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DEAR FRIENDS
In the Universal Church, November has become known as the Month of All Souls because of the Feast of All Saints on the 1st, the Feast of All Souls on the 2nd, and Remembrance Day on the 11th (or Remembrance Sunday on the Sunday nearest the 11th). Appropriately, the Guild of All Souls always holds its Annual Requiem during November. We are celebrating all of these at St. Paul’s this year. According to the Prayer Book rubrics, All Saints may be transferred to the following Sunday, an option we are taking for this Sunday, November 4, because it is also the Anniversary of the Consecration of our beautiful building. And to make the Consecration Anniversary even more celebratory, we will have Solemn Evensong this Sunday afternoon at 4:00. All of the details for these services are below, and I hope you are planning to join us for all of them.
I am particularly excited that we are hosting the Annual Requiem of the Guild of All Souls this year, 10:00 am, Saturday, November 10th. Praying for the happy repose of the souls of the Faithful Departed is one of the most ancient Christian traditions, dating from the first century. The Guild of All Souls (GAS) was founded in 1873 for this purpose: to pray for the dead and to promote the Church’s teaching regarding the Faithful Departed through intercessory prayer for the dying and the repose of the Souls of the Departed. St. Paul’s was an enthusiastic member of the Guild for several decades; in fact, there is a long and very strong history between the GAS and St. Paul’s.
The St. Paul’s branch was originally founded in 1925 by Fr. Andrew Chalmers Wilson (the 8th Rector), who served on the Guild Council until his death in 1952. His successor at St. Paul’s, Fr. Granville Mercer Williams, also served on the Council and was branch superior, and Fr. Gregory Mabry (10th Rector) was Warden of the entire Guild for a period of time. Mr. T. E. Smith, the Secretary-General and Treasurer-General of the Guild for many, many years was an influential parishioner at St Paul’s and an enormous part of the Guild’s history in this country. At one point, St. Paul’s boasted the largest chapter of the GAS in the United States. The Chantry Book, the list of the all the departed members since 1873, is full of the names of St. Paul’s members, your predecessors.
The St. Paul’s branch languished a bit during the 1970s and 1980s. Fr. Cullen tried to revive the branch in the 1990s, but there was less interest than previously, and the branch has been relatively inert since then, although not completely defunct. St. Paul’s has not hosted the Annual Requiem since 1992, and we are happy for its return. I am a member of the Guild and have been appointed the branch superior, and I am hopeful that this Annual Requiem will generate some interest in reinvigorating the St. Paul’s branch.
The GAS publishes its Intercession Paper quarterly, which is the list of the names of the Faithful Departed for whom the members pray each week, and this quarter, there is a quite stunning picture of the interior of St. Paul’s on the cover (these are the thin, purple paperback books on the table in the rear of the church). The Papers also contain information about joining the Guild. If you are interested in learning more, you may also speak to me or go to the GAS website at http://guildofallsouls.net/, and I hope to see you at the Annual Requiem on Saturday, November 10th.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Wallace
REQUIEM MASS of ALL SOULS
9:00 am, Friday, November 2, in the Lady Chapel
If you have names of the dead you would like to have remembered at the Mass of All Souls, please contact Fr. Wallace ASAP. The names will be read at the mass. It is also traditional to make a voluntary contribution (the amount is unimportant) to the church as a thank offering to God on behalf of the souls of the dearly departed. Envelopes for this offering are available on the back table or in your box of pledge envelopes.
TRAVEL WARNINGS FOR THIS SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4
It’s a double whammy this Sunday! It’s both the NYC Marathon and the time change. We “fall back,” so we gain an hour, but you might need that extra hour to get to church because of the Marathon. Plan ahead.
