Trinité Spring 2010 by The American Cathedral in Paris

TrinitĂŠ Volume 4 NÂ° 2

the

magazi ne

th e

A meri c an

Spring 2010

C at h edral

i n

Pari s

Across the waters The Cathedral in America, the world in the Cathedral

Sacred spaces of memory All the things we sing

In this issue

Spring 2010

From stranger to beloved guest

Our American family

The ties of memory

Please send comments and requests for free subscriptions to:

Pictures of the sacred

Trinité The magazine of The American Cathedral in Paris 23, avenue George V 75008 Paris France

Beyond French and American

email publications@americancathedral.org

Anatomy of a cabaret

Now they can fly

Dean The Very Reverend Zachary Fleetwood Canon Pastor The Reverend Jonathan Huyck

by Zachary Fleetwood

by Alice Ritcheson

Deacon The Reverend Joanne Coyle Dauphin Canon for Music Edward Tipton Assistant Musician Zachary Ullery Trinité Editors Nancy Janin Charles Trueheart Assistant Editor Kate Le Baut Design/Layout Elizabeth Minn Advertising Katherine Millen Worré Cover Photo Micah Marty

web www.americancathedral.org

Volume 4

N°2

by Lillian Davies de Gournay

by Claire Downey

by Joseph Coyle

by Mark Carroll

by Anne Swardson 03

Trinity Society The Cathedral made a difference in your life. Make a difference in the life of the Cathedral. Plan your legacy and join the Trinity Society. For more information: development@americancathedral.org

or call Nancy Janin at +33 1 45 66 08 87

Trinity Weekend

A weekend of fun and fellowship: An irresistible opportunity to enjoy customized activities, presentations and tours of the Cathedral and environs, elegant meals in private clubs and homes, and a chance to get to know the Dean and Cathedral leaders. Since 2008, Trinity Weekend has brought together hundreds of Friends and parishioners in a spirit of celebration of the mission of the American Cathedral in Paris. Won’t you join us?

May 28-30, 2010

“

Visiting the Hôtel de Matignon

”

The weekend’s activities were spectacular to say the least and we enjoyed every minute of it. The best part was making new friends in a city that we love and a church that we felt at home in already.

We would be happy to include you, even on short notice.

June 17-19, 2011

Mark your calendars now!

Trinité magazine Spring 2010

Dean’s message Full future of God: From stranger to beloved guest

n Luke’s gospel Jesus is shown time and again at table with his friends. This presentation of Jesus as one who with almost shocking regularity eats and drinks with a rather indiscriminate collection of people is not unique to Luke’s gospel.

In Matthew’s account we read that Jesus was the Son of Man who came “eating and drinking.” Mark speaks of Jesus as the “eater and drinker” who was shocking beyond belief because he had the audacity to eat, drink and socialize with sinners. Make no mistake about it, Jesus was an eater and a drinker. He clearly adored and valued table fellowship with human beings of all walks of life. In fact, this was so important to him that he commanded his friends that when they remembered him most especially they should eat and drink together in memory of his life - a life offered for them in the love of God. We call this particular act of eating and drinking the sacrament of Holy Eucharist. I believe this apparently indiscriminate eating and drinking of Jesus Christ with a whole host of disreputable and unacceptable types provides a primary clue to the reality of the life God intends for us. It was precisely by means of this modeling of the centrality of table fellowship with strangers that Jesus taught us about life in the Reign of God, the full future of God. This idea, this dream of the full future of God, is not merely about the future. It is about authenticity breaking into our present; it is about living into the Kingdom of God at the present time. The life of Jesus was just that. He lived each moment of his life in the full future of God - and we are called to do that as well. The full future of God is one that assures that all will be free in the presence of God. The full future of God is one that assures that justice and love are as abundant as the food, drink, and hospitality granted to each of us as welcome guests at the banquet table of God. Jesus in his life showed beyond a doubt the utter abandon with which God invites each of us to that heavenly feast, accepting us, nurturing us, and transforming us from stranger into beloved guest.

The Very Reverend Zachary Fleetwood

Volume 4

N°2

hey came from far and from near, from New England, New Jersey, and New York, from Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and

North Carolina. Still others travelled through that frosty, still night from nearby Arlington, McLean,

The ties that bind How the Cathedral keeps its ties to its American roots and extended family by Alice Ritcheson 06

Bethesda, and Chevy Chase, and from many neighborhoods of the District of Columbia, while the host’s close neighbors and friends, Robin and Reuben Jeffery, had only to walk across the street. Nearly a hundred Friends of the American Cathedral and guests gathered in Washington on the evening of January 11 at the Kalorama residence of France’s Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Pierre Vimont, who graciously extended the invitation to help celebrate the 150th anniversary of our parish. Robin Jeffery arrived at the party early for she had kindly served as liaison between the Ambassador’s staff and the Dean and Cathedral office in Paris and would be keeping a discreet eye on the progress of the evening — tasks for which she was admirably prepared, as the Jefferys had recently hosted two Friends receptions in their own home a few steps away. Guests were greeted by Ambassador Vimont, Dean Zachary Fleetwood, and Ambassador Craig Stapleton (who served in Paris, and worshipped at the Cathedral, from 2005 to 2009) and then Trinité magazine Spring 2010

From left: Ambassador Stapleton addresses the gathering while Ambassador Vimont looks on / Susie and Alan Lukens with Patti and Ted Cumming / James Schwartz and The Rev. Timothy Boggs / Danielle Allata, Lauren Failla and The Very Rev. Zachary Fleetwood Photos A. Ritcheson

made their way to champagne, foie gras, and hors

writes articles for Trinité; and Alan and Susie

d’œuvres in the elegant dining room, where new

Lukens, hosts of these Washington receptions for

members were welcomed, and old friends found

so many years.

one another; memories were shared and news was exchanged. The speeches would come later.

