FROM ALDEN FOSSETT: ANTHEM ON A PILGRIMAGE AT THE BORDER

In the midst of life we are in death;
from whom can we seek help?
From you alone, O Lord,
who by our sins are justly angered.

These lines from an anthem appointed for use during burial flashed through my head every day during the pilgrimage that Berkeley Divinity School seniors made to the borderlands from March 7–13.[1] The first time it happened, we were crossing the border from El Paso, TX, to Ciudad Juárez, MX, using the 982-foot long Paseo del Norte Bridge.

Before we crossed, we prayed and reflected on excerpts from The Asylum Seekers: A Chronicle of Life, Death, and Community at the Border (Broadleaf Books, 2025), a book written by a priest and journalist, the Rev. Cristina Rathbone, who crossed the bridge daily in 2019 to serve a community of asylum seekers and migrants living in tents about 300 feet from the Juárez side of the bridge. We were reminded that hundreds of people use this bridge every day to get to and from school and work, so we needed to be aware of others who were moving more quickly.

I was nervous, but passing through the checkpoint on the El Paso side was simple. I dropped five dimes into the metal tray of the cashier window and shuffled past a Customs and Border Patrol agent. Immediately, I was hemmed in by the bridge’s architecture: a thick guard rail on my left to separate pedestrians from passenger vehicles; a wall of sun-bleached mesh metal fencing on my right to prevent me from climbing off the bridge. We could only move in one direction. There was no way to turn back.

I noticed a dozen or so colorful murals on the cement banks of the Rio Grande River that said things like “NI MURROS NI MILITARES ¡NO ICE!” and “LIBRE PALESTINA” and “STOP ICE” through small holes in the fence. I felt crushed by the sight of the border wall unfolding before me, cutting across the land, imposing a boundary that God did not create.

Then, just ahead of me, I saw a young girl tugging at her mother’s hand. While I was moving somberly, she was moving freely. Her laughter and playfulness were bright like her pink shirt as she bargained to be carried the rest of the way across the bridge. And then I thought that in the midst of her life was death—death that comes from these bridges, coils of barbed wire, surveillance cameras, and automatic weapons. And I knew that I was also in the midst of the same deathly infrastructure in Connecticut. I realized that I had been pretending otherwise behind the privilege and comfort that I have because of my U.S. citizenship.

The great gift that God gave me on this pilgrimage was a broken heart. It was broken by the catastrophic effects of detention centers and family separation, by God’s faithfulness and provision in the lives of people confronting the evils of the border, and by the U.S. government’s participation in the infliction of irreparable harm.

I am relieved to recall, by way of this anthem, that God is justly angered at our sins. And I am even more relieved that we have no one to turn to for help but God, and God alone.

Mr. Alden Fossett, our seminarian intern, is in his last year of seminary at Berkeley Divinity School, the Anglican seminary at Yale Divinity School. He has been called to serve as a curate at Saint Paul’s in Brookline, MA, starting on June 15.

PARISH PRAYERS

We pray for Sarah, Archbishop of Canterbury, for the people and clergy of our sister parish, the Church of All Saints’, Margaret Street, London, and for the Anglican Church of Melanesia, in the Anglican cycle of prayer.

We pray for those who are preparing for baptism or confirmation: Elena, Sam, Tom, and Yue.

We pray for those who have asked us for our prayers, for Willie, Sue, Sumar, Ruth, Christine, Emilie, Sharon, Andrew, Cal, Eric, Hamida, Monique, Khalid, Sophia, Cassius, Jimmy, Lisa, Sue, Ruth Ann, Rosemary, Holly, Becky, Bill, Grady, Chris, Violet, Pat, Allen, Vicki, Brendon, Nadia, Carol, Giovanna, Ronald, Jose, Ben, Russell, Robert, Sandy, Lexi, Georgia, Desarae, David, Tony, Jan, Carlos, Quincy, Leroy, Margaret, and Robert; Victoria, Suzanne Elizabeth, and Laura Katherine, religious; Lind, deacon; and, Beth, Jay, and Stephen, priests.

We pray for the repose of the souls of those who have died, especially Jimmy and Irene, and for those whose year’s mind is on March 29: Lucille Dunscombe (1959), Anna Jane Hemphill (1966), and Bruce Linville (1997).

FROM FATHER WOOD: HOLY WEEK CAN CHANGE A LIFE

I know I say it every year, but allow me say it again:

“Holy Week can change a life.”

