FROM FATHER MATT: GAZE UPON AND CONTEMPLATE CHRIST’S HUMILITY

St. Agnes of Prague was a thirteenth-century Bohemian princess who turned away from the life of luxury that she was born into and instead joined a religious order which would later become known as the Order of St. Clare (i.e., the Poor Clares). She founded a hospital and cared for lepers and the poor. For over two decades, Agnes regularly corresponded with St. Clare of Assisi, though the two never met in person.

In her second letter to Agnes, Clare urges Agnes to “embrace the poor Christ” and says to “gaze upon him, consider him, contemplate him, as you desire to imitate him.” The letter emphasizes Christ’s humility and encourages Agnes to identify with and to model her life after Jesus’ example. “If you suffer with Him, you shall reign with him, if you weep with him, you shall rejoice with him; if you die with him on the cross of tribulation, you shall possess heavenly mansions in the splendor of the saints.”

We too, if we are looking to follow Christ, need to take the time to gaze upon and contemplate him. If we don’t, how can we ever expect to be able to imitate him?

One way to gaze upon him at Saint Mary’s is through Eucharistic adoration. At Evensong & Benediction, there is a period of adoration of Christ’s presence in the bread of the Holy Eucharist before the benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is offered. Every Wednesday, we have another opportunity for Eucharistic adoration at our weekly Holy Hour.

Gaze upon and consider how Christ humbled himself by taking on our humanity and how he continues to humble himself by being present for us in the bread of the altar. Then, contemplate the many other ways that Jesus humbled himself. Think about how he spent time with and ministered to the poor, the sick, and the marginalized. Remember how he showed us what it means to love our neighbor and how “he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:8) Jesus lowered himself to raise others up. He humbled himself and is calling us to do likewise. — MDJ

Evensong & Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is offered at 4:00 PM in lieu of Evening Prayer on the first Sunday of the month during the program year. Our next Evensong & Benediction will be this coming Sunday, February 1. The parish also keeps a Holy Hour every Wednesday at 11:00 AM in the Lady Chapel. Learn more about Evensong & Benediction and Holy Hour on our website and 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 Church of England, in the Anglican cycle of prayer.

We pray for those who have asked us for our prayers, for Monique, Mary, Kathie, Patrick, 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, especially Naniette, and for those whose year’s mind is on February 1: Maria Worgitz (1903), Austin Huntington Mitchell (1906), Chauncey Crosby (1916), Mary Elizabeth Brown (1925), and Mary Sayles (1931).

SAINT MARY’S 2026 PLEDGE CAMPAIGN: A CLOSING REPORT FROM THE STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE

Despite falling short of our goal of $450,000 in pledges for 2026, we have achieved 90% of that goal, almost 40 percent of us increased our pledge for 2026, and membership and attendance at worship are increasing. All of this makes us feel positive about next year’s pledge campaign and about the life of Saint Mary’s in general. If you have not pledged for 2026, it is not too late, and you can still fill out a pledge card online or in the church.

Some vital facts                                                                  

$450,000 2026 pledge budget goal

By January 20
     $403,502 pledged
       99 pledges
       13 first-time pledges
       38 increased from 2025
       90% of 2026 pledge budget goal

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.

AROUND THE PARISH

Phone and Internet —Verizon has still not restored our service as of Friday morning. We apologize if you have been trying to reach us by phone and we are hopeful that phone and internet service will be restored before the weekend. Our parish administrator, Chris Howatt, can be reached by email (chowatt@stmvnyc.org).

Palms for Ashes — Starting this Sunday, there will be a basket at the usher’s table for parishioners to drop off palms from last year’s Palm Sunday. The palms will be burned to make ashes for Ash Wednesday.

Evensong & Benediction — This 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 2 PM 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!

Ash Wednesday — This year, Ash Wednesday falls on February 18. There will be a Said Mass at 8:00 AM, a High Mass at 12:10 PM, and a Solemn Mass at 6:00 PM. Ashes will be imposed at all three Masses. Ashes will also be available at other times in the Mercy Chapel, though all Saint Marians are strongly encouraged to receive ashes at one of the Masses.

Lenten Quiet Day with Br. Thomas, SSF — On Saturday, March 7, 2026, Br. Thomas Steffensen, SSF, will lead a Quiet Day at Saint Mary’s. We begin with a light breakfast at 9:30 AM, which is followed by the first reflection at 10:00 AM. Lunch is included, and the day will finish by 3:00 PM. Please RSVP to Fr. Wood.

Supper and Conversation in Lent — On four Wednesday evenings, Fr. Stephen Morris will lead a discussion series over supper entitled, “Why on This Night? The Old Testament and the Easter Vigil.” Creation. Noah. Abraham and Isaac. Exodus. Dry bones. Milk and honey. Hearts of flesh instead of stone. Why do we read these lessons from the Old Testament at the Easter Vigil? What does each lesson say about us? What do they say together as a collection? What do they say about Easter? Why bother with them at all?

February 25: Creation (Genesis 1-2)
March 4: Noah (Genesis 5-7)
March 11: Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22)
March 18: Moses (Exodus 1-15)

Why are these four passages the most important of all on this most important of all nights? How is our life different after hearing them read each year? Mass at 6:00 PM, followed by soup and bread and conversation at 6:30 PM. All are welcome! Please RSVP to Fr. Wood.

