STEVEN ELDREDGE, WHAT’S ON YOUR BOOKSHELF?

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi (Simon & Schuster, 2023)

How did you hear about this book?

A friend mentioned it one day in passing on Facebook, and later that afternoon I found myself in a bookstore, (imagine!), and there was a table loaded with copies of this book. At that point, I figured it had to be Providence nudging me to read it.

What’s the book about?

A Portuguese man in his 80s, who is only known by his first name, Theo, ends up in a Georgia college town called Golden. We don’t know his actual background or life story, other than the fact that in addition to being a cultivated and kind man, he seems to be of independent fortune, and no family. He has personal past connections to this particular town, but we only get the most oblique references. The first locale he discovers is the Chalice coffee shop, where he makes friends immediately with the owner, and whose decor consists of dozens of wonderful ink sketches of people in the community done by a local artist. The names of the subjects are printed on the back of the frames, and they are for sale, but nobody seems to be buying them. Theo decides that the subjects of each portrait deserve to own their particular drawing. He arranges to buy the portraits one by one, finds the subjects and writes them a letter asking them to meet him at the fountain in the park, where he presents said pictures.

What happens in these encounters tends to be life-changing for each person. Theo seems to be able to see into their lives and their pasts and their dreams, and effect a great healing, an inpouring of grace each time. He makes material differences in all the lives of those he touches; he becomes much beloved of the populace, and the citizens of Golden, GA, begin to connect with each other in authentic and personal ways they never would have before. Events continue to develop in more complex, interconnected and beautiful ways as the book continues, but I cannot give away more of the plot here. It is such an emotional, sweet, lovely book, and will bring tears as well as joy to anyone sensitive to love, compassion, and grace.

What’s the connection with the Episcopal Church?

The connection is there implicitly in the slogan we have about All Are Welcome. The book is full of Christian undertones, and Christian feelings.

Why do you think other Saint Marians, might be interested in reading it?

The sense of that old saying about being careful how we treat strangers, because they could be entertaining angels in disguise permeates this book. I think the community, kindness, empathy, and friendship on display at our church would pre-determine people to enjoy this beautiful book.

“What’s on your bookshelf” is a series in the newsletter where members of our community can recommend books that might be of interest to other Saint Marians. If you have an idea that you would like to write about for a future issue of The Angelus, please contact Father Matt. The book may be fiction or non-fiction, and does not need to be a recent publication, but it should in some way relate to our common life at Saint Mary’s.

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 the Province of Myanmar, in the Anglican cycle of prayer.

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

We pray for those who have asked us for our prayers, for Don, Claudia, Jesus, Willie, Sue, Sumar, Christine, Emilie, Sharon, Cal, Eric, Hamida, Monique, Khalid, Cassius, Lisa, Sue, Ruth Ann, Rosemary, Holly, Becky, Bill, Grady, Chris, Violet, Pat, Allen, Vicki, Brendon, Nadia, Giovanna, Ronald, Jose, Ben, Russell, Robert, Sandy, Desarae, David, Tony, Jan, Carlos, Quincy, Leroy, Margaret, and Robert; Victoria 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, and for those whose year’s mind is on April 19: Wilbur Fisk Kirby (1881), Louise Myers (1904), Hannah Robertson (1904), Pauline Rescousie (1906), John Robert Mearns (1908), Henry Clay Glover (1914), Grace Fanning (1950), Gertrude Yorke (1965), Gudrun Lagergren (1977), and Norman Richard Austill (2019).         

AROUND THE PARISH

AIDS Walk 2026 — The AIDS Walk this year will be on Sunday, May 17. In 2025, Saint Mary’s team of 18 people ranked No. 3 of all teams in New York and No. 1 of all church teams, raising $56,890 from friends and family. The AIDS Walk is one of Saint Mary’s most important outreach efforts, and we would welcome you as a member of the team. Click here to join the team. If joining the team is impossible, we hope that you will be able to click here to support our team financially. Most team members will attend a Vigil Mass on Saturday, May 16, at 5:00 PM in order to walk with the crowd on Sunday, May 17. To have your questions answered, please contact one of the team leaders: Father Matt, MaryJane Boland or Clark Mitchell.

Adult Formation resumes this Sunday — Adult Formation starts up again this Sunday when Fr. Matt begins his five-part 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 Adult Formation. All are welcome!

Requiem Mass — The monthly parish Requiem Mass will be offered this Saturday, April 18, in the Mercy Chapel at 12:10 PM. Click here to learn more about the Guild of All Souls.

Livestream update — Solemn Mass and monthly Evensong & Benediction are now also being streamed to our YouTube page (which has been resurrected!) in addition to the livestream page on our website and to our Facebook page. For those who like to follow along with the Mass bulletin, that will continue to be posted to our livestream page ahead of the Mass. All the archived videos and sermon clips will also continue to be available on our website. We use Vimeo as a behind the scenes provider for our website and find it easiest to use our website itself rather that going directly to the Vimeo page (though the livestream is available on there too).

Rosary Guild — The Rosary Guild next meets on Sunday, April 26, after the 11:00 AM Mass, to pray the rosary. All are welcome.

Richard Shindell at Saint Mary’s — Join us for an unforgettable evening with singer-songwriter Richard Shindell on Sunday, April 26, from 7:00-9:00 PM. Richard Shindell lives as both an immigrant and emigrant, crossing thresholds, that informs his illumination of the human experience through narrative song. Shindell has inhabited a Zen Buddhist monastery and busked in the streets of Paris. Originally from New York, now living in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Shindell is a writer whose songs paint pictures, tell stories, juxtapose ideas and images, inhabit characters, vividly evoking entire worlds along the way and expanding our sense of just what it is a song may be. Click here for tickets and for more details about the artist.