The

celebration

the

Cathedral’s

sesquicentennial recalled the founding of the

The cast of guests reflected the diversity, energy,

Church of the Holy Trinity (as it then was) by the

mobility and commitment of the Cathedral

Episcopal Church’s 1859 General Convention — a

family. Attending, among many others, were Bill

reminder that the Friends organization is only one

and JoAnn Akers, hosts of a Nashville reception

of the ways by which the Cathedral is tied to the

in 1999; Frank and Trude Beaman, who, with the

country of its roots and ecclesiastical heritage.

help of several friends, organized a special reception in Atlanta to raise money for the lancet window restoration; Amy Bondurant, helper-at-large at Washington

The cast of guests reflected the diversity, energy, mobility and commitment of the Cathedral family.

events since her return from

The oldest and deepest way is, of course, the great sustaining tap root of the Episcopal Church, whose Book of Common Prayer shapes our worship and defines our theology. The American

Paris, where she was Ambassador to the OECD

Cathedral (officially the Pro-Cathedral of the Holy

and served on the vestry; Sally Arbuthnot, who

Trinity) is the mother church for the Convocation

managed Friends efforts state-side for years; Ted

of Episcopal Churches in Europe. The Convocation

and Patti Cumming, two of a growing number of

is under the direct jurisdiction of the Most Rev.

Friends who still spend part of the year in Paris

Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop, and

and so prefer to remain members of the Cathedral

under the Episcopal oversight of the Bishop-in-

parish as well; Revell Horsey, a member of the

Charge, the Rt. Rev. Pierre Whalon.

Cathedral’s Strategic Planning Committee while

Another, less well-known tie between Paris

a parishioner and more recently treasurer of the

and the U.S.A. is the Board of Foreign Parishes,

Cathedral Foundation; Karen Lamb, who held

created in 1883 by special act of the New York State

many leadership roles while at the Cathedral

Legislature, which still holds title to the Cathedral

and now helps with Washington events and also

property in Paris, and on which the Dean and a lay

Volume 4

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» 07

The ties that bind...

» continued from page 7 representative, currently

toward the goal of the current capital campaign

Nancy Janin, serve.

and more broadly on the state of Cathedral affairs.

recently

Finally, Ambassador Vimont recalled highlights

created American conn-

of our church’s historic presence in Paris and

ection is the American

closed with a warm tribute to the Cathedral as “a

Cathedral

visible sign of the profound friendship that exists

The

most

Foundation,

Photos © The American Cathedral in Paris

incorporated in 1984 to support the Cathedral’s

The idea of a support group of friends was born

ministry and to oversee

and began to take shape during the 25–year tenure

its endowment. Members

of Dean Sturgis Riddle, which began in 1949. At

of the Foundation’s board

that time, there were many good friends of the

of directors are elected by

Riddles among the expatriates in the congregation.

the parish vestry, and they

As these people began to move back to the United

in turn elect members of

States in their later years, the Riddles maintained

an investment committee

close ties with them, and the Dean continued to

that advises the board on

solicit their support of the Cathedral, often at the

the management of the

private dinner parties that these old friends gave

endowment and makes

for the Riddles and other alumni friends from

regular

years together in Paris.

reports

back Friends

With the arrival of Dean James Leo in 1980,

figure strongly on both

the circle of Frends was broadened and enlarged.

the Foundation’s board

Setting about to make the Friends an ongoing

and

investment

source of financial support for the Cathedral, Dean

committee; indeed, the

Leo, with the able assistance of Sophie Belouet,

current president of the

former Senior Warden, worked to systematize the

board, Nancy Treuhold,

addition of exiting parishioners to the Friends list,

is a Friend, as well as

established chapters in New York and Washington,

parishioner, as well as vice president and secretary

and recruited as leaders such parish alumni

of the Board of Foreign Parishes, and she is one of

as William Matteson in New York and Grant

the key organizers of Friends events.

Esterling in Washington to organize receptions

to the vestry.

From top: Princess Titi von Furstenberg / Betty and Sturgis Riddle

between our two countries.”

its

A hush fell as the guests made their way toward

and oversee the follow-up from the Cathedral.

the big square central hall of the residence, where,

Supporting these new efforts, Sturgis and Betty

from the steps of the long twisting staircase,

Riddle would hold the New York receptions in

Ambassador Stapleton spoke of his memories of

their apartment for 15 years, while Ambassador

the Cathedral, starting with the first time he and

Alan and Susie Lukens would host Washington

his wife attended a service there shortly after their

receptions at their house in Chevy Chase.

arrival and knew at once that it would be their

Under Dean Ernest Hunt (1992-2003), the

church home in Paris. The Dean followed with a

number of Friends continued to grow, as did their

report on the remarkable progress already made

annual giving to the Cathedral and to a capital Trinité magazine Spring 2010

campaign in the mid-1990s to support the costly

The interplay of such generosity, gratitude, and

state-mandated ravalement (the sanding and

hospitality inspires our parish life and ministry

pointing of exterior walls) of the church. Annual

and informs the mission and activities of the

receptions continued to be held in New York and

Friends, binding us together by ties of friendship,

Washington, but also occasionally in Nashville

loyalty, and commitment into the new creation

and Elsie Hunt’s native Dallas. All of these were

our extended Cathedral family has become.

possible thanks to the presence of generous and

In reflecting on the role of the Friends of the

willing Friends and their relatives and friends,

American Cathedral in Paris, Dean Fleetwood

who acted as hosts or co-hosts and organizers in

recently remarked: “The Cathedral serves as a

each of these cities – and to the dedication of lay

beacon of hope and hospitality in the City of Light.

leaders such as Kate Thweatt, volunteer director of

For 150 years, it has been a home away from home

the Friends in Paris during those years, and Sally

for generations of Americans in Paris, as well as for

Arbuthnot, working in the U.S.

