FROM KATHLEEN SCHMIDT, OUR NEW SEMINARIAN INTERN: ON RELATIONSHIPS

My name is Kathleen Schmidt and I am a second-year seminarian at the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, a postulant for priesthood sponsored by the Diocese of Colorado, and it is an honor and joy to come among you, to worship God, and to learn and be formed as the Spirit wills.

Reading the Gospel passage for this coming Sunday, the words that stayed with me most were “when two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am among them.” To me, this statement speaks of relationship. The relationship into which we are invited with Jesus is, fundamentally, human relationship. And so it is that we behold the image of Christ in all our human relationships.

Relationship begins with encounter, then deepens with attention, until we perceive closeness. That closeness is something we often call intimacy. Intimacy happens when our attention to the relationship becomes so embodied, we come to know one another by heart. We know our best friend’s favorite song and coffee shop order. We know the words that are most comforting to our child. We know what our significant other is going to say before they have even finished their sentence.

So we begin with encounter here. As you encounter me, you will learn details about me, like how my father is a former Jesuit priest and my grandfather was a Lutheran pastor. You’ll learn that I am a classical musician and that I was trained in voice at the Peabody Conservatory. You’ll learn of my love for creative writing as a graduate of Denver School of the Arts, and for medieval history as a Colorado College alumna. You’ll learn that I feel strongly about social justice, racial equity, and civil rights for all, especially those who have had their human rights and dignity stripped away. You’ll learn how important the Sacraments are to me, how I seek to place the Eucharist and Baptismal Covenant at the center of my life, and my passion for engaging with reconciliation. You’ll learn of my deep, abiding love for the landscapes of my home region, the High Desert and Mountain West, and my enthusiasm for contemplative practices, walking, silence, solitude, and sabbath. (I’ll talk your ear off about labyrinths!) You’ll learn of how I have discerned vocation and how my faith was formed over the mountaintops and canyons of my life.

This is my hope, the hope that I think we all hold when our relationships begin: that you will take the seeds of your encounter with me, the details we share with one another, and their roots will deepen into connections, inspiration, and insights, so that we will sit at the base of the tree that grows and taste its good fruit together. I know that when we eat of the good fruit of relationship, we are being fed with nothing less than the Body of Christ, who is our apple tree and Bread of Life. I’ll meet you at this table—see you there soon.

— KS

This coming Sunday, September 6, will be Kathleen’s first Sunday at Saint Mary’s as our new seminarian intern. Make sure to introduce yourself and welcome her to our parish after Mass.

PARISH PRAYERS

We pray for our sister parish, the Church of All Saints’, Margaret Street, London, and for the Anglican Province of Alexandria in the Anglican cycle of prayer. We pray for those preparing for ordination, especially Elis, deacon.

We pray for those who have asked us for our prayers, for Luis, Theodore, Bobby, Jennifer, Laura, Dorian, Jay, Rita, Courtney, Dennis, Burks, Steven, Kofi, Blaise, Jon, Jeff, Derick, Phil, Laura, Sue, Emilie, Sharon, Monique, Cassius, Lisa, Ruth Ann, Rosemary, Holly, Becky, Bill, Grady, 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 Tom, Jay, and Stephen, priests.

We pray for the repose of the souls of those who have died, especially Katherine, Laura, Beryl, Wendell, Erin, and Pamela, and for those whose year’s mind is on September 6: Nellie Thompson (1893), Edna Grace Rescousie (1910), Robert Walker (1916), Melissa McFall (1917), and Martha McElveen Jones (1989).

FROM THE RECTOR: A NOTE FROM TIMES SQUARE

On Tuesday I said the Mass at Saint Mary’s with a heavy heart. The events in Times Square on Monday brought texts and emails from friends across the country who know we live and worship here. Many also know I’ve long been disturbed by violence in the world and by the mental health challenges so many in our city face, and Monday brought both those issues front and center in an especially tragic way. I was grateful for the contact.

Today, Wednesday, a parishioner asked me what our role is in situations like this, and I had to tell her I’m never really sure. After our conversation I did reach out to our friends at the Times Square Alliance to say how grateful we are for all they and our first responders do to keep safe everyone who lives, works, travels, and prays in Times Square. And together we said the Mass for the repose of the soul of Erin Piacenti, a 32-year-old new mother who died in our neighborhood on Monday afternoon. And we prayed for Pamela Cisneros, a 49-year-old woman who, her father told the Times, had lived for decades with serious mental health problems. She was also killed. We prayed for the unnamed man who was injured, the police who were involved, the passersby who witnessed. In short, we tried to do what our call to be a vibrant Anglo-Catholic witness in the heart of New York City suggests we should do.

As the Rector of a Times Square church, I may never know the exact right response to events like these—and they will happen again, I am sure—but I do know we’re called to be a faithful presence here, to show up, to be visible in the middle of our neighborhood with Open Doors, and to remind each other and anyone who will listen that “the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and will save those whose spirits are crushed” (Psalm 34.18).

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners
now and at the hour of our death.

— SW

AROUND THE PARISH

Novena for Holy Cross Day — This year, Holy Cross Day falls on Monday, September 14, and the midday Mass will be sung. In preparation, the parish is praying a novena, nine days of prayer, beginning on Saturday, September 5. The prayers and more information about novenas can be found here.

