Holy Week Schedule at Our Parish Partners

Holy Week, which begins on Palm Sunday, is the most important time in the church year.   If you are looking for a welcoming place to commemorate Christ's death and resurrection, here is a list of our Proud Parish Partner congregations, with service times.  Click on the church name for details about its events. If you have any questions or notice anything which requires correcting, please do not hesitate to contact us for help.

Manhattan

• Church of the Holy Apostles
  296 9th Ave (at 28th St), Manhattan
  (212) 924-0167
  info@holyapostlesnyc.org
  Transit: 23 St (0.2 mi S)
  
  SERVICE TIMES:
  
  
  
  • SUN 4/1 (Palm Sunday) 11 a.m. Liturgy of the Palms,  Palm Procession, Dramatic Reading of the Passion, and Holy Eucharist
  • WED 4/4  8 p.m. Tenebrae (Service of Darkness) a freewill offering will be taken for Episcopal Relief and Development's relief efforts in Japan 
  • THU 4/5 (Maundy Thursday) 7 pm The Last Supper of Our Lord, with Foot Washing, and Stripping of the Altar (all-night vigil at the Altar of Repose follows)
  • FRI 4/6 (Good Friday) 12 noon The Solemn Liturgy, including the Singing Passion According to St. John, Veneration of the Cross, and Holy Communion from Reserved Sacrament
  • SAT 4/7 (Holy Saturday) 10 a.m. Holy Saturday service, 8 p.m. Great Vigil of Easter, concluding with congregational singing of the "Hallelujah Chorus" and a celebration follows.
  • SUN 4/8 (Easter Sunday) 11:00 am Procession and Festival Eucharist. With full choir and musicians. Celebration & Easter Egg Hunt follow
    
    
• Church of St. Luke in the Fields
  487 Hudson Street (Christopher/Barrow), Manhattan
  (212) 289-4100
  info@stlukeinthefields.org
  Transit: Christopher St - Sheridan Sq (0.2 mi E), Christopher St (299 ft NW)
  
  SERVICE TIMES:
• SUN 4/1 (Palm Sunday) 8 a.m. 9:15 a.m. & 11:15 a.m. Holy Eucharist
• THU 4/5 (Maundy Thursday) 6:30 p.m. Choral Eucharist with Foot Washing, Agape Supper & and Stripping of the Altar, followed by vigil at the Altar of Repose*
• FRI 4/6 (Good Friday) 12 noon The Solemn Liturgy, including the Singing Passion According to St. John, Veneration of the Cross, and Holy Communion from Reserved Sacrament*
• SAT 4/7 (Holy Saturday) 10:00 a.m. Holy Saturday Service, 8 p.m. Great Vigil of Easter*
• SUN 4/8 (Easter Sunday)  8 a.m. 9:15 a.m. & 11:15 a.m. Holy Eucharist
  
  * Celebrant & Preacher will be The Most Rev. Frank Griswold, 25th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church

• St. Mark's in the Bowery
  131 E 10 St. (at Bowery), Manhattan
  (212) 674-6377
  office@stmarksbowery.org
  Transit: 3 Av (0.2 mi N)
  
  SERVICE TIMES: 
  • SUN 4/1 (Palm Sunday) 11 a.m. Holy Eucharist
  • WED 4/4  7 p.m. Tenebrae service
  • THU 4/5 (Maundy Thursday) 7 p.m.
  • FRI 4/6 (Good Friday) 12 noon Good Friday Blues - music, words and dance combine for a powerful telling of the Passion of Christ in the key of the blues.  Includes veneration of the cross and Communion from the Reserved Sacrament
  • SAT 4/7 (Holy Saturday) 7 p.m. Great Vigil of Easter
  • SUN 4/8 (Easter Sunday)  11 a.m. Holy Eucharist
   
• St. Michael's
  225 W 99 St (Broadway/Amsterdam)
  (212) 222-2700
  Transit: 96 St (0.2 mi SW) 
  
