THE SPIRE

A Newsletter by and for the people of Christ Church

This edition of the Spire features a letter written by Christ Church Bronxville’s rector from 1948, Fr. Hohly. Here is the introduction from the Spire dated March 7, 1948Volume II, Number 26“The Fourth Sunday in Lent is frequently called, “Mid-Lent Sunday.” We are of course actually a little more than half way through Lent. At this mid point of the Lenten season it is well for us to check up on how well are keeping Lent. Did I make a Lenten Rule? If I did, how well am I keeping to it? If I did not, why not? Even now it is not too late to make some sort of Lenten Rule. The last two weeks of Lent (Passion-tide) are the most solemn weeks of the whole year. A careful observance of these last two weeks will do much to reclaim a Lent that began with a poor start... Every so often we go to the doctor for a “check up.” We stop in at the filling station to see that our cars are

in proper order: batteries, tires, oil. The physical side of living receives from us due and proper attention. I suppose one reason for that is neglect in this area always brings immediate if not dire consequences. Neglect of the spiritual side of our lives does not seem to have such immediate consequences; nor seemingly are the consequences either dire or dreadful. The people who do not go to Church, who do not say their prayers, or work or develop their spiritual life get along well enough; they prosper and are successful; their homes are charming places. Frequently they are “nicer” people then the conventionally religious.Man must have bread to live; but can man live by bread alone? The Master of the Spiritual Life told us quite clearly that he cannot. Man is not just body; man is not just body and mind. Man is body, mind and spirit (soul). And the spiritual part of man, his soul, is far more

important than either body or mind...If we are to restore the spiritual balance that is so necessary to the well-being of Man, we must begin with the individual. We must begin with you. What have you done with the things that belong to the Life of the Spirit this Lent? Here at Mid-Lent is a check list. Take a pencil and check the items:• My Daily Prayers (Morning,

Evening, Bible Reading)• My Daily Meditation (Ten

minutes when I thought carefully about the things that belong to God)

• My Lenten Fast (Such measure of self-discipline (cocktails, movies, food, etc.) that I may make a proper and reasonable Thanksgiving Offering to Christ and His Work at Easter)”

The Rev. Harold F. Hohly, Rector

Lent 2015Volume LXVII, Number 7

Christ Church Bronxville

914-337-3544

www.ccbny.org

A Lenten Reminder from 1948

page 4 page 13page 6 page 6page 2

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CCB Philharmonic Calling ALL musicians from Christ Church! Bring your recorder, violin, autoharp, keyboard, or whatever you play! Dust off the trumpet sitting in your attic! This event, for all ages, will culminate in playing the hymns on Sunday, April 19th at the 10:00AM service.

• Please register by emailing cwells@ccbny.org and indicate what instrument you will play. A brief statement about your level will also be helpful (beginner, intermediate, advanced)• Stands will be provided• We will provide a keyboard to the first 2 pianists, all other pianists must bring their own keyboard and keyboard stand.

Rehearsals: Sunday April 12th, noon-1:30PM Sunday April 19th, 9AM Performance: Sunday April 19th at 10AM

Music Announcements

phil·har·mon·icfilhär’ mänikadjective - devoted to music

Many thanks to Christopher Wells & the Christ Church Choir for the fantastic choral concert on March 6th!

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Holy Week at Christ Church

Palm Sunday - Sunday, March 29th 8:00 AM Holy Eucharist – Rite I10:00 AM Family Eucharist – Rite II5:00 PM Informal Eucharist

The official title of this Sunday is The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday. In its current form it conflates two historic Sundays – Palm and Passion Sunday and as a result is has a very distinctive and meaningful nature.The first part of the service is the Liturgy of the Palms, which precedes the Eucharistic liturgy. The distribution, blessing and carrying of Palm Branches into the church celebrates Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem.The principal part of the service, which directly follows, is centered on the solemn proclamation of the Passion Gospel. In the dramatic change from Palm to Passion Sunday we are reminded how quickly we can abandon our promises to God and our focus on God’s role in our lives. The eucharist that follows maintains a very penitential atmosphere, setting the tone for Holy Week and our making the way of the cross with Christ. The service ends in silence.Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week - Holy Eucharist at 7 AM

How to make a Palm Cross

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After the Maundy Thursday service, volunteers keep vigil with the sacrament in one hour shifts until the service on Good Friday. We do this in remembrance of our Lord’s request to his disciples to stay awake with him in the Garden of Gethsemane. We need at least two parishioners per hour. Please look for the sign up sheet in the narthex closer to Holy Week.

