News from around the Diocese
One spiritual family living in two houses
Amid movement between Episcopalians and Catholics, the bottom line should be Christian unity
By the Rt. Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton, bishop of Maryland
Each January, many followers of Jesus observe the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. It was begun more than 100 years ago by the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement. Originally, the friars were an order of Episcopal priests who joined the Roman Catholic Church. Christian unity has been a part of their mission since the order's founding, as it should be for every Christian.
You may have heard that the Episcopal All Saints' Sisters of the Poor in Catonsville were officially received into the Roman Catholic Church. And today, members of Baltimore's Mount Calvary Church, an Anglo-Catholic parish founded in 1842, are being received into the Roman Catholic Church's Anglican Ordinariate.
A message from Bishop Sutton regarding the settlement with Mount Calvary Church
My dear friends in Christ,
I write you this week with some sadness but also with a sense of gratitude that we have reached a settlement with Mount Calvary Church, Baltimore, on the issues of property and use of those buildings. Since 1842 the
people of that parish have witnessed faithfully as members of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland. On January 22 they are to be officially received into the Roman Catholic Church. Twenty-four of the 28 members present (of a congregation of 45) voted last year to make this move, and I want them to know they go with our prayers and our very best wishes.
Continue reading Bishop Sutton's Letter to the Diocese of Maryland
Bishop Sutton speaks at 'Dream Act' Press Conference
On Thursday, June 30, a press conference was held at the Cathedral of the Incarnation, Baltimore, sponsored and organized by One Maryland, a consortium of organizations, groups and unions, in support of the 'Dream Act' legislation. The Very Rev. Hal T. Ley Hayek, dean of the cathedral, hosted this event and Bishop Eugene Taylor Sutton was invited to give his statement on this topic, along with faith and civic leaders from across the state.
Read a statement on the passage of the 'Dream Act' from the Rt. Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton, bishop of Maryland and the Rt. Rev. Joe Goodwin Burnett, assistant bishop of Maryland
Episcopal Youth Event 2011
Maryland delegation is the largest youth contingent to attend EYE at Bethel University campus, St. Paul, Minn., June 21-27
This year marks the gathering of Episcopal Youth from across the Episcopal Church. EYE (Episcopal Youth Event) comes around every three years, and celebrates and challenges our youth to be the Body of Christ to our parishes, our dioceses and the world. Traditionally Maryland has had a very strong EYE presence the last four events, and our youth have brought this energy and spirit back to the diocese through increased participation in mission trips and leadership roles in the diocese.
This year’s theme comes from Matthew 10:40-42, how we are all linked to one another and called to mission. Participants will learn about Christian mission through workshops, conversation, prayer and worship. Bishop Sutton is one of the keynote speakers at the event.
The Maryland delegation, the largest youth contingent to attend EYE with 32 high school youth and 8 chaperones, travelled to St. Paul, Minn., by bus, leaving Maryland on June 21, and picking up representatives from Province III dioceses along the way. There are 300 total representing Province III.
The youth and their chaperones will leave Minnesota on June 26 and arrive back in Maryland on June 27. On their return they will be stopping along the way for special acts of faith. This is somewhat along the lines of a flash mob activity. Stops include Mall of America, and locations in Chicago, South Bend and Pittsburgh. During these stops the youth will be offering prayer and Christian presence at specific sites. In Pittsburgh the group will have a sunrise Eucharist and breakfast as our closing provincial act.
EYE began in 1982 and was embraced by The 67th General Convention of The Episcopal Church as an international event in which "... the energy of the youth of the Episcopal Church can continue to be utilized in active ministry as members of this part of the Body of Christ;"
"We are intimately linked in this harvest work. Anyone who accepts what you do, accepts me, the One who sent you. Anyone who accepts what I do accepts my Father, who sent me. Accepting a messenger of God is as good as being God's messenger. Accepting someone's help is as good as giving someone help. This is a large work I've called you into, but don't be overwhelmed by it. It's best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won't lose out on a thing." Matthew 10:40-42
Learn more about EYE: www.episcopalchurch.org/eye2011
Read reports from Matthew Konerth, an EYE youth delegate, who kept a daily blog on his EYE experiences. There are links to presentations included there too.