  SERVICE TIMES:
• SUN 4/1 (Palm Sunday) 7:45 a.m., 10 a.m., 6 p.m. Holy Eucharist with the Liturgy of the Palms & the Passion According to St. Mark (performed by youth at 10 a.m.), Children's liturgy also at 10 a.m.
• MON 4/2 - WED 4/4 7:45 a.m. Morning Prayer & Eucharist, 7 p.m. Holy Eucharist
• THU 4/5 (Maundy Thursday) 7 p.m. Holy Eucharist with Foot Washing and Stripping of the Altar, followed by vigil at the Altar of Repose
• FRI 4/6 (Good Friday) 12 noon Good Friday Liturgy with Stations of the Cross, Veneration of the Cross, and Holy Communion from Reserved Sacrament
• SAT 4/7 (Holy Saturday) 9 a.m. Morning Prayer, 7 p.m. Great Vigil of Easter
• SUN 4/8 (Easter Sunday) 7:45 a.m. 10 a.m., 6 p.m. Holy Eucharist

New Jersey

• All Saints: Hoboken
  707 Washington Street, Hoboken
  (201) 792-3563
  Transit: 9th Street Station (0.6 mi NW) Hudson-Bergen Light Rail
  
  SERVICE TIMES:
  
• SUN 4/1 (Palm Sunday) 8 a.m., 9:20 a.m., & 11 a.m. Holy Eucharist (Liturgy of the Palms)
• THU 4/5 (Maundy Thursday) 8 p.m. The Last Supper with Foot-washing
• FRI 4/6 (Good Friday) 7 a.m. Morning Service with Communion from the Reserved Sacrament, 10 a.m. Stations of the Cross for children, 12 noon Good Friday Liturgy, 7 p.m. Good Friday Liturgy at St. John's, 16th & Palisades, Union City
• SAT 4/7 (Holy Saturday) 8 p.m. The First Service of Easter
• SUN 4/8 (Easter Sunday) 6:15 a.m. Easter Sunrise Service at Castle Point (on the Stevens Tech campus), 8 a.m., 9:20 a.m., 11 a.m. Holy Eucharist, 1 p.m. Holy Eucharist at St. John's, 16 & Palisades, Union City
  
  
• Church of the Redeemer
  36 South Street, Morristown
  (973) 539-0703
  redeemer11@verizon.net
  Transit: Morristown (0.3 mi E)Morris & Essex Line
  
  SERVICE TIMES:
  • SUN 4/1 (Palm Sunday) 8 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist
  • THU 4/5 (Maundy Thursday) 6:30 p.m. Eucharist & Supper
  • FRI 4/6 (Good Friday) 7:30 p.m. Service & Candlelight Procession
  •  SAT 4/7 (Holy Saturday) 7 p.m. Great Vigil of Easter
  •  SUN 4/8 (Easter Sunday)  8 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist
  
  
• St. John's: Montclair
  55 Montclair Ave, Montclair
  (973) 746-2474
  Transit: Walnut Street (0.3 mi SW) Montclair-Boonton Line
  Grove Street & Montclair Ave.
  
  SERVICE TIMES:
  • SUN 4/1 (Palm Sunday) 8 a.m. & 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist (Gather at 9:30 a.m. for palm procession. Children can bring percussion instruments) 6 p.m. Screening of Jesus Christ Superstar with pizza (youth group benefit)
  • THU 4/5 (Maundy Thursday) Maundy  7:30 p.m. Thursday Service
  • FRI 4/6 (Good Friday) 2pm Good Friday service
  • SAT 4/7 (Holy Saturday) 7:30 p.m. Great Vigil of Easter
  • SUN 4/8 (Easter Sunday) 9 a.m. & 11 a.m. Holy Eucharist
   
• St. Mark's: Teaneck
  118 Chadwick Road, Teaneck
  (201) 836-7275
  info@stmarksteaneck.org
  Transit: Cedar Ln at Grange Rd(459 ft N) 175, 753, 755, 772, 780
  
