Today we were granted an audience with the august parish priest of the Church of Our Saviour on Park Avenue at 38th Street. His name: Father George Rutler. Father Rutler is a well known author and speaker and a friend of Father Ben Kiely, my friend from Kent but who is parish priest at Stowe, Vermont.Father Rutler has transformed the Church and continues to do so with fine art and sacred objects. The tabernacle is dedicated to the victims of 9/11. More details from the parish website.
Having a very Eastern feel, it is truly a most prayerful place and it was nice to see people praying.
A very touching event took place while we were with Father Rutler. A courier called in and his secretary showed him into the room where we were meeting. The young man said that he regularly delivers items to the Church, that he always says a prayer and that he was so pleased to meet Father. When he mentioned his wife, and that his wife was just calling on his mobile, Father Rutler took the phone and said some very kind words to her. I'm sure he made their day.
Father said that there are currently four seminarians who have come through his parish, not a bad record. The parish is not typical in that there are not many residents, most of those attending being either visitors or people who travel to attend Mass there.
What a beautiful church. It is the perfect meld of east/west. Jesus as the Pantocrator has always resonated with me. I love icons based on that image.
ReplyDeleteIf memory serves, William F. Buckley, Jr. knew Fr. Rutler pretty well. [Now THERE was a good Catholic!]
Next time I'm in NYC I'll have to make a point of it to go to mass there.
Oh, and wild curiosity: I notice his 9a.m. Sunday Mass is in Latin. It doesn't look like he has enough room to swing a cat, much less a censer if he faced ad orientem. Does he do the Mass versus populam? OR does he do the NO in Latin?
ReplyDeleteWe were fortunate enough to participate in a Sunday Mass there last year.
ReplyDeleteFr. Rutler's sermon was on St. John Vianey and I actually still remember parts of it which is more than I can say a couple of hours after most Masses.
The Latin Mass is in the usus antiquior. Novus ordo Masses are facing the people. We shall concelebrate there this Sunday before catching the evening flight to London.
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