FROM THE RECTOR: DECISIONS

The bishop of New York has decided that public worship may resume for congregations that choose to reopen and, are prepared properly to be open, on Wednesday, July 1, 2020. I invite you to read Bishop Andrew Dietsche’s letter at this link on the diocesan website. I hope very much our parish will be ready on July 1 to open our doors for public worship and, I hope, also for some part of the day for people who want to rest and pray.

On Friday, March 13, when we were still hoping to be open on Sunday, March 15, we got out a measuring tape and discovered that forty individuals, or thirty individuals and ten couples, could sit at a safe distance in the nave of the church. When we do reopen, the bishop will require that we follow state guidance about how many persons can be admitted for a service—at the moment, only ten. I expect that number will change. There will be lots of things to think about and to figure out as we prepare to open our doors again.

In the meantime, life goes on. We have received news about parishioners and friends who are at home sick and, in some cases, hospitalized for non-COVID-19 care. Our prayer list is active. We want to celebrate a requiem for William Samuel (Bill) Poston who died on April 2, 2020, at Mount Sinai Beth Israel. He became a member of the parish at the Great Vigil of Easter celebrated on April 2, 1983. His body was cremated, and he will be buried in Florida where his parents are buried.

With our sextons Harka Gurung and Jorge Trujillo back at the church during the week, our buildings are being cared for—the brass altar rails at the high altar and in the Lady Chapel are shining. Chris Howatt, office manager, and Kristie Raynor, bookkeeper, are working from home, as is Dr. David Hurd. If you haven’t had a chance to listen to the recording of David and our choir, you can do so at this link. (Another special recording is a recording Dr. Hurd mentioned for Easter 5.)

Beginning the week of Sunday, May 31, Father Smith and I are going to try to see how it will work for each of us taking the services four days one week and three days the next week. If I’m celebrant and officiant on Saturday and Sunday, I will be off on Mondays and Tuesdays, and Jay will be off on Friday and Saturday. If Jay is taking Saturday and Sunday, he will be off on Thursday and Friday, and I will be off on Tuesday and Saturday. For June, the friars decided they wanted to keep Saturday as their weekly day off, but they will take turns attending Mass so the Eucharist can be celebrated—for which Jay and I are most thankful.

When permitted, we hope that Father Matt Jacobson and Mother Alison Turner will be able to be a part of our schedule too. We haven’t begun to work out 2020 vacations for the church staff and clergy. Saint Mary’s has had a daily celebration of the Eucharist since the parish opened the doors of its first church doors on December 8, 1870—the first Episcopal parish in in the city to have a daily Mass. This witness and ministry continue.

As you know, our board has been gathering weekly for a conference via Zoom, one of these conferences is a formal monthly meeting. I think I can say that live-streaming of services will continue. We know we need to invest in equipment that can allow us to live-stream at the high altar. Inquiries are being made, and research is being done. Another committee is taking a fresh look at online giving and are encouraged by what they’ve found so far. More will be revealed.

Other challenges may be very hard. I’m sure many people who have been active in this congregation for a long time, for good reason, will be reluctant to return until significant danger of infection has receded. Singing with others at church is a huge part of my own spiritual life. We may have an organist playing from, and a solo cantor singing from, the choir gallery, but it seems likely that it will be many months before we can restore congregational singing in our worship. I treasure the moments when one senses the congregation’s voice is singing together as a choir with a director. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s a moment that makes me I think about these words in John’s gospel that Jesus prayed before he gathered his friends and took them across the Kidron Valley to a garden. He told his Father, “The glory which thou hast given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one” (John 17:22). —Stephen Gerth

YOUR PRAYERS ARE ASKED FOR Ruth, Michael, Ethelyn, James, Shalim, Nam, John, Marilouise, Ken, May, Willard, Alexandra, Takeem, and Barbara; Luke, Desmond, and Deborah Francis, religious; Ryan, John, Gene, Gaylord, Louis, and Edgar, priests; Charles, bishop; the members of the armed forces on active duty, especially Isabelle; all health-care workers; all those who work for the common good; all the members, benefactors, and friends of this parish and for the repose of the soul of Larry Kramer and Craig Cwick.

