FROM FATHER SAMMY WOOD: A YEAR OF SERVICE

On Tuesday we celebrated the feast of St. Ninian of Galloway at the midday Mass at Saint Mary’s. Ninian was born sometime in the late third century, and we don’t know a lot about his life—just that he was a Celt, lived in southern Scotland, possibly studied and was made a bishop in Rome, and that he led the first major effort to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ “north of the Wall,” that is, to people living outside Roman-controlled territory. Around the turn of the century, Ninian established a missionary base in his Candida Casa, a stone monastery he named the “White House” (to honor his friend, Martin of Tours, whose monastery was called Leug Tigiac, meaning “little white shanty”). From that monastery base, Ninian and his brother monks trekked with the gospel throughout southern Scotland and the Lake District of England, perhaps traveling as far as the Moray Firth, an inlet in the North Sea in the farthest reaches of the Scottish Highlands.

In my homily, I remarked how St. Ninian’s work reminded me of something Br. Robert Sevensky, OHC, said to us when he came to preach and lead a discussion at Saint Mary’s on Religious Life Sunday a couple years ago. Br. Robert said: “Saint Mary’s is a mission center,” kind of like the ones established by Ninan and other Celtic Christians in the footsteps of St. Patrick in the fourth century. In The Celtic Way of Evangelism: How Christianity Can Reach the West . . . AGAIN, George Hunter explains the difference between Eastern and Celtic monasteries:

The Eastern monasteries organized to protest, and escape from the materialism of the Roman world and the corruption of the Church; the Celtic monasteries organized to penetrate the pagan world and to extend the Church . . . Celtic Christians typically built their monastic communities in locations accessible to the traffic of the time, such as proximity to settlements, on hilltops, or on islands near the established sea-lanes.

I’ve thought often about Br. Robert’s “mission center” image, and it was in my mind when I proposed the current three-year arc our parish completes in 2025-26. You’ll recall that Year One was our “Year of Conversion” and focused on building our formation programs and deepening our own discipleship to Jesus. Last year was our “Year of Invitation” when we learned how to share the gospel and invite others into our fellowship (and we saw our numbers grow!). Now, as we approach the new program year at Saint Mary’s, we are entering our “Year of Service” when we will dream about how we can go out to love and serve our neighbors.

To kick off our Year of Service, we’re also inaugurating a new practice as a parish—a Town Hall Meeting. These meetings were born from the joy experienced by gathering as a parish for conversation at our annual meeting, a joy we wanted to experience more than just once a year. So join us this Sunday at Coffee Hour after the 11:00 Mass to begin a conversation about where we will go together as we follow Jesus in this Year of Service.

William Temple, former Archbishop of Canterbury, famously said “the Church is the only institution that exists primarily for the benefit of those who are not its members.” Like St. Ninian’s Candida Casa, God planted Saint Mary’s here in midtown Manhattan over 150 years ago as a “mission center,” a place we come for nourishment, training, and for vision for mission. He put us here—in proximity to millions of New Yorkers, tourists, and pilgrims—and sent generations of Saint Marians on mission “outside the wall.” That work continues today through us, converts of Christ’s with an invitation on our lips, and I’m excited to hear from you about it on Sunday! — SW

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 South America, in the Anglican cycle of prayer. We pray also for the Community at the Crossing at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine.

We pray for those who have asked us for our prayers, for Peter, Bill, Tim, Bob, 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; 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, especially Shauna and Vern, priest, and for those whose year’s mind is on September 21: Mary Rabe (1901), Orvill Leonard Allen (1913), Elizabeth Westervelt (1915), Lillian Elizabeth Kennedy (1951), and Harold Pim (1976).

IN THIS TRANSITORY LIFE

In a recent issue, we shared that June Burroughs, the mother of Blair Burroughs and mother-in-law of Renée Pecquex, died on August 30 following complications from surgery. The funeral details are now available. The services will take place at Grace Episcopal Church in Jamaica, Queens (155-15 Jamaica Ave), on Saturday, September 27. There will be a viewing at 9:00 AM followed by a Mass and churchyard burial at 10:00 AM. Please keep June, Blair, and Renée in your prayers.

AROUND THE PARISH

Adult Formation begins this Sunday . . . Adult Formation returns this Sunday! Dr. James Como will teach the first block, a five-week class on C.S. Lewis, beginning on September 21 at 9:45 AM. Please click here for the reading list and for more details.

Town Hall Meeting this Sunday . . . After the Solemn Mass on Sunday, we will gather in the parish hall to discuss 2025-2026 as a Year of Service.

