FROM FATHER SAMMY WOOD: STATE OF THE PARISH

The following is adapted from Father Sammy’s report to the Annual Parish Meeting on May 3, 2026.

Thanks to everyone who stuck around after Mass on a Sunday in May for us to all be together for the Annual Parish Meeting of the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin. A few months ago I asked the original co-chairs of the Search Committee to get their team back together and start thinking again about where we are in the process, which led to their meeting with the bishop and his approval of calling a Rector to Saint Mary’s. About that same time, Renee and I began praying as well. We’ve come to love this place so much, and knowing how important this parish is to the broader church, and the unique challenges and opportunities these next few years will hold for Saint Mary’s, we wanted the right person to be the Rector—regardless of who that turned out to be. As we prayed, it became clear to us that, if asked, we would very much like to stay on here with you, so I can’t tell you how pleased I am to be given your trust to walk into this next season of life together. I’m excited and humbled to become your Rector later this year.

More on that in a bit, but first, I always start with gratitude. Your Annual Report is full of stories of what you have done this year, stories from so many essential volunteers—you all know who you are—who make this place run day by day, year after year. Every visitor welcomed, flower arranged, altar linen laundered, candlestick polished, liturgy rehearsed, glass of wine served, dish washed, coat hung, meeting attended, dollar raised, mile walked, letter mailed, bulletin printed, prayer prayed—every task has a face and a name. You are Saint Mary’s, and to everyone who had a hand in this work, thank you.

Now some metrics:

• The holy sacrifice of the Mass was offered 483 times (33 more than the last year)

• The sacrament went out into homes and hospitals some 81 times (up from 58)

• The Daily Office was prayed times 575 times (up from 572)

• Saint Mary’s celebrated 4 baptisms and 1 marriage

In this address I want to do two things. First, look close range, at the next 12 months. And second, take a minute to just glance at the horizon farther into the future.

Click here to read Father Wood’s full address.

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 Pakistan, in the Anglican cycle of prayer.

We give thanks for all mothers and for the birth of Stella.

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

We pray for those who are preparing for ordination, especially: Alden.

We pray for those who have asked us for our prayers, for Phil, Laura, Kay, Marley, Duke, Don, Claudia, Jesus, Willie, Sue, Sumar, Christine, Emilie, Sharon, Monique, Cassius, Lisa, Sue, Ruth Ann, Rosemary, Holly, Becky, Bill, Grady, Chris, Violet, Pat, Allen, Nadia, Giovanna, Gianni, Ronald, Jose, Ben, Russell, Robert, Sandy, Desarae, David, Tony, Jan, Carlos, Quincy, Leroy, Margaret, and Robert; Victoria and Laura Katherine, religious; Lind, deacon; Beth, Jay, and Stephen, priests; and Thomas, bishop.

We pray for the repose of the souls of those who have died and for those whose year’s mind is on May 10: William Clark Edgar (1873), Mary Elizabeth Leute (1898), William Husenetter Kies (1898), John Priest (1926), Florence Webb (1948), Rhea McKee Scott (1957), James Barth (1994), and Everett Bertram Bosshard, priest (1959). 

AROUND THE PARISH

The next Rector of Saint Mary’s! — At the Annual Meeting, it was announced that Fr. Sammy Wood has been called as the next Rector of the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, and he will begin serving in this capacity on June 1. The institution and induction of Fr. Wood will take place later this year on December 8, the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our patronal feast.

Our seminarian’s last Sunday at the Parish — This Sunday is our seminarian Alden Fossett’s last Sunday at Saint Mary’s. He will be ordained to the diaconate on May 30 in Boston and then begin a curacy at Saint Paul’s in Brookline, MA, starting on June 15. Please keep Alden in your prayers and make sure to wish him well at Coffee Hour on Sunday!

Ascension Day —This coming Thursday, May 14, is Ascension Day. Dr. David Hurd, our organist and music director, will offer an organ recital at 5:30 PM featuring works by Mendelssohn and Zwart. Solemn Mass follows at 6:00 PM. Our guest preacher will be Fr. Phillip Channing Ellsworth, Jr., rector of the Church of the Good Samaritan in Paoli, PA.

Ascensiontide Novena — As a parish, we will be praying a novena to the Holy Spirit from Ascension to Pentecost. Click this link for the prayers and more details about novenas.

AIDS Walk One Week Away — Next Sunday, May 17, the Saint Mary’s AIDS Walk team will walk with an ambitious goal of raising $60,000. We are getting very close to our goal, though not there yet. Please click here to help us meet and beat our target! To have your questions answered, please contact one of the team leaders: Father Matt, MaryJane Boland or Clark Mitchell.

A new batch of incense! — Mr. Kenny Isler was in town for a couple days and made a new batch of incense for the parish. Kenny, a longtime parishioner and master incense maker, now lives in South Carolina. We are grateful that he continues to serve the parish in this way. Learn more about Kenny and Saint Mary’s incense here.

Saint Marians About Town: Met exhibit on Raphael — The group plans to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art after Mass on Sunday, June 14, to view the acclaimed exhibition Raphael: Sublime Poetry. This extraordinary special exhibition is displaying more than 170 of the master’s greatest and most rarely-seen pieces. For more information, you can refer to the Met’s website here. The ticket is estimated to cost about $30 or less, depending on the size of the group. Please RSVP to Katherine (katherinetilleyhoyt@gmail.com) by May 19, as she will arrange a group rate.

