The Shepherd’s Voice: November 2009


FROM THE RECTOR: ALL SAINTS’ DAY . . . November is one of my favorite months in the Church Calendar.  It begins with All Saints’ Day (November 1), one of the greatest and oldest Christian celebrations.  In Eastern Churches dating back as early as the fourth century a day was set aside to celebrate and give thanks for the lives of Christian Martyrs.  May 13 was the official date in Syrian churches, though it was not apparently a fixed date in all Eastern Churches.  Greek Orthodox Churches have continued since the time of Saint John Chrysostom (late fourth century) to celebrate All Saints’ Sunday on the first Sunday after Pentecost (when we celebrate Trinity Sunday).  An East Syrian liturgy from the same period associates the day with the Friday after Easter Sunday.  All three days were known and celebrated variously by the churches in Rome.  However, May 13 became the official date for Roman Christians when the Pantheon, the pagan temple in the heart of Rome devoted to all of the pagan gods which had been given as a gift by Emperor Phocas to Pope Boniface IV, was consecrated as a Christian Church in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the martyrs on May 13, 609.  Twenty-eight wagon loads of martyr’s bones were brought from the catacombs to the church for the consecration service while “Rise up, saints of God, from your dwellings; sanctify this place and bless the people!” and other such antiphons were sung – it was a big day and from that celebration a feast for all martyrs was kept annually.  A little over one hundred years later a chapel dedicated by Pope Gregory III to all of the saints – even those that were not martyrs – was consecrated in Saint Peter’s Basilica on November 1.  The date of November 1 likely was chosen because it was already the date churches as far north as Ireland were celebrating a similar feast for all saints.  About one hundred and fifty years after that Pope Gregory IV ordered universal observance of a festival to All Saints on November 1.  (See The Liturgical Year by Adolph Adams for more information.)

 

This year November 1 falls on a Sunday.  At Good Shepherd we will give thanks for the lives of all the saints who have come before us.  The readings assigned for All Saints’ Day in the new lectionary (adopted by the Episcopal Church in 2006) provide for three different sets of readings for All Saints’ Day which allows for a bit more thematic variety.  This year (Year B) the readings are primarily concerned with the resurrection of the dead.  We will hear from both Isaiah and St. John the Divine that God will wipe away every tear, and then we will hear about the tears of our Lord Jesus Christ who wept at the tomb of his friend Lazarus before he called Lazarus by name and raised him from the dead. 

 

The raising of Lazarus is not the last word.  The resurrection of Christ is not simply the raising up of one man, but new life offered freely by God to all.  In our baptism we die to the world and rise to new life in Christ.  The sacrament of new birth will be celebrated immediately after the sermon and two more people will not only become Christians, they will become part of the Body of Christ and share in his resurrection.  The language of dying and rising isn’t clean and neat.  Lazarus had been dead so long that his sister feared opening the tomb would release a stench.  When he walked out of the tomb he needed to be unbound from his burial clothes.  Christian baptism is likewise a bit messy.  A person who is baptized gets wet and is anointed (not just touched but actually anointed) with pungent oil, and since we are baptizing two young children expect it be loud!  The rite does not end there.  A beeswax candle signifying the light of Christ is given to the new Christian (you should be able to smell the aroma of the beeswax) and then at last he or she is dressed in new white clothes.  Maybe it’s not as eye catching as twenty-eight wagon loads of bones, but the elements of the rite mark Baptism as something that is big and, frankly, life changing. 

 

This All Saints’ Day I hope you will join me as I watch, smell, and listen… and then I hope you will join me and the children at our Lord’s Table to eat and drink of the Body and Blood of Christ.  It really is a festival for the entire body, and I hope you can be with us. Matthew Mead

 

FROM THE RECTOR: PRAYING FOR THE DEPARTED . . . The day after All Saints’ Day is traditionally known as All Souls’ Day.  All Souls’ Day is not really a festival or a celebration, though it too is a day of thanks.  As early as the ninth century Christians had set aside a day to remember and honor those who had died.  By the tenth century the date of November 2 was set in Cluny, a famous monastery, and from there the custom spread quickly to the rest of the church. 

 

All Souls’ Day services look, sound, and feel like funeral services.  The Office at morning and evening prayer is the Prayer Book office for the dead.  The Holy Eucharistic celebrated is no different than a funeral or memorial service (without the commendation and committal).  Traditionally it is a day for us to remember, give thanks, and offer prayers for all of the departed, in particular those people we knew and loved.  Any and every name of our departed friends and loved ones will be read – at some churches, the list is so long that it is spread over an entire week. 