GRANT THEM PEACE: May 31: 1891 Fannie Mills Prentice; 1913 Percy St. George Townshend; 1919 Rebecca Morgan Adams; 1934 Herbert Guppy; 1995 Louis Stephen Stancill.

IN THIS TRANSITORY LIFE . . . This parish was affected by the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s in significant ways. Some members of the parish died during that time. Others responded to the epidemic then, finding ways to minister to the sick, and our members have continued to respond to the ongoing needs of those who are HIV positive or ill, especially through the annual AIDS Walk fundraising effort. New Yorkers learned this week that Larry Kramer had died. Mr. Kramer was a New Yorker. He was known to be articulate, smart, as well as difficult, outspoken, provocative, and rude. He loved hyperbole. Many people, both inside and outside the LGBTQ community, disliked him. Others admired him greatly for his courage, commitment, and intelligence. Many of those who disliked him could not help but respect him. All that said, his powerful rhetoric and deep commitment made a huge difference at a time when American society was comfortable speaking in whispers, or saying nothing at all, about gay men and other marginalized people who were sick and dying from the effects of HIV; and so we keep him, his family and friends, and all who mourn in our prayers.

THE ORDINARY FRIDAYS OF THE YEAR are observed by special acts of discipline and self-denial in commemoration of the Lord’s crucifixion. With the conclusion of the Easter Season on the Day of Pentecost, special devotion returns on Friday, June 5.

THE FLOWER MARKET HAS REOPENED . . . Flowers have been given for Sunday, May 31, the Day of Pentecost. We would welcome donations especially for Trinity Sunday, June 7, and Corpus Christi, June 14. A donation of $150.00 is asked. Please be in touch with Chris Howatt by email if you would like to give them for the Sundays mentioned or doe one of the last two Sundays in June.

PENTECOST AND THE VISITATION . . . Sunday, Mary 31, is the Day of Pentecost: Whitsunday. The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is transferred to Monday, June 1. A Sung Mass will be celebrated on Sunday, a Said Mass on Monday. Father Jay Smith, the friars and I are used to singing a simple plainsong setting of Te Deum at Sung Matins. On the First Sunday after Pentecost: Trinity Sunday, in addition to a hymn at the preparation of the gifts we will sing this Te Deum as incense is offered. As is our custom, Trinity Sunday is the last Sunday until the beginning of October when we will celebrate (and live-stream) Evening Prayer & Sung Benediction—during the summer months Sunday Evening Prayer is read. On the Second Sunday after Pentecost: Corpus Christi, we cannot have a procession this year, but the Sung Mass will conclude with Eucharistic Benediction. —S.G.

SAINT MARY’S WORSHIP VIDEOS are live-streamed daily at 10:00 AM on Saint Mary’s Facebook page. And they can be viewed there even if you don’t have a Facebook account. They are uploaded after the Mass, first to our Vimeo page and then to our parish webpage. We also have a parish YouTube account. Weekday Masses average a little less than 30 minutes and include a homily written for the day. The rector has been able to post almost all of his sermons—and has promised to show Father Smith how he can post his.

MUSIC AT SAINT MARY’S . . . Dr. David Hurd, organist and music director at Saint Mary’s has been sharing with the parish community a series of articles entitled “Music Listening for the Easter Season.” The seventh part of the series is now on our website.

WE NEED YOUR HELP . . . If you have made a pledge for 2020, please continue to make payments on your pledge, if possible. If you have not yet made a pledge for 2020, we urge you to do so. If you are able to make an additional donation to support the parish at this time, we would happily receive it. Donations may be made online via the Giving section of the parish website. You may also make arrangements for other forms of payment by contacting our parish administrator, Christopher Howatt, who would be happy to assist you. We are grateful to all those who continue to support Saint Mary’s so generously. —Stewardship Committee