The Day of Pentecost — On the Day of Pentecost, Sunday, May 24, The Rt. Rev. Allen K. Shin, Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of New York, will be the celebrant and preacher at the 11:00 AM Solemn Mass. Three of our parishioners are preparing to be confirmed by Bishop Shin and a baptism is also planned.

Adult Formation — Adult Formation continues this Sunday with Fr. Matt’s series on Saint Catherine of Siena and how her writings can inform our Year of Service. We meet in Saint Joseph’s Hall at 9:45 AM, between the two Masses. All are welcome!

Sermon Series on Acts — Fr. Wood has been preaching a sermon series on the Acts of the Apostles at Mass on the Sundays in Eastertide. If you missed one, there are videos of all of them on our website.

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

Idolatry and the Eucharist: How to See God in Things Without Making a God of Things — On Saturday, May 16, 11:00 AM–12:30 PM, Dr. William T. Cavanaugh will give the Spring Theology Lecture at Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue. Our culture tempts us to turn money, nation, and the self into gods. The Eucharist frees us to love things without being enslaved by them. This lecture offers a chance to reflect honestly on where our deepest loyalties lie. The speaker, Dr. William T. Cavanaugh is Professor of Catholic Studies and Director of the Center for World Catholicism and Intercultural Theology at DePaul University in Chicago. He is author of nine books and editor of eight more, as well as editor of the journal Modern Theology. His most recent book is The Uses of Idolatry (Oxford University Press, 2024). Click here for more details and to register for the event. The lecture will be available both in-person and live-streamed if you wish to attend virtually.

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 SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

The organ prelude on Sunday is Sicilienne attributed to Maria Theresia von Paradis (1759–1824). Maria Theresia von Paradis was born in Vienna, the daughter of the imperial secretary in the court of her Empress godmother. When she lost her sight by the age of three, her godmother persisted in securing her musical education. Eventually, she toured throughout Europe as a pianist and a singer. She was a friend of Mozart who is believed to have composed his Piano Concerto No. 18 for her. Antonio Salieri and Franz Joseph Hadyn may also have composed music for her. The Times of London recognized her as “the Blind Enchantress.” In addition to her reputation as a pianist, singer, and composer, Von Paradis is credited for having developed and shared a tactile alphabet for use by blind people for reading and writing. The Sicilienne attributed to her was originally composed for violin and piano, but its lyric melody and gracefully lilting accompaniment have endeared it to other instrumentalists who have adopted and adapted it widely.

The Mass setting is the Communion Service, subtitled Missa Salve Regina, by the American composer Everett Titcomb (1884–1968). Titcomb was born in Amesbury, Massachusetts, and was nurtured in the climate of such Boston area composers as Eugene Thayer, Dudley Buck, and Horatio Parker. In 1910 he became organist and choirmaster at Boston’s Church of Saint John the Evangelist, Bowdoin Street, a position he retained for fifty years. This parish, founded in 1883 and administered by the Order of Saint John the Evangelist (the Cowley Fathers), strongly espoused the values of the Oxford Movement expressed both in service to the urban poor and in recovery of a rich Catholic liturgical practice within Anglicanism. Titcomb was a major force in introducing plainsong and renaissance polyphony to twentieth century Anglicans. The Schola Cantorum at Saint John’s in the 1930s and 40s, under his direction, was notable for its singing of chant and polyphony at a time when such music was rarely heard. Titcomb’s own choral and organ compositions, many of which contain references to chant melodies, united elements of ancient expressions with the artistic palette of twentieth century America in a parallel manner to what Healey Willan (1880–1968) was doing at Saint Mary Magdalene, Toronto. In addition to Titcomb’s service at Saint John the Evangelist, he taught chant and sacred music at New England Conservatory and Boston University. Titcomb’s compositions conservatively reflect the musical aesthetics of his time. His Communion Service, Missa Salve Regina, sets the words of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer Order for Holy Communion and was published in 1939. 

The name of Healey Willan (1880–1968) is well known to Episcopalians because of his Missa de Santa Maria Magdalena, composed in 1928, which appeared in The Hymnal 1940 and was retained in The Hymnal 1982. This setting has been widely used throughout the Episcopal Church and by other denominations for decades. Willan’s career and reputation, however, went far beyond composing this much-sung congregational Mass setting. He composed more than eight hundred works including operas, symphonies and other music for orchestra and band, chamber music, and music for piano and organ, in addition to a great quantity of choral church music. His liturgical music included fourteen choral Masses, motets for many occasions, canticles, and hymn settings. Willan, who is said to have described himself as “English by birth; Canadian by adoption; Irish by extraction; Scotch by absorption,” was a champion of historic liturgical chant and the aesthetic of Renaissance church music. He incorporated these influences and mingled them with an appreciation of the rich harmonic palette of the late nineteenth-century masters. Through his compositions and choral direction, he significantly set the standard for North American Anglo-Catholic church music in his time. In 1956 Willan became the first non-English church musician to be awarded the Lambeth Doctorate, Mus.D. Cantuar. Rise up, my love, my fair one, Willan’s setting of Song of Songs 2:10-12, is the fifth of ten Liturgical Motets which he composed between 1928 and 1937. Scored in four parts with occasional divisi, this motet is modest in length and rich in expression.

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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.