 

I will pray by name for my grandfather Samuel who died this Autumn.  I will also pray by name for Richard, Paul, George, Keith, Aileen, Max, and many other friends and family members.  I invite you to come to the Eucharist on All Souls’ Day and do the same – or simply give me a list and I will read the names.  Reading and hearing those names, knowing that each name doesn’t simply bring back memories but also tears, is a powerful thing.  As Christians, we know that those tears, like the ones shed by Jesus, are for loved ones we know we will see again.  Likewise, those names, like the name of Lazarus, are known by Jesus, and he has already called them to himself.  We are one with the Saints’ in heaven and on earth and for that reason I believe we cannot ever “let go” or “move on”.  Life is changed, not ended.  Praying is one way that Christians move through grief.  The continued prayers for those we love can serve as a reminder that God’s love conquers death, and we will again see and be with those people that we love who have died. 

 

If you have never been to an All Souls’ Day service, I hope you will join me in giving thanks and offer prayers for all the faithful departed, especially those you and I can name during the service.  On Monday, November 2, Morning Prayer will be said at 7:40 AM.  The Holy Eucharist will be celebrated at 8:00 AM.  Evening Prayer will be said at 5:40 PM.  And the Holy Eucharist will be celebrated at 6:00 PM.  Matthew Mead

 

THANKSGIVING AT GOOD SHEPHERD . . .  Thanksgiving Day is a major Holy Day in the Prayer Book.  Two different celebrations will be available for members and friends of Good Shepherd.  On Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26, Morning Prayer will be said at 9:40 AM, and the Holy Eucharist (with Thanksgiving hymns) will be offered at 10:00 AM.  Begin Thanksgiving Day the traditional Episcopalian way: with great hymns and Holy Communion! . . . The Yorktown Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service will be offered at 7:30 PM on Tuesday, November 24 at Yorktown United Methodist Church.  Please contact the United Methodist Church for more details!  All are invited. 

 

MINOR SCHEDULE CHANGE . . . All Morning Prayer services will begin at 7:40 AM.


SUNDAY & HOLY DAY ATTENDANCE IN OCTOBER . . . The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, October 4, (including Saint Francis Day animal blessing): 102; The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, October 11: 75; Saint Luke’s Day, Sunday, October 18: 77; Saint James of Jerusalem, Friday, October 23: 8; The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost, October 25: 85; Saints Simon & Jude, Wednesday, October 28: 9.


SUNDAY SCHOOL: NEXT SESSION BEGINS; PAGEANT AND 12TH NIGHT SLATED FOR JANUARY 9: HELP IS NEEDED! . . . Thanks so much to Fran DiBernardo and Diane Buschel for teaching the first session of the new Sunday School season, which concluded October 25 with Family Sunday, where the children performed most of the duties at the 10:00 AM service. Many thanks also to those who assisted the teachers: Laura Gannon, Sara Gannon, Jean Barber, Emily Barber, Sarah Corning, Gretchen Hintze, Sue Hintze, and Jan Corning. We have more than 20 students registered this year and they are very eager to learn and perform!


The new session begins November 1 with a baptism lesson; then the children will come to church to witness two baptism ceremonies. Succeeding Sunday School lessons will focus on Advent and Christmas, and then the preparations will begin for our annual pageant. It will be presented on Saturday January 9, 2010 to begin our fourth annual 12th Night celebration, which will include dinner, music and gifts presented by the three “Magi” (portrayed by hand-selected members of our parish!) You will receive a separate communication in the mail regarding 12th Night. We have several parishioners who have volunteered to help with pageant preparation, but we really need at least two or three additional folks. There are many elements that must come together: creating and teaching the script and entrances/exits, costume and set preparation and music preparation. Please see anyone on the Sunday School committee. The children are delightful to work with and the rewards are many. Join us! Glenn Hintze for the Sunday School Committee (Jan Corning, Leslie Fulton, Arleen Flury, Fran DiBernardo)

 

BIBLE STUDY & OTHER ADULT CHRISTIAN EDUCATION . . . Every Wednesday morning at 8:00 AM a fantastic group of early risers is learning more and more about the Prophets.  Do you get up early?  Can you carve an hour out of your morning on Wednesday’s to learn something new?  We meet at 8:00 AM right after Morning Prayer (7:40 AM).  Please join us! 

