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S A I N T M A R K ’ S C H U R C H

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Saint Mark’s was built as part of a

movement. It wasn’t just the latest addition to an

expansionist Episcopal Church. The founding of

this parish and the erection of this parish church

happened in the confluence of several important

movements. There was the movement of the City

of Philadelphia west across Broad Street to a

frontier of the growing city. There was the

beginning of the Arts & Crafts Movement, and

increasing implications of the Industrial

Revolution. And, yes, there was also the Oxford

Movement – which sought to reclaim the ancient

catholic heritage of the Anglican tradition and to

express that heritage with all the complexity,

extravagance, and mysticism of the medieval

church.

Saint Mark’s was never just the newest branch of

the strong Episcopal franchise in Philadelphia.

This Parish was established to represent all these

movements and their impact on the world – and

the building our founders built was meant to

express something about the movements from

which it sprang. Amidst all these movements,

our church was built to tower above the western

side of the city, and above all these other

movements, and stand watchfully for Jesus’

return, ready to receive him into our arms, and

carry him in our hearts. Notice that there is not a

cross atop our steeple, there is a golden rooster

waiting to rouse the Parish and the City at the

first sign of Christ’s coming, reminding us of our

mission to proclaim the hope of Christ above all.

Buildings these days are seldom asked to carry so

much meaning, to express so much of the

movements from which they spring, nor are

buildings these days expected to last quite as long

as our has. You can build a hi-rise on property

for which you hold a 99-year lease without

having to worry very much about what you are

going to do when the lease expires. Our founders

knew that there is no lease to expire here, and that

Saint Mark’s was being built for the ages.

It is tempting to question the wisdom of the

founding Vestry and of the architect John Notman

in choosing to build the church of brownstone,

which is a kind of sandstone. It was very

fashionable at the time, but sandstone has some

inherent weaknesses, and in hindsight it’s easy to

think they might have known better. The more

time I spend among the sandstone walls of this

place, however, the less the choice of brownstone

worries me. It was 165 years ago that these

stones were first laid, and, on balance, I have to

say that for a material whose fragility is easy to

see, the stone walls of our church have proven to

be remarkably sturdy. I’d venture to guess that

165 years from now a Rector may be able to

make a similar claim, as long as we take care of

the gift that has been given us in these stones and

wood, and slate, and glass.

A great deal of work has been done in the past

few years to care for, restore, and preserve the

church buildings that our ancestors built here

amidst the swirl of all this movement. I have

been immersed in more details of copper, slate,

sandstone, and glass than I care to bring to mind.

Committees have planned, and interviewed, and

studied, and reviewed, and revised, and

investigated all manner of things to be sure we

are well informed, adequately financed, and as

prepared as we can be for the unexpected.

During years of work and planning, it could be

easy to forget that Saint Mark’s was built as part

of a movement – a confluence of movements, all

of which invested meaning into its stone, wood,

glass and slate.

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We are now poised to begin a very significant

project of restoration and preservation-

addressing the walls and roofs and windows of

the church that are in urgent need of attention.

This is the most significant restoration project we

have undertaken in nearly thirty years, and

perhaps the most expensive. It follows a period

of five or six years in which we have already

completed $750,000 of restoration on the

buildings. It is true that our buildings require

careful funding and lots of attention, so it’s

important to remember why it’s important to

spend all this money and attention on them. We

do it for the movement of which we are a part,

which is the Christian enterprise of proclaiming

the salvation of Jesus Christ from day to day. We

do this in prayer and worship, in service and

hospitality, in proclaiming reconciliation and

hope.

We are extraordinarily blessed to have inherited a

building that says so much about the Christian

enterprise. The building bids us make a

pilgrimage from west to east, toward the rising of

God’s glory. It bids us recall the meaning of our

baptism every time we pass the Font on our way

into church. It bids us come to the altar for the

heavenly food of God’s sacred banquet in the

Mass. It bids us lift up our eyes to the heavens

and never be cast down. The building in which

we worship serves us well in all these ways, and

facilitates our life as a community that is defined

not by its building, but by its movement – the

movement toward salvation and hope that is the

Christian cause.

In the coming months we’ll be talking a lot about

our building, as we launch and undertake this

project of restoration and preservation. My

prayer is that our talk about the building will

never be divorced from the movement for which

this church was built, nor from the One who is the

source and the goal of all our movements: Jesus

Christ our Lord.

