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All Hallowtide
by the Reverend Molly O'Neil Frank, Assisting Priest
Welcome to the three days in the Christian calendar known as All Hallowtide. Halloween, celebrated on the night before All Saints' Day, originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. This pagan festival marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of the “dark half of the year”. Celebrants believed that during Samhain, the barrier between the physical and spirit world broke down, which allowed for greater interaction between humans and those residing in “another world.” The Halloween tradition of trick-or-treating is said to come from the English Middle Ages and the giving out of “Soul Cakes” on the days around Halloween and All Souls' Day. Members of a community would go 'souling,' which involved going to the doors of wealthier neighbors to ask for charity. They would be given 'soul cakes' made of oats. In return, they'd say prayers for the souls of the deceased relatives and friends of the people dispensing the charity.
Can you imagine all of the small ghosts and goblins who came to your door last night saying a prayer for those who are no longer with us? We have largely forgotten the religious roots of this tradition. For many New Yorkers, this is the season of new beginnings. The crisp weather signals the “fall season” of art openings, new films and new theatre and music. Paradoxically in nature, the mood of the season begins to darken as a winter hibernation sets in and the afternoons get dark. The bleak sky in the northern hemisphere captures the Celtic idea of November as a “thin place.”
Irish poet John O’Donohue was steeped in the Celtic tradition. He invites us to enter and take note of times and places where the “veil” between the seen and unseen world is thinner than at other times. He writes, “During this liminal time, we experience a greater sense of sacredness or presence of the Other in a deeper way as the distance between heaven and earth, darkness and light, past and future becomes porous momentarily.” This Sunday is All Saints' Day. It is a principal feast day in our liturgical calendar – a day when we get to remember the whole Church across time and space. Our liturgy honors those who have set an example in their lives and deaths. We rejoice in the continued communion with them through membership and participation in the body of Christ. This is a day for baptism and remembrance. It is a radical celebration of new life and life everlasting for those we see no more.
See you Sunday!
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All Saints' Day
Sunday, November 1
Join us in person at 9 am, 11 am, or 5 pm. The Reverend Molly O'Neil Frank, Assisting Priest, will preach at all services.
Join us online at 11 am. Download the service leaflet to follow along as we livestream from the church on our website, Facebook, and YouTube.
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The Forum
Sunday, November 1 at 10 am
Paul, Democracy, and the Corinthians
Larry Welborn, Professor Emeritus at Fordham University, highlights democratic impulses within the early Church and the New Testament. Copies of his latest book Paul, Democracy, and the Corinthians are available at the Bookstore.
Please post your questions in the comments on Facebook or YouTube, or email the Reverend Peter Thompson at pthompson@stbarts.org.
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Explore Class for Newcomers
Sundays, November 1–15 at 12:30 pm in Room 33
Wednesdays, November 4–18 at 7 pm via Zoom
Explore is for anyone new to St. Bart’s or The Episcopal Church and interested in learning more. This three-week series provides an overview of Christian belief and practice, through a progressive and open-minded lens. No question is off the table, and all are welcome. A light lunch is offered. Sign up at stbarts.org/explore.
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Children, Youth, and Family Ministries
This Sunday is All Saints' Day, when we celebrate the saints of God in every time and place—from Saints Peter, Paul, and Bartholomew in the first century, to the saints of our own day (which includes all those who follow in the steps of Jesus)! Therefore, we are dubbing this Sunday "Saints and Superheroes" Sunday, and children are invited (not required!) to wear their Halloween costumes one last time before putting them away for the year.
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The 2027 Pledge Campaign at St. Bart’s
The 2027 Pledge Campaign at St. Bart’s, “Meeting This Moment as One,” is nearing the end of its second week, and we are grateful to our Campaign Co-Chairs, Rachel Farrar and Vivian Roston, for their leadership and to all who have already declared their 2027 commitments to St. Bart’s. Please join them and help us to achieve our $1.6M goal at stbarts.org/2027pledge or by filling out a pledge card.
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Reminder: Sunday, November 1 is the New York City Marathon, so please allow extra time to get to church. Also, Daylight Saving Time ends, so the clocks go back an hour.
Click here for a complete list of Community Groups and activities after church this Sunday.
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Upcoming Memorial Services
Please join us to celebrate the lives of three members of our community who recently died:
Steve Hughes, Friday, November 6, 2 pm
Diane Posnak, Friday, November 6, 5 pm
Bobby Armstrong, Saturday, November 21, 10 am
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The Forum
Sunday, November 8 at 10 am
Palliative Care: Interdisciplinary Perspectives
Professionals from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center speak with the Reverend Molly O’Neil Frank, BCC, about care that focuses on the relief of symptoms and pain.
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A Choral Feast: Mozart's Requiem
Sunday, November 8 at 11 am
On the Sunday after All Saints’ Sunday (known in some contexts as Remembrance Sunday), we remember all who have died over the course of the past year as St. Bartholomew’s Choir offers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Requiem, K. 626, with chamber orchestra. Learn more.
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Paolo Bordignon, harpsichordist, in recital
Tuesday, November 17 at 7:30 pm
The harpsichord is not only the instrument epitomizing the High Baroque but also a vehicle for the refined expressiveness of the Rococo, the Empfindsamer Stil (sensitive style), and galant styles of the later eighteenth century. Join us for a program exploring some of this repertoire, including music of François Couperin, G.B. Martini, and a dazzling concerto by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach with an ensemble of strings. Purchase tickets here.
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The St. Bart’s Players premieres Bright Star
October 27-November 1 at the 14 Street Y Theatre
Steve Martin and Edie Brickell’s Bright Star is a sweeping, deeply emotional tale of love, redemption, and hope set against the rich backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The story follows literary editor Alice Murphy and a young soldier just home from World War II. Propelled by an intoxicating, Grammy-nominated bluegrass and folk score, this uplifting journey proves that the truth always has a way of finding its light. Tickets and information.
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Transferable Development Rights Update
Thank you to Anne Rabbino, Phil Conte, and the many St. Bart's leaders who worked hard over several years to complete the sale of 170,000 square feet of Transferable Development Rights ("TDRs," known colloquially as "Air Rights") to the developers of a new commercial tower at 350 Park Avenue.
The transaction was first reported to the parish in the spring of 2024. Option payments totaling $10 million have been received by St. Bart's since late 2023 and have been used for projects that are already underway, such as the East Façade restoration.
This month, the parish received a final payment of nearly $43 million, which will help immensely in our efforts to restore and maintain our landmarked buildings. It is important to note that these additional funds will not be sufficient to bring the buildings finally to "sound condition," as required by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. It is also important to note that the impact of TDR sales on our operating budget is extremely limited: our legal agreement with the Landmarks Preservation Commission requires us to spend at least 75% of the proceeds on restoration of the exterior of the landmarked buildings until "sound condition" is achieved, while 10% of the net proceeds must be paid to the Episcopal Diocese of New York, and transfer taxes and fees must be paid from the remainder.
We're grateful for the opportunity this transaction presents to preserve our treasured buildings for future generations, but your support remains essential to our ongoing flourishing. We invite you to contribute generously to the 2027 pledge campaign so that our worship and community life may continue to be as splendid as the buildings that we occupy.
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The Forum, Sunday, October 25 at 10 am
From Kanuga to Federal Plaza: A Year of Reporting on the Life and Witness of the Episcopal Church
Sunday, October 25 at 11 am
The Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost
The Sermon from Sunday, October 25 at 11 am
What's Love Got To Do With It?
by the Reverend Meredith Ward, Senior Associate Rector
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