people from around the world who are drawn by

Since Dean Fleetwood’s arrival in 2003, the

the Cathedral’s generous spirit, beautiful worship,

Cathedral’s extended family, like the Cathedral

and commitment to justice and reconciliation.

itself, continues to flourish. Friends enjoy a twice-

For decades, the Friends of the Cathedral have

yearly magazine, this one, as well as special events

supported the Cathedral’s mission and ministry,

like the Trinity Weekend in Paris. Membership

standing in solidarity with us, holding us up

has never been stronger and financial support is

in prayer and contributing significantly to the

increasing. Financial contributions from Friends

Cathedral’s financial health.” •

amount to more than 12 percent of annual giving to the Cathedral, and Friends have also given additional funds through memorial gifts and generous contributions to capital campaigns. In the last five years, nearly $1.5 million has also been received in the legacy gifts of Friends, who now make up a third of the membership of the Trinity Society (people who have included the Cathedral in their will or other estate plan). Each Sunday, after the Liturgy of the Word, the Dean welcomes the entire

congregation,

inviting all visitors, newcomers to Paris, and tourists alike to share in our parish life, worship, and ministry, whether as Friends or parishioners or visitors just passing through. In the same spirit of radical welcome and hospitality, he then invites all to take Communion at the Lord’s Table, and then after the service, to go to the Parish Hall for coffee and conversation. Volume 4

N°2

Alice Ritcheson is both a Friend and a parishioner.

The Board of The American Cathedral in Paris Foundation Nancy Treuhold, President; Revell Horsey, Vice President and Treasurer; Douglas Worth, Secretary; The Hon. Amy Bondurant; Edward Cumming; Robin Jeffrey; John Kimberly; David McGovern The Board of Foreign Parishes Frederick Reinhardt, III, President; Nancy Treuhold, Vice President and Secretary; Robert Edgar, Treasurer; Stanhope Browne; Marion Dawson Carr; The Very Rev. Zachary Fleetwood; George Fowlkes; Nancy Janin; Peter Trent; The Rev. Carola von Wrangel; The Rt. Rev. Pierre Welté Whalon; Cecil Wray

A memorial to the dead, a witness to friendship The story of the American Cathedral cloister by Lillian Davies de Gournay

ords, symbols and stone shape the

American

Battle a

Cathedral’s

Memorial

monument

Cloister,

erected

commemoration of lives lost on European soil in World Wars I and II. Aesthetically simple, the Cloister is devoid of sculptural ornamentation and figurative images. For these great tragedies that the United States and France struggled through together, text functions in the most direct terms, maintaining vigil without shouting victory or defeat. The stone and block script of the Cloister hold fast, allowing anyone willing to take a closer look a window into the suffering of the 20th Century’s Trinité magazine Spring 2010

two great wars, the solidarity of the French and American people, and the spirit of the American Cathedral community that demands that these events, and these bonds, are remembered. I was able to learn more about the Cloister through the extensive research compiled by Lucy Morin, a parishioner and board member of the Rochambeau Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution France. She discovered most of her material in the Cathedral archives, with the help of the Cathedral’s archives committee. As I read the transcript of a presentation Morin made over the 2009 Trinity Weekend, I was most Photo © The American Cathedral in Paris

struck by the long-standing sense of commitment that France and the United States (since their earliest revolutionary days) have expressed for each other. It is a bond built by individuals over time. Although constantly tested by international policy disagreements, those ties continue to be reflected in the mission of the American Cathedral in Paris. The solidarity began when France became

Many stop to read the cloister’s World War I memorial plaque

one of the first countries to recognize American independence in 1778, sending troops and

It was in memory of General Lafayette that a

warships (under Louis XVI) to aid the American

group of American pilots formed the Lafayette

insurgents. The Marquis de Lafayette (born

Escadrille in 1916, before the United States

in Auvergne in 1757) served under George

officially entered World War I. The original

Washington, and encouraged France to escalate

squadron, made up of 38 young men (nine of

its commitment to the revolutionary cause.

whom were alumni of Harvard University),

Although I don’t remember ever seeing their

convinced the French Army to allow American

names in my American elementary school history

volunteers to engage in battle for France,

books, French General Rochambeau and his

simultaneously raising awareness among the

compatriot Admiral de Grasse (as well as more

American people of the urgent need for the

than 5,000 French soldiers) were beside General

country’s official entry into the war. Engaging in

Washington when he achieved a decisive victory

daily missions, the original squadron lost all but

against the British at Yorktown in 1781. Once

one of its pilots, Captain Georges Thénault.

the Treaties of Paris and Versailles were signed,

The Lafayette Escadrille is one of many

France recognized the United States of America

military units commemorated in the World War I

as an independent nation.

plaques, dedicated by Dean Frederick Beekman

Volume 4

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» 11

A memorial...a witness » continued from page 11 on Memorial Day, 1923. A former

ceremonies, as well as the ones that followed in

military chaplain, Dean Beekman

1994. Following Foch and Herrick’s addresses,

began his tenure at the American

church organist Lawrence K. Whipp led musicians

Cathedral in 1918, and was soon

in the recital of an anthem he composed for the

involved with the vestry in efforts

ceremony, “Grieve Not for Thou Who Sleep.”

to erect a war memorial. Although historically

had

the World War II addition to the War Memorial

restricted commemorative plaques, a

Cloister was dedicated at the time of the 50th

letter from the father of Ronald Wood

anniversary of D-Day. To fund the marble plaques

Hoskier, one of pilots who flew for the

Lafayette Escadrille, inspired Dean

support from the National Society of Daughters of

Beekman and the vestry to work for

the American Revolution. Addressing the NSDAR,

a memorial that would honor all who

he wrote: “It is important for us, as a major

had given their lives in World War I.

