Katharine Jefferts Schori
BEST – Stop Hunger Now
Monday afternoon I met with a group of students at St. Augustine’s University in Raleigh. It’s one of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, founded by Episcopalians in 1867 to help educate people who had formerly been enslaved. One of the students asked me what my position was on child hunger. I said, “No.” “It’s […]
St. Augustine’s University Chapel
A week ago I heard a remarkable story about two young women who heard a call. They thought it was simply about becoming Episcopal priests, but along the way, they began to discover a passion for working in the “hood” on the north side of Troy, NY.[1] They started simply walking the streets, praying, and […]
Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer is something of an icon for the crazy-quilt nature of Anglicanism. The collect we prayed gives thanks for the beauty of his liturgical language and notes that his death was revelatory of God’s power in human weakness. His history is a striking mix of deep theological wrestling and expedient action, both personal and […]
Lent 2 – Tuesday- Chapel of the Good Shepherd
I was ordained deacon in my sponsoring parish nearly 20 years ago, and the following Sunday the bishop visited. I was scheduled to read the gospel. I walked down the aisle, opened the book, and said “the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Mark,” waited for the response, and started reading. Before […]
First Sunday in Lent
On Shrove Tuesday this past week I visited the place where Jesus was baptized. It is now a Jordanian national archaeological park and once again a pilgrimage site.[1] One of the fruits of the peace agreement between Jordan and Israel nearly 20 years ago[2] has been public access to the land alongside the Jordan, even […]
Ash Wednesday
“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” We begin Lent each year with a reminder that we are created of earth, that humble stuff we tread beneath our feet. We seldom notice the dust unless we’re trying to remove it from our hands or shoes. Insults are often rooted in an […]
Westminster College – George Herbert
We’re celebrating the feast of George Herbert today. He was a poet and priest of the Church of England, born in 1593 to a wealthy and politically well-connected family. He went to Cambridge at 16, earned a bachelor’s degree, and was appointed a fellow of Trinity College at the age of 21. In 1620 Herbert […]
Ash Wednesday
The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori Presiding Bishop and Primate The Episcopal Church "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." We begin Lent each year with a reminder that we are created of earth, that humble stuff we tread beneath our feet. We seldom notice the dust unless we’re trying to […]
'Build the Serving Church' Capital Campaign Kickoff – 40th Anniversary
A couple of weeks ago I had a free Sunday in New York and took the opportunity to visit a congregation I’d just heard about. The subway put me off in a really gritty part of Brooklyn. Outside the station there were a quite few dilapidated buildings, plenty of graffiti, and a number of signs […]
San Diego Diocesan Convention-40th anniversary
When I visited here the last time, I got to see several remarkable ministries. I am frequently reminded of one of them – an afterschool tutoring program that worked with Sudanese immigrants. I was given a small piece of art, painted by one of these students. It shows a brilliant blue sky and rolling brown […]