FROM FATHER JACOBSON: TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

Last Sunday at Mass, we heard how “many signs and wonders were done among the people through the apostles.” (Acts 5:12) The Acts of the Apostles is a dynamic account of the early Church during the period just after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension. It is Saint Luke’s second volume, where he continues to tell the story of Our Lord, now manifest to the world through the body of Christ. While the New Testament contains four different Gospel accounts, there is nothing else quite like the Acts of the Apostles in scripture. It is fast-paced and exciting.

The description of gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost comes near the beginning, in the second chapter of Acts. The Church is born and is off to the races (though certainly not without bumps in the road along the way). Between the weekday Masses and the Sunday lectionary, we read a fair amount from Acts during Eastertide. This is one of the reasons that I am focusing on it at Adult Formation over the next five weeks. That said, this isn’t the primary reason.

The theme this year at Saint Mary’s has been the “Year of Invitation.” Earlier in the year at Adult Formation, we studied an Anglican understanding of evangelism through a video series produced by the Episcopal Church. More recently, we were encouraged by Father Wood to bring a “plus one” to the Holy Week liturgies. Now, we are going to study what it means when Jesus says just prior to his ascension that “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

The first twelve chapters of Acts cover Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria. The next sixteen focus on the Church going to “the ends of the earth,” ultimately with Saint Paul in Rome. Of course, Luke never describes the Apostles getting to New York City, but he also doesn’t believe that the story of the Church ends where his text finishes. He is writing these things down to give us a foundational understanding of the Church to continue to build upon.

Our goal over the next five weeks, therefore, is two-fold. My hope is that we will better understand this important book of the Bible, but also begin to apply it to our current context in Times Square. We won’t have time to study all twenty-eight chapters in detail, but we will look at good portion of it and get a sense of Luke’s view of the mission of the Church and what it means to be a witness for Christ. How well are we living into Luke’s understanding of the Church? What might we think about doing differently as a parish? Come and join us on Sunday mornings and be a part of the conversation! — MDJ

This is the last Adult Formation series of the program year, prior to summer break. We will gather on May 4, 11, 18, 25, and June 1, at 9:45 AM, in Saint Joseph’s Hall. This is conveniently during the time between the two Masses, making it possible to attend either the 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM Mass on Sunday as well as the class. All are welcome and it is never necessary to have attended a prior session in a series to join us.

PARISH PRAYERS

We pray for the people and clergy of our sister parish, the Church of All Saints, Margaret Street, London.

We pray for those who have asked us for our prayers, for Allison, Jonathan, Liam, Penny, Priya, Jose, Angie, Angelina, Nicolly, Christopher, Wally, Donald, Harris, Rick, Ronald, Jose, Karen, Kate, Behnam, Duke, Russell, Duncan, Robert, Sandy, Audy, Orham, Ruth Ann, Henry, Lexi, Vicki, Georgia, Desarae, David, Steve, Beverly, Claudia, Maddie, Nettie, Chrissy, Tony, Sharon, Rick, Adair, Jan, June, Carlos, Pat, Liduvina, Quincy, Leroy, Margaret, and Robert; Suzanne Elizabeth and Laura Katherine, religious; Lind, deacon; and Robby, Jay, and Stephen, priests.

We pray for the repose of the souls of those who have died, especially, Imelda, and for those whose year’s mind is on May 4: Boyce Lane (1884), Garret Wilson Pier (1909), Philip Verplanck Richardson (1914), Francis Fraser Ahern (1917), Robert Wood (1984), and Alexandrina Patricia Hunte (1995).

AROUND THE PARISH

Five Boro Bike Tour: Plan ahead when coming to church this Sunday . . . 6th Avenue will be closed to cars until noon and it will likely take additional time to cross on Sunday morning. We expect that pedestrians will be able to cross 6th Avenue via the Rockefeller Center subway station. Click here for the event webpage and more details.

May Crowning and Annual Meeting . . . This Sunday, May 4, is May Crowning! The Annual Meeting will be held in the parish hall after Solemn Mass. Please plan on attending.

