A little over sixty years ago, four very cool Brits famously flew across the Atlantic and took the US by storm in what would eventually be called a "British invasion." This weekend, three very cool Brits will be flying across the Atlantic to take Park Avenue by storm in a British invasion of our own.
The Reverend Lucy Winkett, the Reverend Dr. Ayla Lepine, and the Reverend Dr. Mariama Ifode-Blease are not The Beatles. But they are, each in their own way, rock stars. Lucy, who spoke virtually at The Forum last August, was the first woman to serve at St. Paul's Cathedral and is featured frequently on the BBC. Ayla, who visited St. Bart's in January 2024, is a decorated art historian who possesses boundless energy and tremendous knowledge. Mariama was the Queen's Almsman at Westminster Abbey and is a leading thinker in the field of secondary education. Each will be preaching at St. Bart's at some point over the next few days. All three will be speaking at The Forum this Sunday.
Episcopalians have long held a fascination with England, one that persisted after the Episcopal Church officially split from the Church of England in the years following the Revolutionary War. Our Book of Common Prayer was modeled after theirs; we sing a lot of English music; we still consider their spiritual leader, the Archbishop of Canterbury, as one of ours, too. In the early twentieth century, St. Bart's even stole an organist (Leopold Stokowski) from a central London church named St. James's Piccadilly.
We still value our historic ties to the Church of England and the various treasures, including liturgy and music, that we have received from it. But our current link with St. James's Piccadilly--part of a larger link program between the Diocese of New York and the Diocese of London--revolves more around the contemporary resonances between our communities. Like us, St. James's is doing its best to proclaim the Christian faith in the heart of a modern major metropolis. Like us, St. James's prioritizes inclusivity and justice while maintaining a hold on classic Christian tenets.
We've learned a lot from St. James's over the past few years, through online classes, virtual appearances at The Forum, and Ayla's in person visit at the beginning of 2024. Zack, Meredith, and I have also each had the opportunity to visit St. James's and get to know the community there. Many of you have made your own visits to St. James's, while we have welcomed St. James's parishioners to St. Bart's during their New York trips.
But the St. James's and St. Bart's clergy teams have never before been together in one place. I am excited for the prayer, conversation, and fun we will all get to share over the course of the next week and for the ties between our two communities we are continuing to develop.
Sadly, this particular British invasion will only last until Sunday, May 4. But we rejoice in the fact that our link with St. James's will continue to enrich both communities, despite the ocean that lies in between.
