FROM FATHER JAY SMITH: COAXING MAGIC OUT OF PAPER

We have been blessed in recent years with a team of four very fine sextons, Harka Gurung, who recently retired; Jorge Trujillo; Shalim Peña; and Marcos Orengo Roman. Working in a church in the middle of Times Square makes unusual demands on these men, and their duties and responsibilities are many and varied. Some of their work is traditional. They clean three of the four buildings in the church complex, and help out in the fourth. They clean the sidewalks, shovel the snow, and dispose of trash and recycled items. But they also work as welcomers, doorkeepers, security guards, handymen, plumbers, dishwashers, brass polishers, sacristans, concert technicians, caterers, and interpreters. They assist with liturgical processions as well as the distribution of clothing. They welcome the stranger and are called on more often than you would think to listen to those in distress, to make social-service referrals, and call a priest to hear a confession or talk to a person in need. For many of our visitors, the sextons are the first people they encounter when they walk through the door. They are often the face of Saint Mary’s.

All of our sextons have lived interesting lives. But recently, it came to our attention that our weekend sexton, Marcos Orengo Roman, is possessed of a set of skills of which we were unaware. Marcos joined the Saint Mary’s staff in August 2021. He was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and did his high-school education there at the Luchetti School. The school is well known on the island for providing a superior education and in the 1980s it specialized in the visual arts. This was what attracted Marcos, who had begun to draw when he was young. He then studied communications at La Universidad Sagrado Corazón in Santurce, not far from Old San Juan. After graduation, he worked as an artisan ceramist and as an art director at several advertising agencies, both in Puerto Rico and here in New York. He worked as a graphic and video artist for the United States Army on the island; and, here in New York, Marcos now works as an information specialist, Monday through Friday, at the downtown Manhattan office of the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

Along the way, Marcos grew interested in two different Japanese art forms, kendo, a “Japanese martial art that involves the use of bamboo swords and protective armor to practice swordsmanship,” and origami, “the art of paper folding, the goal of which is to transform a flat square sheet of paper into a finished sculpture through folding and sculpting techniques, normally without using cuts, glue or markings.” Each of these arts requires concentration, patience, and dexterity.

In my conversations with Marcos about origami, it became clear to me that for him this art was something more than just a hobby. The magic of origami is that, beginning with a simple, two-dimensional square of paper, one can create three-dimensional sculptures of remarkable complexity. Many of these sculptures remind me of Cubist paintings, all sharp lines and angles. There is something clean and precise about origami figures. They give us what is essential —nothing more, nothing less—about the dragon, the flower, the elephant, or the bird. (The origami crane became an important peace symbol to many twentieth-century people and is probably how many of us first encountered origami.)

As I talked to Marcos, I wondered if it was this magic that attracted him to the art form in the first place. Of course, he didn’t want just to admire these small paper sculptures, he wanted to create them; and not just that, he wanted to understand how they were made. Then, finally, he wanted to share his understanding with others. And that’s exactly what he did. He mastered the art of origami. Then, he wrote a book that teaches students the basic “folds,” and shows them how to use those folds to create certain “sculptures,” sculptures which he had himself designed. This small book, Origami Caribbean: A New Look for Child Development, packs a lot of information into its fifty-four pages. Marcos’s carefully drawn diagrams teach the folds and then the book shows the reader how he or she might use the folds to create some of Puerto Rico’s flora and fauna, as well as the figures necessary to create the Three Kings and their camels.

All of this brought Marcos to the attention of New York’s famous American Museum of Natural History, whose curators have invited him twice to lead workshops, teaching young and old alike the art of origami. It was perhaps that experience that has inspired Marcos to work on a second book in which he’ll show us how to create a proper origami dinosaur.

We are very proud of Marcos’s achievements. Perhaps we could talk him into leading a workshop here at Saint Mary’s. A Christmas Tree covered with origami Peace Cranes would be a lovely thing. — JRS

PRAYING FOR THE CHURCH & FOR THE WORLD

We pray for an end to war, division, violence, and injustice, especially in the Middle East, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Haiti, Ukraine, Russia, Myanmar, Sudan, and Darfur. We pray for justice and for an end to violence and discord in our city and nation.

We pray for the people and clergy of the Church of All Saints, Margaret Street, London, UK.

We continue to pray for the people of Florida and the southeastern United States as they cope with the aftermath of the two recent hurricanes. We pray especially for Father Stephen Gerth, Richard Mohammed, and Father Jim Pace, who were affected in different ways.

