DR. CHARLES MORGAN ON THE ROSARY: ORIGINS, BENEFITS, AND A BEGINNER’S GUIDE

Growing up in the Anglican Church in Jamaica, the rosary was not part of my spiritual practice. I became aware of this form of prayer after I participated in a Cursillo weekend in the 1990s, and would meet regularly with a few people who worked in my department for weekly reflection and prayer on the work that we were doing.

Origins

The word “rosary” comes from the Latin rosarium, meaning “rose garden,” symbolizing a bouquet of prayers offered to God through the intercession of Mary. The devotion grew in the Middle Ages, when illiterate Christians sought ways to pray in rhythm with the Psalms recited by monks. Strings of beads were used to count 150 Our Fathers or Hail Marys. By the 13th century, Dominican friars helped shape the rosary into its present form, linking repetitive prayers with meditation on key events in the lives of Jesus and Mary—called the Mysteries.

Benefits

The rosary offers spiritual, emotional, and even practical benefits:

• Focus and Peace: The repetition of prayers creates a meditative rhythm that calms the mind, reduces anxiety, and centers the heart.

• Deeper Faith: Reflecting on the Mysteries allows one to walk through the Gospel story—from Christ’s birth to His resurrection—and connect personally with its message.

• Intercession: Praying the rosary invites Mary’s intercession, believed to be a powerful channel of grace.

• Community and Continuity: Whether prayed alone, in families, or in groups, the rosary connects believers across centuries of Christian tradition.

The Sacred Mysteries

The rosary is structured around twenty Sacred Mysteries—events from the lives of Jesus and Mary—that guide meditation and reflection. These are grouped into four sets of five Mysteries each:

The Joyful Mysteries

1. The Annunciation

2. The Visitation

3. The Nativity

4. The Presentation in the Temple

5. The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple

The Sorrowful Mysteries

1. The Agony in the Garden

2. The Scourging at the Pillar

3. The Crowning with Thorns

4. The Carrying of the Cross

5. The Crucifixion

The Glorious Mysteries

1. The Resurrection

2. The Ascension

3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit

4. The Assumption of Mary

5. The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Luminous Mysteries

1. The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan

2. The Wedding Feast at Cana

3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God

4. The Transfiguration

5. The Institution of the Eucharist

Instructions for Beginners

For a step-by-step guide to praying the rosary, visit this link: https://www.usccb.org/how-to-pray-the-rosary

Final Thought

For beginners, the rosary may feel repetitive, but its true power lies in simplicity. The rhythm of prayer opens space for reflection, healing, and peace. Over time, what begins as a counted set of words becomes a well-traveled path to encounter God.

Members of the Rosary Guild at Saint Mary's meet every fourth Sunday in the Lady Chapel after the 11:00 AM Solemn Mass to pray the rosary together. All are invited to join us, whether they have never prayed the rosary or prayed it every day. — CM

The Rosary Guild meets this Sunday, September 28, after Solemn Mass. Come join us!

PARISH PRAYERS

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

We pray for those who have asked us for our prayers, for Tod, Vanessa, 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; 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, especially James and Gene, and for those whose year’s mind is on September 28: Isabella France (1873), Amanda Haight (1891), Emily Patten Dickinson (1920), Madeleine Becca Thompson (1939), Edith Maud Delleger (1943), and Evelyn Blanche Mary Wells(1944).

IN THIS TRANSITORY LIFE

James G. Pecquex, the father of parishioner Renée Pecquex, and father-in-law of Blair Burroughs, died on September 19. James served New York City as a firefighter at FDNY Engine Co. 222 and later as a Lieutenant at Engine Co. 245, Brooklyn. A wake will be held at the Roslyn Heights Funeral Home on Sunday, September 28, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM and from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM. A Funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 AM Monday, September 29, at Saint Mary's Monsignor Ryan Parish Hall in Roslyn Heights, with burial to follow at Holy Rood Cemetery in Westbury. Learn more about James here. Please keep James, Renée, and Blair in your prayers.

AROUND THE PARISH

Michaelmas this Monday . . . 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 Choir Returns . . . The full choir returns at Solemn Mass next Sunday, October 5. The choir season runs through Corpus Christi in the spring.

Blessing of the Animals . . . 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 next 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.

Adult Formation . . . Dr. James Como is teaching the first block, a five-week class on C.S. Lewis. Please click here for the reading list and here for more details about the 2025-26 program.

October Requiem Mass . . . 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).

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.

New Dates for Starting Spiritual Direction . . . To accommodate those who have already signed up, instead of meeting on Tuesdays, the Starting Spiritual Direction class will now meet online on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM: October 8, October 22, and November 5. 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.

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.

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 are still available for: November 9, 16 and 23. November 23 is Christ the King Sunday. 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.

Transitus at the Church of the Holy Trinity on E. 88th Street . . . On Friday, October 3, 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.

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.”

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

Frank Bridge’s Adagio, from his set of 3 Pieces for Organ (1905) is a compact journey of extremes, from the softest sounds of the instrument to a thrilling climax and back to the most gentle strings. It opens with a fugal exposition, creating a natural crescendo as each of the four voices enter, and the fugue’s subject provides much of the musical material for the rest of the piece. Unlike many British composers of organ music during his time, Bridge was primarily a violinist and orchestral conductor, as opposed to an organist and choirmaster in an Anglican church or cathedral. I first learned this piece while at the National Cathedral, as it was exceptionally effective for the weekly organ demos I led there for visitors. 