 

Did you answer the first question: “No, I sleep in.”  or to the second question “No, I don’t have time in the mornings.”?  If so, maybe you’d be interested in joining a fantastic group of people who want to study the Bible in the evenings.  Tentative plans are in the works for a Tuesday Evening Bible Study (right now 6:00 PM and 7:30 PM are the times that have been suggested).  Please speak to me if you are interested and we will find a time that works!

 

Beginning in December the Evening Bible Study (when it will meet is, of course, still up in the air) will study the Infancy Narratives in the New Testament.  These birth narratives of Jesus are far richer and hold more meaning than most Christians realize: make this Christmas one that reveals something new to you about the story of Jesus’ birth! 

 

On Sunday, November 8, at 9:00 AM, I will offer a history and practicality lesson on Vestments (the colorful garments worn by clergy at church).  Vestments are not just beautiful, they have a history that is worth seeing on the History Channel.  Join us on Sunday morning and have a new appreciation for why we do what we do in church!  Matthew Mead

 

On Sunday, November 29, at 9:00 AM, I will offer a Bible study on the “Son of Man”.  The phrase is often used by Jesus in a self-referential way; however, it has a rich history in both the Old and New Testament – as well as in a number of writings from the inter-testament period. Matthew Mead

 

2010 STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN: THE EVERY MEMBER CANVAS . . . By the start of November, all members and friends of Good Shepherd should have received the 2010 Stewardship mailing (including pledge cards).  Please take a few moments to carefully look at your own 2010 budget to see how much you will be able to pledge to Good Shepherd in 2010.  Pledge cards will be collected on Covenant Sunday, November 15, 2009.  A twenty four hour vigil will be kept at the church the day before.  A sign up sheet is available at the church, if you would like to watch for an hour, please take a moment to sign up.  Though a pledge is not binding (you can change the amount any time by notifying the treasurer), each pledge is essential to the parish because our annual budget is based entirely on the amount pledged each year by our members and friends.

 

Our pledge goal for 2010 is $125,000.  That number is higher than past years, but it is an honest number.  Below this article is a detailed list of income and expenses for the first 10 months of 2009.  As you can see, we do not bring in enough income to continue the bare essentials: staying open and staffed, and being an active place for Christian worship, evangelism, mission and outreach.  The 2010 pledge goal, when it is met, will allow the church to continue to do what it is already doing, and even more so!  If we do not make our pledge goal, we will experience the effects of severe budget cuts in 2010.  Please know that your pledge to financially support Good Shepherd directly supports everything that Good Shepherd is and does.  Please know also that Good Shepherd is not supported by endowments or by any other outside funding or grants.  Without your support, life at Good Shepherd will be radically different, and not in a good way.   Through the generosity of our members and friends, we are able to keep our doors open, the church staffed, the building and grounds maintained, and are able to be a physical witness to Christ in New York.

 

Please consider making a pledge for 2010.  “I already plan to make a pledge, can I do more?”  That’s fantastic!  If you already plan to make a pledge, and want to do more, try to increase the amount that you pledge each week.  Think about this: an extra $10 each week brings the church $500 closer to being able to stay open.  An extra $20 each week brings the church $1000 closer. 

 

“What is a pledge?”  Many people put cash in the collection plate each week rather than pledging.  A pledge is more helpful to the parish and to the individual.  For the parish it marks a financial commitment that can be counted on throughout the year.  For the individual it’s a commitment to the church – and not always an easy one – that is lived out over the course of the year.  A pledge doesn’t have to be everything you plan to give to the church.  Try pledging $20 each week and throw another $10 in on top of that. 

 

The hope of the every member canvas is to obtain a pledge of financial support for the parish from every single member and also from as many friends of the parish as possible who consider Good Shepherd to be their spiritual home away from home. With that in mind, thanks so much to all members and friends for your continued support in 2010!  Your support is greatly appreciated and makes a huge difference.  God bless you!  The Stewardship Committee

 

FROM THE TREASURER: INCOME AND EXPENSES YEAR TO DATE : 10/31/09 . . .