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.

Adult Formation 2025-2026 . . . The 2025-2026 program is now online. Click here for more details about Sunday morning Adult Formation, the inaugural Peter Powell Lecture on Anglo-Catholicism and Mission, Thursday Evening Bible Study, Parish Quiet Days, and the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for children.

Starting Spiritual Direction, an online class . . . Ms. Ingrid Sletten will be leading an online course for those who are interested in learning about spiritual direction and are curious if spiritual direction may be right for them. For more details, send Ingrid an email or see her article in a prior Angelus. The dates and times of the course are Tuesday evenings, 7:00-8:00 PM, on October 7, October 21, and November 4.

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 other Christian traditions). Confirmation class begins in early 2026 and will prepare candidates to be confirmed at Bp. Allen Shin’s visit on Pentecost.

Our Lady of Walsingham . . . The 12:10 PM Mass on Wednesday, September 24, Our Lady of Walsingham, will be offered as a Sung Mass in the Lady Chapel.

Program Year begins on Michaelmas . . . Our program year officially begins on the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels when a quartet of the parish choir joins us for High Mass at 6:00 PM on Monday, September 29. A reception follows the evening Mass. The full choir returns at Solemn Mass on October 5, the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost.

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!

Donations for Altar Flowers . . . Altar flower donations this fall are still available for: October 12 and November 9 and 16. 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 . . . Thanks to generous cash donations, we are able to purchase toiletries and underwear for our guests. Our clothing room depends on your gifts of lightly-used clothing. Right now, our biggest needs are shoes (sneakers, sandals and other practical shoes, but not high heels), jeans and khakis. Please speak to MaryJane Boland or Marie Rosseels for more information. The next Drop-by day takes place on September 19.

THE DIOCESE AND WIDER CHURCH

Installation and Institution of the new Dean of the Cathedral . . . Join the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine to celebrate the installation of the 12th Dean, the Very Reverend Winnie Varghese, on Saturday, September 27, at 10:30 AM. You can read here about the dean elect’s vision for the Cathedral.

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.

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.”

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.

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

The name of Healey Willan (1880–1968) is well known to Episcopalians because of his Missa de Sancta Maria Magdalena, composed in 1928, which appeared in The Hymnal 1940 and was retained in The Hymnal 1982. This setting, which we will sing this Sunday, has been sung widely throughout the Episcopal Church, as well as in other denominations, for decades. Willan’s career and reputation, however, went far beyond composing this well-worn liturgical setting. He composed more than eight hundred works including operas, symphonies and other music for orchestra and band, chamber music, and music for piano and organ, in addition to a great quantity of choral music. His liturgical music includes fourteen choral Masses, occasional motets, canticles, and hymn settings. Willan was born in England and began his career as an organist in London parish churches. He joined the faculty at Toronto University in 1914, later becoming Professor of Music there. In 1921 he was named organist at Toronto’s Church of Saint Mary Magdalene, a position he retained until his death. Said to have described himself as “English by birth; Canadian by adoption; Irish by extraction; Scotch by absorption,” Willan was a champion of historic liturgical chant and the aesthetic of Renaissance church music. He incorporated these influences and mingled them with an appreciation of the rich harmonic palette of the late nineteenth-century masters. Through his compositions and choral direction, he significantly set the standard for North American Anglo-Catholic church music in his time. In 1956 Willan became the first non-English church musician to be awarded the Lambeth Doctorate, Mus.D. Cantuar.

During the Communion, this week’s cantor, Ben Powell, will sing The King’s Highway, 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 first publicly performed in a 1975 recital at Carnegie Recital Hall by the late Thomas A. Moore, tenor, with the composer at the piano. It was first published in a 1982 collection of twenty-nine of Dr. Hurd’s hymn settings.

Ben Powell grew up in Kennett Square, PA, and made his professional debut as Davy Zlatic in the First National Broadway Tour of Bandstand in 2019. Ben recently graduated from the University of Michigan with a BFA in Jazz Studies on acoustic and electric bass and a BMA in Vocal Performance as a bass-baritone. Ben was seen making his NYC operatic debut in Off-Brand Opera's production of Don Giovanni (Masetto), joined the choir of Saint Mary the Virgin in early 2025, and plays bass weekly at the Daily Press in Bed-Stuy with the AJS Trio. Based in Manhattan, New York, Ben works as a gigging musician and teacher, and can be found regularly playing in pit orchestras, jazz bands, rock bands, choral ensembles, developing original music and any other musical endeavors he can wrap his ears around.

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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.