We pray for those who have asked us for our prayers, especially Doug, Abraham, Margaret, Jacques, Keith, Claudia, Dorian, Patrick, Frank, Steve, Susanna, Rolf, Richard, Josh, Tony, Paul, Nettie, Chrissy, Cedric, Otis, Don, Audy, Robert, Duncan, Justin, Sheila, Jan, Pat, Marjorie, Carole, Sharon, Quincy, Carlos, José, Brian, Manuel, Hardy, Gypsy, Leroy, Bob, and Liduvina; Laura Katharine, religious; Lind, deacon; and Jay, Julie, Jean, Robby, and Stephen, priests.

We also pray for the repose of the souls of Ethel Kennedy, and those whose year’s mind falls on October 20, Charles Barnum Jessup (1901); William Albert Bonaventura Bourke, Marjorie Wilson Gray, and William Arthur Biancho Walling (1918); Vincent Andrew Schineller (1919); Oscar Marstero Crager (1930); Anita Linda Morley (1936); Kate Sibley Shaw (1949).

Prayer for an Election (Book of Common Prayer, p. 822)
Almighty God, to whom we must account for all our powers and privileges: Guide the people of the United States in the election of officials and representatives; that, by faithful administration and wise laws, the rights of all may be protected and our nation be enabled to fulfill your purposes; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sunday, October 20
Newcomers Dessert in the Rectory
After the Solemn Mass & a Bit of Coffee Hour

Father Wood and Renee Wood would like to invite those who’ve been coming to Saint Mary’s during the past few months. We’re delighted you’ve been part of the Saint Mary’s family lately, and we want to honor you, get to know you better and tell you a bit more about the parish. (But, even if you’ve been around Saint Mary’s for a while now, and you’ve never been able to attend one of these Newcomers Desserts, you’re invited and most welcome!)

Wednesday, October 23, after Evening Prayer (5:30 PM) and Mass (6:00 PM)
“Group Seeks God”
In this small-group experiment, Father Sammy and Renee Wood will demonstrate how simple practices like hospitality and storytelling create opportunities for engagement and invitation in our everyday worlds.

Sunday, October 27
Guild Fair in Saint Joseph’s Hall, 12:30–1:30 PM
Speak to Father Jay about set up and preparations if you are a Guild Leader.

Friday, November 1
All Saints’ Day
Morning Prayer 8:00 AM
Mass 12:10 PM
Organ Recital by Rhonda Edgington 5:30 PM
Solemn Mass 6:00 PM
The Rev’d Kathleen Liles, guest preacher

Saturday, November 2
All Souls’ Day
Sung Mass with a Quartet from the Choir 12:10 PM
Sermon by Father Matt Jacobson

Sunday, November 3, 2:00 AM
Daylight Saving Time ends. Clocks go back one hour.

Wednesday, November 27
Eve of Thanksgiving Day
Sung Mass with a Quartet from the Choir 6:00 PM

Thanksgiving Day
Mass 10:00 AM in the Lady Chapel
Federal Holiday Schedule: the church opens at 9:00 AM and closes at 12:00 PM on Thanksgiving Day.

NEWS & NOTICES

Adult Formation: Classes continue Sunday mornings at 9:45 AM . . . As we begin our “year of invitation,” we are each sent back into our individual circles of influence as evangelists and servants to share the good news of the reign of God and to renew the world. To that end, our year of invitation includes an “invitation” of our own—God’s invitation into an ever-deepening walk with him. That is the goal of our first “Foundations Course” this October. This four-week study, which began on October 6 and is called “Invitation to a Journey,” is about building a “trellis” for us to grow along. Father Sammy will begin with a survey of the purposes of the Church, then move on to examine Anglican Spirituality and experiment with the “Threefold Rule of Prayer” embodied in our Prayer Books. The Foundations Courses aim to increase our proficiency in various aspects of the Christian life and are geared for people curious about Anglican spirituality or interested in joining the Episcopal Church or Saint Mary’s, for longtime practitioners brushing up on the basics of their faith, and for newcomers who seek connections within the parish. In a word, Foundations Courses are for all adults who find themselves around Saint Mary’s!

Coming Up in our Adult Formation Series . . . At 9:45 AM on all the Sundays in November and on December 1, 8, and 15, Father Peter Powell will lead a Bible Study in Saint Joseph’s Hall. The class will be reading and studying the gospel accounts of Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection. These passages are fundamental to our faith so they will be useful to the beginner as well as to the more knowledgable student. All are welcome. No prior preparation is required. Come and join us.

