Dear Jack,
Well yesterday I put posters on the walls. The room looks more homey, but I still need to get some curtains or something. On Friday I went to dinner with two ladies, Betsy and Marta. Betsy and Marta are both maybe in their late thirties maybe early forties. They were very kind to invite me. We had some good conversation at a small Italian restaurant on 7th. It had the best four cheese pizza I have tasted (Gorgonzola YUM).
Today I got up early and walked to Time Square. I attended St. Mary the Virgin just off of Time Square. The streets were filled with many vendors, as it's Brazil Day today. Now to the untrained Christian, one would think I had gone to a Catholic Mass. The Church looked like pre-Vatican II in it's design and lay out. The Altar, surrounded by seven red lamps, statuary, and an enormous central Reserved Sacrament lamp, was a high altar. There was not a pulled out or nave altar. There were statues everywhere with votive candles at each of them. There were two side chapels, one dedicated to Mary's perpetual virginity, and the other dedicated to the marriage of Mary to Joseph. Again, each of these had statues and votives in it. The ceiling in the Nave and Chancel was painted dark blue with stars. The Rose window was blood red and was flanked by pipes from an enormous pipe organ. The pews were a split between being box pews and being open pews. The services ran from 8:30 till 6 PM. Literally continual prayer. On a pamphlet at each seat in the pews next to the BCP, there was the "Angelus" which had the Hail Mary on it. In the bulletin I learned that they were going to celebrate Holy Cross day having secured a "Holy Cross" relic, as found by St. Helena on that day in Palestine. They said it would be processed at the "Mass" and then "venerated" in the Mary chapel. Apparently at the high Mass they use incense every week, and the church is very Anglo-Catholic.
The thing that was strikingly different about this Anglo-Catholic parish and the ones I've observed in the south, was that socially it is a very open and liberal parish. One of the clergy is a gay man. And I've learned that in the open culture of New York, nearly every parish has a gay or lesbian cleric. I know there are many who may read this who are against such things, and I pray you open your mind to that. I am, however, happy to see full inclusion here in New York.
Another thing I've found strikingly different so far, the majority of the parishes seem high-massed. Everyone crosses themselves, clergy wear not only an Alb, and Chasuble, but also a Cassock under the Alb. I imagine it must be hot, but luckily many of the parishes have air conditioning.
Last week I attended Holy Apostles here in Chelsea. The Church was more moderate in its liturgics. There were few images on the walls, save for the stained glass. The Church had been recently restored after a fire. I also noted that Holy Apostles cohabitates with Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, a GLBT Jewish Community. The worship space is used as the Parish hall for that type of function, and during the week serves as the dining room for their soup kitchen.
I'm not sure where I'm going to attend next week. I'm thinking perhaps Trinity Wall Street, but I'm not sure.
There doesn't seem to be much going on in the next few days. I'm thinking of visiting China Town on Monday, but that may change if I find some other people doing something. Well that's all I have to report. Walk in love.
Well yesterday I put posters on the walls. The room looks more homey, but I still need to get some curtains or something. On Friday I went to dinner with two ladies, Betsy and Marta. Betsy and Marta are both maybe in their late thirties maybe early forties. They were very kind to invite me. We had some good conversation at a small Italian restaurant on 7th. It had the best four cheese pizza I have tasted (Gorgonzola YUM).
Today I got up early and walked to Time Square. I attended St. Mary the Virgin just off of Time Square. The streets were filled with many vendors, as it's Brazil Day today. Now to the untrained Christian, one would think I had gone to a Catholic Mass. The Church looked like pre-Vatican II in it's design and lay out. The Altar, surrounded by seven red lamps, statuary, and an enormous central Reserved Sacrament lamp, was a high altar. There was not a pulled out or nave altar. There were statues everywhere with votive candles at each of them. There were two side chapels, one dedicated to Mary's perpetual virginity, and the other dedicated to the marriage of Mary to Joseph. Again, each of these had statues and votives in it. The ceiling in the Nave and Chancel was painted dark blue with stars. The Rose window was blood red and was flanked by pipes from an enormous pipe organ. The pews were a split between being box pews and being open pews. The services ran from 8:30 till 6 PM. Literally continual prayer. On a pamphlet at each seat in the pews next to the BCP, there was the "Angelus" which had the Hail Mary on it. In the bulletin I learned that they were going to celebrate Holy Cross day having secured a "Holy Cross" relic, as found by St. Helena on that day in Palestine. They said it would be processed at the "Mass" and then "venerated" in the Mary chapel. Apparently at the high Mass they use incense every week, and the church is very Anglo-Catholic.
The thing that was strikingly different about this Anglo-Catholic parish and the ones I've observed in the south, was that socially it is a very open and liberal parish. One of the clergy is a gay man. And I've learned that in the open culture of New York, nearly every parish has a gay or lesbian cleric. I know there are many who may read this who are against such things, and I pray you open your mind to that. I am, however, happy to see full inclusion here in New York.
Another thing I've found strikingly different so far, the majority of the parishes seem high-massed. Everyone crosses themselves, clergy wear not only an Alb, and Chasuble, but also a Cassock under the Alb. I imagine it must be hot, but luckily many of the parishes have air conditioning.
Last week I attended Holy Apostles here in Chelsea. The Church was more moderate in its liturgics. There were few images on the walls, save for the stained glass. The Church had been recently restored after a fire. I also noted that Holy Apostles cohabitates with Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, a GLBT Jewish Community. The worship space is used as the Parish hall for that type of function, and during the week serves as the dining room for their soup kitchen.
I'm not sure where I'm going to attend next week. I'm thinking perhaps Trinity Wall Street, but I'm not sure.
There doesn't seem to be much going on in the next few days. I'm thinking of visiting China Town on Monday, but that may change if I find some other people doing something. Well that's all I have to report. Walk in love.
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