FROM THE RECTOR: HOLIDAY

“In the voice of praise and thanksgiving, among such as keep holy-day.”
(Coverdale Psalter, Psalm 42.5)

As I scrolled through Instagram recently, my algorithm took me to a clip from the program BBC Sounds, a conversation between historians Alice Loxton and Ben Henderson about the origin of the word “holiday.” Of course, no self-respecting Saint Marian needs me to explain it comes from the Old English hāligdæg, combining hālig (“holy”) and dæg (“day”), and since at least the tenth century it’s signified a religious festival or a sacred day set apart for worship and rest.

Over time the meaning morphed as holy days became associated specifically with time off work. Today “going on holiday” means to a Brit pretty much the same as what “going on vacation” means to an American. Once the “holiday” was always associated with a specific Christian feast—celebrating a saint’s life or an event in the life of Jesus—but not so much anymore.

My prayer for you in the fleeting summer days that remain is that you’re enjoying some sort of “summer vacation” as we move slowly toward autumn. And that you will pray with us tonight at Saint Mary’s on the eve of one of my favorite high holy days, the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. St. Francis de Sales said of this feast:

There is no doubt that at the Assumption of the most holy Mother of the Savior all the angels were festive, celebrating her coming in all manner of joyful songs. Joining our wishes and affections to theirs, we ought to have a solemn feast with exclamations and songs of triumph . . . [1]

Join us for the Vigil Mass for the Eve of the Assumption on Friday, August 14, at 6:00 PM. A festive reception follows in the Parish Hall.

And Happy Holiday! — SW

PARISH PRAYERS

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

We pray for those who have asked us for our prayers, for Pat, Jay, Rita, Courtney, Dennis, Shri, Donald, Rick, Burks, Steven, Theodore, Laura, Kofi, Kay, Blaise, Jon, Jeff, Derick, Phil, Laura, Sue, Emilie, Sharon, Monique, Cassius, Lisa, Ruth Ann, Rosemary, Holly, Becky, Bill, Grady, Chris, Violet, Pat, Allen, Giovanna, Ronald, Jose, Ben, Russell, Robert, Sandy, Desarae, David, Tony, Jan, Carlos, Quincy, Leroy, and Margaret; James, Victoria, 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 Heather and Pat, and for those whose year’s mind is on August 16: George William Ely (1922), George Harold McDonald (1924), and Leila West Sargent (1935).

AROUND THE PARISH

Assumption Appeal — Our annual Assumption appeal letter was recently mailed and a copy of the letter from Fr. Wood can also be read here. We are looking for donations to help fund the purchase of cushions for the pews. Thank you for your generosity!

Ice Cream Social — The Virgin Mary might be “clothed with the sun,” but we can beat the heat with an icy treat. Join us on August 16 at Coffee Hour after the 11:00 AM Solemn Mass for an ice cream social.

YSM & Cyclones Game — Grab your baseball caps and join The Young Saint Marians on Sunday, September 6, at 2:00 PM for a Brooklyn Cyclones game at Coney Island! Tickets are estimated to cost $22 or less. Please RSVP by Friday, August 21, to youngstmarians@gmail.com, and tickets will be purchased that same weekend. Feel free to reach out with any questions, and we’re looking forward to a fun afternoon!

Requiem Mass for Robert Picken — There will be a Requiem Mass in the Lady Chapel at Saint Mary’s on Tuesday, August 25, at 10:30 AM, for parishioner Robert Picken. Fr. Peter R. Powell will be the preacher. The Committal will follow immediately in the Mercy Chapel.

Ordination of Mtr. Elis — Our new curate, Mtr. Elis Lui, was ordained to the diaconate in February and will be ordained to the priesthood on Saturday, September 12, at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine. The liturgy begins at 10:30 AM. Fr. Sammy and Fr. Matt will be attending her ordination, and we warmly welcome all Saint Marians to join us!

Property Committee Forming — The Board of Trustees is actively working to assemble a Property Committee to advise them, manage projects, and interact with vendors. If you have experience in these areas, please contact Fr. Sammy.

Cookies are a Call to Community — During the summer months, we simplify Coffee Hour a bit to “Cookies and Lemonade,” though there is still coffee too! We are looking for volunteers to help support this ministry. Please let Fr. Sammy 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. The next Drop-by day will be Friday, August 21.

WEEKDAY MASS COMMEMORATIONS

Monday, August 17 — Feria
Tuesday, August 18 — Feria
Wednesday, August 19 — Feria
Thursday, August 20 — Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, 1153
Friday, August 21 — Feria
Saturday, August 22 — The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Click here for detailed monthly calendars.

MONTHLY LITURGIES

Parish Requiem — We offer a monthly Requiem Mass in the Mercy Chapel as part of our chapter of the Guild of All Souls. This Mass is typically celebrated on the third Saturday of the month unless a major feast falls on that day. All are welcome. Our next parish Requiem Mass will be on Saturday, September 19, at 12:10 PM.