Our Week of Salvation begins this Sunday, and I urge you to enter fully into all the events of these climactic days. Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the Last Supper and Betrayal, the Crucifixion, three days behind a stone, the empty tomb on Easter Day—these aren’t just historical events. The liturgies of Holy Week make them present today, inviting each of us into the Paschal mystery of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and new life. These liturgies “bring us to the brink of chaos in the presence of the living God.” (Aidan Kavanagh) And having met that God, how could we ever be the same? To quote the American poet, New York’s own Delmore Schwartz:

And we shall never be as once we were,
This life will never be what once it was!

Whether you’re a lifelong believer, a seeker, or just curious, Holy Week draws you in, invites participation over mere observation. Won’t you commit to being present for these great liturgies? And ask God to show you one person to invite along with you. Come and see. You may well discover for yourself that Holy Week can change a life.

Assist us mercifully with thy help, O Lord God of our salvation, that we may enter with joy upon the contemplation of those mighty acts, whereby thou hast given us life and immortality; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

This Sunday, weather permitting, we will process to Times Square at the 11:00 AM Palm Sunday Liturgy.

Click here for the complete Holy Week and Easter Day liturgical schedule.

FROM THE FLOWER GUILD: VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Volunteers are needed for Holy Week and Easter. We always have lots of snacks, coffee, and great fellowship! Whether you can just volunteer an hour or two or be here every day, we need your help. It makes Easter feel even more special knowing you had a part in making it happen.

• Parish workday on “Palm Saturday,” March 28, starting at 10:00 AM continuing through 3:00 PM. We will need help with stripping palms for Palm Sunday, helping the Flower Guild setup Saint Joseph’s Hall for Easter flower production, and lots of cleaning and polishing to have Saint Mary’s looking our best for Easter. Please contact Grace Mudd if you can help.

• The Flower Guild needs help with getting branches and flowers into water—no skills needed! Branches will be delivered on Monday, March 30, around 10:00 AM with work on that continuing through 2:00 PM. Flowers will be delivered on Tuesday, March 31, at 9:00 AM and work will last through about noon. There is always a great need for as many hands as possible on Holy Saturday, which is April 4 this year, starting at 9:15 AM and continuing through 4:00 PM. We will be removing the veils in the church, moving flowers into place, and putting finishing touches on getting the church ready for Easter. Please contact Brendon Hunter if you can volunteer for any of those dates.

 AROUND THE PARISH

Easter Flower Donations — Donations are needed for Easter Flowers from members and friends of Saint Mary’s to make all the festive decorations possible. Click here to donate online for the Easter flowers. Any amount is welcome! Checks can be mailed to the church; please note “Easter Flowers” on the memo line. Easter flower donation envelopes are also available at the usher’s table in the back of the church and can be left in any shrine box or in the offering basket during services.

Adult Formation — Adult Formation is on Easter Break until April 19, when Fr. Matt begins his series on Saint Catherine of Siena. We meet in Saint Joseph’s Hall at 9:45 AM, between the two Sunday Masses. Click here for more details about what we have planned for this semester at Adult Formation. All are welcome!

Thursday Bible Study on Break — Thursday evening Bible study is on break for the next two Thursdays. We meet over Zoom at 6:00 PM. If interested, please email Fr. Wood for the link.

Neighbors in Need — Jackets and practical shoes for men and women continue to be top needs. We are typically better supplied with women’s clothes than men’s. Our men’s priorities for February and March are warm tops; pants in size 32, 34 and 36; and shoes in all sizes. Thanks to your donations we are also able to purchase toiletries, gloves and underwear, especially thermals, which are in high demand. Please speak to MaryJane Boland or Marie Rosseels for more information or send an email to neighbors@stmvnyc.org.

THE DIOCESE AND WIDER CHURCH

National Action Network Convention — Ms. Angeline Butler has let us know that the National Action Network will hold their annual Convention in our neighborhood at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel on Seventh Avenue and 53rd Street. It will run from April 8-11 and is free to the public, though registration is required (click here to register).

The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture — On Saturday, April 18, join the Diocesan Anti-Racism Committee for a one-day round trip to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. The transportation fee is $50 per person, payable during online registration. This fee is non-refundable unless the trip is canceled. Admission to the museum is free. Meals are not included, but food is available for purchase at the museum café. ADA accessible buses leave promptly at 5:00 AM from two locations (The Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in Manhattan and Christ Episcopal Church in Tarrytown) and will return between 11:00 PM and midnight. Click here to complete a short questionnaire. After completing it, an email will be sent containing the link to finish registering.