Tenebrae - Wednesday, April 1st 7 PMThe name Tenebrae (which is the Latin word for darkness or shadows) has for centuries been applied to the ancient monastic night and early morning services of the last three days of Holy Week. In the current Episcopal Tradition these services are abbreviated and occur only on Wednesday evening. The most striking feature of Tenebrae is the gradual extinguishing of candles and other lights until only a single candle remains – a symbol of our Lord. Toward the end of the service this candle is hidden, illustrating the apparent victory of the forces of darkness. Then, at the darkest moment of the service, a loud noise is made, symbolizing the earthquake at the time of the Resurrection (Matthew 28:2). The hidden candle is restored and by its light all depart in silence. At heart Tenebrae is an extended musical and prayerful meditation upon the events in our Lord’s life between the Last Supper and the Resurrection.

Maundy Thursday - Thursday, April 2nd 7 PMMaundy Thursday marks the beginning of the Triduum, or three holy days before Easter. The name Maundy Thursday is derived from the Latin mandatum novum,“new commandment,” found in John 13:34. Maundy Thursday celebrations also commemorate the institution of the eucharist by Jesus “on the night he was betrayed.” Once everyone has received communion, a member of the clergy and two acolytes process the reserve sacrament to the Lady Chapel. At the conclusion of the service the lights are dimmed and the altar is stripped and washed. Any decorative elements left in the sanctuary are then removed from the church and the entire congregation moves to the Lady Chapel to begin the vigil at the altar of repose by singing songs from the Monastery at Taizé.

Good Friday - Friday, April 3rd 12 PMGood Friday is the Friday before Easter Day, on which the church commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus. It is a day of fasting and special acts of discipline and self-denial. The liturgy of the day includes John’s account of the Passion Gospel, a ritual form of intercession known as the Solemn Collects (dating from ancient Rome), and devotions before the cross (commonly known as the Veneration of the Cross).

The Eucharist (because it is a joyful event) is not celebrated in the Episcopal Church on Good Friday, but Holy Communion is administered from the reserved sacrament. The form of this service was in place and widely practiced by the end of the fifth century in Jerusalem. During the Good Friday liturgy, children will participate in the Stations of the Cross beginning in Taylor Hall. They will then move upstairs to join their parents for the Veneration of the Cross.

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Flowers and MusicHelp bring the gift of flowers and music to Christ Church Bronxville this Easter. Donations are accepted in memory of loved ones or in thanksgiving for blessings received. Easter symbols of the Resurrection (flowers and music) are expensive! Help Christ Church by sharing the this significant financial burden.

Great Vigil of Easter - Saturday, April 4th 7 PMThe Easter Vigil is the liturgy intended as the first celebration of Easter in The Book of Common Prayer (pp. 284-95). It is also known as the Great Vigil. The service begins in darkness, between sunset on Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter, and consists of four parts: The Service of Light (kindling of new fire, lighting the Paschal Candle, the Exsultet); The Service of Lessons (readings from the Hebrew Scriptures interspersed with psalms, canticles, and prayers); Holy Baptism; and the eucharist. Through this liturgy, the Church has reinstituted an ancient practice of keeping the Easter feast.

Easter - Sunday, April 5th 9 AM & 11:15 AMThe Feast of the Resurrection celebrates our Lord’s triumphant victory over sin and death. This celebration also ushers in the Easter Season which lasts through Pentecost, 50 days later.

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Mardi Gras Pancake Supper

Thanks to the Men’s Club for whipping up another fantastic Pancake Supper in support of Fessenden House!

