FROM DR. MARK RISINGER
OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SMOKE ROOM: THE POWER OF PRESENCE

My father was a Baptist minister for 54 years, and I heard him preach countless sermons as I was growing up. One sermon illustration that has stuck with me since childhood goes something like this:

The pastor of a rural congregation went to visit a farmer who lived well outside of town and who seldom appeared in church. Upon arriving at the farmhouse, the preacher found a fire blazing in the living room, so he took a seat near the hearth and stealthily removed a large, glowing ember from the fire, putting it off to the side. As the conversation moved from crops and the weather to matters more spiritual, the farmer was full of excuses about why he seldom made the effort to come to church: the distance, the roads, etc., and he concluded by saying, “I can talk to the Lord on my own just fine, right here where I am.” The preacher had listened to all of the farmer’s excuses before pointing to the ember—now cold, gray, and ashen—that he had separated from the fire earlier. “Do you see this ember?” he asked. “As long as it remained part of the fire, it continued to give heat and to glow with warmth, but once it’s been on its own too long, it grows cold and dies.”

After seven years or so in the Smoke Room at Saint Mary’s, I’ve learned a lot about heating coals and keeping them hot. A thurifer’s worst nightmare is to have coals that are insufficiently heated to produce the smoke we need for any part of the liturgy, so timing is crucial. But the time I’ve spent watching coals start to glow and learning to preserve their heat has given me occasion to ponder my dad’s illustration and think about what we do for each other here at church. I’ve noticed that for me, seeing even 10 or 15 additional people in the pews on a Sunday morning is energizing and makes our worship feel just a bit more communal and celebratory. While the day of Father Smith’s retirement in January was filled with sadness, it was also thrilling to see so many people filling the pews, praying and singing together, and forming long lines at the communion rail. I think we all need to see and feel that regularly.

In my time at Saint Mary’s, I have witnessed many changes; three years ago, after singing in the choir for 20 years, I made the decision to focus on serving at the altar. Over the last year, I have loved learning how to be an MC at Mass and, more recently, a subdeacon. Along with assuming new duties and experiencing new liturgical practices myself, I have been excited to see a number of new members joining the Servers’ Guild and beginning their own journey “moving up the candle.” These new servers are literally an answer to prayer, as we have been asking God to help us grow not only in love and service, but also in numbers. These signs of growth are a reason to feel excited and optimistic.

My fear, however, is that over the last five years, a combination of pandemic retreat and livestream improvements have led some people to decide that, like the farmer, it doesn’t really matter if they watch Solemn Mass online and choose to talk to the Lord at home instead of in church. What they may not realize, however, is just how much their presence energizes and inspires the rest of us, when we are all together in a larger group and in a common space to sing, pray, and partake of the Eucharist. We are all guilty sometimes; I will admit to feeling a bit like the farmer myself last Wednesday evening—Ash Wednesday—since it was pouring rain, I felt tired from a long day of teaching, and I would have loved to stay home and put my feet up. However, since it was Ash Wednesday, I knew that I really should be in church in person, so I bundled up and set out for the subway. Once inside Saint Mary’s, of course, I knew I had made the right decision: there was a large crowd, the liturgy was absolutely beautiful, and I came away inspired for the beginning of Lent.

The simple, homespun truth of my dad’s illustration holds true: we need each other, and we need to be together as a church fellowship on a frequent, regular basis. While private devotion is important, there is no real substitute for being inside the church, in prayer and worship, with other Christians. Of course I am deeply grateful for our livestream ministry, because it benefits many people (like my mom) who would otherwise be unable to join our worship, for reasons of distance or ill health. But for those of us who can be there, my prayer for Lent is that we will commit ourselves to being physically present whenever possible, as a gift not just to ourselves but to our fellow Saint Marians. Just as we bear one another’s burdens, we also bear responsibility for helping one another grow in our walk with Christ. Our time together in worship is one of the surest ways to make that happen. See you in church.