  SERVICE TIMES:
  • SUN 4/1 (Palm Sunday) 9 a.m. Child-centric Eucharist, 11 a.m.  Holy Eucharist, 6:30 p.m. Holy Eucharist with dramatic reading of the Passion by parish youth
  • THU 4/5 (Maundy Thursday) 6:30 p.m. Potluck Supper 7:30 p.m. Service with foot-washing, reading of the Passion, & stripping of the altar; vigil at altar of repose follows
  • FRI 4/6 (Good Friday) 12 noon & 7 p.m. Good Friday Liturgy
  • SAT 4/7 (Holy Saturday) 7:30 p.m. Great Vigil of Easter
  • SUN 4/8 (Easter Sunday) 9 a.m. & 11 a.m. Holy Eucharist

Downstate

• St. Augustine's
  6 Old Post Rd North, Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.
  (914) 271-3501
  august@bestweb.net
  
  SERVICE TIMES:
  • SUN 4/1 (Palm Sunday) 9 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist (later service includes palm procession)
  • WED 4/4 7 p.m. Service of Prayer & Light
  • THU 4/5 (Maundy Thursday) 6:30 p.m. Agape Meal (potluck) 8  p.m. Maundy Thursday Liturgy with foot-washing, overnight vigil follows
  • FRI 4/6 (Good Friday) 12 noon Good Friday service
  • SAT 4/7 (Holy Saturday) 7:00 p.m. Great Vigil of Easter
  • SUN 4/8 (Easter Sunday) 9 a.m. & 11 a.m. Holy Eucharist, 10:30 egg hunt


• Christ Church: Tarrytown
  (914) 631-2074
  43 South Broadway, Tarrytown, N.Y.
  
  SERVICE TIMES:
  • SUN 4/1 (Palm Sunday) 10 a.m. Palm Sunday Combined Service (English/Spanish)
  • TUE 4/3 7:30 p.m. Liturgy of Healing
  • WED 4/4 7:30 p.m. Candlelight Taize Service & Labyrinth Walk
  • THU 4/5 (Maundy Thursday) 6:30 p.m. Agape Meal and brief "watch and pray" Liturgy
  • FRI 4/6 (Good Friday) 9 a.m. Morning Prayer, 12 noon Meditation on the Seven Last Words of Jesus, 7:30 p.m. Stations of the Cross
  • SAT 4/7 (Holy Saturday) 7 p.m. Great Vigil of Easter
  • SUN 4/8 (Easter Sunday) 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist followed by brunch, 12:30 p.m. La Santa Misa de Pascua (Easter Eucharist in Spanish) 
   
• Trinity Chuch: Ossining
  (914) 941-0806 ‎
  7 South Highland Avenue, Ossining, N.Y.
  TRANSIT:  Ossining (0.5 mi SW) Hudson
  
  SERVICE TIMES:
  • THU 4/5 (Maundy Thursday) 6:30 Maundy Thursday Liturgy (at St. Paul’s on-the-Hill), with potluck dinner, including the Maundy (the Washing of the Feet), followed by an all-night vigil at the Bethlehem Chapel at Trinity. 
  • FRI 4/6 (Good Friday) 12 noon Good Friday Liturgy with Stations of the Cross, the Solemn Collects and Veneration of the Cross 
  • SAT 4/7 (Holy Saturday) 7:30 p.m. Easter Even Liturgy with the Lighting of the Paschal Candle and renewal of Baptismal vows (at St. Paul’s-on-the-Hill)
  • SUN 4 8 (Easter Sunday) 11:15 a.m. Holy Eucharist, preceded by an organ prelude at 11 am; Festal Celebration of Eucharist (Rite One) followed by a reception hosted by our Vestry and an Easter Egg Hunt

New Proud Parish Partner: St. John's in Montclair, N.J.

Another day, another new Proud Parish Partner!  Today we welcome St. John's Episcopal Church in Montclair, N.J., part of the Diocese of Newark.  St. John's has been participating in Believe Out Loud, and is home to a P-FLAG chapter, but LGBT equality is only part of their efforts towards social justice and radical hospitality.  They also hold a special Eucharist twice monthly which is especially geared towards children, especially those with special needs, for whom a typical Eucharist is not ideal.  They have also done extensive work for the disadvantaged, and held an interfaith prayer service with a Muslim group to foster greater mutual understanding and respect.

We will be adding St. John's to our website and blog and their service schedule will be included in our upcoming guide of welcoming places to observe Holy Week and Easter.  There's still time to register as a P3 and get your congregation included, too!