Anglican Heritage Pilgrimage: June 9–20, 2025 . . . Father Sammy Wood will be leading a pilgrimage to England in June 2025! For Episcopalians in the Anglican tradition, England holds a place of distinct significance. The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin’s Anglican Heritage Pilgrimage will trace Christianity’s early days in Great Britain, medieval England, and the Reformation as we experience the treasures of our Anglican tradition. Skilled guides will lead our small group through the sacred places that bore witness to Christian saints, Protestant martyrs, and significant events in Anglican church history. Click here for additional details and please speak with Father Sammy if you have any questions. 

Saint James of Jerusalem, Brother of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and Martyr . . . On Wednesday, October 23, we commemorate Saint James of Jerusalem, Brother of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and Martyr, who died around the year 62. Who is this James? That is not, and has never been, an easily answered question. For those of us who were raised in churches in which the Blessed Virgin Mary is accorded the greatest respect, the phrase “brother of Jesus” may sound strange, since we may have been taught that Mary was “ever virgin.” But that is just the beginning. There are in fact three apostolic figures (some would say four, some would say two) with the name James (Greek Iakōbos | Ἰάκωβος), who are mentioned in the New Testament. First, there is James, brother of John, one of the “sons of thunder, and a member of a kind of inner circle in the gospels, “Peter, James, and John” (Mark 1:19, 29, etc.).There is another James, “James, the son of Alphaeus” (Matthew 10:3), who is a second James, also listed among the twelve apostles. We also hear of James the Mikros (often translated “the less,” which in this context probably meant “the younger”). This James is mentioned in passing, “There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome…”(Mark 15:40). Finally, there is James the Just, also referred to as James, the Brother of the Lord. There are both ancient and modern interpreters, who try to untangle the puzzle of the many apostles named James, by suggesting that James, the brother of the Lord, is also James the Younger or James, the son of Alphaeus, or both.

Other modern interpreters doubt this, and believe that James, the brother of the Lord, is a separate figure, who only came to faith after the resurrection, and only then assumed apostolic authority in the Jerusalem community. This James is referred to in several books of the New Testament, including Acts and Galatians, and in non-biblical texts as well. The portrait of him that we find in all these texts suggests that he was a charismatic figure who played a very important role in leading the church in Jerusalem in the years after Jesus’ death. Whether Saint Paul liked it or not, it seems that he needed to seek James’s consent if he was going to continue his mission to the Gentiles. This is because James represents the Jewish-Christian position in the earliest Christiam community, but also because of his close relationship with Jesus.

This James, and the apostle known as James the Greater, brother of John, have played an important role in the spirituality and theology of the Armenian community, which has had a presence in Jerusalem since at least the fourth century. The beautiful Armenian cathedral there claims to possess the relics of both James the Greater and James, brother of the Lord. This reminds us of the traditional understanding of relics: they connect us to holiness, they mark a path to heaven, and in the case of James, the brother of the Lord, they link us to Jesus. It can be useful to meditate on James, the brother of the Lord, an early saint, since he is present at the very birth of the church, but he is also our contemporary. He invited us to ask, “What does it mean to be the brother of Jesus?” He reminds us that resurrection faith makes all the difference, for James and for us.

Would you like to donate the altar flowers? . . . The following Sundays are available: November 10, 17, and 24. The customary donation requested is $250. Please call the Parish Office for more information (212-869-5830).

ANNUAL REQUIEM MASSES

Each year we pray for the departed, those whom we love but who we see no longer, at five Requiem Masses celebrated on the weekdays after All Souls’ Day. This is the schedule: Monday, November 4, 12:10 PM, Last Names A-E; Tuesday, November 5, 12:10 PM, Last Names F-K; Wednesday, November 6, 12:10 & 6:00 PM, Last names L-N; Thursday, November 7, 12:10 PM, Last names O-Q; and Friday, November 8, 12:10 PM, Last names R-Z. At these Masses, prayers will be offered for the departed by the last name of the person making the request. Lists of names may be mailed to the parish office, sent by e-mail to the office, or placed in the collection basket at Mass.

OUTREACH AT SAINT MARY’S

Neighbors in Need . . . If you would like to volunteer or make a cash donation, please speak to MaryJane Boland. We are also eager to receive donations of new or lightly used sneakers and shoes, in all sizes, for both men and women. The October Drop-by was held today, October 18. Next month’s Drop-by will take place on Friday, November 15. In December, the Drop-by will take place on the second Friday of the month, not the third: December 13, not December 20.