The LGBT & Friends Fellowship Group hosted a screening of the docu-drama CODEBREAKER on March 1st in Taylor Hall. Thanks to all who braved the snow to attend this special event! We were happy for a sizeable turnout in spite of unplowed roads. After the film, Executive Producer Patrick Sammon fielded questions during a lively Q&A session. Because we know many people could not attend due to inclement weather, we may schedule an encore screening. Please contact us at lgbtfriends@ccbny.org if you are interested.

LBGT & Friends Hosts Screening of CODEBREAKER

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Sunday Short SeriesAfter the 10:00 AM Service: Crispell Lounge It is appropriate to think of Lent as a time to prepare for Easter. In Lent, we test ourselves not only in physical ways, such as the ability to forgo what we desire, but also, more importantly, in spiritual ways. Do we believe in Creation so that we can believe in Resurrection? Approaching our understanding and belief in God is the subject of our Lenten Short Series. To do this we are going to read with participants Deepak Chopra’s The Future of God: A Practical Approach to Spirituality for Our Times. Though not a Christian, Chopra advances a very compatible view of believing in God – a “notion of God in me”. In addition to discussing his approach, we will also read excerpts from “the God-deniers” and those who find compatibility between the findings of science and a belief in God.The discussion will be led by John O’Neil, Hondi Brasco, Jody Maier, and Warren Ilchman, and it will be held in the Crispell Lounge.

Sunday Short Series: Lent Edition

Join Us!Discussions on

The Future of God meet Sunday mornings after the 10 am service in the Crispell Lounge.

ScheduleREADING

Sunday, March 22ndBeyond the Material World Knowledge, a New Reality & the Subliminal World Chopra, pp. 145-203

Tuesday, March 24th in Crispell LoungeFr. Michael K. Holleran

Sunday, March 29thBecoming Seekers: Implications for Living a More Spiritual Life.Are You Ready for Easter? Chopra pp. 205-253

A Conversation with Fr. Michael K. Holleran - Tuesday March 24th at 7:30 PM in the Crispell LoungeMaking New Things Old - A Fresh & Ancient Perspective on Christianity, Science & SpiritualityWhile “traditional” Christians are in the middle of their thousand year old Lenten rituals, others find it more difficult see how “religion” and “faith” relate to them. Some see challenging conflicts between the steady growth of science, and

the particular logic and certainty it provides, and a life of faith with the ostensible uncertainties that religious belief might imply. Others claim to be spiritual but not religious, turned off by the battling claims for an exclusive source of truth. As we prepare for the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection, we invite you to join us for reflection and conversation around a more expansive view of Christianity - one that has no trouble accommodating the growth of scientific knowledge or an inclusive cosmic spirituality that unites rather than divides. Fr. Holleran will speak to us about this Christianity and demonstrate that while it may seem new, it is rooted in the origins of our faith,

derived from scripture and is actually anything but new. Our featured speaker, Fr. Michael Holleran writes and speaks regularly about interfaith dialogue, spirituality and consciousness. His life journey has taken him from his youth in Long Island, to high school in Manhattan, to five years as a Jesuit with degrees from Fordham, and 22 years as a Carthusian monk in Vermont, France and England. Since 1994, he has worked as a parish priest in Manhattan and the Bronx. In 2009, he was received as a priest of the Archdiocese of New York by Cardinal Egan, and in the same year, became a Sensei (Teacher) in the Zen tradition, at the hands of his longtime friend and mentor, Rev. Robert E. Kennedy, SJ, Roshi.

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EYC in Madrid & Taizé

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Reflection on TaizéKathleen Conaton - Bronxville High School Class of 2016Taizé is a place where I can completely let my guard down and just be myself. As teenagers today, we are constantly surrounded by unnecessary pressure that stems from social media. We share photos and connect with “friends” online throughout the day.

Being able to disconnect while at the monastery of Taizé gives us a whole new perspective on friendship. This year, our group of 30 kids from Christ Church were surrounded by 1,000 Portuguese students. The connections and experience at Taizé are so amazing because you connect to each other on a spiritual level. The ability to relate to kids our own age despite living hundreds of miles apart was something that was so special and meaningful. It doesn’t matter that an ocean separates you, your friendship will always be there.