 

Income

Pledges                                            $      62,849.63

Loose Plate                                              871.10

Yandersitz Fund                                      13,000.00

Donations For Use of Space    17,000.00

Income-Easter, Birthday/Initial              1,442.00

Sunday School                                         147.46

Altar Guild                                              932.00

Due to Others                                         3,346.00

Fund Raisers                                            93.00

Rector’s Discretionary                             650.00

Rectory Improvement                             829.00

Capital Improvement                               2,216.00

Parish Support Fund                               60.00

Memorial Funds                                      130.00

Misc. Income                                           74.98

Total Income YTD               $             103,641.17


Expenses

Advertising                                          $  891.00

Diocesan Assessment                               8,232.00

Office Expenses                                      4,563.00

Supply Priests & Organists                      700.00

Worship Supplies and Music    951.11

Utilities, Heat                                          10,655.93

Insurance                                 3,483.29

Maintenance                                            9,491.68

Rector’s Compensation                            56,411.14

Staff Compensation                 15,845.35

Altar Guild                                              1,547.99

Capital Improvement                               9,500.00

Rectory Improvement                             3,378.04

Rector’s Discretionary                             1,421.92

Outreach                                 800.00

Carpenter’s Kids                                      1,086.00

Auditor                                                    800.00

Sunday School                                         192.90

Payroll Expenses                                     419.75

Roof Loan                                               875.75

Pass Thru Funds                                      510.00

Miscellaneous Exp.                                  423.54

Total Expenses                    $ 132,180.39

 

Net Loss         ($28,539.22)

 

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP & FELLOWSHIP! . . . Special thanks to Bruce Barber for organizing the work day with Oktoberfest, Saturday, October 24.  Many thanks also to Thelma Barlow, Jim and Jan Corning, Michael Kordys, Phil Levy, Nicole and Liam Mead, Anne Siemerling, and Bob, Courtney and Lindsey Velzy who helped straighten a few things up in the parish house (including the newly revealed coat rack at the back entrance) and had a grand time eating German food!  Please check back here to find out when the next work session and fellowship day will be.  In summary: Much was done; fun was had! 

 

CALLING ALL COOKS MALE AND FEMALE . . . Since cooking is what we do best here at Good Shepherd, Sally Stevens and I would like to create a cookbook as a fundraiser for our church.  With your help we would like to put together a “Keepsake Cookbook” of recipes from members of our church past and present. Wouldn’t it be great to have the recipe for Nancy Johnson’s Baklava? Or Cindy’s triffle?  How about those prize winning chowder and chili recipes?  We would like each contributor to include a picture of themselves and or family to go along with each recipe.  If you would like to get your favorite recipe in this book, please give a copy of it to either Sally or me (or you can e-mail it to me at dbuschel@optonline.net) and give us a picture as well (it could be of you, your mom, or anyone you want) with the names of all who are in the picture.  We are hoping to keep the cost down by shipping to one address so we will need to have this completed by Sunday, November 29th.  The cost will be approximately $20-$25 per book (unless we need a bunch of additional pages) and the church will receive 20% of the profits (maybe more). We will print a sample of the book when we get all the recipes together and then take orders so that our overhead is minimal. Any questions, please feel free to call me at 914-302-6920.  I do have a sample of a recipe book I did for my family to show you.  Thank you!  Diane Buschel

 

CHRISTMAS BAZAAR UPDATE . . . Christmas Bazaar - Saturday, Nov. 7th. (10AM – 4PM) . . . Just one week to go!  Thanks to the elves who have been working so hard to make this event a success.  Special thanks to Amanda Slattery for letting us use her home for workshops and to Nancy Anderson who has been collecting and sorting all those White Elephant items. Please consider bringing something for the baked goods table (cookies, brownies, breads, cakes, candy) – all donations are truly appreciated.  We will also offer coffee, tea and hot chocolate for sale and encourage shoppers to sit in the Guild Room and enjoy a fresh baked goodie, so those items will work well.   You can drop them off Thursday or Friday afternoon or bring them on Saturday. Thanks to Julia Bacal for offering to coordinate the bake table. If possible, please stop by Thursday or Friday afternoon to help price items and set up displays.  Plan to volunteer an hour or so on Saturday to helping with the selling – this will let everyone have a little break so we all can enjoy the day. Save the date & tell your friends, family and neighbors:   Saturday, November 7th 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.  On Sunday, after the 10:00 AM service we will be looking for help to pack everything away.  Thank you all for your support.  See you at the fair!  Thank you!  Arleen Flury for the Christmas Bazaar Committee

 

BAZAAR: WHITE ELEPHANT TABLE . . . We are now accepting small, nice and gently used saleable items: china, pottery, glass ware, costume jewelry, other gift items, Thanksgiving and Christmas items, toys, books (Please no text books and no clothing).  Come to the bazaar and bring family, friends and neighbors.  A fun day for you, a profitable day for Good Shepherd!