American presence in Paris, to add a permanent

French

Cathedral

President

Raymond

memorial to World War II in order to reinforce

Poincaré was present for the ded-

our historic commitment to serve the ‘common

ication ceremony alongside military

good’ in this country, as well as continue the cause

veterans, government officials, and

of Franco-American solidarity in the future.”

representatives of the allied nations.

The NSDAR agreed with Dean Hunt’s call to

Bishop C. H. Brent, Chief Chaplain

action, and generously provided full funding for

of the First American Expeditionary

the project.

Force, unveiled the memorial. In his

Individual members of the American Cathedral

tribute, Maréchal Ferdinand Foch

congregation contributed towards the unveiling

recognized

Franco-American

ceremony and reception held June 21, 1994. In her

solidarity that had been maintained

address to the veterans and government officials

since the American Revolution: “To

gathered for the event, NSDAR President General

the dead whom we honor on this day

Wayne G. Blair (Mrs. Donald Shattuck Blair)

and who fell on French soil, so far

recalled the commemoration of World War I,

from their homes. They were the logical successors

and the belief (which perhaps somehow added

of Washington and Lafayette.” U.S. Ambassador

to the delay in the addition of the World War II

Myron Herrick read President Warren Harding’s

memorial) that it would be the last war. “Dedicated

thoughts on the Cloister: “That it may become

in 1923 … America’s Memorial Battle Cloister was

such a shrine, and that as such it may inspire

intended to commemorate not just another war,

constantly close intimacy and firmer friendship

but indeed the last war — the ‘war to end all wars.’

among our own nation and the peoples of Europe

The solemn beauty and emotional power of this

is my earnest wish and hope.”

cloister bears witness to the conviction, desire and

The World War I memorial has some surprising sculptural details

the

A project initiated by Dean Ernest E. Hunt,

the

Although the Cloister is a place of silence, music

ardent expectation of those present at this spot

was an important aspect of the 1923 dedication

back in 1923 that only peace could follow now that Trinité magazine Spring 2010

war itself was believed to have been vanquished … Fifty years after another great effort was launched in Normandy in June of 1944 to silence the guns of war, we have to reflect and to remember so that we may learn and progress toward tomorrow.” During the ceremony, the Cathedral Choir sang “Grieve Not for Thou Who Sleep,” the same piece sung by the choir at the 1923 Memorial Day dedication. Writing at the time about the World War II memorial in Cathedral communications, Dean Hunt spoke of an expanded significance of these memorials, and their role in maintaining solidarity between two nations, two cultures. “America’s Photo © The American Cathedral in Paris

World War II Cloister in this Episcopal Church is a way of not keeping silent. While it is dedicated to all members of the Armed Forces, it is also a tribute to all civilians, members of the Resistance, concentration camp victims, and all innocents, who died or disappeared. As Europe faces ageold tensions which threaten greater unity, the memorial will remind us and our many visitors

One of the World War II marble memorial plaques designed by artist Rudy Bass

that the lessons of the past must be learned anew in each generation.” This January, I exchanged emails with Dean

of remembrance still moves me.” Parishioner

and

career

military

officer

Hunt, now retired in Dallas. I asked him about his

Alex Brassert echoed Dean Hunt’s sentiments.

personal motivations in pushing for the addition

“War, though regrettable, has been, at least up to

of the World War II memorial, and the lingering

now, a sort of climax of national effort. France is our

significance of the monument. He wrote that “our

oldest ally. Without the Revolution, World Wars

special relationship with France (yes, we have

I and II, what would have been our relationship

another one along with Great Britain), demanded

with France? Would our Cathedral have existed?

that we honor World War II. After all, France

France has been and will continue to be an

suffered as a victim in both wars, which became

important ally. I think the War Memorial Cloister

all too clear on 9/11 when the French poured

remind us of this.” •

out their sympathy to us at the Cathedral when we became a victim as they had been. I can still see the overflowing bouquets of flowers and the many votive candles that lined our front steps. Recalling their sincere words written in our book Volume 4

N°2

Lillian Davies de Gournay, a parishioner since 2008, is a freelance writer and curator of contemporary art. She contributes frequently to Trinité.

Pictures of the sacred by Claire Downey

Micah Marty, who first visited

When True Simplicity Is Gained:

the Cathedral in the spring of

Finding Spiritual Clarity in

glory

2009 when his father, Martin

a Complex World, which is a

of God. In the 12th century,

Marty, spoke and lectured here;

collection of his images from the

heavy Romanesque architecture

Micah returned that autumn

Pleasant Hill Shaker community

began to be supplanted across

to focus his camera on the

in Kentucky, and Our Hope

northern

light-

cathedral. His images document

for Years to Come: The Search

infused spaces that soared and

not only the things and people

for Spiritual Sanctuary, which

shimmered.

builders

that make up a community,

brings together his photographs

engineered systems of columns,

but also elements of its soul.

of North American Gothic

arches

stone

The beauty of the stone and the

churches, from wooden prairie

ribs to support increasingly

sculptures and vaulted ceilings

churches to cathedrals. Micah’s

higher edifices—as if to bring

that frame our spiritual life

work is also featured in the book

worshippers closer to heaven.

are elements that welcome us

Wooden Churches and in the

week after week but are, in their

hymnal Worship and Rejoice.

othic

architecture

was

conceived

evoke

the

Europe

Master

and

graceful

The American Cathedral in Paris was built in this style as

familiarity, not often seen.

“We were thrilled to have

part of a 19th-century Gothic

Micah has described himself

a photographer of his caliber

revival in church design, a

as “a photographer of the sacred,”

and spiritual focus,” said Canon

fitting tribute in the city that

a definition that far from limits

Pastor

was the cradle of this majestic

him to photographing religious

reflecting on the contribution

new form of architecture. And

edifices and icons. “The quest

of Micah’s images in helping us

like Notre Dame Cathedral,

for the spiritual and the living

see our church in a new light.

which was built more than 700

out of faith goes out the door

Through these photographs we

years earlier, the American

with us into daily life—into our

are reminded of how lucky we

Cathedral’s stone skeleton is

work and our play, into our lives

are to worship in such a historic

also left exposed—honest and

alone and our relationships with

and uplifting space. •

dignified in its simplicity.

others,” he has written.