BirthdaysMARCH

March 1: Corbin Callaway, Tracey Gilliam, Domenica Guzman, Melanie Wadkins 2: Nora Hogan, Sam O’Neil 3: Cameron Elkerton 4: Thomas Kenney, Patrick Sica 5: Matthew Adrian, Monna MacLellan 6: Julia Castle, Louisa Eaton, Louise Preis 7: Catherine Bird, Randy Frost, Ann Tighe, Greta Doctoroff 8: Vito Mutolo 10: Carla Countryman 12: Clifford Schneider 13: William Redman 14: Lexy Werner 16: Kevin Ewy, Susan Rooney 17: Gary Hayes, Dylan O’Donoghue, Arthur Taylor, Beatrice Welch, Luke Redman 18: Barbara McKinnon, Sheldon Reynolds 20: Emma Fursland 22: Courtney Crystal, Jayne Warman 23: Jennifer Brown Lanier, Ansley Jones, Eleanor Pennell, Andrew Sullivan, Sarah Billings, Richard Sullivan 25: Ashton Minich, Charlotte Reynolds, Diane Burnley 26: Carol Bender, Joseph Kratovil, Hank Thomas, Meghan Whitney, James Sams 27: Otto Deichert, Zachary Deichert 30: Mimi Ruhm, Mark Sears 31: Steven Ahmuty

Parish Choir Update!

Periodically through the year volunteers gather to enjoy the choir experience without making a weekly commitment. The Parish Choir joins the Christ Church Choir for the Wednesday rehearsal prior to singing on Sunday. Please consider participating in the Parish Choir your contribution to Christ Church.

Wednesday April 8, 2015 Rehearsal 7-9PMSunday April 12, 2015 Rehearsal - 9AM Service - 10AM Wednesday May 27, 2015 Rehearsal 7-9PMSunday May 31, 2015 Rehearsal - 9AM Service - 10AM

Please let Christopher Wells know if you are interested so music can be ready for you at rehearsal.

The final service of Evensong will be on Sunday April 26th at 5:00PM.

This service will be sung by The Christ Church Choir and the Boys and Girls from Young at Arts. Music will include Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in C and When Mary through the Garden Went by Charles Villiers Standford.

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The Cathedral of St. John the Divine Saturday, April 18, 2015

for info &registration visit taizenyc.orgThe Schedule for the Day:8:30 – 9am Welcome & Registration9 – 10am Morning Prayer10 – 11am Bible Introduction11 – 12pm Small Group with Lunch12 – 2pm Work in Morningside Park2:30pm Midday Prayer3 – 5pm Small Group5 - 5:30pm Song Practice5:30 – 6:30 Dinner7pm Evening Prayer

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News from Episcopal CharitiesEpiscopal Charities, the outreach arm of the Diocese of New York, provides funding and support to parish-based programs serving children and adults in need on a non-sectarian basis. Episcopal Charities just accounced Basic Human Needs grants to 58 outreach programs across our diocese. These grants total up to $520,000!

The programs supported by Episcopal Charities feed our hungry neighbors, provide groceries to impoverished households, equip and empower people through skills building, and promote health and wellness.

Volunteer with Episcopal Charities

St. Ignatius Church’s Soup KitchenManhattan, New YorkSt. Ignatius' Soup Kitchen provides brown-bag meals twice a week for the hungry on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Help them prepare takeaway meals or greet guests. Contact: Holly Hughes(646) 245-1782 holshughes@gmail.com

Family Connections Program Nyack Center in Nyack, New YorkThe Family Connections Program at the Nyack Center, supported by Grace Church, provides support, education and resources to parents incarcerated at Rockland County Correctional Facility, and to their children and families. Help in the office or tutor a child whose parent is incarcerated. Contact: Kim Cross at (845) 358-2600 or kim.cross@nyackcenter.org

Latino Outreach Program Grace Church, Millbrook The Latino Outreach program helps members of the Latino/a community in Northeastern Dutchess County navigate immigration services and connect to resources. The program offers courses in English as a Second Language (ESL) as well. Volunteers willing to help with childcare or assist in ESL classes are most needed. Contact: Evelyn Garzetta at (917) 705-9600

Vote for Women on the $20!Women on 20s aims to compel historic chnage by convincing President Obama that now is the time to put a woman’s face on our paper currency. It is the non-profit’s mission to generate an overwhelming people’s mandate for a new $20 bill, to be issued in time for the 100th anniversary in 2020 of the Constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote. The process of commissioning, designing and minting a new bill takes years, so now is the perfect time to act.

