SAM CUCCI

This Sunday we will begin live-streaming our 10 am service. During the past year, we have recorded our Sunday worship with a four-person worship team featuring Fr. Ben, Tim Brumfield, our soloist Sam Cucci and me. Sam has sung all our music, read many of our assigned scripture lessons, offered many prayers, rung our sanctus bell (while singing), and served as an unpaid AV technician. Sam has truly made a difference. His faithful, willing spirit has contributed mightily to the development and broadcast of our Sunday worship. He has been a steady and reverent presence. His gifted singing has touched our hearts and inspired our spirits. I am deeply grateful for his service and look forward to his continuing ministry in our choir as we move forward into the next stage of our broadcast ministry. Thank you and well done good and faithful servant!

-Fr. Andrew Sherman+

Rector

When I think of the Pandemic-Year-In-Church-In-Review, I'm honored to be in Sam Cucci's company. Week in and week out, he tirelessly lifted our hearts with his voice to places we yearned for during a time when voices were sidelined. As a singing people, Sam and Tim carefully carried on with their individual gifts for the sake of the whole - for those who've now joined us in person and those who've only been able to tune in virtually - by lifting their talents in Psalms and hymnody to the glory of God sanctifying an entire year in the liturgical round. From Easter to Easter, music marked every threshold we endured during a global crisis and this gift has made all the difference. Thank you, Sam!

-Fr. Benjamin Thomas

Associate Rector

Last March was a game-changing month for all of us. A pandemic, the likes of which we had not witnessed since 1918, was beginning to take hold of our nation and our world. For St Gregory’s this meant we had to come up with creative solutions to the shutdown and find ways of remaining in touch and provide worship experiences while remaining safe. We did this by limiting our contact with others and creating our “bubbles” of those with whom we interacted. For our online worship services, I asked choral section leader Sam Cucci if he would consider being a cantor/soloist for these services as I knew he was being extremely safe due to the fact he was taking care of his mother who had recently become ill. Fr Andrew, Fr Ben, Sam, and myself were basically our own “bubble” and we remained so for months so that we could bring worship to the online world of our parishioners on a constant and steady basis. I asked Sam if he would help me with a service of Compline and we added this to our worship schedule.

Throughout this past year, Sam has not only provided us with beautiful music as he shares his incredible voice with us each week but he’s been a pastoral presence for many providing a sense of stability in an uncertain and frightening time in our lives. He has never once complained about having to be up early or up late for recordings or livestreams. He has always had the attitude of “how can I help? I love St Gregory’s!” Sam has been a rock for me and all of us during these last twelve months. His commitment and unwavering dedication to both me and St Gregory’s has enabled us to continue with a sense of normalcy throughout this very strange and often cruel COVID year.

As we transition to livestreaming our in-person 10 a.m. service I want to thank Sam Cucci for always being there for me and for the church during this past year. I’m looking forward to his continued presence in the Schola and Choir and our other online presentations such as Compline. I thank you, Sam, for making a difference this past year in all our lives and in the life of St Gregory’s.

-Timothy Brumfield

Director of Music Ministries, Organist, and Choirmaster