Dear Friends,
What a glorious Pentecost we celebrated last Sunday! The day was charged with emotion, of course, as is any liturgy where we celebrate a leave-taking, but the music, flowers, and sense of community also made it a day of celebration. Although the Choir School year has come to a close, there is still a great deal to do and Mr. Seeley, Mo. Turner, and the administrative team are working hard this week to ensure that the new term in September gets off to a great start. At our Vestry meeting on Wednesday, more tributes were paid to Mr. Seeley, and he reminded us of the transformative nature of our Choir School and how that will continue in the future. He spoke, again, about joy being a word of resistance in the face of negativity, and all of us were moved by that thought. A number of you have asked for the words that I spoke when we honored Chris during last Sunday’s mass, so you can click here to read it.
Nicolas Haigh, our Acting Director of Music, shared with the Vestry all the planning that has already been done for the upcoming program year, particularly the concert series which will begin with a very classic and popular concert of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Concerto and his Gloria in Excelsis. We were delighted to hear that Nicolas has secured one of America’s leading violinists to play for the opening concert, which will be the first directed by Richard Tanner.
Nicolas also announced the appointment of a new organ scholar: Bethany Dame. She joins us from The Peabody Conservatory where she has recently graduated with her Master’s Degree in Organ Performance. In addition to her already accomplished organ playing, Bethany is particularly interested in outreach, the Noble Singers, and the development of the 9am Mass.
I want to say a very big thank you to our outgoing organ scholar, Jon Bolena, who has worked incredibly hard this past year, particularly in the support he has given to the residential life of the school during this time of transition. Jon was a chorister here during my time as Rector, so I am now beginning to feel very old! Always impeccably dressed, he has been a very good role model to our boys and encouraged them to do their best. His recent organ recital was very well received and all of us on the Vestry are grateful for Jon agreeing to stay on with us during the summer until early August to allow for a seamless transition in the fall. Thank you, Jon, for your commitment to our unique choral tradition and to the organ – your presence this year has been a testament to what Chris Seeley reminded us earlier in my message – of how music can change children’s lives. John will be studying at Oberlin College in Ohio.
I was also delighted to hear that Nicolas had a strong field of sopranos who auditioned for our new Saint Thomas Consort who sang their first service on Wednesday for the Feast of St. Barnabas. They will sing most of the Sundays during the summer and all the summer Feast Days. Nicolas has chosen varied and interesting repertoire – from renaissance masses to Schubert in G – so we are in for a treat. After the summer feast day masses, there will be cheese, wine, and soft drinks at the back of the Lady Chapel; these summer Feast Days have become very popular. The Feast of St. Mary Magdalene on Tuesday, July 22, will be a very special celebration as Bishop Andrew St. John will celebrate the 30th anniversary of his Episcopal Ordination. We also have two visiting choirs this summer – Nick Quardokus (former Assistant Organist here) will bring his choir from Grace Church Cathedral, Charleston, SC on June 29, the Feast of SS. Peter and Paul, and the Alumni Choir of St. John’s in the Village, Baltimore, MD directed by Thomas Hetrick will be with us on August 10. Finally, the Girl Chorister Course will run from July 20-27 and, in addition to two weekday evensongs and the celebration mass for Bishop Andrew St. John, they will sing with the Gentlemen of the Choir on Sunday, July 27.
This Sunday is Trinity Sunday when we celebrate the most difficult doctrine of the Church to explain, yet one that is fundamental to our way of life. We are a community that reflects the life of the Trinity. When God creates humankind in the Book of Genesis, he says, “Let us make humankind in our own image, according to our likeness. So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” In other words, from the very beginning, human beings are called to live in community because the most perfect community is found within God as the Holy Trinity. To be fully human, therefore, is to acknowledge our relationship with a loving Father in union with his Son Jesus Christ, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. As Rowan Williams once said, “Human beings deserve to have the fullness of their humanity engaged.”
There have been, of course, many attempts to find analogies to help us understand the truth of the doctrine of the Trinity; the clover leaf; the three states of water; or a 3-dimension cube formed of separate sides. However, at the end of the day, all analogies fail because they are just that – analogies. It seems strange that something so fundamental to our faith as Christians took so long to be expressed in words at the First Council of Nicea in 325 but, perhaps, that is the whole point; the doctrine of the Trinity is not like a scientific formula to learn and understand; rather, it is through a lived experience that the first Christians were led to express the doctrine of the Trinity – and that is a hallmark of our own experience of community at Saint Thomas Church.
Almighty God, who hast revealed to thy Church thine eternal Being of glorious majesty and perfect love as one God in Trinity of Persons: Give us grace to continue steadfast in the confession of this faith, and constant in our worship of thee, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; who livest and reignest, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Lastly, below you will find an important safety update from myself and the wardens.
Affectionately,
Your Priest and Pastor,
Carl
Update on Safety Concerns
Dear Saint Thomas Community,
We are writing today to share some information about an individual whose actions have created a safety issue for the Saint Thomas community. Saint Thomas Church is fully committed to fostering a safe environment for all and adheres to all safe church practices. We assure you that we are taking appropriate precautions to protect our community while upholding the values of integrity and compassion that define our mission.
Over the past several months, this individual has created safety issues, including bringing a weapon on to church premises, damaging church property, making threatening phone calls, harassing parishioners, and making harmful false allegations. The Bishop has banned him from entering any of our churches. He was arrested by the NYPD and charged with criminal damage.
We are currently working with the District Attorney’s Office, NYPD, and the Bishop’s Office to ensure that everyone remains safe.
We encourage our parishioners and staff to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to church leadership or security. We continue to enhance our security at the Church, Parish House, and School so that Saint Thomas continues to be an oasis of prayer for all who wish to enter or be part of our fellowship. Thank you for your understanding and prayers for all involved in this challenging situation.
Yours in Christ,
The Rev. Carl F. Turner
Rector
Lloyd Stanford
Warden
Gregory Zaffiro
Warden
