In 1905, a young British musician with Polish heritage was serving as Organist and Choirmaster at a centuries-old parish in London when an upstart congregation from New York poached him to become their Director of Music. Leopold Stokowski’s move from London to New York was likely the first documented connection between St. James’s, Piccadilly and St. Bart’s, Manhattan. Of course, Stokowski, who was only at St. James’s for three years, didn’t stay long at St. Bart’s either. In 1908, he departed our beloved parish for non-church endeavors, eventually becoming the conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra and one of the most famous conductors in the world.
When we began exploring a possible link with St. James’s in mid-2022, we were surprised to learn of the Stokowski connection, but perhaps we shouldn’t have been. There are many connections between St. James’s and St. Bart’s; we seem to be natural fits with one another. Like us, they occupy an architecturally significant building that is located at a prominent address in the center of a major city. Like us, they have historical ties to the established elite but also a fervent commitment to welcoming all. Like us, they take important stands on the issues of the day. Like us, they are intellectually inclined, appreciate the arts, and care deeply for those in need. When I visited St. James’s for several weeks last summer, I was struck again and again by how much we have in common.
Next week, the Associate Rector of St. James’s, the Reverend Dr. Ayla Lepine, will make her own journey across the pond, joining us for a week of learning and connection. Ayla and her colleagues were originally slated to visit us in September 2022, but the death of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II forced them to postpone their trip. (Instead, they joined us virtually for The Forum.)
At long last, Ayla will actually be with us in the flesh, and she’s agreed to do a lot while she’s here. In addition to meeting with staff and lay leaders in a variety of contexts, she will draw on her expertise as an art historian to offer a lecture on Betram Grosvernor Goodhue (the architect of our own building), to lead a theological tour of the Museum of Modern Art, and to speak at The Forum about the intersection of visual art and racial justice. She’ll also preach at the 9 am and 11 am services on Sunday, January 14th, and introduce St. James’s as a community to us during the coffee hour after the 11 am service on that day. I hope you’ll make plans to join us for as many of these events as possible. You may also be interested in reading about Ayla’s hopes for her visit on the website of St. James’s.
Since I returned from my sabbatical in early November, we have been visited on several different Sundays by members of St. James’s. Over the past two months, several of you have separately visited London and met the people of St. James’s yourself. When we first envisioned this link, I don’t think we realized just how frequently our two communities would cross-pollinate, but it already happens quite a bit. Livestreaming and videoconferencing make even deeper relationship a very real possibility as we look to the future ahead. I’m excited for you all to meet Ayla this coming week and I’m excited for what is on the horizon for both of our parishes.
