Dear Friends,
Thank you so much for the many goodwill messages I received as I celebrated ten years as 13th Rector of Saint Thomas Church. I was completely taken by surprise at coffee hour when the wardens made their presentation! When I asked them a week before if I would see them on Sunday, they both made excuses and said that, sadly, they would be traveling – so when they appeared in Church I was amazed to see them. I want to thank them and the Vestry for the beautiful gift that I shall treasure. What I will treasure even more is the quote that they found from my first sermon at Saint Thomas: “I come among you today as your new parish priest but in reality, a pilgrim who has been called to journey with you.” We are all pilgrims on the journey, and that journey does not even end with death, but with life beyond the grace as we are drawn ever more closely into the orbit of God’s love.
In my first sermon, preached on Holy Cross Day, I also said this:
This great feast we celebrate today reminds us that the message of the cross is what we preach, and that the glory of God which we experience here in this beautiful building, and through our extravagant and inspiring liturgy and music is not escapism from the real world or, God forbid, for human glory or self-aggrandizement but, rather, is the bringing of all our hopes and fears through the cross to the glory of God which we share because of his incarnate son, Jesus Christ and who transfigures our lowly bodies.
I still believe that to be true, my friends! God is calling us into relationship with him. God will transfigure our lives and even our bodies so that we become more like him, following the pattern of our Lord Jesus Christ. Archbishop Michael Ramsey used to say “More of Christ; less of self – that is the proof of what we believe” and I am overjoyed to see so many signs of that kind of growth in our church at the moment. People are yearning to be more Christ-like in all that they think and do and say.
Day by day, thousands of people come into Saint Thomas and spend a while in the quietness of this sacred space. Our Church truly is a gift to the people of New York. If I have a request, it is to encourage you to participate more fully in the daily prayer life of the parish, and especially in our Shrine Prayers and daily Eucharist. If you are in the area during the week, pop into your parish church and sit still for a while; light a candle for a friend or a loved one; pray for your church community; pray for your priests.
On October 22, we will be holding a Newcomers’ Party for those who have attended the Pilgrims’ Course over the past three years, and for newcomers to our church. Invitations are going out at the moment. If you are new to Saint Thomas, have been attending church regularly, but have not yet attended the Pilgrims’ Course, you are welcome to join us. Please reach out to one of the clergy to find out more.
We have two visiting preachers on September 29, the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels. In the morning, the Dean of York, the Very Rev. Dominic Barrington will be our preacher at 11am. At 4pm, Fr. Landon Moore, Vicar for Vocations in the Diocese of Long Island will preach at evensong.
Dean Barrington will give a short, illustrated talk on Sunday at the end of coffee hour on the 5th floor about the history and mission of York Minster. It will be fascinating: The Minster is built on a Roman settlement and Constantine was proclaimed Emperor by his army stationed in Eboracum (York) in 306. Excavations have revealed Roman, Saxon, and Norman buildings beneath the Gothic Church which is the largest in Northern Europe. It is the home cathedral of the 11th and current Rector of Saint Thomas Church, and T. Tertius Noble was Organist and Master of the Choristers of York Minster before he came to Saint Thomas. We will provide a sandwich lunch for anyone who would like to attend. Please register by following this link to help us with catering.
Finally, as we approach the end of the Bicentennial Year, tickets are going fast for the great party we will hold on Saturday, October 5, at Bonnell Hall, 5th Avenue Presbyterian Church. Our caterer, Rodrigo, will provide a feast of delicious food; there will be live jazz; soft drinks and a full bar; and a chance for us to celebrate our parish family. See the advert below to order your tickets. But hurry! Numbers are limited, so buy yours soon! On Sunday, October 6, we will keep our Patronal Feast of Saint Thomas – so please bring your friends for the closing ceremony of the Bicentennial. At 4pm, Bishop Allen Shin will be our preacher.
Affectionately,
Your Priest and Pastor,
Carl