Thanks to The Rev. Andrew Butler, and the vestry and wardens for your support!

Welcome to our latest Proud Parish Partner, St. Michael's in Manhattan!

Integrity NYC-Metro is pleased to welcome our newest Proud Parish Partner, St. Michael's Episcopal Church on West 99th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.  Founded in 1807, St. Michael's mission is "to witness—through worship, ministries and community activities—to the spirit, teachings and love of Christ; to offer strength & love to each other; and to reach out and draw others into our diverse parish family."

As a supporter of Integrity's work locally and nationally, St. Michael's will be added to our list of local partner congregations and listed in our upcoming guide to Holy Week  services at welcoming congregations.   If you'd like your congregation there, too, there's still time to register or renew and be included.

"This is a time of year in which people who have been away from religious services often think about returning, and checking the web is a very popular way of locating nearby faith communities," said Mary O'Shaughnessy, NYC-Metro Chapter Convener.  "This is just one more way to help seekers find you."


Our thanks to the Rev. Elizabeth Maxwell, Interim Rector; Warden Jim Sparks; and Parish Administrator Galina Koubassova for answering the call to join our efforts.

There's Still Time to Have Your Congregation's Holy Week Services on Our List

Integrity NYC-Metro will be publishing the schedule of Holy Week services at each of our local Proud Parish Partner ("P3") congregations later this week.  If your congregation is not listed as a "P3" on our website or blog there is still time to register or renew for a minimum annual donation of just $100 and be included in our guide.

Integrity is supported by its membership and private donations, and receives no funding from the national church.  If your congregation has a focus on social justice, we ask you to suggest that your leadership consider supporting our work by becoming a "P3".  As we approach General Convention this summer when the blessing of same-sex relationships will be debated by clergy and laity from throughout the church, Integrity hopes to have a strong presence advocating for the LGBT population.  In addition, we continue to encourage congregations to become more visibly welcoming through the Believe Out Loud campaign and representing the church at area Pride events.

If your congregation does decide to adopt or renew a "P3" commitment, please mention NYC-metro as your chapter, as a portion of your contribution will then be allocated for our work locally.  And of course we are also grateful for individual memberships and donations.

Thank you!

Cyndi Lauper to be Grand Marshall at Heritage of Pride

The Huffington Post has reported that award-winning pop diva and long-time LGBT-ally Cyndi Lauper will be the Grand Marshall of the 2012 Heritage of Pride March in New York on Sunday, June 24th.

Integrity NYC-Metro will once again be part of the Episcopal presence at the March, which is organized by the LGBT Concerns Committee of the Diocese of New York.  Area individuals, congregations and groups are invited to march with us or under their own banners as part of the church's representation.  The Committee will be announcing details in the coming weeks.

 Lauper, a native of Queens, won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1985 and has been recognized repeatedly by MTV, VHI, Rolling Stone and others. She has been a staunch ally of the LGBT population. In September, she opened the True Colors Residence, a supportive housing  facility in Harlem specifically for young LGBT adults with a history of homelessness. She also created the Give A Damn Campaign to educate heterosexual people about youth homelessness and how it disproportionately affects the LGBT population. 

Joining Lauper on the reviewing stand will be Chris Salgardo, president of the Kiehl's body care company which was recently recognized in AdWeek for its social responsibility, as well as Phyllis Siege and Connie Kopelov, the first residents of New York City to be legally married in the state.  The couple was wed on July 24, 2011 after 23 years together.

"Our choices for this year's Grand Marshals embody everything we look for in representatives that give back to the LGBT community and have made a huge impact on the overall movement," Mike Dunlap, March Director, said in a press release.

Screening of Gene Robinson Bio "Love Free or Die" Apr 13

On Friday, April 13th at 7pm, Integrity NYC Metro (along with The OASIS LGBT Ministry of the Diocese of Newark, and the Hudson Pride Connections Center) will be co-hosting a screening of Macky Alston's award-winning biography of The Right Rev. Gene Robinson, Love Free or Die, at Grace Church Van Vorst in Jersey City, NJ.