Dr. Mark Risinger, a Texas native, was confirmed here at Saint Mary’s in 2008. He is a graduate of Baylor (BA, English), Rice (MA, English), and Harvard (PhD, Musicology). He has been a lecturer in music at Harvard and a lecturer in voice at Yale’s Institute of Sacred Music. Since 2005, he has been a member of the faculty at Saint Bernard’s School on the Upper East Side, where he teaches music history, critical reading, and Latin. Mark was a member of the Saint Mary’s choir between 2002 and 2022. He has served the parish in many other ways as well. He was twice a member of the Board of Trustees and has served as Board Vice President. Mark has lived in New York City since 2001, but has often performed during that time as a bass soloist throughout the United States and Europe.

PARISH PRAYERS

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

We pray for those who have asked us for our prayers, for Ronald, Ricardo, Kirsten, Bella, Jose, Karen, Kate, Behnam, Duke, Russell, Duncan, Robert, Sally, Sandy, Audy, Sheila, Ruth Ann, Benjamin, Henry, Caroline, Giovanna, Lexi, Vicki, Georgia, Desarae, David, Steve, Beverly, Claudia, Maddie, Nettie, Chrissy, Molly, Tony, Sharon, Rick, Rolf, Adair, Jan, June, Carlos, Pat, Liduvina, Quincy, Leroy, Margaret, and Robert; Eleanor, Barbara Jean, Curtis, Laura Katherine, and Keith, religious; Lind, deacon; and Robby, Jay, and Stephen, priests.

We pray for the repose of the souls of those who have died, for Zoe, and for those whose year’s mind is on March 16: Henry Heckroth (1886), Maria Sullivan (1892), Katherine Klein (1904), Carl Janson (1918), Clara Maria Wayne (1934), Katherine Widmayer (1939), Jennie Graham (1954), and Gerald James Campbell McKelvey (2015).

AROUND THE PARISH

“An Anglo-Catholic Tale of Two Cities” . . . Saint Mary’s will co-host a seminar with our sister parish in London, All Saints’ Margaret Street, as part of their Zoom Theology series, on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at 11:00 AM New York time. Father Peter Anthony, the vicar of ASMS, and Father Sammy will speak about characters from the colorful histories of our two parishes. What can these histories tell us about the future of Anglo-Catholic parishes like All Saints’ and Saint Mary’s, and what do our parishes’ witness and traditions have to contribute to the life of the Church in our two cities? Click here to log in and find out!

The History of Holy Week over Supper . . . Why was the Last Supper originally commemorated on Tuesday of Holy Week? How did the official response to over-eager pilgrims to Jerusalem shape the way we still venerate the Cross on Good Friday? How did allowing Holy Communion in the evening completely reshape Western Christian experience of Holy Week in the 1950s? For the answer to these and other fascinating questions about the development of Holy Week, join us on Wednesday evenings in Lent for a study group led by Father Stephen Morris.

On Wednesdays in Lent (upcoming dates: March 19, 26; April 2, 9), Father Stephen Morris will lead this discussion over supper following the 6:00 PM Mass. Please RSVP to Father Sammy to help plan for supper.

A New Assisting Priest . . . Father John Shirley, rector of the Church of the Ascension on Staten Island, has begun serving as an assisting priest at Saint Mary’s. Father John celebrated his first Mass at the parish this week. Welcome, Father!

The Shape of Lent 2025 . . . We have put together a booklet of the Shape of Lent at Saint Mary’s for us to travel through the season together. An electronic copy can be downloaded here and hard copies are available at the ushers table.

Stations of the Cross . . .  On Fridays in Lent, we offer Stations of the Cross at 6:00 PM. Join us for Evening Prayer at 5:30 PM and then stay to walk Stations of the Cross.

Confessions . . . There is never a bad time to make a confession, though Lent is a particularly appropriate season for sacramental confession. The priest on duty each Saturday hears confessions at 11:00 AM in a confessional near the 46th Street entrance. Confessions are also available by appointment and will be heard after the Good Friday liturgy.

Baptisms at Saint Mary’s . . . The Great Vigil of Easter is a liturgy in which baptism is especially traditional. The Day of Pentecost, which follows seven weeks later, is also a day that is particularly appropriate for baptisms. If you are interested in learning more about baptism for either yourself or for your child, please speak with a member of the clergy.

Adult Formation . . . This Sunday, Father Pete Powell continues his series on the Passion and Resurrection narratives in the Gospel accounts as we approach Holy Week and Easter. Adult Formation meets on Sundays at 9:45 AM in Saint Joseph’s Hall. All are welcome. This series also will be streamed over Zoom here and a recording of last week’s class is available for viewing online.