AROUND THE PARISH . . . We learned this week that United States government economic-stimulus payments have started to arrive in the mail in envelopes with an unfamiliar return address. Enclosed in the envelope are debit cards, not checks. Please take care to examine your mail in the coming days. The cards are valuable. For more information, there is more information available here and here . . . During the past two and a half months, we’ve been visited from time to time by those who need to do essential work in the church and the building complex. We, and they, have managed to practice careful social-distancing. We’ve all worn face masks. On Friday morning, two gentlemen from Verizon were here trying to fix Father Smith’s Internet, television, and phone service. They worked in the rectory basement for a while, but needed to go out to the street to look for the source of the problem there. Father Smith was taking them to the Forty-sixth Street exit, when they stopped and looked through the door from the hallway into the church. They said, “Wow. Really impressive. Can we go in and look around?” Father Smith gave them a bit of a tour and tried to answer their questions. They seemed very happy to be in the space. As they left, one of them said, “I hope those pews will be filled with people again soon.” From their mouths to God’s ears.

THIS WEEK AT SAINT MARY’S . . . Sunday, May 31, The Day of Pentecost, Sung Mass 10:00 AM in the Lady Chapel and Evening Prayer and Eucharistic Benediction 5:00 PM. You can download the service booklets for the Sunday Mass here and for Sunday Evening Prayer & Benediction here. The readings for Mass on Sunday are here and for Sunday Evening Prayer & Benediction are here. Father Gerth presides and preaches at the 10:00 AM Mass this Sunday. The gospel passage this Sunday is John 17:1–11, the first half of Jesus’ prayer to the Father, a text that concludes Jesus’ “Farewell Discourse” in John. Next Sunday, June 7, will be Trinity Sunday . . . Monday, June 1, The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Transferred). Father Gerth is celebrant and preacher for the 10:00 AM Mass . . . Because the Visitation will be celebrated on June 1 this year, we will not commemorate Saint Justin, usually referred to as Justin Martyr, who died on June 1, 167. Justin was a philosopher, apologist, and martyr, who was born in Flavia Neapolis (ancient Shechem, modern Nablus) in Samaria, around the year 100. He is a very important figure of second-century Christianity. Born of pagan parents, he investigated a number of “philosophies” before deciding that Christianity was the one true philosophy. After his conversion, he remained a committed Christian “even unto death.” Some of his written works have survived and provide precious information about the early liturgy and other aspects of early Christian life. He did not invent the method of articulating the Christian faith using philosophical categories, but he was one of the earliest practitioners of that method and his influence has been enduring.

FROM THE FRIARY . . . The meditations of our brothers and other brothers of the Society of Saint Francis are archived on the Society’s website.

ONLINE RETREATS . . . Holy Cross Monastery, West Park, New York, is offering two online Zoom retreats during the month of June: Entering the Bridal Chamber of the Heart: Plumbing the Depths of the Luminous Gospels (a Zoom retreat), led by Father Matthew Wright (June 9–11), and A Maker’s Pilgrimage (a Zoom retreat), led by Brother Aidan Owen, OHC (June 17–19). Visit the monastery website for more information.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION AT SAINT MARY’S . . . Father Peter Powell has kindly agreed to continue his online bible study, begun in March, focusing first on the Book of Exodus. He writes, “My Exodus papers will begin a study of the Book of Exodus. You will remember that Martin Luther King used the Exodus event to understand the Civil Rights movement. I believe that Exodus continues to have much to teach us about how God works in the world today and how God continues to care for the powerless. Among many other things Exodus shows how deeply God wants a relationship with us. We have been taught that God is omniscient, but Exodus reveals that God’s actions are influenced by Moses’s intercession with him. Frequently in Exodus Moses reminds God that God’s reputation is linked to the people he has brought out of Egypt. If God wants the world to know that YHWH is Lord of all creation then God is bound to his people and cannot destroy them despite their stiff-necked behavior and their outright apostasy (e.g., the Golden Calf). Moses provides us with a model on how to relate to God and the assurance that God desires to relate to us. We will explore the stories of Exodus to better understand the importance of worship, faith, and prayer.” The third part of Father Powell’s series on Exodus will be distributed to the parish via e-mail this weekend.

The Calendar of the Week