The images on these pages

Micah’s work has appeared

are the work of photographer

in several books, including

Volume 4

N°2

Jonathan

Huyck

Claire Downey, a parishioner since 1991, is director of This City Communication in Paris.

}

Where

we come from,

why

we come The Cathedral’s diversity reaches far beyond French and American.

by Joseph Coyle

n the beginning, parishioners stepped straight out of the New York Social Register and from the novels of Henry James and Edith Wharton. Both authors, of course, worshipped here. So elevated

was the scene that for decades, beginning in 1891, the Cathedral ran St. Luke’s Chapel in Montparnasse so that poor American students would not have to endure the tension of kneeling next to a Vanderbilt. Or vice-versa. At the time, the presence of a Briton was considered diversity. Cameron Allen, author of The History of the American Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, offers this excerpt: “The Princess Christian of Great Britain and Ireland (sister of

King Edward VIII) was present with her suite at the morning service on two Sundays, October 7 and 14, and sat in the Rector’s pew.” He comments further: “This implies that it was considered very 16

Trinité magazine Spring 2010

‘posh’ among upscale Britons of that period to

next to you in recent months could have hailed

attend the American Church (it was not raised to

from Argentina, Canada, Italy, Haiti, Nigeria,

Cathedral status until 1923). Many of the British

Sri Lanka, Romania, Germany, Australia, New

really rather liked some of the changes in language

Zealand, India, Japan, Poland, Russia, Chile,

that the American prayer book employed, and,

Zimbabwe, Liberia, Central African Republic,

of course, they were guaranteed in that period of

Madagascar, Benin, Mexico, Jamaica, Hungary,

sighting some impressive American ‘fortunes’ in

Cameroon or Lebanon.

the typical Sunday congregation.”

Why do they come? Most of those interviewed

Even as late as the 1950s, the select of the elect

mentioned the exquisiteness of the music and

ascended, not yet to heaven, but to the Library to

how it helps them pray better and feel more

sip sherry while the rest wielded their coffees in

deeply that they are in the house of God. Edwige

the parish hall.

Grabowski, who grew up in Hungary, was passing

In the decades that followed, the congregation

the Cathedral one Sunday afternoon several years

developed a stronger and stronger French

ago and was drawn in by the sounds of Evensong.

accent. A 2003 parish survey that garnered

She returned for the Sunday morning service and

responses from 147 households yielded the

was so delighted by the reception she received

astonishing statistic that nearly half had at least

that she stayed on as a pledging member.

one French member, and four in five had more

Most who grew up Episcopalian, Anglican or

than one nationality. Like the French government

Roman Catholic talk first about the liturgy, not just

itself, the Cathedral does not keep updated

its beauty but its powerful sense of continuity. “It

records of its worshippers’ nationalities. In

fits with what I grew up with,” says Rajiv Iswariah,

addition, not all Sunday churchgoers are

who was raised Anglican-Methodist in South

registered in Cathedral records.

India and often ushers at the 11 a.m. service. Peter

Even so, recent mining of the current Cathedral

Sosnkowski, Canadian of Polish background and

directory, plus coffee-hour interviews over several

a member since 1966, finds the Cathedral liturgy

Sundays, turned up a striking multiplicity of

“closer to the Catholic mass of my childhood than

national origins in our midst. Our rough count:

today’s Catholic mass.”

approximately 60 households that are neither

Some go first to what Briton and Acolyte

American nor French. That is just short of one-

Coordinator Philip Cacouris terms “the high level

fifth of the total number of pledging households.

of the preaching.” Others mention the Cathedral

Because we could not track down every pledging

building itself. Dozens of Japanese couples are

member, the count is incomplete and, again,

drawn by the beauty of the nave each year to

does not include non-pledging congregants.

partake in a short “Japanese Thanksgiving” service

The largest national contingent, after the United

performed by Cathedral lay members. When the

States and France, was the United Kingdom, with

couples step from their hired limousine dressed

10. The African households came to 20. In all, 26

in white wedding gowns and formal suits, their

non-U.S., non-France countries are represented,

faces alone reflect the impression the building

up from 11 in the 2003 survey. The person sitting

makes on them.

Volume 4

N°2

» 17

Where we come from...

{

» continued from page 17

The one general point that nearly everyone

Ranjan Mathai, India’s ambassador to France,

mentions, usually first, and usually with feeling,

has been coming to the Cathedral for three years

has to do with community. A few sound bites:

with his family. They are Syrian Christians who

▶ “C’est la culture, la communauté” (Dr. Frederic Mamo, Central African Republic) ▶ “All I have to do is arrive and see people I know. It’s not a community I choose, so it’s full of people you otherwise wouldn’t meet, like a neighborhood. So it’s equally attractive to the migrant soul and to the rooted soul” (Gretel Furner, U.K.) ▶ “I’m not here for this,” looking to the cup in his hand at coffee hour, “but for this.” gesturing toward the packed parish hall (Rene Tchiakpe, Benin) ▶ “They’re always feeding you here—intellectually, spiritually, practically. I’ve been coming here for eight years and now the Cathedral is my spiritual home” (Marilu Pelletier, Chile) ▶ “I like the community best. I want that oasis” (Neil Janin, Canada)

the Cathedral reminds him of other Anglican cathedrals and churches in Delhi, Brussels, Jerusalem and other of his diplomatic postings, he says, “we are particularly struck by the individual greetings at the end of the service. That never happened in those other places.” The experience related by a group of friends from Madagascar is similar. “The Cathedral service is about 80 percent the same at our Anglican cathedral in Antananarivo,” says Radama Rasoloarivony approvingly. His friends Lea Randria, Chrystopher Rasounaivo and Carole Andriantsitohaina attend the regular first-Sunday-of-each-month

