I attended the ordination of Bishop Mary Gray-Reeeves today. It was
a beautiful, moving, and very well managed event.
Bishop Mary is the 3rd Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of
El Camino Real, on the Central
Coast of California. Today’s service for 1,000 was held at
St. Andrew’s in Saratoga, my new home parish.
I was among those who voted for Bishop Mary at the electing convention
last June. She was elected by
overwhelming majority on the second ballot.
Bishop Mary is the 15th woman elected as a bishop of the Episcopal Church and
she among the five youngest members of the House of Bishops. She is the
1027th Bishop in the American succession. I think Bishop Mary is the first woman
Bishop ordained by our new Presiding Bishop, The Most Rev. Katharine
Jefferts-Schori.
Bishop Mary’s former boss, the Rt. Rev. Leo Frade, gave today’s sermon.
Bishop Frade has been a Bishop for over 25 years and is the Senior Bishop
with Jurisdiction in the House of Bishops. Bishop Frade pointed out that
as the new Bishop of the Silicon Valley, Mary would face challenges
unlike those of his generation which only had to make the transition from
rotary to pushbutton phones. Bishops in the past did not have their
flock sending them email 24×7.
The service was alternately in Spanish and English and featured a
Sudanese Choir and also a
Native American ceremony at the beginning. The most impressive part for me
was the great rumbling words of approval when Bishop Katharine asked us,
The People, for our approval and support:
- Bishop Katharine: Is it your will that we ordain Mary a Bishop?
The People: That is our will.
- Bishop Katharine: Will you uphold Mary as Bishop?
The People: We will.
It was wonderful to see so many Bishops present. There were at least 20, not including
Bishop Mary. I was glad that El Camino’s last two Bishops, The Rt. Rev. Sylvestre Romero
(now Assisting Bishop of the Diocese of New Jersey) and The Rt. Rev. Richard Shimpfky,
could both attend. It was also a delight to see The Rt. Rev. Nedi Rivera, the first
Hispanic woman Bishop, participating. There were some funny moments. When
The Rt. Rev. Chester Talton presented Biship Mary with her crozier (a processional
staff with the head in the form of a shepherd’s crook), he said she could whack us
with it if we did not behave. Of course, a cell phone went off during Bishop
Mary taking her vows (sigh).
John and I sat in the 6th row back. I was sitting behind someone who
was at least 6’5″ tall so we did not get very good photos. Also, we were asked not
to take pictures during the service but here is what we saw before and after:
St. Andrew’s Altar
with Bishop’s Throne:
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Clergy after Bishop Mary’s
ordination:
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Bishop Mary and
Bishop Katharine:
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Images Copyright 2007 by Katy Dickinson and John Plocher
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