Ordination of Mtr. Elis — Our 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! The liturgy will also be livestreamed on the Cathedral’s website and on YouTube.

Saint Stephen’s Young Adults Guild and Third Wednesdays — The Young Saint Marians have recently chosen St. Stephen as their patron after discovering in the Ave archives that in the early-to-mid-1900’s there had been a young adult guild at the parish named for him. In addition to special gatherings and events as announced, the guild attends the 6:00 PM Mass on the third Wednesday of each month in the Lady Chapel, followed by fellowship. Join them next on September 16!

CPR/AED Training — To continue to have an automated external defibrillator (AED) at the parish, we need to have members of our community certified. Certifications from our last CPR/AED training session are expiring in November 2026, and we are now planning our next training session. If we have enough interest, we will be able to hold the session in the parish hall on a Sunday afternoon, likely in November. In addition to clergy and staff, altar servers, ushers, and members of our parish with a medical background who attend regularly on Sundays are especially good candidates for this training. Please email Rick Miranda in the parish office if interested in participating.

Neighbors in Need: Winter is coming! — It may not feel as if winter is coming, but it is, and we hope to build up our supply of coats and jackets. If you plan to replace your coat this winter, please bring us your old coat now, still in good condition. Our other most needed items are casual clothes: pants and jeans, jackets, tops and shoes—we always need shoes. Men’s clothes are harder to come by than women’s clothes, especially in sizes 32-36. We don’t need professional clothing or children’s clothing. We would also be happy to talk to you about being a volunteer. Please speak to MaryJane Boland or Marie Rosseels for more information or email neighbors@stmvnyc.org. The next Drop-by day will be Friday, September 18.

WEEKDAY MASS COMMEMORATIONS

Monday, September 7 — Feria
Federal Holiday Schedule: Mass at 10:00 AM
Tuesday, September 8 — The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sung Mass in the Lady Chapel at 12:10 PM
Wednesday, September 9 — Constance, Nun, and her Companions, 1878
Thursday, September 10 — Alexander Crummell, Priest, 1898
Friday, September 11 — September 11, 2001, Requiem
Saturday, September 12 — John Henry Hobart, Bishop of New York, 1830

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 next meets on Sunday, September 27.

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

Get to know our Cathedral — The Cathedral of Saint John the Divine offers a variety of guided tours such as the Vertical Tour and the Gardens & Grounds Tour. Click here for more details about their tours and to RSVP. Of course, another great way to get to know our Cathedral is to come to Mtr. Elis’s ordination on Saturday, September 12, at 10:30 AM!

Camino de Santiago de Compostela 2027 — Fr. 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 Fr. Beddingfield.

25th Anniversary Event & Documentary Film Screening — In observation of the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, join the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine for a day of remembrance and a screening of 9/11: Reclaiming Ground Zero, a documentary that explores the public decision-making process behind the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site. At a time when people are losing faith in democracy, this story is more than an inspiration; it’s an example of what is possible. And it’s a lesson that good democratic outcomes require good democratic processes. Introducing the documentary will be Dr. Carolyn J. Lukensmeyer, the founder of AmericaSpeaks, who was crucial in bringing together 5,000 New Yorkers to discuss the rebuilding of Ground Zero. Click here to register.

Evensong and Benediction welcoming the Archbishop of Canterbury — Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue is honored to welcome the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullally, who will preach at Solemn Evensong and Benediction. You’re invited to join in for this special occasion and help welcome the Archbishop to New York. Sunday, September 27, 4:00 PM. No registration required.

ABOUT THE MUSIC ON THE FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

The musical setting of the Mass on Sunday is Missa Octavi Toni by Orlando di Lasso (1532–1594). Lassus, as he was also known, was one of the most prolific and admired European composers of his time. Born at Mons in the Franco-Flemish province of Hainaut, Lassus was well traveled particularly in northern Italy, but was centered in Munich much of his adult life. His compositions include about sixty authenticated Mass settings, most of which are elaborate parody works based upon motets, often his own, as well as French chansons, and Italian madrigals from such composers as Gombert, Willaert, Resta, Arcadelt, Rore, and Palestrina. Missa Octavi Toni is one of the more succinct of Lassus’ Masses. It is in four voices throughout. Much of the Gloria is declaimed syllabically, and the polyphony in other movements is relatively restrained. Lassus shone perhaps with greater compositional distinction in his motets, but his compact Mass settings such as Missa Octavi Toni have demonstrated their liturgical suitability over generations.

The Communion motet is When Jesus died to save us set to music in 1983 by David Hurd, organist and director of music at Saint Mary’s. The two four-line stanzas of its text were authored respectively by Francis Bland Tucker (1895–1984) and perhaps John Donne (1572–1631) or Queen Elizabeth I (1533–1603). While authorship of stanza two remains uncertain, this stanza’s text seems to have arisen out of controversies around the significance of the Eucharistic elements which raged in the period between the Prayer Book editions of 1549 and 1559. F. Bland Tucker, Episcopal priest and author of many widely sung hymns, crafted the first stanza as a contextual set-up for the four-centuries-older second stanza for inclusion in The Hymnal 1982. The musical setting by David Hurd, which is conceived for four-voice unaccompanied singing, is named Tucker to honor the priest and poet who brought the two stanzas together.

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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.