Malagasy

service

at St. George’s Anglican Church in the 16th arrondissement and come to the Cathedral the other Sundays of each month. Emily York, a Liberian Anglican who is serving her second three-year term as a member of the Cathedral vestry, expressed her experience in a way that seems implicit in the testimonies of

Probe deeper into that sense of community

many other non-U.S. parishioners: “It feels closer

and the element that pushes through at almost

to America.” There is that sense of warming

every turn is warmth. “L’accueil est formidable,”

yourself against something that is both distant

says Louis Fortuna, who grew up Episcopalian

and familiar, something related to the expectation

in Haiti and has been a member of the cathedral

that an encounter with an American place is sure

with his family for six years. “The Dean speaks

to be warm. This sometimes leads to the theme

to you when he welcomes you, and that is very

of tolerance, and the notion that it is a specialty

reassuring,” says Jill Andrei, from the Netherlands.

of both America and the Episcopal Church. “The

“And Canon Huyck: did you know he has Dutch

Cathedral is a place where you can leave your

ancestry?” Katrina Neal-Hamel, who was raised

foreignness behind,” says Neil Janin. “It walks the

in India admits: “I came first for the language,

road of tolerance.”

the American language. I already knew English. I stayed thanks to the warmth of the reception.” 18

share communion with Anglicanism. While

A sizable minority followed their spouses here. Anne Marie Reijnen, a theologian of Dutch Trinité magazine Spring 2010

Protestant origin, says that her “natural choice was

- good at assimilating people quickly and good at

one of the Franco-French Protestant churches. But

saying goodbye too, given that there is a core who

my husband (Charles Dilley, an American) never

stay and a large fringe who move on. Leadership is

was entirely himself, spiritually, in the French

smaller and turnover is faster.”

style of worship and our son saw very few children

In actual practice, this works out to serving

of his age on Sundays.” She also feels attached

congregations as far flung as Pescara and as

to “a community that is brave in its fight against

unique as the African mission in Rennes, serving

homophobia.”

Rwandans who were resettled there by the French

Like any institution that opens its doors to all

government. What with only 25 percent of the

comers, the Cathedral has a far more varied life

Convocation’s

than even some of its American members realize.

(the figure is probably somewhat higher for the

The largest Filipino organization in France holds

Cathedral), “we’ve learned to get along with

its meetings at the Cathedral. And the occasional

people who are different. And by treading lightly

Malagasy service held here packs the house.

on secondary issues, we have attained an ethos and

Some parishioners worry about a diminishment of the very thing non-Americans seek. “The Cathedral will lose its soul if it becomes too diverse,” says one Canadian. “Non-Americans come here because it’s a chance

“The Cathedral is a place where you can leave your foreignness behind... It walks the road of tolerance.”

members

being

Episcopalian

flavor of openness,” says Whalon. The Bishop sees the upgrading of

the

Cathedral’s

facilities

through the Together in Faith capital campaign as a direct route to expanding its congregation. “The bottleneck of this church

to speak English and make American friends.

is its facilities. The upgrading of these will allow

Everything else I do in this country is French.”

parishioners to do even more ministry, which in

Dean Fleetwood has set no numeric goals, but he points to diversity as a necessary visible sign of

turn will bring in more people by serving Paris more effectively.”

openness. “We see this congregation as more and

When they come, they will likely be just as

more self-identified with warmth and welcome,” he

amazed at what they see as John Fleming, a member

says. For this reason the signals have to be noticed.

who spends only a few months a year in Paris

“Those who serve in visible leadership, including

and so may have a keener eye for a crowd than

communion ministers, acolytes, lectors, ushers

most regulars. In a recent entry on his blogsite,

and the vestry itself are an intentional reflection of

Gladly Lerne, Gladly Teche, Fleming writes of the

the wonderful diversity of the Cathedral parish.”

Cathedral: “There must be some nation of the

From where Bishop-in-Charge Pierre Whalon sits, the diversity issue is also a strategy without

earth that goes unrepresented, but I’d be hard pressed to tell you which that is.” •

a targeted mission. “It’s who walks in the door,” he says, referring to the 4,000 total head count for the Convocation of American Churches in Europe (Episcopal). “We have to be hospitable to survive Volume 4

N°2

Joseph Coyle a retired Time, Inc. editor, has been active at the Cathedral for over 10 years.

A musical evening with by Mark Carroll

Gilbert & Sullivan. Porter. Mercer. Puccini. For 25 years, the Parish Hall has been a welcoming cabaret.

In the beginning

he first of the “extra-curricular” musical programs were organized by Paul Sherrell. He’d sung in Lille and at Covent Garden,

playing small roles, singing bass in the chorus. In 1984 he and his wife came to Paris, where he began singing with the Paris Opera chorus. Cathedral

Phil Mc Alpine, Jackie and Jerry Pruitt perform in the late 1980s

choir member Edward Marshall soon persuaded Paul to join the choir, too.

Murder in the Cathedral.

Some of these –

In the spring of 1985, Paul gathered a number

including the Eliot play – were presented in the

of choir members and colleagues from the Paris

Cathedral nave itself. But most of them used the

Opera, to present “An Evening with Gilbert and

more intimate setting of the Parish Hall.

Sullivan.” Paul wrote the concert biography, and

From the beginning, these soirées musicales

he and others sang representative songs from the

involved choir members and other parishioners,

various operettas.

supplemented in greater or lesser part by friends

It was an auspicious beginning, and Paul

from outside the parish. But in June 1989 came

went on to organize another half-dozen or so

the first of the “choir cabarets,” produced and

musical evenings – a fully staged and costumed

performed almost exclusively by choir members.

performance of Puccini’s Il Tabarro, an evening

The cabarets continued for almost eight years, in a

of Roméo et Juliette based on extracts from

number of different incarnations.