Nancy Anderson, Thelma Barlow, Madeline Bronzo, Connie Holzer

PARISH DATABASE UPDATE . . . An information sheet (basic info only) will be available for all to fill out (member, visitor, or friends) in church throughout November.  Please take a few moments to fill out the form completely.  It will help greatly in parish communication.  Thanks so much!  Matthew Mead & Cindy Sotter

 

THE BROTHERHOOD OF SAINT ANDREW . . . Since Saint Andrew’s Day concludes the month of November, it seems like a good time to meet and discuss the future of the Men’s Group (currently on hiatus).  On Sunday November 29, after coffee hour, all are invited to an open discussion about the future of the Men’s Group.   

 

 YOUTH GROUP: SEE REALLY BIG THINGS IN NYC . . . The Youth Group (basically all the kids in their teens) and parents of the Youth Group will meet on Sunday, November 22, 2009 after the 10:00 AM Holy Eucharist.  The purpose of the meeting will be to schedule and plan for upcoming Youth Group activities.  The activity will be a trip led by Father Matt to New York City to see huge things that are in Manhattan.   It is hoped a date in December can be settled for this first trip.  Our first stop will be the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine, one of the largest churches on earth.  From there we will take the subway Midtown where we will visit the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, the largest steel frame gothic church on earth, the Rockefeller Center tree, every year one of the largest Christmas trees on earth, and time permitting Saint Patrick’s Cathedral and Saint Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue.  We will then head downtown to Greenwich Village for a lunch at John’s Pizza, where we will wait in one of the longest lines on earth for pizza (it’s really good pizza).  After the meal we will stroll (or train) through SoHo, Little Italy, and Chinatown until we reach the Wall Street area.  Our trip will conclude at Trinity Church, Wall Street, one of the oldest churches on the continent and also the single wealthiest parish in the world.  Home (hopefully) by dinnertime.  Adults are welcome on this trip as well, especially as chaperones.  The planning session is Sunday, November 22, 2009 after the 10:00 AM Holy Eucharist.  See you there!

 

PRAYER LIST ADDITIONS. . . If you would like your name or a the name of someone you know added to the weekly prayer list, please call the parish office at 914.248.5631 or send an email to mead@goodshepherdny.org.   If you would like the name of someone who has recently died prayed for throughout the week at the Holy Eucharist and Morning Prayer, please contact us as well . . .If you would like your name added to the birthday or wedding anniversary list, please call the parish office at 914.248.5631 or send an email to mead@goodshepherdny.org.

 

ALTAR FLOWERS NEEDED . . . There is a signup sheet at the back of the church (on the door labeled “Choir”) for altar flowers.  If you would like to donate the cost of providing flowers for a Sunday, please sign up.  The Parish Office will be in contact with you to arrange for payment. 

 

NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS . . . 11/3 Nicole Mead; 11/4 Roy Flury; 11/5 Connie Holzer; 11/8 Andrew Richardson; 11/10 Pat Mulholland; 11/13 Liam Mead; 11/16 Charlie Wilson; 11/19 Bruce Barber; 11/24 Kelly Slater.

 

SCOUTING NEWS . . . Thank you to all the dads who volunteered their time over the summer.  Without their help, the success of Main High Adventure Trek, Camp Waubeeka and the Summit Canoe Trek would not have been possible.  Thanks also to the hospitality crew for setting up and arranging the refreshments at the Fall Court of Honor, held at the Church of the Good Shepherd on Friday, October 16, 2009.  Thelma Barlow

 

FROM THE ANGLICAN CHURCH IN ROME . . . The following is an email I received on October 22, 2009, from my friend, the Reverend Dr. R. William Franklin.  Father Franklin has what might be described as a front row seat when it comes to Anglican dealings with the Roman Catholic Church.  He is Academic Fellow of the Anglican Centre in Rome, Visiting Professor of Theology at the Pontifical Angelicum University in Rome  and Associate Director of the American Academy in Rome.  The Q & A from Father Franklin is reprinted with permission.  (Matthew Mead)

 

We here in Rome have received many questions about the Vatican announcement on October 20 about the setting up of “Personal Ordinariates” for former Anglicans wishing to enter into full communion now with the Roman Catholic Church.  Here are some answers to those questions posed by many:

 

1.                   What exactly happened?

On October 20 there were two simultaneous press conferences in Rome and in London announcing that Pope Benedict XVI has approved an Apostolic Constitution that will set up a new canonical structure within the Roman Catholic Church that will allow for Personal Ordinariates which will make it possible for groups of Anglicans to enter into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church, preserving within the Ordinariates distinctive aspects of the Anglican liturgical and spiritual tradition.