We are looking for a few more good volunteers, who feel called and inspired to give this work a try. Please speak to MaryJane Boland or Father Jay about our work and how you might help.

ABOUT THE MUSIC AT THE SOLEMN MASS ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 20, 2024, THE TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Ninety years ago this month, Saint Mary’s hosted an historic series of organ recitals to show off the new Aeolian-Skinner organ installed the year before. One of those recitals in particular has become legendary, that by the twenty-two-year-old Virgil Fox. A reviewer lauded the “brilliance and style” of his playing at Saint Mary’s, and indeed his virtuosic brilliance and unique style were to be the hallmarks of his storied career. Of special interest to Saint Marians is the influence our organ had on Fox: when Fox became organist at Riverside Church in 1946, he insisted the organ be replaced with a new instrument designed by G. Donald Harrison, the designer of the Saint Mary’s organ. Fox was a huge inspiration to me as a budding organist, so I am delighted to pay tribute to him by playing as Sunday’s voluntaries two works he performed on that Saint Mary’s recital ninety years ago. The prelude comes from Brahms’s final compositions, a set of eleven organ chorale preludes written shortly before his death. Based on the familiar tune we know as “Lo, How a Rose,” much heard during Advent and Christmas, Brahms’s ravishing setting is much beloved, and Fox played it many times in his concerts. The postlude was another favorite of Fox, who championed Bach’s music. This Fantasia, probably dating from the 1710s, starts out in familiar toccata form but quickly evolves. Bach uses a dazzling variety of textures and startling harmonic sequences as the work builds to a relentless climax, leaving us all a bit breathless! — Clark Anderson

The setting of the Mass on Sunday is Canterbury Mass by Anthony Piccolo. Piccolo’s note on the 1996 published edition reads, “Written in 1978 for Dr. Allan Wicks and the Choir of Canterbury Cathedral, these settings were intended for use in the Cathedral’s resonant Nave during the rebuilding of the organ. They are here presented somewhat revised and in accordance with current liturgical practice.” The Mass is scored for unaccompanied mixed choir, mostly in four parts but with occasional further division of voices. The text is disposed efficiently with occasional overlapping of text phrases. Piccolo grew up in New Jersey and completed a Master’s degree at Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland. During a subsequent nine-year residence in England, he sang with cathedral choirs of Litchfield, Canterbury, and Saint Paul’s, London, and performed extensively as a pianist. Returning to the United States, he has remained very active as a composer, pianist, and conductor in a variety of venues. 

The motet at Communion during Sunday’s Solemn Mass will be I will wash myself in innocence. It was composed in 2003 by David Hurd, organist and music director at Saint Mary’s, in recognition of the diaconal ordination of Leighton James Lee, and first sung soon thereafter at his ordination to the priesthood. Father Lee is formerly dean of the Cathedral of the Redeemer, Calgary, Alberta, and currently rector of Saint Mark’s Anglican Church, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. The motet is a four-voice choral setting of Psalm 26:6–8, 12 which reflects upon the preparation for and execution of corporate worship. The intention expressed by this psalm text is well applied to virtually all occasions where the faithful gather for worship and especially when the Eucharist is celebrated. — DH

Dr. David Hurd will be away from the parish between Monday, October 14, and Sunday, October 27. He will be in Montreal, Quebec, serving on the International Jury at the Canadian International Organ Competition. David is one of nine jurors on this panel of accomplished musicians. The jury is indeed international: one juror is from the United Kingdom; three are from Canada; one is from Sweden; one is from Belgium; one is from France; one is representing both Canada and France; and two, including David, are from the United States. David will also be playing a recital during his time in Montreal: Sunday, October 20, at 11:00 AM at the Church of Saint Andrew and Saint Paul. Congratulations, David, and we look forward to hearing all about it upon your return.

Parishioner Clark Anderson will play the service and conduct the choir at Saint Mary’s on October 20 and 27.
Thank you, Clark!

Organ Recitals at Saint Mary’s . . . The first organ recital of the 2024-2025 season will take place on All Saints’ Day, Friday, November 1, 2024, at 5:30 PM in the church. The recitalist will be Rhonda Sider Edgington, who is a private organ instructor at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and organist and director of music at Hope Church (RCA) in Holland, Michigan, and a regular performer, both in West Michigan, across the United States, and in Europe. Seven years spent in North Germany, originally with a Fulbright scholarship, led to her specialization in the music of seventeenth-century Germany, and regular recital engagements there. Since returning to the United States, she also broadened her standard repertoire to include much music of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, as well as music by women composers.