An update on the status of Mount Calvary Church
May 4, 2011
The second conversation between representatives of the Diocese of Maryland and the Anglican Use Congregation at Mount Calvary took place Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at the diocesan center. In a meeting later that week, the Standing Committee sent a request to the Anglican Use Congregation for a written proposal for settlement and is waiting to receive a submittal to consider.
The Diocese of Maryland has continued to provide for a mass to be celebrated every Sunday at 9 am for Episcopalians in the congregation.
An update on the status of Mount Calvary Church
February 14, 2011
A temporary Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed by both the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland and the Anglican Use Congregation at Mount Calvary in Baltimore. This provides a temporary agreement through May 15, 2011 for shared use of the building and clarifies specific presumptions of both parties as we move forward with conversations regarding a permanent and mutually agreeable solution. Part of the MOU allows the Anglican Use Congregation to continue using and independently maintaining the property while the diocese concurrently provides a weekly mass at 9 am. This arrangement has been underway since October 2010 and both parties have been cooperative. This MOU also stipulates the payment of past allocations to the diocese, which has been completed through October 24, 2010, and also a monthly payment of $2000 by the Anglican Use Congregation to the diocese during this period.
Conversations between representatives of the Anglican Use Congregation and the diocese are beginning shortly to seek a permanent solution. It is the expressed desire of both parties to avoid the engagement of legal action when possible. The representatives from the Diocese of Maryland are the Rev. Scott Slater, canon to the ordinary; Mr. Richard Roszel, president of the standing committee; and Mr. Ronnie Reno and Ms. Faye Houston, members of the standing committee.
Leader, Pastor, Teacher
Bishop John L. Rabb Resigns as Bishop Suffragan of Maryland
Service of Thanksgiving for the Ministry of the Rt. Rev. John L. Rabb and Mrs. Sharon Rabb
By Sharon Tillman, director of communications
Voices were raised to the rafters of the Cathedral of the Incarnation, Baltimore, as more than 600 well-wishers celebrated the ministry of the Rt. Rev. John L. Rabb and his service as bishop suffragan to the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland since 1998, with hymns, words and more than a few tears.
The Jan. 8 service was a fitting tribute to a man whose “ministry has been marked by inspiring teaching, faithful preaching, insightful pastoring,” the Rev. Dr. Amy Richter, preacher and rector of St. Anne’s Parish, Annapolis, stated in her sermon (View the sermon on our YouTube channel).
The service bulletin cover featured a rendition of St. Francis of Assisi by local artist William Wilson with the opening line from A Prayer Attributed to St. Francis, BCP, p. 833, “Lord make us instruments of your peace.” St. Francis and this line are central to the ministry of Bishop Rabb and a constant throughout his work and life.
Members of Mount Calvary Episcopal Church Elect to Leave the Episcopal Church
BALTIMORE, MD – On Sunday, October 24, members of Mount Calvary Episcopal Church, Baltimore, voted to separate from the Episcopal community and become an Anglican-use parish within the Roman Catholic Church. Mount Calvary parishioners voted on two resolutions – the first to leave the Episcopal Church and the second to seek entry into the Roman Catholic Church as an Anglican-use parish.
Read the entire press release (Adobe PDF)
Update from Canon Scott Slater
November 12, 2010
Bishops Eugene Taylor Sutton and John L. Rabb, Canon Scott Slater (canon to the ordinary), Jeff Ayres (chancellor of the Diocese of Maryland) and Richard Roszel (president of the Standing Committee) met Thursday morning, November 11, 2010, with representatives from the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The Most Reverend Denis J. Madden, auxiliary bishop of Baltimore, was joined by his pastoral associate, Albert Scharbach, as well as Dr. Diane L. Barr, chancellor of the archdiocese. We discussed issues of process during this transition from the group at Mount Calvary who wish to become an Anglican-use parish.
We discussed our mutual understanding of ecclesiastical authority both concerning the clergy at Mount Calvary and the parish as a whole. The archdiocese is in agreement that the clergy are still under the authority of the Diocese of Maryland and are expected to observe all customs and canons of The Episcopal Church during this interim period. It is their and our mutual hope that litigation be avoided. They noted that as part of their process, the Anglican-use congregation has received a mentor appointed by the Most Reverend John Myer who oversees the pastoral provision for such groups.