 

In Rome, Cardinal William Levada, President of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (which prepared the Constitution, which Pope Benedict has approved) and Archbishop J. Augustine Di Noia, of the Congregation for Divine Worship, announced that the Constitution would be forthcoming.  

 

In London, Archbishop Vincent Nichols, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, announced the Constitution with their view that it brings to an end “a period of uncertainty for such groups who have nurtured hopes of new ways of embracing unity with the Catholic Church.”

 

2.                   What is new about the “Personal Ordinariates?

The Apostolic Constitution clearly authorizes something “new” in the Roman Catholic Church and it provides “a new way” to enter into the full communion of the Roman Catholic Church.  For many centuries individual Anglicans have converted to the Roman Catholic Church.  There have been, however, a few previous cases in the past in  which groups of Anglicans have entered the Roman Catholic Church and have been allowed to preserve some corporate structures of Anglicanism.  Examples of this have been the Anglican diocese of Amritsar in India, and some individual parishes from the Episcopal Church in the United States which maintained an Anglican identity when entering the Roman Catholic Church under a “pastoral provision” adopted by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and approved by Pope John Paul II in 1982.

 

When this development took place in 1982, the Ecumenical Officer of the Episcopal Church in the United States, the Rev. William Norgren, wrote:

“In pluralistic America we are accustomed to Christians  moving from church to church. It is quite a different matter for one church to organize parishes and institute liturgy taken from another church—all to satisfy the individual wishes of a very few people who have moved.  Comments in my hearing from individual Episcopalians, including some bishops, about parishes and proposed Anglican rites have been uniformly negative.  This is simply a fact.”

 

What is new in 2009 is that this provision will be universal in its application.  It provides for groups of parishes that will be formed into “Personal Ordinariates” which may be presided over by former Anglican priests, or unmarried bishops, and it provides for distinctive forms of priestly formation for former Anglicans which incorporates aspects of the Anglican tradition.

 

3.                   What is the origin of the Constitution?

According to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Constitution emerged as a single model for the world-wide church in response to  requests coming to the Holy See from various Anglican groups over the last years seeking to enter into full communion with the Roman See.  Cardinal Levada has said:”We have been trying to meet the requests for full communion that have come to us from Anglicans in different parts of the world in recent years in a uniform and equitable way.  With this proposal the Church wants to respond to  the legitimate aspirations of these Anglican groups for full and visible unity with the Bishop of Rome, successor of St. Peter.”

 

4.                   Were we at the Anglican Centre in Rome surprised by this announcement?

For more than a year, we at the Anglican Centre in Rome have heard rumors of groups of former Anglicans meeting in Rome with representatives of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.  But we were neither informed nor consulted about  these conversations, nor was the staff of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, the ecumenical office of the Holy See, who are our closest dialogue partners in Rome.  The Pontifical Council did not draft the Constitution, nor did it participate in the press conference announcing the Constitution.  The Archbishop of Canterbury has said that he was informed of the announcement “at a very late stage,” and the Archbishop’s Representative to the Holy See, the Very Rev. David Richardson, has said that he was “taken aback by the Vatican’s decision.”

 

5.                   What are the ecumenical implications of the “Personal Ordinariates”?

We at the Anglican Centre in Rome expect and hope that the ecumenical conversations with the Roman Catholic Church will continue.  We look forward to a response from the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity on the proposed Apostolic Constitution.  This will help us to understand how the ecumenical dialogue can continue in a context which has obviously been made different now.   As Dean Richardson has said,”It doesn’t seem to me to help the ecumenical dialogue, but perhaps it will galvanize the dialogue.”

 

6.                   What are some unanswered questions?

There are four unanswered questions that need to be addressed before we can evaluate the ecumenical future:

 

a.      What does the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity have to say about the Apostolic Constitution?

 

b.      What does the text of the Apostolic Constitution actually say ( the document has been announced but we have not seen it), and particularly on the following points, what are the details? What specifics of the  Anglican  patrimony will be allowed?  Will it be more than “spiritual” and “liturgical”?  Will it be “ecclesiological” and “theological”? What will seminary formation for former Anglicans entail?  How will the “Personal Ordinariates” relate to the authority of the local Roman Catholic bishop?