ALL SAINTS & THE FEAST OF THE CONSECRATION: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4
11:00 am, High Mass
4:00 pm, Solemn Evensong
St. Paul’s was consecrated to the glory of God on All Saints Sunday in 1884 by Bishop Abram Newkirk Littlejohn, the first Bishop of the Diocese of Long Island. We celebrate the 134th anniversary of the Consecration with High Mass on Sunday morning and with a special service of Solemn Evensong and Benediction, 4:00 pm, Sunday afternoon. We will be joined by the choir from Christ Church Cobble Hill and their choirmaster Don Barnum and rector Fr. Ron Lau for this special event. Please plan to join us as well.
ADULT CHRISTIAN EDUCATION: BIBLE BASICS CLASS
Continues this Sunday, 1:00 pm, after Coffee Hour, in the Library
Fr. Wallace is teaching an 8-session Bible Basics/Bible 101 class this fall, Sundays after Coffee Hour. Ever wanted to know more about the Bible but were intimidating by the whole “Word of God” thing? Now’s your chance to find out and ask questions. Newcomers welcome!
EBLASTS
The eblast is the most effective way that St. Paul’s communicates to our parish. If you know of someone who would like to receive the eblast, please direct them to our Website and tell them to use the "Sign Up" link at the bottom of the page.
GUILD OF ALL SOULS ANNUAL REQUIEM
10:00 am, Saturday, November 10
St. Paul’s is honored to host the Guild of All Souls Annual Requiem this year. We will welcome the professional choir and choir master, David Enlow, from the Church of the Resurrection in Manhattan. They will offer Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem, Op. 9. A luncheon in the Parish Hall will follow. The Guild of All Souls is a devotional prayer guild within the worldwide Anglican Communion which seeks to promote the Church’s teaching regarding the Faithful Departed through intercessory prayer for the dying and the repose of the Souls of the Departed; encouraging Christian customs at burial, especially the offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass; and promoting the two great doctrines of the Christian Creed: The Communion of Saints and the Resurrection for the Dead.
REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY
11:00 am, November 11
Please plan to join us for this special service, a requiem mass in honor of all those who died in wartime. The original Remembrance Day (sometimes still called Armistice Day) was instituted at the end of World War I, at 11:00 am, on the 11th day of the 11th month, in 1918. Remembrance Sunday this year is particularly significant and poignant because it is exactly the centennial, down to the 11:00 am starting time. We will begin our service as they did 100 years ago with two minutes of silence. Please plan to join us and invite your friends and neighbors to the special celebration.
ALL-PARISH MEETING
During Coffee Hour, Sunday, November 11.
This All-Parish Meeting, sometime called a Parish Summit, is part of the transition and discernment process for calling a new rector.
PRAYERS FOR ST. PAUL’S DURING THE TRANSITION AND RECTOR SEARCH
As you read the Eblast each week, it is a good opportunity to take 30 seconds and offer a prayer for St. Paul’s during its transition and for the members of the Search Committee. Prayers to that effect will be included each week in the Eblast.
For St. Paul’s:
Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to thee, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly thine, utterly dedicated unto thee; and then use us, we pray thee, as thou wilt, and always to thy glory and the welfare of thy people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
For the Search Committee:
Almighty God, giver of every good gift: Look graciously on St. Paul’s, and so guide the minds Keith, Monika, Anne, Michael, Willie, Julie, Cynthia, Ken, and Rob, and all those who shall call a rector for this parish, that they may receive a faithful pastor, who will care for thy people and equip us for our ministries; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THIS COMING SUNDAY: November 4th
THE FEAST OF ALL SAINTS & THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE CONSECRATION
Sunday's Appointed Readings and Homily
The First Reading—Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9
Psalm 24
Epistle— Revelation 12:1-6
The Gospel— John 11:32-44
Sermon—Fr. Wallace
Music
Mass Setting: St. Paul’s Service—St. Paul’s Service
Organ Prelude: Fanfare—William Mathias
Hymn at the Procession: “For all the Saints,” Hymnal, 287
Anthem: “O Saviour of the World”—John Goss
Hymn at Communion: “I sing a song of the saints of God,” Hymnal, 293
Hymn at the Dismissal: “Forward in Faith,” see hymn insert
Organ Postlude: Paean—Kenneth Leighton
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