S A I N T M A R K ’ S C H U R C H P H I L A D E L P H I A

1625 LOCUST STREET, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103

WWW.SAINTMARKSPHILADELPHIA.ORG

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The Pity of War: Suffering and Solace in Britten’s War Requiem

In 1962, the city of Coventry in England held a

grand arts festival to celebrate the consecration of

the new Saint Michael’s Cathedral, often called

simply Coventry Cathedral. It had been almost

twenty-two years since the original cathedral,

along with most of the city itself, had been

destroyed in a single night’s bombing during the

worst of the Blitz. Prior to the beginning of the

Second World War, Coventry was one of

England’s most important industrial centers, and

as such it was a prime target for Nazi air strikes.

The city had endured almost twenty smaller

bombing raids in the late summer and fall of

1940, but on November 14, 1940, the German

forces unleashed an unprecedented barrage of

explosives on the city. Hundreds of people were

killed, two-thirds of the city structures were

destroyed, and Coventry’s massive 14th

century

Gothic cathedral burned to the ground. Only the

tower and the eastern wall of the cathedral

remained, bleak reminders of the beauty and

glory that had once stood in that place.

And so, for the people of Coventry, the

consecration of the new Saint Michael’s

Cathedral was about far more than simply

providing a new space for worship. This new

building represented hope and endurance in the

face of great trials; it was a mark of new life, of

new growth among the wreckage. The new

Coventry Cathedral was a powerful symbol of

this resilience and also an important sign of

remembrance.

In fact, the design of the new building

incorporated the ruins of the original building as a

memorial to the dead and a reminder to all of the

enormous cost of war. The consecration of the

cathedral, then, was more than just a hallowing of

a building; it was a blessing and a new beginning

for the whole city, perhaps even for the entire

nation.

It was for this event of hope and remembrance

that Benjamin Britten composed his War

Requiem. This masterpiece of choral literature

was premiered at the cathedral on May 30, 1962,

as the culmination of the weeks of celebrations

surrounding the consecration. The War Requiem

is, as its name implies, structured around the

traditional Mass for the dead and includes the

Latin requiem texts. But, as its name also implies,

this work is not just a requiem. It is also a

statement – Britten’s statement – about war,

about the painful, ludicrous, horror of war.

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In order to accomplish this dual purpose, Britten

wove together the traditional requiem texts with

the poetry of Wilfred Owen. Owen was one of

Britain’s most important war poets, a young

soldier who was killed just days before the end of

the First World War. Britten uses his poetry to

comment on and reframe the liturgical texts of the

requiem, and he translates all of these words into

music that is compelling and challenging, music

that is unafraid to ask important questions and to

leave them ringing in the audience’s ears long

after the final chord has ceased to sound.

The War Requiem is not a piece designed for a

liturgy. It is not music that would ever work

within a church service, but this does not mean

that this music does not confront head-on the

most existential questions of our lives. The War

Requiem is a piece that strives to lay bare the

soul-crushing brutality of war, a brutality made

all the more devastating by its utter futility. And

yet, it is also a piece that struggles, again and

again, to work through that devastation to find

peace, redemption, love, and new life.

For five Fridays in Lent, beginning on Friday, 14

March, I will lead Saint Mark’s in a deep

examination of this seminal work of Britten’s.

Together, we will explore what he is saying in

this piece, and what kind of an impact this work

might have on our own understandings of

humankind, grace, peace, and salvation. I hope

that you will join me for this rare opportunity to

delve deeply into a masterpiece of art and to

reflect together on what we find there.

Fridays in Lent will be held in the Parish Library,

beginning on March 14, at 6:30 pm (immediately

following Evening Prayer and Stations of the Cross).

Join us on Sundays at 10:00 am in the Parish

Library for our Schola class. In February, we will

be learning new pieces that will enrich our

experience of the upcoming season of Lent. We

will also share in Bible stories that we are hearing

each week in our 9:00 Family Mass, and we will

spend time each week in prayer, liturgical

preparation, and musical games.

On Sunday, 23 February, Mother Erika will lead

a special conversation for our parents on how to

live Lent at home as a family. We’ll talk about

what kinds of practices you’ve experienced in

Lent in the past. What kinds of holy habits have

you and your family taken on during Lent in the

past? What worked well, or not so well? What

kind of Lent are you hoping for? How might this

time be a holy time for you and your family? All

are welcome – this is the perfect opportunity to

invite that neighbor to church at Saint Mark’s!

