House of the Redeemer 7 East 95th Street New York, New York 10128 www.houseoftheredeemer.org (212) 289-0399

The House of the Redeemer, a “place apart”, based in the Episcopal tradition is open to all. Housed in a land- marked building, we provide hospitality through worship, spiritual renewal, and cultural and community events. Fall 2019 Newsletter Garden Party 2019

Left to right: Mrs. James German, Bishop Andrew St. John, Left to right: Nancy Treuhold, Betsy Rowe, and Schuyler Rowe and Mrs. Nancy Houghton

The courtyard filled with guests enjoying a cool summer evening Attendees eagerly bidding at the live auction Many thanks to our loyal and generous supporters for helping to make the June 6, 2019 Garden Party a great success. All proceeds from the event will go to the interior restoration of this treasured building. Because of your generosity, funds were raised to restore the frames of the two landscape paintings in the Refectory, and these will proudly be on display as soon as the project is completed. Notes from the President

In late April, the board of trustees held a planning retreat at the House with the Rev. Zachary Thompson of St. James’s Church as facilitator. The goal of the retreat was to discuss the steps needed to position the House for the future. Although the House is solvent, and the building is structurally sound, our stable of faithful supporters is decreasing as people inevitably age. Furthermore, we are too dependent on episodic revenue from film shoots to fund major capital projects, such as restoring the windows and replacing the furnace.

At the retreat a number of small groups were assigned specific duties. One will explore new fundraising initiatives. Another will determine how to refashion the House’s programs and events to attract a younger population. A third group was assigned to redraft the House’s mission statement. Their recommendation, which has now been approved by the full board, is:

The House of the Redeemer, a “place apart”, based in the Episcopal tradition is open to all. Housed in a land-marked building, we provide hospitality through worship, spiritual renewal, and cultural and community events.

Going forward, you may expect to hear more from us about these initiatives. At the conclusion of the retreat, Fr. Thompson+ urged us to: start with conviction; stay calm; stay connected; and stay the course. We will!

Over the past several months, we have welcomed three new members to the House’s board of trustees. They are: Alicia Benoist, whose connection with the House began in the 1980s when her stepfather, the Rev. Herbert Linley, was resident warden, and Alicia helped manage the House. She is now the Vice President of Development at The Orchestra of St. Luke’s and a parishioner of Saint Saviour’s at the Cathedral. Nancy Treuhold trained as a lawyer but no longer practices. She is a member of the Board of Foreign Parishes of the Episcopal Church and of the boards of the Episcopal Churches in Rome and Florence. In New York, she is a parishioner (and former vestry member) at St. James’s Church. Adam MacDonald, a member of both the choir and the vestry at Church of the Heavenly Rest, works as the concerts development manager at St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue. Each of these individuals brings important skills to the board and we are delighted to count them among our number.

As an outgrowth of the retreat, Judi Counts, the executive director, and a number of board members have hosted a series of meetings with people living in the immediate neighborhood. The goal is to enhance their understanding of what goes on at the House, and to defuse some of the tension arising from recent film shoots. To that end, we agreed to establish a kind of “early warning system” for activities that could cause inconvenience to neighbors. We also are planning a fall event for the neighbors on our block.

The Garden Party on June 6th was a great success, thanks to the hard work of our benefit committee and House staff. In particular, thanks are due Betsy Rowe and Cindy Sweetser. Bishop Andrew St. John deserves his own round of applause for stepping in as the auctioneer. Among other things, the live auction raised sufficient funds to restore the frames of the two paintings on the east wall of the Refectory. (The paintings themselves have already been restored.)

The House was gratified to receive a bequest from the estate of Nancy Dale, who was for many years the president of The Church Women’s League for Patriotic Service. This organization has had a long relationship with the House.

Percy Preston, Jr. President Priests-in-Residence, Notes from the President September 2019 - January 2020

