Last Sunday I went to St. Thomas in New York City. Unfortunately I didn't get to bike there; it would have been a heck of a ride. But on the other hand, maybe it was better that way, it didn't look like a particularly bike friendly parish. St. Thomas is on 5th Avenue in Mid-town Manhattan. The crowd was very much old school Episcopalian, jackets, ties, ladies with hats, '28 prayer books and all. But the tuxedoed ushers were quite welcoming and the people around us seemed friendly enough. Their crown jewel is their music program. They have an amazing men and boy's choir backed by a fantastic organ. They performed a complete mass from a variety of early composers. It was the best music I have heard in an Episcopal church, or any church for that matter. Impressive.
The Sunday before last (on 5/22) I went to Holy Cross Church in Weare. John McCausland, their Vicar, is retiring in a few weeks, and I wanted to see him while he was still at the helm. It was great to be back at Holy Cross; I used to go there occasionally when they were getting grants from the Diocesan Mission Resources Committee, which I serve on. Under John's 14 years of leadership, Holy Cross has undergone a major transformation. They grew the congregation, built a new building, and took on a host of new ministries and innovative programs. I think they are one of the big success stories of the Diocese of New Hampshire. They fed me a great breakfast when I arrived, something they do every Sunday for anyone that shows up early. It was nice to worship with them and catch up with some friends there. John welcomed my bike into the sanctuary and shared with the congregation what I was up to. The ride was good; I had mostly climbing getting there, then some nice downhill on the way home. 40 miles is still in the "no brainer" distance range. Next week I'll be going 100, which will be a different story.
The stats:
distance 41 miles
Average speed: mid 15's?
Average heart rate: not recorded
The next rides:
6/5: St. Andrew's, New London, approx 100 miles
6/12: The Church of Our Saviour, Milford (with a stop at the St. Matt's parish picnic on the way home), approx 40 miles
Ann McCausland and I enjoying coffee hour at Holy Cross
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