Evensong & Benediction this Sunday at 4:00 PM . . . E&B will be offered this Sunday, May 4, at 4:00 PM. Evensong is a sung Evening Prayer and Benediction refers to the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Click here to learn more.

Big week for the AIDS Walk team! . . . We raised roughly $34,000 this week and are now at $38,312! That places our team second overall in fundraising. Help us keep the momentum going and top our goal of $50,000. To join our team or contribute, please visit our team page. If you have any questions, please speak to one of the team captains: MaryJane Boland, Clark Mitchell, and Father Matt. AIDS Walk 2025 is on Sunday, May 18.

Adult Formation . . . Adult Formation resumes this Sunday on May 4, when Father Matt Jacobson will lead a discussion on the Acts of the Apostles. Adult Formation meets on Sundays at 9:45 AM in Saint Joseph’s Hall. All are welcome.

Young Adult Network Steering Committee on May 11 . . . The Young Adult Network Steering Committee of the Diocese of New York will be at Saint Mary’s for Solemn Mass on May 11. They are responsible for hosting events for 20s and 30s across the Diocese. If interested, please connect with them at Coffee Hour after Mass, or email them at hello@episcopal20s30s.org to get in touch.

Save the date: Sister Monica Clare on May 25 . . . On Sunday, May 25, Sister Monica Clare, CSJB, will be at Coffee Hour after the 11:00 AM Solemn Mass to present her newly published book, A Change of Habit. There was a recent New York Times article about Sister Monica Clare and her book. Sister Monica Clare was in residence at Saint Mary’s for many years and is a good friend of the parish. Click here to learn more about her order, the Community of Saint John Baptist.

Neighbors in Need . . . Donations of casual pants, such as jeans or khakis, are needed, as are sweaters, tops, rain jackets, and other light jackets. Shoes are especially in demand (i.e., sneakers, sandals, and practical shoes, but not high heels). Large sizes, for both men and women, are also helpful. The next Drop-by day will be on May 16. Please speak to MaryJane Boland or Marie Rosseels for more information.

Hospitality at Saint Mary’s . . . Are you willing to serve on a team to plan Coffee Hours and receptions? We need you! Please get in touch with Father Sammy Wood if you are able to help.

Would you like to donate the altar flowers? . . . There are many opportunities to donate flowers for Sundays in May. May 11, 18, and 25 are still available. We are also looking for a donor for Thursday, May 29, Ascension Day. Coming up in June, we hope to find donors for Pentecost (June 8), Trinity Sunday (June 15), and Corpus Christi (June 22). Please call the Parish Office (212-869-5830) or email Chris Howatt for more information and to reserve a date for a donation. The customary donation is $250.

THE DIOCESE AND WIDER CHURCH

From the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine  . . . We are pleased to announce the appointment of the Rev. Winnie Varghese as the 12th Dean of the Cathedral, making her the first woman to serve as our Dean. A national leader in The Episcopal Church who currently serves at Saint Luke’s in Atlanta, GA, she is known for her inspired writing, teaching, and preaching. Her first day at the Cathedral will be July 1. Learn more about the dean-elect and watch a video to learn about her history with the Cathedral and her hopes for the future. 

Blessing of the Bicycles . . . The Cathedral’s 27th annual Blessing of the Bicycles takes place on May 3 at 9:00 AM. Click here for more details and to RSVP.

Faith in the Public Square . . . Wednesday, May 7, 7:00-8:30 PM (via Zoom). This three-session series brings together theologians and leaders to discuss theological questions that are immediate right now. The first discussion in the lineup, titled “Faith formed in Refuge: How exile and refuge influenced the spirituality of the Book of Common Prayer” will explore how the worship and belief of the Church of England, and thus of the Anglican tradition, was formed through dialogue with the Reformation traditions in Europe. A live discussion will follow, led by The Rt. Rev. Allen K. Shin, Bishop Suffragan, featuring theologians and leaders from various backgrounds. You can click here to register for this session and future. The speakers on May 7 will be:

Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch, Emeritus Professor of the History of the Church, University of Oxford

Rev. Dr. Euan Cameron, Henry Luce Ill Professor Emeritus of Reformation Church History Union Theological Seminary, New York City