The Rev’d. Julian Hollywell, September, is parish priest of a large and inclusive parish in Derbyshire, the heart of England, that provides a welcome of radical hospitality to LGBTQIA+ people and their supporters. A member of the General Synod, he also recently sat on the Crown Nominations Commission to appoint the new Bishop of Derby, Bishop Libby Lane, who was the first woman to be ordained a bishop in the Church of England. The Rev’d. Cn. John F. Rice, D. Min., October, retired in 2001 following 45 years of full-time parish work. First Canon for Congregations in MA, Rev’d. Rice has also been a communications trainer, an executive for PERCEPT, Inc. and assistant to the Anglican Church on the island of St. Barths. He currently does supply and interim ministry from Cape Cod. The Rev’d. Cn. Sandra McCann, MD, November, and her husband, Martin McCann, MD, spent 12 years in Africa as missionaries of the Episcopal Church. During their time in Dodoma, Tanzania, Rev’d. McCann worked as a theology teacher and as the Communications Director of Msalato Theological College. Dr. Martin McCann began the first pathology practice in central Tanzania. The Rev’d. Cn. Gary R. Hall, December, retired in 2016 as the 10th Dean of Washington National Cathedral. Prior to coming to Washington, Rev. Hall served as Dean and President and Professor of Anglican Studies at Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL. He has also served as rector of parishes in Pennsylvania (Church of the Redeemer, Bryn Mawr) and Michigan (Christ Church Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills). The Rev’d. Cn. Lesley Hay, January, is former Acting Vice Dean and Canon for Operations at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco. Following seminary at Westco House, Cambridge, UK, and Yale Divinity School, she was ordained in Oxford; she has served in churches in the CT, AL and Newark, NJ Diocese. BOARD OF TRUSTEES Janet A. Robertson David L. Rowe PRESIDENT Leslie Rupert Percy Preston, Jr. The Rt. Rev’d. Andrew St. John Nancy Treuhold TRUSTEES Alicia Benoist TRUSTEE EMERITUS The Rt. Rev’d. Andrew M.L. Dietsche The Rev’d. Dr. Adam Dunbar McCoy, OHC Henry R. Garner, Jr. Margaret German STAFF Joanna Griner-Cawley The Rev’d. Matthew Heyd EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Frederic K. Howard Judi Counts Adam MacDonald ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Robert Mitchell Suzanne Martinucci Ursula Moran ASST. OPERATIONS MANAGER Bettina Nelson Moumen Haffar Frances R. Olivieri COMMUNICATIONS Patricia Ranson Peter Doczi Calendar of Events

Matei Varga Concert Renowned pianist Matei Varga returns to the House to perform pieces by Robert Schumann, Ernesto Lecuona and Ludwig van Beethoven. Mr. Varga has appeared as a soloist and recitalist in many of the world’s leading concert halls, among them Carnegie Friday Hall and Avery Fisher Hall in New York City, Berlin’s Konzerthaus, Palau de la Musica September 20 in Barcelona, and the Auditorium du Louvre and Salle Gaveau in Paris. Tickets: $30. 7:00 pm Available to purchase online and by phone at (212) 289-0399.

How the Church of England Appoints its Bishops ( and Other Unfathomable Mysteries ) Fr. Julian Hollywell recently sat on the Crown Nominations Commission to appoint the new Bishop of Derby, Bishop Libby Lane, who was the first woman to be ordained a bishop in the Church of England. The ordination process is one that remains shrouded in Thursday secrecy. Fr. Hollywell’s program will explore this and some of the other ways the Church September 26 of England is radically, and perhaps even incomprehensibly, different to The Episcopal 6:30 pm Church. Free of Charge. Please call (212) 289-0399 or reserve online.

The Purpose & Practice of Praise The practice of “praise” is a constant throughout the moral literature of the world. The purpose of “praise,” especially out of the Celtic tradition, has been “to recreate an unblemished world.” The artist/poet David Jones declares, “If poetry is praise, as prayer Wednesday is, it can never coexist with a malignant and persistent criticism of the nature of things.” October 16 With this seeming constant in our world today, an evening of “praise” might seem in 6:30 pm order. The Rev’d. Cn. John Rice invites you to come and share some favorite poems, psalms, or songs from your tradition. Together, perhaps we can buff away some of the blemishes of the day. Free of Charge. Please call (212) 289-0399 or reserve online.

Neighborhood Composting

Join a representative of GrowNYC’s Zero Waste programs for an interactive info session on the Curbside Organics Collection program. This Department of Sanitation program enables New Yorkers to transform their organic waste, such as food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard waste into compost, a nutrient-rich soil amendment. At the same time, Tuesday participating in this program can help keep the community cleaner by separating food October 22 waste into pest-proof bins. Take part in a recycling game where GrowNYC will go over 6:30 pm what does and doesn’t go into your metal/glass/plastic and paper recycling bins as well as receive an overview of the many zero-waste initiatives and services available to New York City residents. Free of Charge. Please call (212) 289-0399 or reserve online. The Queen of Spades As Halloween makes its seasonal appearance, the Metropolitan Opera prepares a revival of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s harrowing masterpiece The Queen of Spades. Adapted from Alexander Pushkin’s short story, the opera tells a haunting tale of avarice, obsession, Thursday and madness, amplified with Tchaikovsky’s unique combination of melodic sweep and November 7 theatrical flair. Suzanne Martinucci, Met Opera Quiz panelist and House staff member, 6:30 pm will present a program on this opera. Tickets: $25. Please call (212) 289-0399 or visit houseoftheredeemer.org to purchase tickets. Calendar of Events

