlude today as transcribed for organ solo by David Hurd, is the grand motet-style chorus Wir danken dir, Gott, Wir danken dir. The music of this chorus also appears twice in Bach’s Mass in b-minor at Gratias agimus tibi in the Gloria, and again as the concluding Dona nobis pacem of the Agnus Dei. In its original choral form, the four vocal parts are supplemented by instrumental doubling, and a halo of three additional trumpet parts further adorns the climactic finish of this stately chorus. 

The musical setting of the Mass this morning is the four-voice Missa Octavi Toni by the Italian Baroque composer Antonio Lotti (1667–1740). Lotti was born in Venice, his father Matteo having been Kappellmeister at Hanover at the time. Lotti’s career took shape at Saint Mark’s, Venice, where he was an alto singer, organist, and eventually maestro di cappella from 1736 until his death four years later. In addition to his well-known church music–Masses and cantatas–Lotti composed madrigals and about thirty operas, some of which were produced in Dresden where he was employed from 1717 to 1719. Lotti’s liturgical compositions retain renaissance characteristics but also bear evidence of the emerging baroque styles in approach to harmony and functional bass. His Missa Octavi Toni is a setting for four voices and, while polyphonic in construction, may well be more tonal than modal in harmonic conception. It imparts the liturgical text clearly and efficiently. 

The communion motet is a choral setting of Salve Regina, the Marian antiphon traditionally sung daily in the interval between Trinity Sunday and the beginning of Advent. It is also by Antonio Lotti and is a setting for four voices. It begins with a hint of a traditional chant incipit for this antiphon, which is then imitated by other voices. Much of the text to follow is set in a homophonic texture with occasional two-voice pairings. 

SUNDAY ATTENDANCE

On the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, there were 18 people at the 9:00 AM Rite I Mass, 66 at the 11:00 AM Solemn Mass, and 7 at the Daily Offices. Additionally, 35 people joined us live for Solemn Mass online across different streaming platforms.

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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 Matt Jacobson, except as noted. Father Matt is also responsible for formatting 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. If you have an idea for an article that you would like to publish in an upcoming issue of The Angelus, Father Matt would be happy to discuss it with you.