The screening will be free.  A freewill offering will be taken to support further promotion of the film.  Grace Church is an easy walk from the Grove Street PATH station.

Winner of a special jury prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, Love Free or Die is "compelling storytelling, even for those familiar with the outlines of Robinson’s story: his 2003 consecration as a bishop, the backlash from conservatives within the U.S. and global church, and the Episcopal Church’s decision at its 2009 general convention to continue to ordain gay bishops and to develop blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples," as reviewed by Peter Montgomery in Religion Dispatch.

Others in the church - both for and against Bishop Robinson's ordination - are interviewed, including the Right Rev. Otis Charles, who came out and married his partner after retiring as bishop of Utah; the Right Rev. Barbara Harris, the first female bishop in the Anglican Communion; and a Ugandan woman living with HIV.

Footage from some of the major public events in Bishop Robinson's episcopacy are featured, including a dramatic confrontation with a heckler while preaching in England.

PLEASE HELP US spread the word about this event by sharing this flyer. Facebook users please RSVP and invite your friends here.

Reviews of Love Free or Die:

• First Gay Bishop? Give Me a Break -  Religion Dispatches
• Doers of the Word: Bishop Gene Robinson in Love Free or Die - HRC
• New film chronicles gay Episcopal bishop - Bay Area Reporter

EVENT SNAPSHOT:

• WHAT: Screening of Love Free or Die
• WHEN:  Fri. Apr. 13 @ 7 p.m.
• WHERE: Grace Church Van Vorst, 39 Erie Street, Jersey City, NJ
  (Transit: PATH to Grove Street)
• COST: Free (contributions welcome)

Jan Nunley's Sermon From Our Feb. 10th Eucharist

As promised, we have posted the sermon from our Feb. 10th Eucharist at St. Luke in the Fields, by the Rev. Jan Nunley, an award-winning journalist who helped bring the Episcopal News Service into the digital age.

Since our service was observing the Feast of Cornelius the Centurion, Jan explained what we know about the two men who the Bible identifies as  Centurions, positing they may have in fact been the same person, and - by exploring some variables in possible translation - positing that the relationship between Cornelius and the "slave" whom Jesus heals may have been slightly more romantic in nature than that between a soldier and his servant would imply. The Greek word pais, which modern English translations of the Bible take to mean "slave" or "servant" is argued by some scholars to actually be an affectionate term for the younger member of a male couple.

For further reading, Jan suggests the following:

• Jesus, the Centurion, and his Lover
  Jack Clark Robinson in the Gay & Lesbian Review
• The Gay Centurion: Did Jesus Bless A Gay Relationship?
  Gay Christian 101
  
• Cornelius the Centurion
  James E. Kiefer in Biographical Sketches of Christians of the Past

Committee Offers Preview of Report on Same-Gender Unions

The Standing Committee on Liturgy and Music of the Episcopal Church today published excerpts from a report on the blessing of same-gender unions that it will present at this summer's General Convention in Indianapolis.

The Commission was directed by the 2009 General Convention to collect and develop theological resources and liturgies for blessing same-gender relationships and report to this summer’s General Convention. They undertook a project of mammoth proportions to collect the work that has been going on for the last fifty years in parishes, Integrity chapters and dioceses across the country.

“This is a milestone on our journey to open the Episcopal Church to all people,” said The Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall, President of Integrity. “the Commission’s work not only stands as an example of exceptional collaborative church-wide study but brings us an important step closer to full equality. Their remit was to look at blessings for same-gender couples and they have done this with aplomb, offering not just a rite of blessing but a theological statement which will challenge us all to reconsider the theology of committed relationships, including traditional heterosexual marriage.”

In 2007, a Civil Union Task Force of clergy and laity commissioned by The Right Rev. Mark Beckwith, Bishop of Newark, undertook to understand how the availability of civil unions for same-sex couples in New Jersey impacted those in the Diocese. It reported on its findings in December of that year. The Task Force also produced suggested rites for the blessing of such services in both English and Spanish, which are included in the report. These were among the materials submitted to the SCLM for its work.

Integrity Director of  Communications Louise Brooks contributed to this article