Visit womenon20s.org to learn more about the project and to cast a vote for one of the fifteen female candidates. Barbara Howard O’Donoghue, a member of Christ Church, is spearheading this initiative and we thank her for bringing this to our attention. She says about Women on 20s, “We believe this simple, symbolic and long-overdue change could be an important stepping stone for other initiatives promoting gender equality. Our money does say something about us, about what we value. So together, let’s make our money egalitarian and inclusive!”

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CCBNY Supported Vietnamese Refugee FamilyImmediately after the fall of Saigon, Christ Church Bronxville responded to an appeal from the national church to provide hospitality for Vietnamese refugees. CCB offered housing and support for a couple, Phu Tuc and Quyen Le. The parish rallied around this project to find work for Tuc and help the couple as they found their way around our country. The congregation supported Tuc and Quyen when they moved into an apartment in Yonkers and eventually had their first child. The couple moved to San Jose in 1977. Fr. Webber received a note from Tuc and Quyen around Christmas and forwaded this on to CCBNY’s Church Office. Enjoy the note and feel free to reach out to their mailing address below. “Hello Fr. Webber, this is Tuc and Quyen Le, the Vietnamese couple that Christ Church sponsored in 1975. We hope this letter finds your family well! We settled in CA in 1977 since leaving Christ Church. We have two daughters - An was born at Lawrence Hospital. She is married and has a daughter, Leah, who is 8 years old and a boy Kai who is 4 years old. Our second daughter, Chan, was born in 1984. She is not married, going to school to become a Nurse Practioner. Quyen is retired. Tuc is still working. We are in good health!”

Tuc & Quyen Le can be reached at3209 Heritage Estates DriveSan Jose, CA 95148

Photo of Quyen & Tuc Le from Built Upon a Rock

BirthdaysAPRIL & MAY

April 1: Mary Leferovich, Robert Rabsey, Gibbs Tighe, Addison Werner 3: Nancy Schaefer, Brian Seirup4: Trace Ahmuty, Tacey Carroll, Vaughn Young, Maggie Young 6: Shane O’Neil 7: Peter Licursi 8: Susan McCormick 9: Isabelle Beit, Alexandra Witt, Peter Licursin 10: Bailey Gilliam 12: Biff Folberth 13: Anna Thomas 15: Mac Murad 16: Lauren Harrington 17: Winslow Griffen, Phyllis Sharp, Lia Meloni, Michael Gill 18: Andrea Bates, Matthew Behrens, Mary Anne Ecklond, Travis Hamerling, Annie Brown 19: Phyllis Schneider 20: Adam Srebnik 22: Rebecca Boyd, Liz Young 23: Alaya Martin, Karen Doble 24: Peter Bruton 25: Patrick Noone, Margaret Roth, Denzil Francis 26: Richard Ball 27: Neely Ewy, Stephen Jones, Hannah Potgieter 28: Ashley Morse 29: Evan Barr, Maxine Brooks Walsh, Giselle Licursi

May 1: Janice Peterkin, Samuel Calvert 2: Gigi Pennoyer, Shayla Boylan 4: Evelyn Wadkins, Katie Gojkovich 5: Jessica Palfrey, Lisa Wolfgang6: Amber Alkins, Allison Devlin, Shawn O’Neil, Richard Boyd 7: Russell Hogan, James P. Shanahan 8: Grayson Elder, Anel Martinez, Jake Murphy 9: Coleman Kraemer, Caroline Richardson, Michael Boyle 10: Andrew Callaway, Katherine Elder, Maggie Nichols, Stephen Palfrey, Sally Reynolds, Laura Wolfgang, Tristan Boylan 11: Grace Devlin 12: David Carpenter, Tyler Hamerling, Caroline Eaton 14: Debbie Cook, Sam Shams 15: Kimber Yerkes 16: Thomas Wolfgang 17: Kayla Visco, Jane Strome, Ann Roberts 18: Hondi Brasco, Emily Simpson, Doug Vaughan, Ian Jablonsky 20: Michael Conaton, Betsy Harrington, Charles Sorensen 22: Jess Tighe, Kathryn Whitney 24: Charlotte Cooley, George Cooley, Susannah Cooley, Matthew Harrington, Stacy Gallagher 26: Jennifer Barr, Richard Whitney, Spencer McCormick 27: Anne Campbell 28: Jackson Crystal 29: Jake Sears, Jim Sutton 30: Tyler Ahmuty

