WHAT’S ON YOUR BOOKSHELF?

Father Matt Jacobson, what’s a book you’ve read recently that other Saint Marians might be interested in?

Dissolution by C.J. Sansom (Penguin Books, 2003)

How did you hear about the book?

Father Ryan Lesh, a former parishioner at Saint Mary’s, who was also sponsored for holy orders by our parish, told me about it over dinner recently when we were on retreat at Holy Cross Monastery. It is the first book in the Matthew Shardlake series and Father Lesh said that he couldn’t put these books down. He also mentioned having discussed the series with Dr. Diarmaid MacCulloch, Emeritus Professor of the History of the Church at Oxford University, who felt that the books were well researched. I suppose hearing the view of such a well-regarded historian, on top of Father Lesh’s recommendation, was enough for me to give this historical fiction a try. I’m about to finish reading the third novel in the series. Like Father Lesh, I haven’t been able to put them down either.

Without giving too much away, what is the book about?

Dissolution is set in Tudor England during the reign of Henry VIII. Matthew Shardlake, a lawyer, is commissioned by Thomas Cromwell to investigate a murder at a monastery in southern England. Cromwell was chief minister under Henry VIII and a key reformer who played a central role in the dissolution of the monasteries.

Why do you think other Saint Marians might be interested in reading it?

In addition to being a well-written and engaging mystery, Dissolution takes place during an interesting, though regrettable, period of Anglican history. The dissolution of the monasteries (1536-1541) refers to the period when the Crown closed all the religious houses throughout the realm and confiscated their assets. The novel is set in 1537, one year into the dissolution and six years after Henry VIII broke with Rome. The dissolution has begun, but there are still many religious houses continuing in operation. This is the historical aspect that I found most interesting and is what really came alive for me while reading it. The dissolution was a process that didn’t happen overnight. I was able to imagine what it may have been like for those monasteries still in operation that needed to be visibly onboard with the religious changes being made in England, in order to survive, even if they looked to continue in the old ways as much as possible. Of course, none of the houses did ultimately survive.

“What’s on your bookshelf” is a new series in the newsletter where members of our community can recommend books that might be of interest to other Saint Marians. If you have an idea that you would like to write about for a future issue of The Angelus, please contact Father Matt. The book may be fiction or non-fiction, and does not need to be a recent publication, but it should in some way relate to our common life at Saint Mary’s.

PARISH PRAYERS

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

We pray for those who have asked us for our prayers, for Nicolly, Christopher, Wally, Enrique, Nellie, Donald, Harris, Rick, Ronald, Ricardo, Jose, Karen, Kate, Behnam, Duke, Russell, Duncan, Robert, Sally, Sandy, Audy, Orham, Ruth Ann, Henry, Lexi, Vicki, Georgia, Desarae, David, Steve, Beverly, Claudia, Maddie, Nettie, Chrissy, Tony, Sharon, Rick, Rolf, Adair, Jan, June, Carlos, Pat, Liduvina, Quincy, Leroy, Margaret, and Robert; Suzanne Elizabeth and Laura Katherine, religious; Lind, deacon; and Robby, Jay, and Stephen, priests.

We pray for the repose of the souls of those who have died, for Molly and Mary, and for those whose year’s mind is on April 6: Johann Eugen Weber (1873), James Crosher (1893), and Cecelia Sarah Clark (1898).

AROUND THE PARISH

Evensong & Benediction this Sunday . . . As is our custom on the first Sunday of the month, we will offer Evensong & Benediction at 4:00 PM this Sunday, April 6. Evensong is a sung Evening Prayer and Benediction refers to the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. A quartet from the Saint Mary’s Choir will lead us musically. It is a great way to close out Sunday and get ready for the workweek. Click here to learn more.

Help us prepare for Holy Week and Easter . . . Volunteers are needed to help prepare the church for Holy Week and Easter! On Saturday, April 5, we will veil crosses, statues, and other images around the church, a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages and deepens the penitential nature of Lent as we approach Holy Week. We will also begin polishing brass and silver vessels that will be used for palms, flowers, and candles. Many hands make light work, and coffee and snacks are provided. We will begin around 10:00 AM, break for Mass and lunch, and finish by mid-afternoon. We will also be working on Saturday, April 12, to prepare palms for distribution on Palm Sunday, starting around 11:00 AM, with more polishing, cleaning, and preparing supplies for floral work. More volunteer opportunities are available throughout Holy Week, whether you have advanced floral skills or none at all! For more information or to volunteer, contact Grace Mudd.

Palm Sunday . . . Next Sunday, April 13, is Palm Sunday. Weather permitting, we will process to Times Square during the 11:00 AM liturgy. Please plan to join us for the Sunday of the Passion and the start of Holy Week! 

Principal Holy Week and Easter Liturgies

The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday, April 13, 11:00 AM

Maundy Thursday, April 17, 6:00 PM

Good Friday, April 18, 12:30 PM

The Great Vigil of Easter, April 19, 7:00 PM

Easter Day, April 20, 11:00 AM

Requiem Mass on April 12 at 12:10 PM in the Mercy Chapel . . . The parish Requiem Mass this month will be on Saturday, April 12, and not on the third Saturday, which is Holy Saturday.

Hospitality at Saint Mary’s . . . Are you willing to serve on a team to plan Coffee Hours and receptions? We need you! Please get in touch with Father Sammy Wood if you are able to help.