2026 Vocations Day: Listening Hearts Retreat — On Saturday, April 25, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM at Christ Episcopal Church (20 Carroll Street, Poughkeepsie, NY), join us for an intentional gathering to help those who are beginning to discern a call to lay or ordained leadership in the life of the Church. Seekers will hear from the Bishop and members of the Commission on Ministry about the ministry of the Laity and Clergy, the expectations of the Commission on Ministry for those seeking ordination, and clear and practical next steps. There will be prayer, a plenary session, breakout groups, and lunch. Break out groups will include sessions exploring priesthood, the diaconate, and discerning lay leadership for your community’s needs. Seekers are encouraged to attend with their clergy person, and the expectation is that participants will be present the whole day. Parking is available. Click here to register and learn more.

Spirit of the City: Annual Benefit for the Cathedral — On Wednesday, May 6, from 6:30 to 8:30 PM, please join the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine for their annual benefit, Spirit of the City. This year, instead of a traditional seated gala dinner, the Cathedral will fill with community members, partners, congregations, and friends from New York and beyond, to celebrate what brings our communities to life. Complimented by sumptuous hors d'oeuvres, mocktails, and cocktails, attendees will explore the Cathedral throughout the evening and discover opportunities to interact with stone carving and artistic experiences, before gathering together to recognize the incredible honorees: The Rt. Rev. Mariann Budde and Dr. Elizabeth Alexander. Click here to learn more and to buy tickets.

ABOUT THE MUSIC ON THE SUNDAY OF THE PASSION: PALM SUNDAY

The prelude this Sunday is a setting of the chorale Valet will ich dir geben by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750). The melody upon which this chorale prelude is based is that to which the Palm Sunday processional hymn “All glory laud and honor” is most often sung, found in The Hymnal 1982 at #154. The same melody is also associated with the Advent hymn “Blest be the King whose coming” (#74 in The Hymnal 1982). Bach’s setting of this melody, however, is one of two from his miscellaneous chorales on Valet will ich dir geben (Farewell, I gladly bid thee), a text which expresses the soul’s delight in departing from this flawed world into the joys of heaven. The second of these two settings, played this morning, is an exuberant fantasia in 24/16 meter with the melody in long notes in the bass register.

The Palm Sunday liturgy begins with music expressing the festivity and excitement of the occasion. The antiphon Hosanna to the Son of David traditionally introduces the liturgy. This antiphon has received many splendid choral settings over the centuries. This Sunday, as the ministers enter, it will be sung to a setting by Frank Santo (1943–1992). Frank Santo was born in Brooklyn and held positions in Catholic and Protestant Churches throughout New York before becoming director of music at the Church of the Holy Apostles, Chelsea, in 1981, a position he held until his death in 1992. While at Holy Apostles, he composed and performed numerous and varied original works which remain unpublished. Among Santo’s extended works are a Passion According to Saint John and Three Tenebrae Responsoria written in 1985 and dedicated to all those who have died of AIDS. His music is modern, demanding, and lends dynamic presence to the liturgy. His setting of Hosanna to the Son of David has an angular strength which imparts both joy and majestic severity. 

Then, as palms are distributed to the assembly, another traditional antiphon is sung in plainsong surrounding select verses from Psalm twenty-four.

The settings of the Mass Ordinary—Sanctus and Agnus Dei—are from Missa in die Tribulationis by NcNeil Robinson (1943–2015). McNeil Robinson was an internationally celebrated organist, composer, improvisateur, and teacher. He headed the organ department at the Manhattan School of Music for many years as well as serving religious institutions. In 1965, while still a student at the Juilliard School he began his long and well-remembered associations both with the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin and with Park Avenue Synagogue. He left Saint Mary’s in 1982 and subsequently served at Park Avenue Christian Church and at Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church until failing health necessitated his retirement. Robinson’s reputation as organist, improviser, and composer became established during his years at Saint Mary’s, and he composed Missa in die Tribulationis in 1980 for use here on Palm Sunday. In this setting, Robinson skillfully used chromaticism, dissonance, and contrasts in textures, dynamics, and rhythmic elements in crafting a modern Mass tailored for the singular complexity of the Palm Sunday liturgy.

William Byrd (c.1540–1623) composed and published richly both for the Protestant English church of his time and for the Catholic liturgy of his conviction. The first volume of Byrd’s Cantiones Sacrae, published in 1589, included his five-voice setting of Civitas sancti tui, which is the second part of the motet Ne irascaris Domine. This second part of Byrd’s motet, with text taken from Isaiah 64:10, will be sung during the administration of 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 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.

[1] In the 1979 Prayer Book, this anthem is the first option at the Committal service in Rite I (BCP 484). In Rite II, it is an option for the opening anthem of the burial rite (BCP 491). For more about the anthem text, see Marion J. Hatchett’s Commentary on the American Prayer Book (HarperCollins, 1995), 484.