FROM MARYJANE BOLAND: STEWARDSHIP AT SAINT MARY’S: TIME, TALENT, AND TREASURE

Two weeks ago, I wrote in the Angelus about continuing our commitment to Saint Mary’s—remembering her in our wills or other financial documents. This week, I write about something more immediate: our stewardship campaign, our annual fund, our opportunity to provide for Saint Mary’s from our time, talent and treasure. Volunteering to help is certainly a big part of stewardship, and we would love to talk to you about opportunities. But treasure, your annual pledge, is an immediate need.

I follow the weekly Substack column from William Tully, the retired rector of Saint Bart’s (williamtully@substack.com). In early October, he titled his column, “America’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.” For those familiar, this is the title of a children’s book by Judith Viorst that spells out all the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad things that happen to a child in one day. Father Tully makes an analogy with the bad things that can happen to a country and our resulting need to find a place to follow our dreams.

I believe that people reading these notes have found one—a religious community that we believe in. Saint Mary’s gives us the opportunity to worship at Mass seven days a week, twice on Wednesday and Sunday. We offer charity and support for others with our no. 2 ranking in the annual NYC AIDS Walk, our monthly Neighbors in Need Program, and other outreach to friends in need. We offer formation courses on Sunday and Zoom-based bible study during the week. There are social events and art shows and volunteer opportunities. And there are priests who listen and counsel when we need help.

Saint Mary’s is a place to belong, to believe in, to embrace. To support all that we do, we must pay salaries; pay electric bills, plumbing bills and repairs to a 125-year-old building; support our many ministries; and contribute a share to the Diocese of New York. We do that through the support of our parishioners and far-away friends who make a pledge of support for the year to come. From that support comes our budget, our understanding of what we can and cannot do, and our realization that we must use some of our endowment to cover our costs. A larger pledge from each of us results in a lower withdrawal from endowment and maintains the long-term financial health of the church.

A letter requesting your support, accompanied by a pledge card, is in the mail (and you can pledge online as well). Please consider this request, and please consider that you are supporting all that we do. If you have pledged before, we hope that you can increase that support. If you have not previously pledged, please consider joining us now. Your financial support will enable all of us to follow our dreams. — MJB

PARISH PRAYERS

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

We pray for those who have asked us for our prayers, for Elliot, Grady, Chris, Chuck, Nick, Dolores, Violet, Tod, Peter, Tim, Phoebe, Peter, Pat, Allen, Vanessa, Melvin, Vicki, Helen, Brendon, Nadia, Christian, Carol, Giovanna, Mary, Priya, Ronald, Jose, Ben, Russell, 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 November 9: Jesse Russell Zwick (1900), Jose Bornn (1933), Mary Stone Nugent (1935), and William Isaac Hay (1955).

SCAM ALERT

Some parishioners and employees of the parish have received an email request from somebody pretending to be Fr. Sammy Wood and asking them to purchase gift cards. The email came from a gmail.com address and not from Fr. Sammy’s email (i.e., swood@stmvnyc.org). Please note that no parish employee will ask you to purchase gift cards on their behalf.

AROUND THE PARISH

Fleece be with you — Winter is coming! Join a group of crafters at 10:00AM on Saturday, November 8 to knit and crochet cold weather accessories for our Neighbors in Need program. Coffee, snacks, and patterns will be provided. Some yarn will be available, but BYO hooks and needles. For more information or to RSVP, contact Grace Mudd.

Adult Formation — This Sunday, Fr. Sammy Wood continues his series on the Nicene Creed in honor of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. A playlist for the series has been posted on Spotify. More details about the class and our 2025-26 formation program can be found here. Adult Formation takes place on Sundays at 9:45 AM in Saint Joseph’s Hall.

Veteran’s Day — On Veteran’s Day, Tuesday, November 11, we follow our federal holiday schedule: the church is open from 9:00 AM until 12:00 PM and Mass is celebrated at 10:00 AM.

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary — The 12:10 PM Mass on Friday, November 21, will be offered as a Sung Mass in the Lady Chapel commemorating the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Thursday Bible Study — Thursday evening Bible study in 2025-2026 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.

Rosary Guild — The Rosary Guild next meets on Sunday, November 23, after the 11:00 AM Mass, to pray the rosary. All are welcome.

Thanksgiving — A High Mass will be offered on the Eve of Thanksgiving, Wednesday, November 26, at 6:00 PM. On Thanksgiving Day, we follow our federal holiday schedule: the church is open from 9:00 AM until 12:00 PM and Mass is celebrated at 10:00 AM.

Saint Marians about Town — On Sunday, November 30, after Solemn Mass, we will see Sing a New Song: The Psalms in Medieval Art & Life at the Morgan Library. We recommend buying advanced timed tickets for 2:00 PM. Please contact Father Wood with any questions and to let him know if you are planning to join us.