Adult Formation . . . This Sunday, Father Pete Powell continues his series on the Passion and the 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. These classes are also being streamed over Zoom here and recordings of prior classes are available for viewing online: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, and Week 4.

The History of Holy Week over Supper . . . The final Wednesday evening Lenten study group led by Father Stephen Morris will meet on April 9 after the 6:00 PM Mass. Please RSVP to Father Sammy to help plan for supper.

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. The final Stations of the Cross this Lent will be on April 11.

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.

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.

Save the date: Sister Monica Clare on May 25 . . . On Sunday, May 25, Sister Monica Clare, CSJB, will be at Coffee Hour after the 11:00 AM Solemn Mass to present her soon-to-be-published book, A Change of Habit. Sister Monica Clare was in residence at Saint Mary’s for many years and is a good friend of the parish. Click here to learn more about her order, the Community of Saint John Baptist.

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 on April 11. Please speak to MaryJane Boland or Marie Rosseels for more information.

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

NYRO Concert on April 5. . . New York Repertory Orchestra, our orchestra-in-residence at Saint Mary’s, will have their next concert on Saturday, April 5, at 8:00 PM. Admission is free. A $15 donation is suggested. The program:

Frank Martin: Violin Concerto
  Tosca Opdam, violin
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 4

THE DIOCESE AND WIDER CHURCH

Dante at the Cathedral . . . Please join us for the 31st annual reading of selections from the Inferno. This year's reading will take place in the Cathedral's Crossing and will have some additional multimedia elements. Selected cantos will be read by a wide variety of individuals. We are transitioning this event and look forward to sharing with everyone our new, creative endeavor. Part of the joy of Dante’s Inferno is its ever-changing adaptations, while remaining true to the heart of this epic presentation. Friday, April 11, 2025, 7:00 – 10:00 PM at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine. Click here for more details and to RSVP.

Diocesan Day Trip to Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture . . . The Anti-Racism Committee (ARC) is planning a Diocesan visit to the Museum of African American History and Culture, in Washington, DC. You can sign up on this form to be on the Interested List. Please note: this is not a commitment to go on the trip, it is a registration of interest to help organizers plan the trip. We will travel on tour buses leaving NYC and Hudson Valley between 4:00 AM and 6:00 AM, returning between 10:00 PM and midnight, with about 6 hours to see the museum and for meals. Entrance tickets will be reserved at no cost. The fee for bus transportation is likely to be $150. Middle school and high school youth must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. For any questions, contact Zoe Moffitt (917.670.6392, zoemoffitt123@gmail.com).

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

The organ prelude on Sunday is a setting of O Lamm Gottes unschuldig (O Lamb of God, pure, spotless), BWV 656, one of the eighteen Leipzig Chorales of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750). The “Great Eighteen” were collected and published in the final decade of Bach’s life and are considered to represent the summit of chorale-based baroque organ composition. Bach’s setting of O Lamm Gottes from the “Great Eighteen” is based upon the melody for the Lutheran troped Agnus Dei, both text and melody being attributed to Nikolaus Decius (c.1480–1541). This three-stanza chorale echoes the Latin Agnus Dei, which is sung three times in the liturgy, the third time praying for peace rather than for mercy as in the first two. Bach, therefore, has set the entire melody three times in his extended organ chorale. The first stanza is played entirely on the keyboard and has the chorale melody in the highest of the three voices. Stanza two, which follows without break, maintains the same texture but shifts the chorale melody to the middle of the three voices. In the third stanza, the pedals of the organ are employed to play the chorale melody and undergird the four-voice texture. Right before the final phrase of this last stanza is a very chromatic interlude which characterizes the agony of the Passion. Bach’s four-voice harmonization of O Lamm Gottes, cataloged as BWV 401, is played as the postlude.

The setting of the Mass is by Charles Wood (1866–1926). Wood had a decided influence on the development of English church music in his time. His principal composition teachers were Charles Villiers Stanford (1852–1924) and Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (1848–1918), and his students included Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958) and Herbert Howells (1892–1983). Irish by birth, Wood received his early musical training as a treble chorister in the choir of the Church of Ireland’s Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. In 1883 he became a member of the inaugural class of the Royal College of Music. His career included teaching music, directing, and playing the organ at several colleges. After Stanford’s death in 1924, Wood succeeded his mentor as Professor of Music at Cambridge. Wood’s compositions are varied and include eight string quartets, but he is chiefly remembered for his church music and his arrangements of carols. His Short Communion Service, sung on Sunday, is described as ‘In the Polyphonic style, written for unaccompanied singing, chiefly in the Phrygian mode.’ As such, Wood has done what church music composers throughout the centuries have done by returning to a stilo antico (antique style) for inspiration. 

The communion Motet is a modern setting of the fourteenth century Eucharistic hymn Ave verum corpus. The text is attributed to Pope Innocent VI (d.1362).  It is a meditation on the presence of Christ in the sacrament and the relationship between suffering and redemption. It has been sung consistently for centuries in various Eucharistic contexts and set to music by the leading composers of sacred music in each generation. Sunday’s setting of this text is by David Hurd, organist and music director at Saint Mary’s since 2016. It was originally composed in 1996 for the men of the choir of All Saints Church, Manhattan, and first sung there on Maundy Thursday of that year. Although the harmonic vocabulary is quite different from it, the present setting was structured after William Byrd’s iconic and well-known setting of this same text. Sunday’s performance features David Hurd’s setting transposed four steps higher than the original key to be sung by a choir of mixed voices.

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 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.