And don’t forget – there is a very special family

event on Tuesday, 4 March, as we celebrate

Shrove Tuesday! I hope that you’ll join us for this

time to celebrate before the solemnity of Ash

Wednesday. We’ll have beads and bangles,

pancake races, and – of course – breakfast for

dinner! What could be better? Pancakes start

hitting the griddles at 6:00 pm.

The 20s/30s group here at Saint Mark’s has

begun a new tradition. Each month, we’ll gather

in someone’s home for a simple supper, worship,

and conversation. This month, we’ll be meeting

on Wednesday, 12 February at 6:30 at Brian

Alvarez’s house, at 2428 South Alder St. in the

heart of South Philly. These evenings will

provide us all with an opportunity to get to know

one another better in a relaxed setting and to

worship together in the holiness of someone’s

home. They are also the perfect opportunity to

invite a friend to come along. If you’re interested

in attending, please contact Mother Erika to

RSVP.

Also, the 20s/30s group is once again heading up

the Shrove Tuesday pancake supper on Tuesday,

4 March. We need your flapjack flipping, bacon

frying, OJ-pouring skills! This celebration on the

evening before the solemnity of Ash Wednesday

is always a lot of fun for the cooks and the guests

alike. Come along, and bring a friend. To help out

with the cooking, please contact Brian Alvarez or

Mother Erika.

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Praying with Icons

“ICON” means “image” in Greek, and is the word

used in Genesis 1:27: “So God created

humankind in His image, in the image of God He

created them.” As an image, the icon is not

simply a mirror reflection of someone, but

conveys to you something of that very person.

Like the sacraments, icons have both a physical

and mystical nature. They serve as

intermediaries, as windows to heaven.

This Lent, we will have the opportunity to gather

at Saint Mark’s for a Quiet Day of prayer and

teaching with noted iconographer Suzanne

Schleck. Suzanne will lead us in an exploration

of icons as visual expressions of God’s love and

transforming power. (View some of Suzanne

Schleck’s work at www.schleckicons.com).

So what is it about that art form developed before

the year 1000 that allows it to be a quiet

invitation to meet God face to face? Why is an

icon painted by an anonymous monk or nun in

what some consider a primitive style considered

the equivalent to Holy Scripture, while a

Rembrandt is not? We will consider these

questions as we learn how, exactly, an icon is

formed, and how it becomes a companion in

prayer. Icons are calls to conversion, to the

acceptance of the fact that heaven is real, God is

real, and God yearns to meet us face to face. Join

us for a prayerful Saturday in Lent as we hear the

call. The day begins with the Sacrament of

Reconciliation at 9:30 for those who wish,

followed by 10:00 Mass and the Quiet Day

offering. Lunch will be included.

On Sunday mornings at 10:00 in the parish hall,

you are invited for coffee and discussion with

your fellow Saint Mark’s parishioners and a

series of terrific teachers. In the coming months

we will be covering topics that range from the

rock-hewn churches of Ethiopia to the history of

the Anglican Church, from theology and sexuality

to Biblical views of the final destiny of all people.

There is something for everyone at 10:00! Here

is the schedule for the next several weeks:

In association with the Bach Cantata Series by

Choral Arts Philadelphia, join Mother Nora

Johnson in a discussion of the music and text

being performed at Saint Mark’s on Wednesday,

19 February (www.choralarts.com/node/43).

We’ll talk about the Magnificat in settings by

Bach, Stanford, and Buxtehude.

“What do lust, greed, and politics have to do with

it?” with Barry Levis, Emeritus Professor of

History. The gestation of Anglicanism took much

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longer than just the reign of Henry VIII. While

his effort to gain a divorce certainly proved

decisive, what becomes the Anglican ethos really

took shape over the following century. Through

the course of these discussions, we will follow the

path—at times tortuous—from the initial break

with Rome to the formation of a distinctive

Anglican attitude. Part one of a four-part series,

continuing 2 March, 27 April and 4 May.

Continues on 27 April and 4 May.

Join Roy Clouser, Emeritus Professor of

Philosophy, for a provocative look at the way

Christian scripture teaches us to think about the

afterlife. Part one of a three-part series,

continuing 23 March and 30 March.