Shakespeare and from opera, a production of The

The first was an Italian operetta night. After

Mikado, a variety show called “Old Radio Live”

a full sit-down dinner, choir members including

(“sponsored” by Dr. Prowler’s Cat Food) – and

Elizabeth

a costumed dramatic reading of T.S. Eliot’s

Rousseaux offered a variety of arias ranging

Procuronoff

and

Andrea

Rose

Trinité magazine Spring 2010

the Cathedral’s own talent!

Lisa Rothstein and John Thompson clowning around as they clear tables in the late 1990s / Caroline Janin and Amélie Rose Rousseaux in “The Babbit and the Bromide.” 1997

from Verdi to Puccini.

small groups. In the first cabaret I did, Jim made

The cabarets continued over the next few years,

a beautiful arrangement of Leigh Harline and Ned

sometimes themed (love songs for a Valentine’s

Washington’s “When You Wish Upon a Star,”

Day cabaret, for example, or songs about April or

from the Disney movie Pinocchio, for full choir. It

foolishness for one on April 1st), sometimes not.

was in that same cabaret that he had Sue Sturman,

Often the singers would choose their own songs,

Lisa Rothstein and Jennifer Gosmand sing “Big

at times with hilarious results. For her first cabaret

Spender” from Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields’

performance, Lisa Rothstein sang Tom Lehrer’s

hit Broadway show Sweet Charity. “We started out

“The Masochism Tango.” It was a bold choice,

in our choir robes, all demure, carrying offering

and as with everything she does, Lisa put a lot of

baskets, to a church-like vamp from Jim Morgan at

effort into her staging. At one point during the

the piano,” remembers Sue, “and then turned our

song, she remembers, “I sat on Dean Hunt’s lap. I

backs to the audience and stripped off our robes,

don’t think he ever got over it.”

swung them around like strippers and tossed them

Jim Morgan organized a number of the early

aside, to reveal our cocktail dresses with plenty of

cabarets, suggesting music, accompanying when

décolletage. We then hammed it up as much as

necessary, and sometimes arranging songs for

we possibly could for the rest of the number.”

Volume 4

N°2

» 21

A musical evening... » continued from page 21 evening of music, plus staff the kitchen and get enough volunteers to do the set-up, serve the meal, and clean up afterwards. Those who participated had a great time, but as with many organizations, Photo © The American Cathedral in Paris

a core group of people shouldered most of the burden. Unfortunately a number of them moved away within a very short period of time, and for a few years, there were no choir “cabarets.” There was still demand, however. Time and again people approached me or other choir members, asking when the next cabaret would be. Finally, in 2004, we decided to launch a new

Sue Sturman, 1995, chef and performer

series of composer-tribute concerts. At the time,

Feeding the hungry

Les Arts George V (LAGV) was undertaking the restoration of the “Cole Porter piano” (his

t that time, food was an integral part

ownership of it has never been firmly established,

of the choir cabarets, and many of the

but the name is tenacious).

programs were arranged around a full

interest, we decided to make the first concert an

sit-down dinner. After an apéritif in the crypt, the

Building on that

hommage to Cole Porter.

audience would find their seats at the tables in the

Anatomy of a cabaret

Parish Hall. Sometimes the meal would come first, with the show a sort of after-dinner entertainment. A number of times, we started with a first “act,” then served the meal, and presented the second “act” during dessert. Katie Glover Lasseron and Sue Sturman were

tribute concerts? Believe it or not, other than the first one honoring Cole Porter,

each of the others started because of a song that

often to be found in the kitchen, supervising a

got stuck in my head. With Harold Arlen, it was

crew of volunteers in preparing a two- or three-

“Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.” With

course meal, with other volunteers responsible for

Johnny Mercer, “It’s Great to Be Alive.” Jule Styne

serving the food and cleaning up afterwards. It

was “10, 432 Sheep.” And with Jerome Kern, it

was a lot of work, because many times the people

was the magnificent original 1939 arrangement of

setting up, cooking, serving and cleaning also

“All the Things You Are.” In each case, the song

performed during the evening. But as Katie puts

brought me back to the wealth of material each

it, “The cabaret was always a success, lots of fun,

composer or lyricist produced. And there comes

and worth every bit of time and work that went

the biggest challenge in preparing the concerts.

into it.” The cabarets of the time required much effort. It was always a challenge to put together an entire 22

o how do we put together these composer

Putting together the program is an exercise in frustration.

There are so many wonderful

songs to choose from, and only an hour and a Trinité magazine Spring 2010

half of musical program to

job, and are the foundation for

fill.

The list of possibilities

the success of the concerts. Not

can run anywhere from 100

only do they have to learn far

to 200 songs, representing all

more music than the rest of us;

facets of the composer’s career.

they also have to match their

Whittling that down to the 20

playing to each of the singers,

or so songs in the program

working with them on style

involves weighing a number of

and interpretation, modifying

factors including how well the

passages, adding intros and tags

song illustrates a certain point in

– ensuring that they and the

the composer’s career; whether

singer perform as one.

the audience will get a thrill of

One of the things that excites

recognition from it (we try to

me the most about being able

include a smattering of numbers

to present these concerts is the

people will be familiar with); the

chance to share with people the

mix of up-tempo, ballad, solo,

wonders of the Great American

and ensemble pieces; and the

Songbook – the songs, the shows

voices that might be available to

many of them came from, and

perform in the concert.

the

and

other

and

they’re drawn.

people who participate in the schedules, children’s vacations

cultural

historical context from which

Although we have a core of concerts, work schedules, travel

broader

From top: Aviva Timonier and Mark Carroll, perform “A Fine Romance”, 2009 / Donna Fleetwood and Zachary Ullery at the piano, 2009