May Crowning & Annual Meeting — Sunday May 3, the Fifth Sunday of Easter, is also May Crowning. Following the Solemn Mass, we will gather in Saint Joseph’s Hall for the parish’s Annual Meeting. Please plan on attending if possible.

Evensong & Benediction on May 3 — In addition to May Crowning and the Annual Meeting, May 3 is also the first Sunday of the month and we will offer Evensong & Benediction at 4:00 PM. Join us for a full day on May 3!

Thursday Bible Study — Thursday evening Bible study meets over Zoom at 6:00 PM. If interested, please email Fr. Wood for the link.

Neighbors in Need — As we enter warmer weather, you may have lost interest in your winter coat, but we have not. We can store coats until next winter—and we would love to! Please bring us your lightly-used coats and jackets. We accept all kinds of casual clothing: jackets, pants, tops and shoes, but we do not need professional clothing or children’s clothing. Thanks to many wonderful cash donations, we are able to purchase toiletries and underwear. Please speak to MaryJane Boland or Marie Rosseels for more information or send an email to neighbors@stmvnyc.org.

THE DIOCESE AND WIDER CHURCH

The Dangers of White Christian Nationalism (Webinar on Zoom) — On Thursday, April 23, 7:00 - 8:30 PM, Bishop Allen Shin will facilitate a virtual interfaith panel to address an ideology that is currently having a strong influence in our political climate. Panelists include:

Ms. Katherine Stewart, journalist and author of Money, Lies, and God

Rev. Dr. Pamela Cooper White, an Episcopal priest, the Christiane Brooks Johnson Professor of Psychology and Religion, Emerita, at Union Theological Seminary, NYC and author of The Psychology of Christian Nationalism: Why People Are Drawn In and How to Talk Across the Divide.

Rev. James Lynch, Interfaith Center of New York board member and Vice President of the Buddhist Council of New York

Dr. Hussein Rashid, Interfaith Center of New York board member, scholar of religion, and Muslim community leader

We look forward to your participation and welcome your questions. Click here to register and here to view a flyer for the event.

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, 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.

Law Day Celebration at the Cathedral — The 2026 Law Day Evensong and Celebration will be on May 17 at 4:00 PM. Bishop Matthew F. Heyd will lead the evensong service to celebrate Law Day and the work of attorneys in the Diocese. Reception to follow at 5:00 PM. Click here to register by May 15.

ABOUT THE MUSIC ON THE THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER

Sunday’s organ prelude is based upon the Easter chorale Jesus Christus, unser Heiland (Jesus Christ, our Savior). The chorale, dated 1524, is attributed to Martin Luther. An English translation of its first stanza is:

Jesus Christ, our Saviour true,
He who Death overthrew,
Is up arisen,
And sin hath put in prison.
Kyrieleison.

Franz Tunder (1614–1667) is believed to have been born in Lübeck, in northern Germany. It is likely that he studied with Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583–1643) in Florence. In 1641 he was appointed the main organist at Lübeck’s Marienkirche, where he was eventually followed by Dieterich Buxtehude (1637–1707). Tunder’s Jesus Christus, unser Heiland, played for the prelude this morning, is a triptych of settings of Martin Luther’s Easter chorale. The first verse of Tunder’s setting is in five voice, two of which are played on the pedals. The chorale melody is in the upper pedal voice. The second verse is in four voices with the melody in the tenor register played by the left hand. The third verse, also in four voices, places the melody boldly in the bass voice which is played on the pedals.

Sunday’s setting of the antiphon Vidi aquam, sung during the sprinkling of the people at Mass in the Easter season, is a contemporary chant setting by David Hurd, organist and music director at Saint Mary’s. It was composed for the 1982 Chicago Archdiocesan Music Festival. This setting, which was first performed at Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago, is designed for a variety of performance possibilities including singing in canon, use of handbells, and use of an impressionistic flowing organ accompaniment.

The setting of the Mass is the Mass for four voices by Thomas Tallis (c.1505–1585). Tallis was one of the most foundational composers of English church music. His long life and musical career included service under four English monarchs—Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary Tudor, and Elizabeth I—with all the shifts in the church’s liturgical and institutional life which these different reigns occasioned. Tallis’ early life is not well documented, but references to his musical employment begin to appear as early as 1532 when he was appointed organist at the Benedictine Priory of Dover. Notably he later was employed at Canterbury Cathedral and served as a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal. Along with William Byrd (c.1505–1585), Tallis enjoyed an exclusive license to print and publish music which was granted by Elizabeth I in 1575. While he was one of the first musicians to compose for the new Anglican rites of the mid sixteenth century, Tallis retained an affection for the Latin forms and continued to compose extensively for them. Tallis’ unnamed Latin Mass for four voices probably dates from the 1550s. Its musical style reflects the trend of that time away from very florid liturgical settings and toward syllabic and chordal compositions, favoring clearer declamation of the text.

The motet sung during Communion is by the American composer Randall Svane (b. 1955). Composed in 2024, this motet in four voices is a setting of Luke 24:29 taken from Saint Luke’s account of two disciples’ post-resurrection encounter Jesus on the road to Emmaus. The invitation for the Lord’s presence expressed in this choral setting may be understood as a broader prayer to be offered by the faithful at all times as well as an invitation to recognize the Lord’s presence even in unexpected times and places. Randall Svane is an active organist, conductor, and teacher. Born in Philadelphia, he holds degrees in organ performance and composition from the Manhattan School of Music and New York University respectively. His orchestral, chamber, operatic, and choral works have been performed internationally to public acclaim.

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 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.