This past weekend, over 650 folks from the Diocese of Ohio and beyond gathered in Perrysburg for Winter Convocation, with special guest The Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. It was exciting to see her in person again (the first time being her investiture in 2006 at the Washington National Cathedral), in a much more personal venue.
I know that Bishop Katharine is an amazing woman: scientist, teacher, pastor, writer, and more. I look forward to her seasonal letters to the church, and read articles and blog posts dealing with international Anglican issues (even though I find them very uncomfortable) because her words remind me of what’s important: our relationships with one another, God’s call to us to work together to further God’s Kingdom by caring for the less fortunate, caring for the environment, etc. Friday at Convocation, the townhall question-and-answer format, I was reminded again of how thankful I am that God called her up to be our Presiding Bishop. A few highlights for me:
- When we referred to the “national church” or “ECUSA”, she reminded us that the Episcopal Church is not a national church, not the American church. We are a multi-national church, with dioceses throughout the world.
- What question would she ask the Archbishop of Canterbury: ”What do you love about the Episcopal Church?”
- Sharing her experiences in Haiti, the importance of Holy Trinity Cathedral Complex in Port-au-Prince, and what the Episcopal Church in Haiti needs from us right now
If you were at Convocation, what were your highlights of our time with Bishop Katharine?
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If you want to learn more about Bishop Katharine, including seeing more pictures, reading some of her writings, and listening to some of her sermons, see her section of the Episcopal Church web site. You may also want to read her books.
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