FROM FATHER STEPHEN MORRIS: SAINTS PETER & PAUL, PILLARS OF THE CHURCH

This week we mark the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, an ecumenical initiative which began in 1908 and was heavily promoted by the Graymoor Franciscans. It was adopted by the World Council of Churches in 1948 and is observed as the week between the feasts of the Confession of St. Peter (January 18) and the Conversion of St. Paul (January 25).

The Confession of St. Peter celebrates the episode when Jesus asks the apostles, “Who do you think I am?” St. Peter answers, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” (Matthew 16:13-20) This confession of faith is fundamental to our understanding of Jesus and the Holy Trinity. Although it took several hundred years for the Church to understand what each word in this confession really means, St. Peter’s confession of faith became the earliest creed used by the Church. It was also an important reason that St. Peter came to be regarded as the chief of the apostles, since he was the first to articulate this confession of faith.

The Conversion of St. Paul celebrates the episode (Acts 9) when Saul was going to Damascus to extend his persecution of the Church from Jerusalem. Saul was struck with a blinding light and spoke with Christ; as a result of this experience, he was baptized, took the name “Paul,” and became one of the Church’s leading missionaries instead of the leader of the persecution of Christians.

These two events—the confession of the apostle Peter and the conversion of the apostle Paul—are foundational events in the early life of the Church, the Body of Christ. They are the pillars that support most of the theology and practice that became normative and are still vital to our expression of faith. (St. Paul even called St. Peter a “pillar of the Church” in Gal. 2:9!) We would not be here in New York City 2026 unless St. Peter had confessed his faith and St. Paul had converted to that faith, working to spread this faith across the Roman Empire. Because of these events, these two apostles are pillars of the Church supporting us still.

Each of the apostles is a pillar of the Church, in one way or another. That’s why the statues of the apostles are built into the pillars of St. Mary the Virgin, Times Square. (St. Peter is located in the front of the church, on the pillar closest to the shrine-statue of the Blessed Virgin and the baptismal font; St. Paul doesn’t appear in the church—although he was an apostle, he was not one of the Twelve and there is a limited number of pillars in the nave.) The apostles Peter and Paul are especially important as pillars of the Church, supporting us as we live out the faith they articulated and lived out. We confess the same faith the Apostle Peter confessed and we must be converted again and again—every day!—just as the Apostle Paul was. — SM

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 Chile, in the Anglican cycle of prayer.

We pray for those who have asked us for our prayers, for Khalid, Sophia, Yue, Cassius, Jimmy, Bridget, Lorelei, Lisa, Sue, Joshua, Irma, Ruth Ann, Rosemary, Holy, Becky, Bill, Elliot, Grady, Chris, Violet, Pat, Allen, Vicki, Brendon, Nadia, Carol, Giovanna, Priya, Kavi, Ronald, Jose, Ben, Russell, Robert, Sandy, Lexi, Georgia, Desarae, David, Tony, 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 January 25: Isabella Esmeralda Malvania (1883), Daniel Lewis (1890), Johanna Schneiders (1899), Henry Meyer (1902), Stanley Matthews, Jr. (1920), Marie Chibouk (1955), Rose Ross (1969), Phyllis Brackett (1985), and Giselle Klopstock (1995).

SIGN UP FOR THE PETER POWELL LECTURE ON ANGLO-CATHOLICISM AND MISSION

The inaugural Peter Powell Lecture on Anglo-Catholicism and Mission will take place on Thursday, February 12, 2026, when we host the Rev. Dr. Andrew McGowan, Dean and President and McFaddin Professor of Anglican Studies and Pastoral Theology at the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale. There will be a Choral Evensong at 5:30 PM followed by a reception and Father McGowan’s lecture, “The Tabernacle and the Streets: Reserving the Eucharist and Feeding the Poor.”

If you are planning to attend, please RSVP here, which will help us prepare properly for the event. All are welcome.

