Weekly Update from Fr. van Dooren 5.8.26
Dear members and friends of our parish family,
Blessings on this Feast of Dame Julian of Norwich who gifted the people of God with one of the most beautiful sentiments in the midst of difficult times. So many have found strength and solace in the words that the Lord gave her: “I can make all things well; I will make all things well; I shall make all things well; and you can see for yourself that all manner of things shall be well.”
I returned last night from attending the graduation ceremony at the Virginia Theological Seminary where our own Caroline Mazzocchi was graduated after passing all areas of the General Ordination Exams. She and her husband, Brad, are also proud new parents of Belinda Carmela, who attended the almost two hour ceremony asleep in her grandmother’s arms! Congratulations Caroline!
And tomorrow, Saturday May 9th at 4:00pm, our beloved Fr. Alex Herasimtschuk, who served as seminarian and deacon here at the Little Church before his ordination to the priesthood, will be installed as rector of Mount Zion Episcopal Church, Wappingers Falls. I am honored to be the preacher. All are invited.
Thank you again to all who worked, supported, encouraged, and lifted up our choir benefit in prayer. Click here to view a montage of this splendid evening!
We will continue to hear from the beautiful fourteenth Chapter of St. John (John 14:15-21) this upcoming sixth Sunday in Easter, which is also Mother’s Day and Rogation Day, when we offer a special blessing for our parish garden.
From the Latin “rogare” (“to ask”), these are special days of prayer, blessings, and processions throughout the Christian world. It was traditionally observed to ask God’s blessing and protection on crops and agriculture. April 25th is the “Major Rogation” day with the three days preceding the feast of the Ascension (this coming Thursday!) as “Minor Rogations.”
We who worship in midtown Manhattan don’t have much opportunity to walk our parish bounds praying for fields and crops, but we do have a garden! And our garden has a vibrant ministry to hundreds of souls in the course of every week. So it is our sacred custom and joy to pray a blessing upon our garden every Sunday before the Ascension feast! Who could miss this Sunday?!
As part of our celebrations of Mother's Day and Rogation Day, the choir will sing Felix Mendelssohn‘s beautiful arrangement found in his Lobegesang Symphony of the choral Now Thank We All Our God. The hymn was written during the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648), a period characterized by extreme violence, disease, and starvation. The author Martin Rinkart (1586–1649) was a Lutheran pastor who served in his hometown of Eilenburg. As a walled city, Eilenburg became a refuge for fugitives, leading to overcrowding, famine, and plague. During this peak of the crisis, Rinkart was the only surviving pastor, often conducting 40 to 50 funerals a day, including that of his own wife. The hymn is a great testament to faith during difficult times and reminds us that God, "who, from our mothers' arms has blessed us on our way with countless gifts of love, and still is ours today."
Our "One West / One East” Midday Music series is a collaboration with Marble Collegiate Church. This spring, the theme is "The French Connection". At this week’s concert on Wednesday, May 13 at 1 pm, Michael Hey will be performing Contemporary French Organ Music at Marble Collegiate Church. Suggested Donation is $10 per concert.
This Thursday is the Feast of the Ascension, one of the seven “Principal” (spelled correctly) feasts of the Church, celebrating the Ascension of our Lord forty days after his Resurrection. We will offer a said mass at 12:10pm in the Family Chapel, and a Solemn Mass at 6:30pm. Fr. Stephen Morris will be our guest preacher for the evening mass.
We invite you to join us for an afternoon salon of music on Sunday, May 24 at 3 pm by the Mendelssohns, featuring our very own musical family! Performers include Berit Johnson, soprano; Joseph Kingsbury, alto; Aaron Gonzalez, tenor; Dominick Matsko, baritone; Azalea Kelley, piano, Claudia Dumschat, accompanist and organist. Get tickets in advance here. Suggested donation is $10.
Join Claudia and the Dalton Chorale at the Church of the Incarnation on Tuesday, May 12 at 7:30 pm. The Dalton Chorale will perform Duruflé’s Requiem, plus works by Pärt and Lauridsen. Tickets are $30 in advance, or $35 at the door. Get tickets here.
The Holy Rosary will be prayed in the Family chapel at 9:30am this Sunday. We will pray the Glorious mysteries which includes the story of the Ascension.
We continue to live-stream each Sunday’s mass at 11:00am, and a link is sent out each Sunday morning at 8:00am. We live-stream on Facebook and YouTube. Click here to email the parish office if you would like to pray the morning and evening offices with us by Zoom.
Thank you for your continued faith, support, and love for the parish.
Fides Opera
With loving wishes,
Fr. van Dooren