Who is St. Cecelia? We have the St. Cecelia Series at Christ Church, and I’m learning that folks don’t always know much about St. Cecelia, and can’t remember why we have the Series at all. Since the Church’s feast day for Cecelia falls on November 22 and we’ve just wrapped up a successful Fall Flower and Music Festival (which benefited the St. Cecelia Series), it seems like a good time to re-educate ourselves. When I say the Fall Flower and Music Festival was successful, I do so based on the fact that it was a first-time event that brought in 900 visitors (not including worship attendance) and raised $10,000 for the St. Cecelia Series. Thank you to all those who made it such a wonderful and successful event. It surpassed our expectations as a first event! Incidentally, since so many have asked, we’ve decided that our goal will be to offer the Festival every other year, meaning we’ll be looking to do it again in 2017. If you really like to plan ahead, go ahead and mark down October 21-22, 2017 and you’ll be all set.

So who was St. Cecelia? We don’t know a great deal about Cecelia, and most of what we do know about her comes from sources centuries removed from her life. Based on those sources, she lived in the third century and was martyred for her faith during the Roman persecution of Christians under Alexander Severus. The legends tell us that Cecelia was betrothed to a pagan whom she converted to Christianity along with his brother. Both men were martyred because of their conversion, and while Cecelia was burying them she was arrested and put to death too. As the Church’s book of saints, Holy Women, Holy Men, tells us, she was “remembered for the passion with which she sang the praises of God.” Cecelia has been the patron saint of singers, organ builders, musicians, and poets for many centuries. She has been shown in art to play musical instruments since at least the fourteenth century (You can see the great master Raphael’s 16th century rendering above). She is one of the women named in the Roman Canon of the Mass, and there is a church in Rome believed to have been built on the site of her home, which remains one of the original Christian churches built in the city.

We created the St. Cecelia Series in order to provide for special music and arts for Christ Church and the wider community. We have held several concerts as a part of the Series, and the Series also supports our summer arts camp for children. Before the

Festival the Series most recently brought a children’s musician to St. Simons and Brunswick for a pair of concerts in June. To date our concerts have been a mix of free events and ticketed events. The Series also generates money that can be used to provide special music for Sundays and special feast days that is not covered by the parish’s operating budget. As we look to the future, we are looking for other special opportunities to bring musicians here for concerts and events. Ideas include commissioning a setting of a jazz mass or hosting a church musicians conference that would bring some of the most well known modern hymn writers here for workshops and demonstrations, a gathering that would have the potential to draw musicians from all over the nation. We’ve also discussed commissioning a hymn to commemorate the next significant milestone in our history. These are just several of the ideas being considered.

Music is one of the most effective and moving ways to pray, to praise, and to communicate the desires of our hearts to God. Music is central to our worship, and we are blessed with a very talented Organist and Choirmaster in Kathleen Turner. Her gifts and skills encompass a wide range of musical genres and include her performance skills on keyboard instruments and the oboe. As a parish we are known for good liturgy and good music, which is one of the things that attracts and retains congregants. When surveyed during the interim, it was our worship and music that this congregation noted as its strongest gift. We are always looking to build on our strengths and offer the best of ourselves to God and our community in everything we do. And with God, Cecelia’s, and your help, we will continue to do so.

Tom+

O Lord, before whose throne trumpets sound, and saints and angels sing the songs of Moses and the Lamb: we thank you for the instruments and music of worship in your temple, that with the voice of music we may proclaim your praise and tell it abroad; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

*Note: This is appearing as the Rector’s Rambling this week, and is included in the November newsletter. We are aware that these two communication vehicles reach a slightly different audience, and I wanted to be sure I answered questions across the board.