The Rector's Message for the Week of October 4, 2020

Rector Turner
The Reverend Canon Carl Turner

Dear Friends,

This week we have learned of the death of two beloved members of our parish family – Bill Miller and Ruta Abolins.  They are what we like to call in the UK, “Pillars of the Church” and, as I suggest later in my letter, living stones.  They were so supportive of Saint Thomas Church and its Choir School.  They will be sorely missed.

This Sunday is the Feast of the Anniversary of the Dedication of our Church.  If you know the history of Saint Thomas Church, then you will know that the first service in our current building happened on October 4, 1913.  However, the Church was not consecrated until April 25, 1916 (canon law dictates that a new church must be free of any debt before the Bishop may dedicate or consecrate it) which, in 1916, was Easter Tuesday even though April 25, is also St. Mark’s Day.

Our Church is truly an Oasis of Prayer in Midtown Manhattan and that is why the Pandemic has been so difficult for me personally.  While I have been able to go to Church and say my prayers and celebrate mass, it has pained me to see the 5th Avenue doors closed for so long.  Now, people are returning slowly to say their prayers and to light their candles; the church building is, once again, a sanctuary of peace filled with the presence of God for all who stop by.

In 1914, Ralph Adam Cram, one of the architects of our church building, wrote these beautiful words:

Architecture was, as always, the beginning;
but it was far from being the end.
Stone carving came to floriate shaft and cornice,
pinnacle, panel, and niche;
Sculpture to crowd every aperture with saints and angels;
Painting and gilding to make all burn with radiant fire;
Glass-making to pierce the opaque walls and
set their fields of apocalyptic glory;
Needlework to hang rich arras over cold stone, to clothe altars,
shrines, and priests in iridescent vestments;
Mosaic to sheet arch and vault in burnished gold
and azure and vermilion;
Metal work to fashion screens and candelabra of iron
and bronze and brass;
Joinery to raise wainscot of intricate tracery;
Goldsmithing to furnish shrines and reliquaries and sacred
vessels of precious metals and precious stones;
Poetry to create great hymns and canticles;
Drama to build up a supreme ritual;
Music to breathe the breath of divine life into all.

I love that last phrase – Music to breathe the breath of divine life into all.

The breath of God animates and inspires.  It is no coincidence that in popular iconography, St. Gregory the Great is depicted with a dove whispering the eight tones of plainsong into his ear, and I think it was John Donne who said that “the ear is the Holy Spirit’s first door.”  How appropriate, then, that the Miller Scott Organ has two inscriptions:  From Psalm 150, “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord!” and the words that J.S. Bach wrote on his manuscripts, “Soli Deo Gloria – To God alone be the glory!”

On Sunday, let us celebrate the dedication of this House of Prayer entrusted to us and to future generations.  David Briggs plays some astonishing music for the mass, Andrew Padgett, a Gentleman of the Choir, sings Bach, Bishop Andrew St. John is our celebrant, and we use the Litany of Thanksgiving for the Church.  We hope that there will be a little ‘surprise’ for you all during the service but that will depend on internet connection at Incarnation Center, Connecticut (so there’s a clue).  The service ends with a Solemn Te Deum with the plainsong verses alternating with organ verses inspired by Pierre Cochereau, Titular Organist of the Cathedral Notre Dame, Paris, from 1955 until his death in 1984.

Please join us for a special Coffee Hour on Sunday (details below).  Even though Coffee Hour is via Zoom, remember the words of St. Peter: “like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house.”  So, let us not be ‘virtual’ stones on Sunday but, rather, living stones.  Please invite a friend to join us at 12:30pm this Sunday.

Now, I have some good news to share:


Chief Advancement Officer appointed after robust search

Bruce Smith, our new Chief Advancement Officer

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Bruce Smith as our new Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) to lead our new Office of Institutional Advancement.  One of the main action points of our Strategic Plan is to expand on the successful work of the Development Office, with a view to raising new revenue streams, strengthening annual giving and planned giving, overseeing a capital campaign with a view to underwriting our parish and school for the next 100 years, and improving communications with all associated with Saint Thomas Church – parishioners, Friends of Music, Choir School Alumni, Parents of Choristers (both past and present), and all who are inspired by Saint Thomas and its unique choral heritage.

Bruce is a worthy successor to Ann Kaplan who retired earlier this year.  Over the past few months, the Institutional Advancement Task Force, ably led by Chris Haley, has searched for a CAO assisted by Howe-Lewis International, who specialize in searches for not-for-profit organizations.  We had an extremely strong field of candidates, and we have been delighted with the work of Esther Rosenberg, the lead consultant.

Bruce Smith has been a professional fundraiser for over twenty years, having led the development function at four organizations: The General Theological Seminary in New York City, Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, MA, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln, MA, and The Aldrich Contemporary Museum in Ridgefield, CT. At each organization, his teams outperformed historic standards, and he instituted systems that assured continued success. His first job as a fundraiser was at St. James’ Church on Madison Avenue, and the mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church remain foundational to him.

Bruce is married to an Episcopal priest, the Rev. Kate Malin, Rector of Christ’s Church, Rye, NY. They have three college-age children: twins Emerson and Murphy.

Bruce has deep knowledge of and passion for the Episcopal Church, the arts, and arts education. He looks forward to engaging the community of Saint Thomas to understand and amplify the impact of their support on these ministries within the parish, the Choir School, the Music program, and beyond.

Bruce writes:

“I’m delighted to be joining the staff of Saint Thomas Church and eager to begin working with the outstanding team in the Office of Institutional Advancement. I have admired the mission and ministry of Saint Thomas Church for more than twenty years. I was one of the many thousands of midtown office workers who sought refuge in the Church in the weeks after 9/11. I therefore know that the Church has risen to profound challenges in the past, just as it is doing now in response to the pandemic. The vision and leadership of Saint Thomas has been galvanizing in this moment, and I look forward to helping secure the long-term vitality of this parish which is so essential within the Anglican Communion.”

Chris Haley, Chair of the Institutional Task Force writes:

“I am thrilled that we have found in Bruce Smith the ideal person to connect the mission of Saint Thomas to our supporters. Ann Kaplan was such a beloved leader and devoted member of Saint Thomas Church, and we prioritized cultural fit in our search to continue and expand on her legacy. I know the Saint Thomas community will enjoy working with Bruce as he embarks on the next chapter of our ambitious strategic plan.”

Adam MacDonald, our Director of Development writes:

“This appointment is a crucial piece in the formation of our new office.  I am excited to help introduce Bruce to our community, to learn from his expertise, and to work together in service of our church. Many thanks to everyone who worked so hard on the search – this is a new beginning of great promise and possibility.”

Father Turner writes:

“Assisted by his dedicated team, I have every confidence that Bruce and our renewed office of Institutional Advancement will make a real difference over the coming years. They will build on the sterling work of Ann Kaplan and her team, and I am convinced that Saint Thomas Church and its beloved Choir School will go from strength to strength.  It will, of course, continue to be a lot of hard work, particularly after this extraordinary Pandemic, but if we keep our vision aligned with our mission statement, then God will surely bless the work done in his name.”

Bruce joins the staff on October 13 which is, significantly, the Feast Day of Saint Edward the Confessor, who is the central figure on the main church façade underneath the Rood, and who is buried behind the High Altar of Westminster Abbey – the only other church in the world that has a Choir School the same as ours.

Affectionately,

Your Priest and Pastor,

Carl