It takes a lot of research to prepare the short biography we

considerations

include

the

printed

sometimes makes choosing a cast difficult. We

program and the blurbs that introduce the songs.

have to balance the singers’ and accompanists’

Biographies exist for all the major composers

availability with the availability of the Parish

and lyricists of American popular song, but the

Hall and the ability of LAGV to provide logistical

internet is a priceless resource. A little digging

support. Sometimes that has a direct effect on the

usually turns up contemporary reviews of

musical program, resulting in a song change or a

Broadway

change in the line-up. Luckily, whether from the

appreciation” articles, scholarly analyses, fan

excellent talent pool in the Cathedral or through

appreciation pages and more.

friends, I’ve always been able to assemble a strong team of performers.

productions

movies,

“arts

I’m also fortunate enough to have a lot of friends – and friends of friends – who have met

Donna Fleetwood, Justin Nash and Zach

or even worked with many artists from the 1940s

Ullery have, in various combinations, provided

on. They are invaluable for their insights,

most of the accompaniment for all five of the

anecdotes and suggestions on where to find

composer-tribute concerts. They have the hardest

music or information about the subject. It

Volume 4

N°2

» 23

A musical evening... » continued from page 23

Don Johnson singing “You’re My Girl”, 2008

was through their help, for example, that I was able to realize my long time dream of presenting the original arrangement of “All the Things You Are” from the unsuccessful 1939 show Very Warm for May. The familiar song is hauntingly beautiful; that arrangement is overwhelmingly so. It would be hard to overstate the role LAGV plays in presenting the current series of concerts. As the “executive producers,” they’re in charge of all logistics, from publicity to booking the hall, to selling tickets, to setting up the hall and cleaning up afterwards. After all the work we put into the musical program, Don Johnson and his team “package” it up for a smooth presentation on performance night. It’s been 25 years since that first concert Paul Sherrell produced, but through all the changes in personnel, formats and music, one thing has remained constant: the support of the Cathedral community. The response from the audience is always overwhelming, and makes the effort worthwhile. Remembering her years participating, Lisa Rothstein said, “It was nice to wait on people from the congregation and have a chance at a more intimate and casual interaction with them than we did on Sunday mornings. I think it made everyone feel more connected.” •

Mark Carroll has been a member of the Cathedral choir since 1995.

Trinité magazine Spring 2010

Now they can fly From street children to circus performers

by Anne Swardson

Parishioners welcome Caméléon girls at Sunday coffee hour

Volume 4

N°2

nce they were abused,

help the many street children she

homeless and friendless.

saw. Because Filipina mothers

Now they can fly.

often have to leave the country to

Four girls from the Philippines

work abroad, their children are

have spent the year in Paris

sometimes left in the care of friends

doing advanced training in circus

and family - if care, in some cases,

skills courtesy of Caméléon, a

is the right word to describe it.

French nonprofit association that

“You see the scars on their legs,

sheltered and raised them, along

you see the marks of cigarettes,”

with hundreds of other abused

Laurence recently told a meeting

children.

of people who had sponsored

The organization was founded

Caméléon children. “Some were

by Laurence Ligier after a visit to

treated like slaves or dogs, beaten,

the Philippines 16 years ago, at

raped. They have to relearn

the age of 19, galvanized her to

everything.”

» 25

Now they can fly... » continued from page 25

Since its two home centers were founded, in 1998 and 2006, has

helped

1,400

Caméléon

children and families. More than 120 girls have been sheltered, fed and educated in local public schools. Some 155 have been reintegrated into their families or society, and 23 have finished their studies and found work.

Demonstration of circus arts in Cathedral parish hall

It’s a long way from the life they knew among the estimated 1.5 million street children in the

Parish Hall, to the delight of the Sunday School children. They have

Joylen. But the girls have also seen

entertained larger audiences too,

movies, museums and sights, from

performing at the Pinder Circus

But it’s a start, and Caméléon

the Eiffel Tower to Disneyland,

and the GDF Suez Tennis Open,

has changed the lives of Joylen, 17,

often with their Paris sponsors.

as well as for Air France, Dassault

Rowena and Angelica, both 18 and

Among those are Sigun and Joe

Systèmes and UNESCO. And they

Eufemia, 19. Each has been with

Coyle, who bring Rowena to

were featured on France 3’s news

Caméléon for more than five years,

church as often as she can get

program in January and France 2’s

and each has chosen to spend nine

there. Sigun, a member of the

Envoyé Speciale in March. They

months away from their home and

Mission & Outreach Committee,

will appear on TF1 in April.

country for the chance to enter the

learned about Caméléon through

In April they will return to the

circus.

Cathedral sexton Dennis Mana-ay

Philippines and work with 240

and brought the organization to

girls there who are eager to learn

the Cathedral’s attention.

circus skills, and over the summer

Philippines, and the 5 million engaged in child labor.

They began with four months with the Zanzibar Circus in Peru, and arrived in Paris in September

“This project is the most

they’ll put on shows and train

to train with the Académie

successful example of M&O’s aim

school children. They hope to be

Fratellini,

world-renowned

of partnering with the people we

back in France in September.

circus school in Saint-Denis, north

help. Now that we know these

“The act of using their bodies

of Paris. The American Cathedral

girls well, we will be able to follow

in sport, in dance, restores them,”

is paying some of their expenses

their careers and get closer to

Laurence said. “It’s therapy.” •

as the girls learn trapeze, juggling,

Caméléon’s heart than by doing

unicycle, vaulting and aerial fabric

everything

acrobatics.

says.

What’s it like? 26

“We work hard,” laughed

long-distance,”

she

The girls have performed in the

Anne Swardson is chair of the Cathedral’s Mission & Outreach Committee and an editorat-large with Bloomberg News.

Trinité magazine Spring 2010