 

c.       What are the names of the groups of former Anglicans who seek reunion with the Roman See?  Names of various groups have been put forward and denied in Rome, so it remains unclear to us what former Anglicans we are talking about.  Knowing the identity of those who seek to move will help in our evaluation of the significance of this development.

 

d.      And finally, what will be the response to this development in the many provinces of the Anglican Communion where there is a national Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue?

 

7.                   What will our continuing relationships be like?

With this announcement the shape of things to come for Anglican—Roman Catholic relations is at this time unclear.  But in a letter of October 20, 2009, Archbishop Rowan Williams has said: “It remains to be seen what use will be made of this provision, since it is now up to those who have made requests to the Holy See to respond to the Apostolic Constitution; but, in the light of recent discussions with senior officials in the Vatican, I can say that this new possibility is in no sense at all intended to undermine existing relations between our two communions or to be an act of proselytism or aggression.”

The Rev. Dr. R. William Franklin

Academic Fellow of the Anglican Centre in Rome

Visiting Professor of Theology at the Pontifical Angelicum University in Rome

Associate Director of the American Academy in Rome

 

FROM THE BISHOP OF NEW YORK . . . From a letter to the clergy of the Diocese of New York, dated October 26, 2009, regarding the recent announcement from the Vatican concerning reception of Anglican Orders by the Roman Catholic Church.  Printed with permission. 

 

As the Episcopal Bishop of New York I am happy to welcome the Vatican’s recent acknowledgement of a considerable overlap in faith between the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church; clearly our 40 years of ecumenical conversation have borne fruit.  This overlap has been implicit since the Roman Church established its so-called “Pastoral Provision” for former Episcopalians in 1980.  The thrust of the recent press release of October 20th seems to underline that provision and to extend its potential to greater dimensions and numbers beyond the few “Anglican Use” parishes that have been added to the Roman fold in this country in the intervening years.

 
The implications and motivations of the Vatican’s recent statement have been widely debated.  I see no reason to assume anything other than the stated purpose of providing a pastoral response to those members of the Anglican Communion who wish full communion with the Holy See. 

 
My hope for all people is that they come to an ever deeper awareness of the profound embrace of God’s love for each and all of us, and for creation itself.  Clearly the Church of Rome is a community that has nurtured countless souls in that hope.  If there are those in our midst who wish the particular perspective of the Catholic faith that the Church of Rome provides, I would be less than faithful to my pastoral duties not to encourage them to make that submission.  However, at the same time, I feel impelled to say that I believe that the perspective on the Catholic faith that the Episcopal Church offers has its own equal integrity and authenticity.  Our two traditions share much in common; yet each also offers to its adherents distinct gifts and demands.  It is, therefore, not at all uncommon to have members move from one community of faith to the other. 

 
Certainly it is only fair to say that The Episcopal Church in general, and the Diocese of New York in particular, have been enormously enriched by the gifts and the perspectives of the many people of faith who, after conscientious reflection, have chosen to join our ranks; I would wish no less for our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters.

 
I am happy to say that here in the New York diocese, our relations with the Roman Catholic archdiocese remain on very good terms, and I look forward to the further development of a warm collegial relationship with Archbishop Dolan, whose installation I was pleased to attend.  +Mark

 

DO YOU HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT . . . Please call the parish office at 914.248.5631 or send an email to mead@goodshepherdny.org and your announcement will appear in the Shepherd’s  Voice! 


ABOUT THE SHEPHERD’S VOICE . . . The Shepherd’s Voice is a monthly publication of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Granite Springs, New York.  Articles may be submitted to the rector or parish secretary, articles are printed at the discretion of the rector.  Articles that are selected to be printed may be edited for content and formatting.  Please send all corrections to mead@goodshepherdny.org. 

 

If you would like to receive the Shepherd’s Voice by email, please contact the parish office or send an email to mead@goodshepherdny.org. 

 

The Shepherd’s Voice is available online at www.goodshepherdny.org/voice.html. 

 

SAVE US MONEY . . . So far a growing number of people have signed up to receive the Shepherd’s Voice by email: will you join them?  Please send an email to mead@goodshepherdny.org if you would like to receive the Shepherd’s Voice via email.  Save a tree and the cost of printing and postage! 

 

 

 

 

HELPFUL HINT: Take this page out and put it on your fridge.