Concerts at Saint Mary’s . . . Our resident orchestra, the New York Repertory Orchestra, will play its first concert of the season here in the church on Saturday, October 19, at 8:00 PM. Admission is free. A donation of $15.00 is suggested. The Orchestra, led by its music director, David Leibowitz, will play music by Caroline Shaw, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Igor Stravinsky at this concert.

AT THE CATHEDRAL OF SAINT JOHN THE DIVINE

Unity: Anglicanism’s Impossible Dream? To celebrate the launch of his latest book, Unity: Anglicanism’s Impossible Dream?, the Reverend Dr. Charlie Bell will join Dean Patrick Malloy at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine’s Cathedral House on Thursday, October 24, 2024, 6:00–7:30 PM to explore the complex and often contentious issue of unity within the Anglican Communion, examining historical and contemporary challenges, including LGBTQIA inclusion and the impact of divisive events. Dr. Bell will offer insights into what authentic, hopeful unity might look like in a church needing decolonization and reimagining. A reception will follow the discussion, inviting further dialogue and connection. An RSVP would be helpful for the Cathedral’s planning.

Father Bell is Official Fellow and College Lecturer in Medicine and Public Theology at Girton College, Cambridge, and a Registrar in Forensic Psychiatry. He is a priest in the Diocese of Southwark, Scholar in Residence at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, Visiting Scholar at Sarum College, and a Research Fellow and Associate Tutor at Saint Augustine’s College of Theology, Kent, UK.

Discipleship and Politics: How does one inform the other? On Monday, October 28, 6:30-8:00 PM, Sister Ruth Lautt, O.P., Esq and Father Scott Gunn will discuss the connection between discipleship and politics. How ought our beliefs as followers of Jesus lead us to take part in the public political landscape? Clearly, there is wide disagreement among Christians on this as some advocate a complete separation of the church from politics, while others advocate a theocratic nation. Both panelists will offer possible paths or a middle way between these extremes. So come join what is sure to be a vibrant and thought-provoking conversation to see where Sister Ruth and Father Scott find common ground and where they diverge as we consider our vocations as both Christians and as members of the body politic. This topic matters greatly as we consider our upcoming elections, foreign policy, involvement with local political issues, and more.

• The Rev. Scott Gunn is executive director of Forward Movement. An Episcopal priest, he has served parishes in Rhode Island and Ohio.

• Sister Ruth Lautt, O.P., Esq. is a practicing attorney and the Founder and Director of the St. Fidelis RC Church Street Outreach in College Point, Queens.

Tickets are being offered on a "pay what you can" basis. The suggested ticket price is $15, with options to pay more or less. Free student rush tickets are available on the door. Click here for tickets. The event is offered by the Community at the Crossing and is part of their Dialogues on Divinity series.

An Invitation from the Royal Family Theater, on the third floor of the Parish House:

“We’d like to invite the people of Saint Mary’s to our two shows that are currently running. We’re doing a revised version of our Anne of Green Gables production from 2019, and a stand-alone sequel called Marilla of Green Gables which is brand new. These two shows are for all-ages and are family friendly. We’re really proud of these plays, and we would love the church to get a better sense of what we do.

This is our schedule through November 4:

Thursday at 6:00 PM – Anne of Green Gables: Finding Home
Friday at 6:00 PM – Anne of Green Gables: Finding Home
Saturday at 3:00 PM – Anne of Green Gables: Finding Home
Saturday at 5:00 PM – Marilla of Green Gables: Becoming a Family
Sunday at 11:00 AM – Anne of Green Gables: Finding Home
Sunday at 1:00 PM – Marilla of Green Gables: Becoming a Family
Monday at 6:00 PM – Anne of Green Gables: Finding Home
Monday at 7:30 PM – Marilla of Green Gables: Becoming a Family

Please feel free to have anyone who wants to come email us and I will confirm them for any show they’d like to attend.”

We need your help to keep holding our services. Click below, where you can make one-time or recurring donations to support Saint Mary’s. We are very grateful to all those who make such donations and continue to support Saint Mary’s so generously.

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 Jay Smith, except as noted. Father Matt Jacobson also edits the newsletter and is responsible for formatting and posting it on the parish website and distributing it via mail and e-mail, with the assistance of Christopher Howatt, parish administrator, and parish volunteer, Clint Best.