Pre-Thanksgiving Wine Tasting Join us as we partner with K&D Wines & Spirits to sample delicious wines just in time Thursday for the holidays.Finding that perfect bottle of wine to accompany your dinner, and get an November 14 introduction to some wines you may not have heard about. Tickets: $20. 6:30 pm Please call (212) 289-0399 or visit houseoftheredeemer.org to purchase tickets.

Play Reading - “Spitting Image” Join us for a live reading of this original comic drama by Anthony McKay, produced by I Fabbristi’s Anthony Newfield. Lottie, an aspiring opera singer, struggles to reclaim Sunday her own soul while grappling with her crumbling marriage and her dominating mother. November 17 Both acts of the play mirror each other as we witness the roots of Lottie’s identity crisis. 3:00 pm Tickets: $20. Light refreshments will be served. Please call (212) 289-0399 or visit houseoftheredeemer.org to purchase tickets.

Fabbri Concert: Intimate Broadway

Join us for the first of the three concerts in the Fabbri Concert Series. Musical theater stars and Tony Award nominees Kate Baldwin and Bob Stillman perform an unforgettable Wednesday evening of theater music by Adam Guettel, Michael John LaChiusa, Ricky Ian Gordon November 20 and more. With Andy Roninson on piano and Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf on cello, the evening 7:30 pm will inhabit a space between recital hall and Broadway stage. Tickets: $50. Available to purchase online and by phone at (212) 289-0399. Visit houseoftheredeemer.org for more information about the Fabbri Concerts.

Christmas Party - “The Gift of the Magi”

Jim and Della love each other madly but are practically penniless. What will they do about Christmas gifts? Anthony Newfield, Broadway performer and artistic director of I Fabbristi, will bring a group of fellow actors to present a reading of O. Henry’s classic Monday short story “The Gift of the Magi.” This holiday reading continues a House tradition and December 9 will be followed by caroling and a festive reception. Suggested donation: $20. 7:00 pm Please call (212) 289-0399 or reserve online.

Advent Retreat George Herbert—17th century priest, poet, and courtier—wrote devotional poetry which was at once personally authentic, theologically profound, and extraordinarily beautiful. His poems work both as individual lyric pieces and as starting points for personal and group contemplation. In this Advent Quiet Day, the House of the Redeemer’s December Saturday priest-in-residence Gary Hall will lead retreatants through a series of reflections on several December 14 of Herbert’s best-known (and a few less famous) poems in a mixture of lecture, individual 10:00 am - 3:00 pm contemplation, and group discussion. The day will also include time for prayer, being sure to incorporate some of Herbert’s texts along the way. Space is limited. Reservations are required. Tickets: $30. Lunch is included. Available to purchase online and by phone at (212) 289-0399. SAVE THE DATE! House Annual Winter Benefit Honoring Mary Katherine Wold, CEO and President, the Church Pension Fund Thursday, January 23, 2020 6:30-9:30 pm

Religious Offerings

All are welcome to the weekly religious activities at the House: Morning and Evening Prayer Monday through Friday 8:00 am and 5:30 pm (Eucharist on Tuesday Evening and Thursday Morning) If you would like to add names to the Chapel prayer list please let us know.

Weekly Bible Study Schedule Service resumes September 11, 2019 The House offers Bible Study from September to June on Wednesdays at 4:00 for one hour (tea at 3:30). Leading the Bible Study is Helen Goodkin, the former director of the Master’s Program and Lay Education at The General Theological Seminary, who has extensive experience in leading Bible study programs, conferences, and quiet days. Her approach to adult Bible study is grounded in the text and the historical context in which it was written, with group participation being essential.

Please consider including the House in your estate plans. Bequests have been important to the House over the years, especially unrestricted bequests, due to the flexibility they provide. The suggested language for your will is: “I give the sum of $____ to House of the Redeemer, New York, NY for its general corporate purposes.” ***** Donors contemplating making a gift of marketable securities should contact the office for instructions on how to deliver those securities.

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