Open Doors

This is from my Angelus (the Saint Mary's weekly newsletter) article for this week.

It can be a challenge competing vocally with the Fire Department of New York or an ambulance going past the church during Mass. When the weather is warm the 47th Street and 46th Street doors of the church are open. This allows some fresh Midtown air into the church and it opens our wonderful acoustics to the joyful sound of honking, car alarms, and sirens. The fresh air really is a plus and the normal sounds of the city act as a reminder that we are in Times Square. More importantly, the open doors offer an enormous welcoming gesture to those walking by the church. People hear and see that the church is doing something and often they simply walk in to see what’s going on. It seems to me that this is a very good thing. I don’t know how many people have developed a deep love for Our Lord and Saint Mary’s after wandering through an open door, but I imagine it’s quite a few.

Wonderful liturgy and a gorgeous building are the obvious places our open doors lead to, but I think the idea of open doors need not refer solely to the church building. Christian education, mission, spirituality, concerts, and fellowship events are also open for all. I hope that everyone coming through the doors feels invited to be a part of Saint Mary’s, not as a stranger passing through, but as a sister or brother in Christ being welcomed to the family table. There are many open doors at Saint Mary’s. Here are few that have been on my mind lately.

Sister Laura Katharine has begun oversight of the parish altar guild, the Saint Mary’s Guild. Historically, the Saint Mary’s Guild met on Saturdays for the noon Mass, lunch, a group meeting, and some work time. At one point in the parish history the Guild was so popular that it was divided into different parts each meeting once a month – meaning that effectively part of the Guild met every week. We are reviving this practice: the Saint Mary’s Guild will meet the first Saturday of every month for the 12:10 PM Mass, lunch, a group meeting, and some work time sewing and polishing. It’s a great place to meet other Saint Marians and learn some practical skills. The doors are open and I hope we’ll see some new faces wander in. If you are interested in becoming part of any of our guilds (see http://www.stmvirgin.org/CommunityandFellowship for a list of them all) speak to one of the priests, and we’ll see what we can do to make that a reality right now.

Our music is another area in which we are open. There have been five different concerts and recitals in the last two weeks: all of them open to the public and most of them free. In addition to scheduled concerts, we also offer an organ recital every Sunday before Evensong & Benediction and before most Feast Day weekday Solemn Masses (the next on is Ascension Day, May 17). If you haven’t been to a concert or a recital this year, I recommend catching one before the season ends with the start of summer.

One of the challenges at Saint Mary’s involves growing our Christian Education program. I think our current format works, but there is more work to be done. Currently a class is offered following Solemn Mass on Sundays. The classes last for about 45 minutes (ending at about 1:30 PM) and cover a wide array of subjects. Mr. Robert Picken is currently leading a group through a class on hymns. In a few weeks Sister Deborah Francis and Sister Laura Katharine will offer a presentation on the religious life. Each Wednesday a group gathers after the evening Mass in Saint Benedict’s Study for dinner and a Bible Study. Each week one person supplies a full dinner, another supplies drinks, the next week someone else supplies food and drinks. The doors are open and we’d love to have you join us for a Sunday class or a Wednesday dinner and Bible Study.

There are always new challenges and experiences awaiting us in our ministries at Saint Mary’s. How to open more doors for others to walk through is a challenge for all of us. Many doors are already open at Saint Mary’s. I invite you to consider stepping through some new door and to help us open even more doors for others.