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My dear friends, It is hard to imagine that it was only on the 21st of October that I took up the rectorship of Saint Ignatius of Antioch. Already we have celebrated the Patronal Feast and All Saints Day (twice), commemorated All Souls Day with our annual mass and the choir’s magnificent presentation of Maurice Duruflé Requiem, baptized four children, launched a stewardship campaign, relaunched this website, and celebrated with Bishop Sisk my official service of Institution. Amidst all this activity, it has been wonderful getting to know the people of our parish— both those who come regularly to church and are “members” and those whom I have met with my dog on Broadway and West End and Amsterdam, on 86th Street and in the Park. For Anglicans, a parish is much more than a church building and the people who come regularly. A parish is a place, a patch of God’s creation and the parish church has a responsibility to minister to all the people who live there, to be available to everyone to lives there, to show forth “by its prayers and witness” the love of God in that corner of the earth. This understanding of parish is fundamental to the Catholic tradition and I hope that as we approach Advent and Christmas that we will take this seriously and help keep Saint Ignatius a welcoming place that reaches out to all our neighbors. So welcome to our website. Please explore its depths and if you like what you see and read, please come and visit us and be in touch. We celebrate the Eucharist on Mondays and Thursdays at 12:15, on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m., and twice on Sundays (at 9 and 11 a.m.). Faithfully yours, Andrew C. Blume+ |
Welcome from the Rector