 

 

November 1, Sunday:  All Saints’ Day:

Morning Prayer 7:40 AM

Holy Eucharist 8:00 AM

Holy Eucharist with Baptisms 10:00 AM

 

November 2, Monday:  All Souls’ Day:

Morning Prayer 7:40 AM

Holy Eucharist 8:00 AM

Evening Prayer 5:40 PM

Holy Eucharist 6:00 PM

 

November 3, Tuesday:

Morning Prayer 7:40 AM

 

November 4, Wednesday:

Morning Prayer 7:40 AM

Bible Study on the Prophets 8:00 AM

 

November 5, Thursday:

Morning Prayer 7:40 AM

Christmas Bazaar Dropoff (afternoon)

 

November 6, Friday:

Christmas Bazaar Dropoff (afternoon)

 

November 7, Saturday:

Christmas Bazaar 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

 

November 8, Sunday:

“Remembrance” Sunday:

Morning Prayer 7:40 AM

Holy Eucharist 8:00 AM

Holy Eucharist  10:00 AM

 

November 10, Tuesday:

Morning Prayer 7:40 AM

 


November 11, Wednesday:

Morning Prayer 7:40 AM

Bible Study on the Prophets 8:00 AM

 

November 12, Thursday:

Morning Prayer 7:40 AM

 

November 14, Saturday:

The Great Litany & Supplication 7:40 AM

24 Hour Watch – beginning 8:00 AM

 

November 15, Sunday:

“Covenant” Sunday:

24 Hour Watch concluding 8:00 AM

The Great Litany & Supplication 7:40 AM

Holy Eucharist  8:00 AM

Holy Eucharist  10:00 AM

 

November 17, Tuesday:

Morning Prayer 7:40 AM

 

November 18, Wednesday:

Morning Prayer 7:40 AM

Bible Study on the Prophets 8:00 AM

 

November 19, Thursday:

Morning Prayer 7:40 AM

 

November 22, Sunday:

Christ the King (& Harvest Sunday):

Morning Prayer 7:40 AM

Holy Eucharist  8:00 AM

Holy Eucharist  10:00 AM

Youth Group Meeting after church

 

November 24, Tuesday:

Morning Prayer 7:40 AM

Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service 7:30 PM

 

 

November 25, Wednesday:

Morning Prayer 7:40 AM

Bible Study on the Prophets 8:00 AM

 

November 26, Thursday:

Thanksgiving Day

Holy Eucharist with Hymns 10:00 AM
November 29, Sunday:  Advent Sunday:

Morning Prayer 7:40 AM

Holy Eucharist  8:00 AM

Holy Eucharist  10:00 AM

Discussion of Men’s Group after church

 

November 30, Monday:  Saint Andrew

Morning Prayer 7:40 AM

Holy Eucharist 8:00 AM

Evening Prayer 5:40 PM

Holy Eucharist 6:00 PM

 

OCTOBER LITURGICAL ASSIGNMENTS . . .

11/1/09

11/8/09

11/15/09

11/22/09

11/29/09

  1st Lesson

Bernie Sotter

Rick

Vesperman

Marshal Kidder

Sally Stevens

Glen Hintze

   2nd Lesson

Dorothy Baeder

Fran

DiBernardo

Phil Levy

Jim Corning

Rick Vesperman

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ushers

Bernie Sotter

Rick

Vesperman

Diane Buschel

Bernie Sotter

Diane Buschel

 

Rick

 Vesperman

Diane Buschel

Sally Stevens

Rick

Vesperman

Bernie Sotter

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chalice Bearer

Dorothy Baeder

Fran

DiBernardo

Phil Levy

 Jim Corning

Diane Buschel

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prayers/People

N/A

John Kaprielian

 Maria

 Kapriel ian

Julia Bacal

Bernie Sotter

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Servers

Emily Barber

 

Jessie Lewis

 

Emily Vesperman

Emily Barber

Gretchen Hintze

  

Abby

 Vesperman

Abby

Vesperman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Altar Guild

Rotating basis

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Shepherd’s Voice is a monthly publication of

The Church of the Good Shepherd.

 

 

If you would like to subscribe to the Shepherd’s Voice via email,

please send an email to mead@goodshepherdny.org

 

The Church of the Good Shepherd

39 Granite Springs Road

Granite Springs, New York 10527

www.goodshepherdny.org

914-248-5631 (phone and fax)

 

The Reverend Matthew Mead, Rector

mead@goodshepherdny.org; 914-248-5631; 917-696-1027;

home phone: 914.556.6246 (in case of pastoral emergency)

 

Cindy Sotter, Secretary,

goodshepherdgs@aol.com

 

Cecilia Sparacio, Organist;

 

Anne Siemerling, Sexton.