FROM FATHER WOOD: READING THE BIBLE IN 2026

I can’t think of a better resolution to make as a follower of Jesus than to commit to reading the Bible more in 2026. There are lots of ways to start:

• Sign up to read the Bible in a year via an app like YouVersion

• Listen to this great conversation between the guys behind the Bible Project and Practicing the Way

• Join us for our online parish Lectionary Bible Study every Thursday night at 6 (email me for the link)

• Or come join us for Morning and Evening Prayer every day at Saint Mary’s, where we are immersed in large swaths of sacred Scripture every day, especially the Psalms, which we pray through every month

And there are tons more ways to get more Bible into your life. Personally, this is one of my resolutions for 2026, and I pray you’ll join me! — SW

AROUND THE PARISH

Phone and Internet — Due to a Verizon outage, the parish office phones are down and we are without internet. We apologize if you have been trying to reach us by phone and we are hopeful that service will be restored before the weekend. Our parish administrator, Chris Howatt, can be reached by email (chowatt@stmvnyc.org).

Snow in the forecast for Sunday — As of Friday morning, the forecast continues to predict a significant amount of snow on Sunday. While the Sunday Masses will be celebrated as scheduled, regardless of the snow, we urge parishioners to be prudent when deciding whether to come to Saint Mary’s. The 11:00 AM Mass will be livestreamed (if our internet service is restored in time).

Religious Life Sunday — This Sunday is Religious Life Sunday, when members of religious orders reach out to talk about their life, work, and ministry within the Episcopal Church. Our preacher will be Brother Thomas Steffensen, SSF. Brother Thomas is life professed in the Society of Saint Francis, an international order of Franciscans within the Anglican Communion, and is also an active part of Saint Mary’s. He is a licensed spiritual director, formator, and is currently training as a Jungian analyst.

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

Evensong & Benediction — Next Sunday, February 1, we will offer Evensong & Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at 4:00 PM in lieu of Evening Prayer as is our custom on the first Sunday of the month.

Organ Recital and Solemn Mass on Candlemas — The Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple, also known affectionately as Candlemas, is on Monday, February 2. Ms. Victoria Shields, director of music and organist at Saint James the Less in Scarsdale, NY, will offer an organ recital at 5:30 PM. Her program will include works by Maurice Duruflé, Jessica French, and César Franck. Procession and Solemn Mass, including the Blessing of Candles, follows at 6:00 PM. The Rev. Dr. Gawain de Leeuw, vicar of Holy Trinity Church in Inwood, Manhattan, will be our guest preacher.

Help serve unhoused and under-resourced New Yorkers on February 15 — On Sunday, February 15 after the 11:00 AM Mass, we will put together bagged lunches for the Ecclesia ministry at Saint Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery. In Saint Joseph’s hall during coffee hour, we will assemble bagged lunches of sandwiches and snacks, and then we will take the train down to the 2:00 PM service at Saint Mark’s! From the Saint Mark’s website: “On Sundays, St. Marks in the Bowery hosts ‘Ecclesia,’ an outdoor church ministry committed to serving unhoused and under-resourced New Yorkers. The ministry offers a 2pm Eucharist service every Sunday, fellowship, and a bagged lunch to everyone who joins.” Come join us to make lunches, attend the service, or both!

Adult Formation — Adult Formation continues this Sunday with a Foundations Course on the spiritual life taught by Fr. Sammy Wood. Click here for more details about what we have planned for this semester at Adult Formation. We meet in Saint Joseph’s Hall at 9:45 AM, between the two Sunday Masses. All are welcome!

Flower donations in 2026 — Altar flower donations are available for Sunday, February 15, the Annunciation, March 25, and many other dates in 2026. The suggested donation is $250. Please contact Brendon Hunter to reserve a date and have the dedication for your flower donation appear in the bulletin.

Baptisms — We are planning for baptisms at the Easter Vigil on April 4, 2026. If you would like to be baptized, or have your child baptized, at the Easter Vigil or on another date, please contact Fr. Matt Jacobson.