Dr. Polly Ha, Associate Professor of the History of Christianity, Duke Divinity School

From the Margins to the Mainstream . . . The next Dialogues on Divinity offering at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine will be on May 12, from 6:30–8:00 PM. The Cathedral will welcome three leaders in interreligious dialogue for a panel entitled “From the Margins to the Center: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in Conversation.” The tragic events of October 7th and their aftermath have catapulted the engagement of Judaism and Islam into the center of dialogue with Christianity. Is it still possible to maintain good relations or are the three Abrahamic religions doomed to be locked in a widening gyre of enmity? Can the center hold? The conversation promises to be a meaningful exploration of the intersection of tradition, contemporary challenges, and shared values in a world that increasingly calls for interfaith cooperation. The speakers will be:

Rabbi Dr. Burton Visotzky, scholar of Midrash and Interreligious Studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary, where he serves as director of the Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue and as the Louis Stein Director of the Finkelstein Institute for Religious and Social Studies.

Emre Celik, Executive Director of the Peace Islands Institute New York and a Leadership Fellow at the Interfaith Center of New York.

The Rev. Eva Suarez, Canon for Community Engagement at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine.

The Dialogues on Divinity series seeks to address vital contemporary issues with a theological lens. It is presented by the Community at the Crossing, an ecumenical community for young adults, in residence at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine. The series is co-sponsored by Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute (GEII). Click here for tickets.

FROM DR. HURD: ABOUT THE MUSIC AT SOLEMN MASS ON THE THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER

Sunday’s organ voluntaries are based upon the Easter chorale Jesus Christus, unser Heiland (Jesus Christ, our Savior). The chorale, dated 1524, is attributed to Martin Luther. An English translation of its first stanza is:

Jesus Christ, our Saviour true,
He who Death overthrew,
Is up arisen,
And sin hath put in prison.
Kyrieleison.

Franz Tunder (1614–1667) is believed to have been born in Lübeck, in northern Germany. It is likely that he studied with Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583–1643) in Florence. In 1641 he was appointed the main organist at Lübeck’s Marienkirche, where he was eventually followed by Dieterich Buxtehude (1637–1707). Tunder’s Jesus Christus, unser Heiland, played for the prelude, is a triptych of settings of Martin Luther’s Easter chorale. The first verse of Tunder’s setting is in five voices, two of which are played on the pedals; the chorale melody is in the upper pedal voice. The second verse is in four voices with the melody in the tenor register played by the left hand. The third verse, also in four voices, places the melody boldly in the bass voice which is played on the pedals.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) composed four organ settings of this same chorale. Two are found in the Clavierübung, Part III, and the remaining two, including BWV 665, are included among the Great Eighteen Leipzig Chorales. BWV 665 is in motet style, that is, each phrase of the melody is individually developed contrapuntally in its own separate section, each section concluding with the phrase’s melody stated in the bass voice. The third section of this chorale prelude is noted for its intense chromaticism, and the fourth and final section is noted for the crescendo written into the texture towards its conclusion.

The setting of the antiphon Vidi aquam, sung during the sprinkling of the people at Mass in the Easter season, is a contemporary chant setting by David Hurd, organist and music director at Saint Mary’s. It was composed for the 1982 Chicago Archdiocesan Music Festival. This setting, which was first performed at Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago, is designed for a variety of performance possibilities including singing in canon, use of handbells, and use of an impressionistic flowing organ accompaniment.

The setting of the Mass on Sunday 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 which 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 later was employed at Canterbury Cathedral and served as a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal. Along with William Byrd (c.1505–1585), Tallis enjoyed an exclusive license to print and publish music which 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.

Complementing Thomas Tallis’ Mass for four voices is William Byrd’s setting for four voices of the antiphon Cibavit eos. This antiphon and its customary companion verse are derived from Psalm 81, verses 16 and 1 respectively. Byrd’s setting, published in his 1605 Gradualia I, is structured to be the Introit for the Feast of The Body and Blood of Christ; the antiphon is followed in turn by the verse in a reduced voicing, Gloria Patri, and finally a repetition of the antiphon. This motet-antiphon, with its traditional Eucharistic association, is sung during the Communion.

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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.