L E N T A T S A I N T M A R K ’ S

Special Music and Concert at Saint Mark’s

Matthew Glandorf, Choir Director

e are thrilled to be able to welcome the

Intergenerational Choir of Christ

Church on Sunday, February 16. A

member of the Episcopal Diocese of

Chicago, Christ Church is a vibrant, growing

parish located just steps from Lake Michigan in

Winnetka, Illinois. Under the director of Richard

Clemmitt the Choir will sing Evensong &

Benediction at Saint Mark’s on 16 February at 4

pm. Music selected for the 16 February

Evensong will include:

Ave Regina Coelorum

Francesco Soriano

Preces and Responses

Richard Ayleward

Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis

Peter Klatzow

I will Not Leave You Comfortless

Anthony Joule

O Salutaris

Michael Sitton

Saint Mark’s has been hosting the Philadelphia

Bach Festival’s very popular “Bach @ Seven”

Cantata Series each month. On Wednesday, 19

February, Bach @ Seven will feature full chorus

and soloists, 2 Oboes, 5 Strings and Continuo,

performing:

Cantata #10

Meine Seele erhebt den Herren

Magnificat

Charles Villiers Stanford

Chorale Preludes

Dietrich Buxtehude

The Magnificat or Song of the Blessed Virgin

Mary was inspired by her visit with her cousin

Elizabeth, when she spoke of her pregnancy and

how God was going to turn over the world order.

The humble and meek will find favor, and the

rich and powerful will be sent away empty.

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Cantata BWV10 is a paraphrase of the Magnificat

text in Chorale form which in turn is based on a

Gregorian Chant theme. The Irish composer,

Charles Villiers Stanford was known for a

revitalization of English Church Music,

composed his setting of the Magnificat in 1919

for double choir, inspired by Bach’s own setting

of the Latin text.

Please join me in making our guests of the

Intergenerational Choir of Christ Church feel

welcome and for the Bach @ Seven series of

performances at Saint Mark’s Church.

Radical Hope and the Narrow Gate

Donald Hopkins, Ministry Resident

n the past month I had the exciting

opportunity to visit The Crefeld School in

Chestnut Hill to organize a food drive for the

food cupboard and give a presentation on

poverty and the Saint Mark’s Outreach Ministry.

I always enjoy the chance to educate people on

the moral crisis of need in my home city and to

highlight what we are doing here at Saint Mark’s

to alleviate it, in hopes of provoking other people

to take part. I believe part of our ministry to the

poor should be to work to build up a community

devoted to service on the part of the marginalized

and vulnerable.

We live in an era in which cynicism and

complacency often seem to be the pervasive

mood of the time. I often find that the cure for

this heavy atmosphere of cynicism, which often

masks itself as realism, is to work with students,

who in the midst of their adolescence, still feel

free enough from the bonds of every day adult

life and toil, to engage in a search for authenticity

and are often still willing to take a chance and pin

their hopes on some sort of idealism.

Young people, trying to find their own identity as

distinct from their household, are often more

willing to take a chance and risk embarrassment,

disappointment, or failure in the pursuit of

something grand.

In this regard, Crefeld students did not disappoint.

They were very eager to learn about the nature of

poverty in Philadelphia, the rate of homelessness,

and the profound physical and spiritual hunger

that can be found all throughout our city. Not

only were they excited to learn, they were

inquisitive about ways they could get involved to

help.

Questions about where to volunteer, what kind of

items were in demand, and whether there were

larger, more abstract issues of justice and ethics,

were at play in our discussion of poverty and

need. Some might be a bit put off by their

willingness to dream up big ideas, considering

that poverty is a concrete concern for so many but

I was inspired by their enthusiasm.

It is easy to get cynical and bogged down by the

seemingly unending hunger in our city. With

rising costs from healthcare to housing, a public

education system that doesn’t seem to offer an

avenue of opportunity, and the ever growing

numbness to the pain and suffering of the

marginalized and vulnerable by those in positions

of power and wealth in our society, we can lose

sight of the call to us by Christ to pick up our

cross and follow him. To be a Christian is to

make one vulnerable and there is a great

vulnerability that comes with idealism, with

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putting oneself out there for the sake of a big

idea, for a big dream.

The road of radical hope is through a narrow gate,

indeed. However, please remember, the words of

our Lord: “Enter through the narrow gate; for the

gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to

destruction, and there are many who enter

through it. For the gate is small and the way is

narrow that leads to life, and there are few who

find it.” (Matthew 7:13). May these words

remind us to remain ever hopeful for a better and

more just world. God Bless.

