FROM FATHER SPENCER CANTRELL: ON THE SODALITY OF MARY

I’ve been a member of the Sodality of Mary, Mother of Priests since Assumption 2020. Even for me, with a number of years of distance, the mention of the year “2020” brings to the fore some interesting feelings and memories to put it mildly. But among them are some good ones of my entrance into this dispersed community of diocesan priests. What began as something of a lifeline for catholic Anglicans around the Communion during the pandemic—we couldn’t do much, but we could pray the rosary online in several time zones—has evolved into a multi-provincial community of Anglican clergy committed to a priesthood inspired by and drawing strength from the example of Our Lady.

In our Manual, which we try to pray with daily, Day 16 tells us that we are “Called to be Priests of the Magnificat”. Quoting the Mag itself, we are told that “as priests under the patronage of Mary, we will make the Magnificat our own special prayer and a frequent subject for meditation”. It follows, of course, that this is already a part of our daily prayer—as at Evening Prayer it is (to quote Benedict XVI): “that Canticle which seals in spirit every celebration of Vespers”.

Like a lot of things that could be said to encourage ordained people, really these words are relevant to the life of any Christian. Mary’s own song is a source of life for all of us. In it we recall the great things God has done, and is doing, while remembering and proclaiming that those great things are always with preferential option for the poor and the vulnerable.

We are all called to a life of holiness—not in the sense of being holy as “above” the things of the world. Rather, the call is to ask throughout the Christian life—very much in the world— “How much more of myself can I set apart for God’s purposes? How much am I willing to live as if the words of Mary’s song say something true about the nature of reality? What part can I play that I think I can’t?” The priesthood of Mary calls to mind those icons of her offering the “inexhaustible chalice”. Aren’t we all called to offer that chalice to the world, in our own small ways, so that others may taste and see?

I am grateful that Saint Mary the Virgin is a place which has long tried to hold these things in their proper tension—to be inspired by Mary’s high example of Christian witness, and to not shy away from Christ as revealed to us in the streets around us. — SC

Fr. Spencer Cantrell is the rector of Saint George’s Church in Astoria, Queens, in the Diocese of Long Island. He will also begin serving soon at Saint Mary’s as an assisting priest and living in our parish complex. He previously served as curate/associate rector of All Saints’ Park Slope, Brooklyn and is an active member of the Sodality of Mary, Mother of Priests. Click here to learn more about Fr. Cantrell.

PARISH PRAYERS

We pray for our sister parish, the Church of All Saints’, Margaret Street, London, and for the Anglican Church of Southern Africa in the Anglican cycle of prayer.

We pray for those who have asked us for our prayers, for Zulie, Barbara, Deborah, Blaise, Jon, Bob, Riccardo, Heather, Elise, Jeff, Derick, Jim, Phil, Laura, Marley, Sue, Sumar, Emilie, Sharon, Monique, Cassius, Lisa, Ruth Ann, Rosemary, Holly, Becky, Bill, Grady, Chris, Violet, Pat, Allen, Nadia, Giovanna, Ronald, Jose, Ben, Russell, Robert, Sandy, Desarae, David, Tony, Jan, Carlos, Quincy, Leroy, Margaret, and Robert; James, Victoria, and Laura Katherine, religious; Lind, deacon; and John, James, Beth, Jay, and Stephen, priests.

We pray for the repose of the souls of those who have died, especially Matthew, Nicholas, and Norman, priest, and for those whose year’s mind is on June 28: Abbie Dobson (1890), Mary Elliot (1921), Lillie Rebecca Ferguson (1929), Edward Delavan Ransom (1937), and Douglas McNabb (1956).

AROUND THE PARISH

Rosary Guild this Sunday — The Rosary Guild will meet this Sunday, June 28, after the 11:00 AM Mass. Stop by Coffee Hour for a bit and then join them in the Lady Chapel to pray the rosary. All are welcome.