If we missed your birthday, please send that important information to Katie Gojkovich at kgojkovich@ccbny.org!

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Eliza Corwin Frost Opens Lending LibraryECF is excited to announce the opening of their Lending Library! Thank you to the past and present Parent Committees and to teacher, Jen Read, for their dedication to this project. The library is stocked with nearly 700 books and is furnished with a teacher’s chair and carpet for story time. The books are categorized and labeled like any public library. Children visit with their class and are able to check out books to bring home and read with their families. ECF teachers are thrilled to foster a love of reading in this exciting way!

ECF Annual Fundraiser Raises Over $8,000!

Highlights of the ECF Summer Fun Program• Planned themes to keep each week new & exciting culminating with a special event every Thursday• Daily snack with extended “Lunch Bunch” options for students preparing for Kindergarten• Outdoor activities including games, water play, sports and safe fun in the sun• Planting, watering and cultivating crops in ECF’s Graden• Yoga, Movement & Music even week related to the weekly theme• Arts & Crafts based on the weekly theme to explore various art mediums• Classroom time giving children the opportunity to expand on their social, cognitive and motor skills

Summer Program 2015 - Register Today!

• $1,000 from local sponsors• $4,015 from silent auction• $4,350 from ticket sales• $3,475 from raffled baskets

Event ChairsTricia Arenson, Maggie Duffy & Sonia TitoGift Baskets ChairsAmy McWilliams & Paula AsturaisCommunication ChairsShannon Henry & Sarah HarrisonSponsorship ChairsCarolina Neubern Fonseca & Anya Leiva NeugebauerTicket Sales & Set upKatia Brinkman, Vanessa Web & Lori DeutschParent CommitteeKaren Kennedy, Nicole Vellucci & Lindy Devereux

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Photos from YAA February & March Salons

CCBNY Hosts Bronxville’s Sweeney Todd!Congratulations to all who starred in Bronxville High School’s production of Sweeney Todd! Christ Church was honored to host the local actors, teachers and audience in our Undercroft - the perfect scene for the demon barber of Fleet Street! If you missed the show, check out Bronxville School’s website for an article and photos.

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Save the Date for YAA Annual Benefit!

Holy Week at Christ Church BronxvillePalm Sunday, March 29th 8:00 AM Holy Eucharist (Traditional Language)9:45 AM Palm Procession (Taylor Hall)10:00 AM Holy Eucharist5:00 PM Contemplative EucharistMonday, March 30th 7:00 AM Holy EucharistTuesday, March 31st7:00 AM Holy EucharistWednesday, April 1st 7:00 AM Holy Eucharist w/ Breakfast7:00 PM TenebraeMaundy Thursday, April 2nd 7:00 PM Choral Eucharist with Stripping of the Altar8:30 PM All Night Vigil over the Blessed Sacrament

Good Friday, April 3rd12:00 PM Good Friday Liturgy & Children’s Service with age-appropriate Stations of the Cross

Holy Saturday, April 4th 7:00 PM The Great Vigil of EasterThe First Eucharist of EasterEaster Sunday, April 5th 9:00 AM Festive Holy Eucharist with Children’s Choirs, Brass, & Tympani10:30 AM Easter Egg Hunt 11:15 AM Festive Holy Eucharist with Choirs, Brass, & Tympani

CHRIST CHURCH BRONXVILLE17 Sagamore RoadBronxville, NY 10708914-337-3544www.ccbny.org