Dear Friends,
As many of you will now know, we had a security incident at the Church this week. An individual who has been attending our church — along with other Manhattan churches — admitted to violating our weapons policy and made threats against our Church. Because the safety and wellbeing of the Saint Thomas community is our top priority, I immediately banned the individual from entry to our premises but, on Wednesday, there was a violent altercation in our Narthex which our security guards dealt with very professionally, although there was some damage. This escalated to threatening phone calls and NYPD arrested the individual, and he has been charged with trespass and criminal damage. Out of an abundance of caution, I decided to cancel evensong on Wednesday, send the boys back to school, and we closed the church and the parish offices early. NYPD responded so quickly, and even escorted the boys back to school!
I want to pay tribute to all our staff who acted so professionally and calmly, but I particularly want to thank Robbie Giannetta and his team who were skillful, calm, and masterful in defusing a difficult situation, and ensuring that all of us were safe. Thank you Robbie!
We have invested a lot of time and money in security in recent years; you will notice the increased number of security personnel every day, the presence of NYPD on the Church steps on Sundays, and the improvements to our technology and access to the Church and Parish House. We review our security regularly, and we are in touch with the other churches. Bishop Heyd was extremely supportive, and the Deputy Mayor and the Chief of Staff of the Police Commissioner’s Office have been proactive in offering support.
Sadly, this is the world we now inhabit, but I want to assure you that the safety of everyone – parishioners, staff, children, visitors, is of paramount importance to the Wardens and Vestry. Together, we want to ensure that Saint Thomas continues to be an oasis of prayer open 365 days a year and available to all who live in or visit New York. Please know that we will always err on the side of caution to continue to keep everyone safe.
Last week, I shared details about my visit to Canterbury and London, where I met with three Directors of Music. I also elaborated on the Vestry’s vision for expanding our music program, emphasizing the strengthening of our tradition. Thank you for the many emails expressing interest and support, as well as to those who spoke with me last Sunday during Coffee Hour. This vision is long-term; one of our goals is to make the Choir School financially sustainable while ensuring our resources are sufficient for future generations. Achieving this will take time, but we are committed to maintaining our position as a center of excellence both liturgically and musically. Nicolas Haigh is curating a beautiful concert series for us for next year, and the Transition Committee has already made significant progress as we transition to a new school model. Mother Turner has also begun writing a series of articles for us, with the first installment available below.
Additionally, I mentioned last week that the boys were visiting Washington, D.C. I was delighted to hear about the warm reception they received at Washington National Cathedral and the large audience that attended their concert at the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America. The monastery is truly remarkable, featuring replicas of sacred sites from the Holy Land. Mo. Turner and Mr. Adach enjoyed showing the boys some of the extraordinary chapels in the building.
Here are a few reflections from the boys about their trip:
The Washington National Cathedral is said to be the most beautiful and unique cathedrals in Washington. They have daily evensongs Sun-Thursday, similar to Saint Thomas. There are 3 different choirs, the Alto Tenor & Bass (ATB), the Girls Cathedral Choir (GCC), and the Boys Cathedral Choir (BCC). Their director of Music is Tom Sheehan. We visited on Thursday, February 6, 2025. – Jayden
I liked singing at the Franciscan Monastery with its great organ and acoustics and also being able to go to the gardens there. – Andrew
The national museum is a great place to visit for visitors new to D.C, this tourist spot is incredible with the original star-spangled flag and many information about our culture and our origins of our country, showing us how we improved and evolved our beautiful country into the way it is now. The tradition of music showed us that our anthem was one of the songs that pushed us through all the wars of our country. – William P.
Finally, the Pilgrims’ Class will be exploring Lent and Holy Week on Tuesday, February 25 at 7pm. This Class is a ‘stand-alone’ and if you are interested in learning about some of our Lent and Holy Week Traditions, I encourage you to come along. We explore the origins of Holy Week and the liturgies themselves.
Affectionately,
Your Priest and Pastor,
Carl