Rosary Guild — Our Rosary Guild meets in the Lady Chapel after Solemn Mass (and a brief stop at Coffee Hour) on the fourth Sunday of the month to pray the rosary. All are welcome, including those who are curious, but have never prayed the rosary before! The Rosary Guild will next meet on Sunday, August 23.

Evensong & Benediction — During the program year, we offer Evensong & Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament in lieu of Evening Prayer at 4:00 PM on the first Sunday of the month. E&B will next be offered on Sunday, October 4.

THE DIOCESE AND WIDER CHURCH

Camino de Santiago de Compostela 2027 — Father John Beddingfield, former curate at Saint Mary’s, invites you to join Holy Trinity and Friends from May 24, 2027 to June 3, 2027 for a pilgrimage to the city of Santiago de Compostela, the burial place of St. James the Apostle. This will be a 10-night pilgrimage along the final 127km / 79 miles of the Portuguese Way, beginning in Porto, crossing into Galicia via Valença do Minho and Tui, and finishing in Santiago de Compostela, with time for worship, shared meals and rich encounters with local history and culture. For those who choose, we’ll walk eight consecutive days (Days 2–8), with one full rest and exploration day in Santiago at the end. A private coach accompanies you each day, giving you flexibility—so that if someone needs to take a rest or walk less, one can shorten a stage or ride if needed. More information and registration can be found here. Also, feel free to contact Father Beddingfield.

Diocesan Celtic Pilgrimage — Join Canon Lisa Ahuja and Canon Tanya Wallace on an Episcopal Diocese of New York pilgrimage to the holy island of Iona, Scotland, to experience the Celtic thin space where St. Columba founded his monastery. The pilgrimage will run Friday, June 11, 2027 (with departure from NYC the evening of June 10) through Saturday, June 19, 2027. While at the Abbey, we will take time to rest, reflect, and renew, in community with ecumenical Christians from around the world. The Iona Abbey retreat offers a gentle rhythm of worship, guided reflections, and shared community life, alongside space to rest and explore the island. The deadline to register with your deposit is August 23, 2026. Click here for more details about the pilgrimage and to register.

Deacon Formation Program: Inquirers Zoom — Are you interested in exploring ordination to the Diaconate? Are you already in discernment for the Diaconate? Register for this Inquirers Zoom on Monday, September 14, at 7:00 PM. Archdeacon Denise LaVetty will explain how the program works, what's required of you, and other important details to help you discern how this ministry might be where God is calling you. You must register to receive the Zoom link. Register by emailing archdeacon@dioceseny.org.

Vocations Day: Listening Hearts Retreat — On Saturday, September 26, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Saint Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery, the Diocese will offer 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 Canon for Lay & Clergy Formation, the Archdeacon for Diaconal Formation 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. Lunch will be served. Registration is required (click here).

ABOUT THE MUSIC ON THE TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Sunday’s organ voluntaries are the third installment of a series begun earlier this month of the eight “Little” Preludes and Fugues, traditionally attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach. While long promulgated as works of the great master, these pieces are now widely believed actually to have been composed by one of his pupils, very likely Johann Tobias Krebs (1690–1762), or his son Johann Ludwig Krebs (1713–1780). Of these eight preludes and fugues, four are in major keys of C, F, G, and B-flat, and the remaining four are in their relative minors of A, D, E, and G. The standard ordering of these eight pieces begins with BWV 553 in C Major and progresses up the scale to BWV 560 in B-flat. This Sunday’s prelude will be BWV 556 in F Major, and the postlude will be BWV 554 in the relative minor key of D. BWV 556, for the prelude, may be the least likely of the eight Preludes and Fugues to have been composed by Sebastian Bach. The prelude especially is stylistically much more suggestive of post-Baroque classical composition. Its accompanying fugue has a similar harmonic and textural simplicity as it continues in the bright spirit of F Major. BWV 554, numbered second in the collection and played for the postlude, has an A-B-A-shaped prelude, as did BWV 556. The fugue, with its angular theme, is modest in length and follows logically after the prelude.

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 20th 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 20th 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 prayer book’s Order for Holy Communion and was published in 1939.

The Communion motet is O God, be merciful by Christopher Tye (1497–1572). Tye was probably born in Cambridge, England, where he received his Bachelor of Music degree in 1536. He served as a lay clerk at King’s College before being named master of the choristers at Ely Cathedral around 1543. In 1545 he was awarded the Doctor of Music degree by the University of Cambridge. Tye had a strong connection to Dr. Richard Cox, tutor of Prince Edward and later bishop at Ely. This led to Tye’s becoming the music teacher of King Edward VI and, doubtless, to his eventual ordination as a priest in 1561. Tye resigned from Ely and became rector of Doddington, Cambridgeshire, where he served the remainder of his life. His four-voice anthem O God, be merciful derives its text from Psalm 67. It has been preserved in two versions: a shorter, earlier version in the Lumley Partbooks and fuller version from the Hamond Partbooks. Tye’s setting is in a Renaissance style wherein the text is parceled out in distinct musical points of imitation.

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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. Mother Elis Lui also assists with editing the newsletter. 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] Francis de Sales, Sermon for the Feast of the Assumption, 1602.