Peter Hurford's Laudate Dominum is a six-movement suite, with each movement being a short character sketch based on a psalm text. The final movement, Exurgat Deus, takes Psalm 68:1-3 as its inspiration. It is an extroverted piece in a somewhat neoclassical style, featuring rhythmic asymmetries that create a dance-like effect. Harmonically, it is largely triadic, however many of the chord progressions are less functional than angular or parallel. There is an especially dramatic buildup in the middle with ten chords rising in parallel by step and getting louder and faster, before the piece's opening material returns. The Psalm text Hurford quotes is:

Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.

Like as the smoke vanisheth, so shalt thou drive them away: and like as wax melteth at the fire, so let the ungodly perish at the presence of God.

But let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God: let them also be merry and joyful.    

— Rebecca Ehren

The musical setting of the Mass on Sunday is New Plainsong, by David Hurd. This setting was composed in 1978 at the request of the Standing Commission on Church Music of the Episcopal Church as the revision of The Hymnal 1940 was gaining momentum. The Commission desired a setting which would be for the “Contemporary” Eucharistic texts what John Merbecke’s 1550 setting had been for the “Traditional” English words, that is, it would express the liturgical texts with simplicity and naturalness. As such, New Plainsong, like Merbecke’s setting, is chant-like and almost entirely syllabic, that is, only one pitch is sung per syllable. Although modest keyboard accompaniments are provided, New Plainsong’s movements may be sung unaccompanied when desired. Since its first publication in Congregational Music for Eucharist—Church Hymnal Series V in 1980, New Plainsong has been published in The Hymnal 1982 and in the worship resources of several other denominations. A revised edition of New Plainsong issued in 2018 also accommodates more recently revised Roman Catholic liturgical texts.

The cantor this week is tenor, Christopher Howatt. During communion he will sing I go on from MASS by Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990). Bernstein, a giant of American twentieth-century musical life, famously was conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra from 1958 to 1969. He composed MASS at the request of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis for the September 1971 inauguration of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Bernstein previously had dedicated his Symphony No. 3: Kaddish, composed in 1963, to the memory of John F. Kennedy. Billed as a Theater Piece for Singers, Players, and Dancers, MASS is a difficult work to further categorize. It includes texts from the liturgy of the Roman Mass and additional texts by Stephen Schwartz (b.1948) and Bernstein. It was a highly controversial work at its debut, both in religious and political communities, but is now widely recognized as a uniquely great twentieth-century American work. The song I go on directly follows the Lord’s Prayer in MASS.

Christopher Howatt has been a member of the Choir at the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin since 2008 and stepped into the role of Parish Administrator more recently. An actively performing singer in the realms of musical theatre and cabaret, he was a member of the Associate Chorus of the Metropolitan Opera for two seasons. He has been heard on recordings as diverse as Jessye Norman’s Christmas CD In the Spirit, to singing backup for The Pet Shop Boys on their cover of the Village People’s “Go West.” As an accompanist and music director he has worked with such talents as David Hyde Pierce, Howard McGillin, Tyne Daly, Rita Moreno, Brad Oscar and Cady Huffman and others. He has served as musical supervisor for productions of Sylvia, Lend Me a Tenor and Inspecting Carol at George Street Playhouse as well as musical director for their world premiere production of Come Back, Come Back, Wherever You Are, written and directed by the late theatrical legend Arthur Laurents. For several years he displayed both pianistic and vocal talents as music director/arranger and performer with the two-time MAC Award nominated vocal group Boulevard East.  Most recently he stepped out from behind the piano in his debut as a solo cabaret artist in a sold-out run of his show “Hear My Song,” at Don’t Tell Mama.  He is currently working on a sequel and hopes to be returning to the cabaret stage soon.

Rebecca Ehren will be our guest organist on Sunday (and at the High Mass on Michaelmas). She recently stepped down as Music Director at The Church of the Epiphany, on the Upper East Side. Previously she served as Organ Scholar at Washington National Cathedral, where she played for services and concerts reaching over 10,000 people, worked with the choristers and professional choir, and assisted in all aspects of the music program. Prior to her cathedral appointment, Rebecca studied privately with Raymond Nagem and went on to receive her Master of Music from Yale’s Institute of Sacred Music. Meanwhile she held positions at Grace Church (NYC), Saint Michael’s Episcopal Church (NYC), and the University Church in Yale. As an organist quickly building an exciting career, Rebecca was the featured guest on Episode 17 of “Sounds from the Sanctuary,” a podcast based at Christ (formerly Crystal) Cathedral in Orange County, CA. Rebecca also performs regularly as a pianist. She completed a bachelor’s degree in piano with honors from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and is an Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto). In addition to playing keyboard instruments, Rebecca also frequently sings in professional ensembles for worship services and performances. She sang with the Experiential Orchestra and Chorus on their 2021 Grammy-winning recording of Ethyl Smyth’s The Prison. Beyond performing, Rebecca has served as the Chair of the Board of Directors for C4: The Choral Composer Conductor Collective, and holds a second undergraduate degree from Indiana University in cognitive science and mathematics/economics. www.rebeccaehren.com.

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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.