Flower donations — 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.

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

From Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe: Death and despair do not have the last word — Dear people of God in The Episcopal Church: Like Jesus, we live in frightening times. His earthly ministry began, as we heard in today’s Gospel reading, when John the Baptist was imprisoned by authorities who wanted to silence his preaching and prophesying. Jesus knew what happens when earthly powers persuade human beings to fear one another, regard one another as strangers, and believe that there is not enough to go around. In Jesus’ time, the power of these divisions motivated John’s beheading and Jesus’ own death on the cross at the hands of Roman authorities. In our time, the deadly power of those divisions is on display on the streets of Minneapolis, in other places across the United States, and in other countries around the world. As has too often been the case throughout history, the most vulnerable among us are bearing the burden, shouldering the greatest share of risk and loss, and enduring the violation of their very humanity... Click here for the complete letter from the Presiding Bishop.

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.

Holy Habits: 2026 Lenten Meditations — Good friend of the parish, Sister Monica Clare, CSJB, is writing this year’s Lenten meditations for Episcopal Relief & Development. The 2026 meditations offer an invitation to rediscover—or deepen—holy habits of prayer, worship and engagement with Scripture. These “holy habits” provide a path to a life that is given shape, meaning and direction by being rooted in a deeper relationship with God. Click here to subscribe.

All Saints’ Margaret Street Drinks Party on March 20 — From our sister parish in London: You are all warmly invited by your sister parish in London, All Saints’ Margaret Street, to a drinks party to be held on Friday, March 20, 2026, at the House of the Redeemer, New York City, from 6:30 PM onwards to celebrate the American Friends of All Saints’, Margaret Street. We hope this special occasion will be an opportunity for us to connect with parishioners of St. Mary the Virgin, and with American Friends of All Saints’ who live in or near New York. We look forward to being able to thank our American benefactors for their support. Both Fr. Alan and Fr. Peter will be present. It would be wonderful to see any parishioners of St Mary’s who wish to come. This drinks party will be proceeded by a Mass celebrated by Fr. Peter in the Chapel of the House of the Redeemer at 6:00 PM, giving thanks for the life of All Saints’, for any who wish to attend. You can book a free ticket for the event via Eventbrite here: https://americanfriendsdrinks.eventbrite.com.

ABOUT THE MUSIC AT SOLEMN MASS ON THE FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY

Girolamo Frescobaldi was born in Ferrara, Italy. Contemporary accounts describe him as a child prodigy who gained prominence as a performer and patronage of important noblemen. Composers who visited Ferrara during his youth included numerous important masters such as Claudio Monteverdi, John Dowland, Orlande de Lassus, Claudio Merulo, and Carlo Gesualdo. Frescobaldi established himself in Rome as early as 1604 and, by 1608, had been named organist of St. Peter’s Basilica. He is recognized as the first of the great composers of the ancient Franco-Netherlandish-Italian tradition who chose to focus his creative energy on instrumental composition. Keyboard music occupies the most important position in Frescobaldi’s extant works, many of which were unusually virtuosic for their time and were noted for their stylistic daring. Frescobaldi’s work was known to, and influenced, numerous major composers in Italy as well as such persons as Johann Jakob Froberger, Henry Purcell, Johann Pachelbel, and Johann Sebastian Bach. His eleven posthumously published Canzoni alla francese are presumed to have been named as dedications to Italian families. Alessandro Vincenti, whose family is named at the eighth Canzon, was responsible for the 1645 publication. These late Canzoni demonstrate Frecobaldi’s development of that genre from its roots as transcriptions of French chansons to fully idiomatic keyboard works. While Canzon terza is a single section in the older style, Canzon prima and Canzon ottava are multi-sectional works, sharing the characteristics of later baroque preludien and toccaten.

The musical setting of the Mass on Sunday is Messa a quattro voci da cappella by Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643).  Claudio Monteverdi, the great Italian madrigalist, was one of the most important composers to flourish at the juncture of European Renaissance music and the emergence of the Baroque musical art.  He was one of the legendary musicians to have directed music at San Marco, Venice, and later in his life was ordained a priest.  Considered a founder of opera as we know it today with his L’Orfeo (1609), his Vespro della Beata Vergine of 1610 may well have provided model and inspiration for the great Passions and oratorios of the later Baroque composers – notably Bach and Handel – which would also stand as monumental pillars of sacred music even to our own day.  Monteverdi’s Mass for four voices was published posthumously in 1650 in a collection which also included psalms and a litany to the Blessed Virgin. 

The French composer and organist Maurice Duruflé (1902–1986) was steeped in liturgical chant from his childhood as a chorister at the Rouen Cathedral choir School. He first entered the Paris Conservatory in 1920, becoming Professor of Harmony in 1943, a position he retained for nearly thirty years. He is remembered for his lifelong association with the stunningly beautiful church of St. Étienne-du-Mont, Paris, where he was named titular organist in 1929. The first of his Quatre motets sur des thèmes grégoriens (1960) is his setting of the Maundy Thursday antiphon Ubi caritas, sung during the administration of Communion. This setting, which quotes the ancient Gregorian melody for this antiphon, is elegant in its expressive simplicity and it has become the virtual default choral setting of this beloved liturgical text which beckons us to unity in God’s love.

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.