Young Saint Marians Picnic this Sunday — Pack your favorite picnic blanket and join us for an afternoon in the sun! The Young Saint Marians will be having a casual afternoon picnic this Sunday, June 28. We plan to meet in the Lady Chapel immediately following the Rosary Guild after the 11:00 AM Mass and walk down to Bryant Park together, weather permitting.  Don't forget to bring your bagged lunch! Feel free to email youngstmarians@gmail.com with any questions.

July 3 and 4 — On Friday, July 3, we will have our normal church hours and liturgical schedule, though the parish office will be closed. On Saturday, July 4, we will follow our Federal Holiday Schedule: Mass will be offered at 10:00 AM and the church will close early at noon.

Livestreamers needed — We are looking for additional volunteers to help us livestream Solemn Mass on Sundays. It is an important ministry as typically sixty to one hundred people join us live online on Sunday morning and then hundreds usually watch the recorded videos afterwards. Our hope is to build up this ministry so that volunteers would be scheduled to stream about once a month. Our current streamers are Mr. Blair Burroughs and Mr. Steven Eldredge. If you are interested, please speak with one of them, or Fr. Matt, for more details. It isn’t hard to learn!

Cookies are a Call to Community — During the summer months, we simplify Coffee Hour a bit to “Cookies and Lemonade,” though there will still be coffee too! We are looking for volunteers to help support this ministry. Please let Fr. Wood know if you would like to bring the cookies and lemonade for a summer Sunday and check out this Substack post he’s shared entitled “Cookies are a call to community.”

Neighbors in Need: What do we need? — We always need practical shoes in all adult sizes. We need jeans, especially in men’s sizes 32-36—but also women's sizes and pants other than jeans. And, as you may be thinking of a new winter coat, we would love to have your old coat! 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.

Fr. Matt on Vacation — Fr. Matt is away from the parish and will return to the office on Friday, July 10.

THE DIOCESE AND WIDER CHURCH

Ordination of Monica Clare, CSJB — Good friend of the parish and former residential member of our community, Sister Monica Clare, was ordained to the priesthood on Saturday, June 20, at the Community of Saint John Baptist’s convent in Mendham, NJ. Several Saint Marians were in attendance.

Pauli Murray Discussion — On Wednesday, July 1, from 6:00 – 7:30 PM, the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in collaboration with the American LGBTQ+ Museum, will host a celebration of Pauli Murray. Dean Winnie Varghese will be in discussion with Pauli Murray scholar and Associate Professor of Social Ethics at Union Theological Seminary, Sarah Azaransky; Canon Theologian, the Reverend Canon Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas; and Associate Professor of History at Antioch College, Kevin McGruder. A reception follows. Click here to reserve free tickets for the event.

ABOUT THE MUSIC ON THE FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

The Mass setting on Sunday is Missa super “Un gay bergier” by Jacob Handl (1550–1591). Jacob Handl, also known as Jacobus Gallus, is credited with over five hundred compositions, both sacred and secular, including twenty Masses and hundreds of motets. Slovenian by birth, Handl’s compositions incorporate the influences of the leading Franco-Flemish and Venetian musical schools of his time. Missa super “Un gay bergier” is a parody Mass in that its themes are derived from a pre-existing madrigal of the same name, in this case “Ung gay bergier prioit une bergiere” by Thomas Crecquillon (c.1505–1557). The original madrigal text translates as follows:

A gay shepherd was courting a shepherdess,
Making to her a plea in the game of love:
“Go away,” she said, “step back from me,
I find your intentions dishonorable:
Do not think that I would commit such a fault,
So stop making such a request,
For you do not have the lance that I need.”

Masses based upon musical themes from secular works were common in Jacob Handl’s time.

The motet sung during the administration of Communion is For the bread which thou hast broken by David Hurd, Organist and Director of Music at Saint Mary’s. The text by Louis F. Benson (1855–1930) was first published in Philadelphia in 1925 in his Hymns, Original and Translated. It first appeared in an Episcopal Church publication in the 1979 supplement Hymns III and subsequently has been included, albeit in a somewhat altered form, in The Hymnal 1982 at numbers 340 and 341. The musical setting of Benson’s hymn sung on Sunday is a setting for four voices, composed in 1980 and first published in 1983 in The David Hurd Hymnary, GIA Publications.

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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.