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 — As it grows colder, the needs of our visitors change. Our first priority now is warm jackets and coats. Our additional priority needs are practical shoes (no dress shoes or high heels), jeans and cords, and sweaters and tops. Thanks to a generous gift, at our October drop-by we were able to provide new jeans for every visitor. Thanks to your donations we are also able to purchase toiletries and underwear, especially thermals. Please speak to MaryJane Boland or Marie Rosseels for more information or send an email to neighbors@stmvnyc.org.

THE DIOCESE AND WIDER CHURCH

Annual Requiem Mass for the Guild of All Souls — 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 offered by Fr. Martin Yost, Rector, St. Paul’s, Troy, New York, and Resurrection’s Professional Choir will support the liturgy.

Veterans Day Holy Eucharist and Commissioning of Chaplains — Episcopalians are invited to join a first-time churchwide Veterans Day Holy Eucharist via livestream or in person at the Church Center chapel in New York City to honor those who have served in the military and specially recognize the Episcopal chaplains who support them. Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe will preside, and the Rt. Rev. Ann Ritonia, bishop suffragan for the church’s Armed Forces and Federal Ministries, will preach. The service will include a special “commissioning for further service” of chaplains who serve military veterans in all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. Click here to register to attend in-person and here to watch the livestream. Tuesday, November 11, 7:00 PM, The Episcopal Church Center at 815 Second Avenue.

Food Assistance in the Diocese — The Diocese of New York is supporting resources that our congregations need right now, and here’s how you can help:

• Immediate food: Our programs need additional food. You can give $100 for a gift card or other emergency food assistance to help our neighbors across the Diocese get immediate food—and to support our local outreach programs in their response. Episcopal Charities will coordinate. You can donate here. 

• You can also support the Cathedral’s efforts to give $100 grocery cards to guests of Cathedral Community Cares. You can donate here.

• Ongoing benefits: The court orders provide a stopgap solution. Call your member of Congress and tell them to immediately authorize SNAP benefits and reimbursement of local food support. You can find information here.

Diocesan Convention — The Diocese of New York will have its annual convention on Saturday, November 15, at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine. Convention will be livestreamed for those who wish to observe remotely, though delegates must attend in person to vote. Please keep the clergy and lay delegates from Saint Mary’s, as well as the rest of the Diocese, in your prayers for convention.

Immigration Legal Support Fund — The Diocese of New York announced a new Immigration Legal Support Fund to support immigrant families in our congregations and neighborhoods throughout the Diocese of New York. The Legal Fund will help those navigating immigration under urgent and vulnerable circumstances to access legal resources. The fund is starting with a $50,000 contribution from the Bishop’s discretionary funds. With your support, the Diocese can do more so that no one faces the system alone. Your contribution makes possible same-day response, family preparedness, limited-scope appearances, and urgent filings. Donated funds will be matched until November 15, 2025. Click here to learn more and to donate.

Poets Corner Celebration at the Cathedral — At the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, on Thursday, November 20, 7:00-9:00 PM, there will be a celebratory evening of readings, launching a new era of programming for the Poets Corner, and showcasing the artists already memorialized there. The program will be followed by a light reception. This celebration is free and open to the public. Click here for more details.

ABOUT THE MUSIC AT SOLEMN MASS ON THE TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

The musical setting of the Mass on Sunday is All Saints Service by David Hurd, organist and music director at Saint Mary’s. It was composed in 1986 for All Saints Church, East Sixtieth Street, Manhattan, where he was director of music from 1985 until 1997. It is the sixth of the eighteen Mass settings he has composed to date, and the earliest and only choral setting of his three which utilize the traditional English (Rite I) Prayer Book Eucharistic texts. The predominant texture of All Saints Service is homophonic, expressed in four to six unaccompanied voices. The setting is relatively concise with much of the text being declaimed clearly, all voices singing the words simultaneously. The overall harmonic envelope of the Mass favors the bright key of F Major, and, while there are few specific musical cross-references between the movements of the Mass, there is a high degree of harmonic and stylistic unity among the movements.

The motet at Communion is a setting of a hymn text by Michael Hudson (1950–2024) from his 2004 collection Songs for the Cycle. Hudson’s collection contains 153 hymn texts in standard meters designated for specific occasions of the three-year lectionary. Every pilgrim has a mountain takes its inspiration from Mark 9:2-9 and was specified for the last Sunday of Epiphany. Hudson was an Episcopal priest. He was rector of Saint David’s Church in Cullowhee, North Carolina, when he authored Songs for the Cycle. The musical setting of Every Pilgrim has a mountain was composed by David Hurd in 2009. The first of its four stanzas is a simple unison melody. With each succeeding stanza, an additional voice joins the texture until four voices are singing in the fourth stanza. This anthem is dedicated to the Reverend Elizabeth G. Maxwell who is now rector of the Church of the Ascension on lower Fifth Avenue.

Click below, where you can make a one-time or recurring donation.
We are very grateful to all those who make such donations and continue to support Saint Mary’s so generously.

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.