Saint Mark’s Calendar February 2014

2.9 Annual Parish Meeting, 9:45 am

Parish Hall

2.9 Confirmation Class, 1pm, Parish Hall

2.12 20s/30s Simple Supper, 6:30 pm,

Home of Brian Alvarez

2.16 Confirmation Class, 1pm, Parish Hall;

Evensong & Benediction sung by visiting

Intergenerational Choir of Christ Church,

4 pm

2.17 President’s Day;

Parish Office Closed;

10 am Mass

2.18 Meeting of the Vestry

2.19 Choral Arts - Bach at Seven

2.22 St. James Forum, 12 – 2:30 pm

2.23 Schola Families Lenten Discussion, 10 am,

Parish Library;

“Saving A Treasure” Special Gathering of the

Parish, 12:30 pm, Parish Hall

Faith in Film series, “The Chosen”

6 pm Parish Library

3.2 Confirmation Class, 1pm, Parish Hall

Evensong & Benediction, 4 pm

3.4 Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, 6 pm

3.5 Ash Wednesday: 7:30 am Mass; 12:10 Sung

Mass; 7 pm High Mass

3.7 Evening Prayer, 5:30 pm

Stations of the Cross

3.9 First Sunday of Lent;

Daylight Saving Time begins;

Confirmation Class, 1pm, Parish Hall

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ST. James Forum Episcopal Schools: touching Hearts,

Empowering Minds

Please join us on Saturday, 22 February 2014 for

the first annual St. James Education Forum. The

Forum’s theme, Episcopal Schools: Touching

Hearts, Empowering Minds illuminates the

School’s mission which is committed to

educating traditionally under-resourced students

in a nurturing environment. St. James provides a

challenging academic program and encourages

the development of the moral, spiritual,

intellectual, physical and creative gifts in its

students.

The first annual Education Forum is tailored for

faith communities. A number of Episcopal,

Lutheran and Presbyterian churches (including

Saint Mark’s), as well as individual church

ambassadors who have done exemplary work in

supporting the mission of St. James School will

be recognized.

Call for Nominations!

Church Leaders Awards

Deadline for Submission: Friday, 14 February

Submit your nomination to ChurchPartners@stjamesphila.org

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News from the

Choir of Boys and Girls Dr. Darryl Roland, Director

he Boys and Girls Choir includes children

and youth from a variety of Philadelphia

communities. In order to accommodate

choristers from a broad geographic area, we’ve

organized our rehearsal schedule to include two

locations, specifically Saint Mark’s Church and

Saint James School.

Choristers who attend schools other than Saint

James rehearse for 1 ½ hours on Mondays and

Wednesdays at Saint Mark’s Church. Students

from Saint James School rehearse for 1 ½ hours

on Tuesdays at Saint James and on Wednesdays

at Saint Mark’s. Consequently, the two groups of

choristers rehearse separately once a week and

together once a week. In addition, they

participate as a single group every Sunday

morning at their 8:00 a.m. rehearsal and the 9:00

a.m. Family Mass.

When the students come together on Wednesday,

they have an opportunity to enjoy a delicious and

nutritious meal in Gould Dining Hall at the Curtis

Institute of Music. Not only does this provide our

choristers with a healthy meal following a long

day at school and before a rigorous rehearsal, the

choir supper also serves as a time when our

children and youth can get to know each other in

an informal setting. Over time, the relationships

nurtured and built between our choristers play a

valuable role in their formation.

Our schedule also includes two weeknight

rehearsals for younger children, ages 7-8. These

choristers have their own 1 hour preparatory

rehearsal on Wednesday afternoons at Saint

Mark’s where fundamentals of vocal production

and music notation are introduced in fun and

competitive ways.

Our younger choristers also join our older

choristers at Saint Mark’s for the first 45 minutes

of the Monday rehearsal. The combination of

younger less experienced choristers with older

more experienced choristers enables the former to

assimilate many aspects of singing including

tone, repertoire and conduct through osmosis.

Since January, we’ve added four additional

choristers to our roster! Please continue to invite

family and friends to email or give me a call to

learn more about the program. We also have

flyers available for you to post in your

communities. Thanks again for your support!

SA I N T M A R K ’ S C H U R C H

T

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