Horton Foote’s Talking Pictures — On January 24 at 7:00 PM in Saint Joseph’s Hall, there will be a read aloud of Horton Foote’s play Talking Pictures. Following the reading, there will be a lively discussion of Horton Foote and his body of work by those who know him best, the Horton by the Stream team. The event is free and is hosted by AMT Theater in collaboration with Horton by the Stream Outdoor Summer Theatre and Saint Mary’s.

Thursday Bible Study — Thursday evening Bible study in 2025-2026 is based on the Sunday lectionary for the upcoming Sunday and generally will be led by the preacher for that day. We meet over Zoom at 6:00 PM. If interested, please email Fr. Wood for the link.

Neighbors in Need — As it grows colder, the needs of our visitors change. Our first priority now is warm jackets and coats. We are also in serious need of men’s large winter tops and sweaters. 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

Absalom Jones Celebration — The Diocese’s 2026 Absalom Jones Celebration takes place on Saturday, February 14, at 10:30 AM at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. This meaningful service will honor the legacy of the Reverend Absalom Jones, the first Black priest ordained in the Episcopal Church, whose groundbreaking ministry paved the way for a more diverse and inclusive priesthood. The celebrant will be The Rt. Rev. Matthew F. Heyd, 17th Bishop of New York, and The Rt. Rev. Carlye J. Hughes 11th Bishop of Newark, will preach. Click here to register or to donate to the Absalom Jones Fund for Episcopal HBCUs.

ABOUT THE MUSIC AT HIGH MASS ON THE THIRD SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY

Sunday’s prelude, Fantasia in C minor by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750), may well have been modeled after the five-part fugues of Nicolas de Grigny. Its rich ornamentation, close imitation, and harmonic plan seem to combine features of the French, German, and Italian schools of Bach’s time. The Fantasia begins as an extended tonic pedal-point with four imitative voices entering one at a time above it. After arriving at a cadence on the dominant, a section follows which is similar to the first except that it is based upon a dominant pedal. From this half-way point forward, the pedal becomes a more active member of the counterpoint, and the pace of harmonic activity quickens as the music gradually winds its way back to a final tonic pedal. Bach probably intended a fugue to follow this Fantasia, but only a fragment of such a work exists.

The Ordinary of the Mass is Saint Paul’s Service by David Hurd, organist and music director at Saint Mary’s. This setting of the Rite I Ordinary, was originally commissioned in 2000 by Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, New York, in honor of the Sesquicentennial Anniversary of the parish. At the request of the commissioning parish, the movements of this Mass setting are unified by melodic and harmonic elements inspired by the music of twentieth century French impressionist composers. Saint Paul’s Service was originally scored for unison voices and organ, but was recast for choir in harmony and organ, as it will be presented today, in 2022. The Conversion of Saint Paul is normally observed on January 25 but is moved one day ahead this year due to the 25th being a Sunday. Occurring one week after the Confession of Saint Peter, the Conversion of Saint Paul concludes the interval recognized ecumenically as the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Sunday’s Mass setting recognizes Saint Paul and a Brooklyn parish of which he is the patron, and it is sung in prayer for Christian unity.

The motet sung during Communion is a setting of Holy Sonnet XV, Wilt thou love God, by John Donne (1572–1631). This choral setting by David Hurd was commissioned by Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Austin, Texas, and premiered there on October 31, 2021. John Donne is considered the leading English poet of the metaphysical school and the greatest love poet in the English language. He is also noted for his religious verse, his treatises, and for his sermons which rank among the most noted of his time. He was dean of Saint Paul’s Cathedral, London from 1621 until 1631. Wilt thou love God is the fifteenth of his nineteen numbered sonnets under the general heading of “Divine Meditations.” David Hurd’s motet exploits choral textures ranging from unison trebles at its outset to full eight-part mixed voices at its conclusion in setting Donne’s rich meditation.

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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.