Saint Dominic’s Rosary Guild . . . The rosary guild will next meet to pray the rosary after Solemn Mass on Sunday, March 23. All are welcome.

AIDS Walk 2025 . . . AIDS Walk this year will be on Sunday, May 18. Last year we finished fourth among all teams in terms of fundraising and raised $52,005. Our team is just beginning to form for 2025, but we hope to do even better this year! To join our team or contribute, please visit our team page. If you have any questions, please speak to one of the team captains: MaryJane Boland, Clark Mitchell, and Father Matt.

Neighbors in Need . . . Donations of casual pants, such as jeans or khakis, are needed, as are sweaters, tops, rain jackets, and other light jackets. Shoes are especially in demand (i.e., sneakers, sandals, and practical shoes, but not high heels). Large sizes, for both men and women, are also helpful. The next drop-by day will be Friday, March 21. Please speak to MaryJane Boland or Marie Rosseels for more information.

Would you like to donate the altar flowers? . . . The Fourth Sunday in Lent, Laetare Sunday, March 30, is available. Please call the Parish Office (212-869-5830) or email Chris Howatt for more information, available dates beyond March, and to reserve a Sunday or feast day. The customary donation is $250.

THE DIOCESE AND WIDER CHURCH

The Far Side of Revenge - What Can the Church Do When Division Reigns? . . . How might ecumenical engagement be a source of hope for societies on the long and hard road to freedom? How might ecumenical relationships open vistas for the emergence of liberated and reconciled peoples—not only among Christians but among all peoples? Join Dr. Aaron T. Hollander and Sr. Estelle Sogbou, CCN, for a dialogue which will take up these questions and more in interchurch, international, and intercultural perspectives. This discussion on Monday, March 24, at 6:30 PM, is part of the Dialogues on Divinity series at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine and is sponsored by the Community at the Crossing. Click here for more information and to reserve a ticket.

FROM DR. HURD: ABOUT THE MUSIC AT SOLEMN MASS ON THE SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT

The organ prelude at Solemn Mass on Sunday is one of the miscellaneous chorale preludes of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750). It is based upon the German paraphrase of Psalm 51, Erbarm dich, mein o Herre Gott (Have mercy on me, O God). This work, cataloged as BWV 721, is unusual among the organ chorales of Bach in that its unadorned melody, stated in half-notes, is accompanied throughout by a steady succession of eighth-note chords which provide homophonic harmonic support. One finds this sort of texture from time to time in other music of Bach, but not in the organ repertory. In light of its style, some scholars consider this chorale prelude an homage to Johann Kuhnau (1660–1701) whose music was known to Bach and whom Bach eventually succeeded as organist of the Church of Saint Thomas in Leipzig. The text paraphrase of Erbarm dich is attributed to Erhart Hegenwalt based upon a broadsheet from 1524. The anonymous melody, in Phrygian mode, dates from the same 1524 Whittenberg source. Bach’s four voice harmonization of this chorale, catalogued as BWV 305, will be played for the postlude.

The choral setting of the Mass is by the American composer Randall Svane (b. 1955). The date of this composition is January 19, 2005, and the setting is dedicated to Dr. Brian Harlow and the Choir of Saint Luke’s Church, Gladstone, New Jersey. These settings of Kyrie, Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei are essentially scored for four voices but, in course, they branch out into divisi scoring for richer harmonic expression. The tonal center of the setting, as a whole, may be A minor, but the music liberally exploits chromatic pitches along the way. Randall Svane is an active organist, conductor, and teacher. Born in Philadelphia, he holds degrees in organ performance and composition from the Manhattan School of Music and New York University respectively. His orchestral, chamber, operatic, and choral works have been performed internationally to public acclaim.

The motet sung during the Communion of the people is a setting of Psalm 25:1a and 6 by David Hurd, music director at Saint Mary’s.  It was composed for and first sung on Ash Wednesday 2003 at Holy Apostles Church, Chelsea, where Dr. Hurd was music director at the time. While the motet was originally designed for a choir of tenor and bass voices, the version sung on Sunday has been rescored for a choir of mixed voices. This version, created in 2019, was first sung here at Saint Mary’s in Lent of that year.

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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 Christopher Howatt, parish administrator, and 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.