Following a letter from the Rev. Jason Catania dated October 25th stating his intent to be received by the Roman Catholic Church, the bishops of the Diocese of Maryland inhibited his sacramental and pastoral leadership with the exception of the Anglican-use congregants worshipping at Mount Calvary. Father Catania has also been directed not to speak with the press during this transition period. The curate, the Rev. David Reamsnyder, has not contacted the diocese with his intent, nor has the diocese initiated any inhibitions related to his ministry.
In the meantime, we are in communication about a temporary Memorandum of Understanding. Until that is settled, an Episcopal worship service is continuing to be offered in the All Souls chapel at 9:00 a.m. on Sundays with the full cooperation of the clergy and Anglican-use congregation.
Update from Canon Scott Slater
November 6, 2010
The Anglican-use congregation at Mount Calvary Church, Baltimore has responded to a Memorandum of Understanding proposed by the Diocese of Maryland to outline parameters of our relationship during a six-month transition period which will allow for negotiations for a permanent solution to take place. The Memorandum asks for completion of payment of the 2009 and 2010 assessments as well as access for the conducting of an Episcopal service on Sunday morning. The vestry has responded with a counter-proposal which is being reviewed by the diocese. In the meantime, a representative of the diocese celebrated the Holy Eucharist on October 31 at 9 a.m. in the All Souls Chapel. 12 people were in attendance. The Holy Eucharist will be celebrated again this Sunday, November 7 at 9.am. in the All Souls Chapel.
A Message from Bishop Sutton
October 8, 2010
I am heartsick at the needless deaths of those young people across the nation driven to suicide by bullying and harassment. I join my brother bishop, the Rt. Rev. Mark Sisk, in New York calling on Episcopalians and all people of faith to pray and to act to stop intolerance and violence. Please support the work of our Episcopal campus chaplains in their increasingly important ministry to young people. I echo Bishop Sisk: “May Christ comfort and heal the hearts of those most affected by these recent tragedies. And may their memories inspire us to more vocal expressions of justice, compassion and love.”
Welcoming the Stranger
Acogiendo al Extrangero
September 2, 2010
Welcoming the Stranger
A pastoral letter addressing the need for comprehensive immigration reform
Dear People of God in the Diocese of Maryland,
As our nation continues its troubled and hesitant course toward addressing issues of immigration, we have prepared a pastoral letter that can be used as a teaching document in our churches, to remind all of us of the biblical values and imperatives that should guide our treatment of newcomers and sojourners.
A world in which, increasingly, people move across national borders can be unsettling. The economic and political issues that surround the immigration debate are complex, and there are legitimate disagreements on how to resolve these issues. Emotions can run high during the course of our national debate on the need for reforming our immigration system. As Christians, however, we are to be guided in our conduct by the principles of love and reconciliation, and thus are to comport ourselves in all conversations with civility and genuine openness to hear and learn from the experience of others who may disagree with us. Read more...
Acogiendo al Extrangero
Sumario de la Carta Pastoral sobre Inmigración
Estimado Pueblo de Dios en la Diócesis de Maryland,
A como nuestra nación continua su curso preocupado y vacilante al dirigirse a los asuntos de inmigración, hemos preparado una carta pastoral que se puede usar como un documento de enseñanza en nuestras iglesias, para recordarnos a todos de los valores bíblicos e imperativos que debían guiar nuestro tratamiento de recién llegados y forasteros.
Un mundo en el cual la gente se está moviendo y cruzando fronteras nacionales puede ser muy trastornante. Los asuntos de la economía y la política que rodean el debate de inmigración son complejos, y existen desacuerdos legítimos sobre como resolver estos asuntos. Las emociones corren muy fuerte durante el curso de nuestro debate nacional y la necesidad para reformar nuestro sistema de inmigración. Como cristianos, sin embargo, nuestra conducta debía ser guiada por los principios del amor y reconciliación. Nuestro comportamiento nos llama a conversar con civilidad y franqueza para escuchar y aprender de la experiencia de otros que tal vez no estén de acuerdo con nosotros. Leer más...
Bishop Rabb visiting the Church of North India, Diocese of Cuttack
Bishop John L. Rabb is traveling with his wife, Sharon, in North India to establish a relationship with the Diocese of Cuttack (Church of North India), especially around the issue of educating women.
Read Bishop Rabb's travel diary
Diocese Names Assistant Bishop
Succession Plans for Bishop John L. Rabb’s 2011 Retirement in Place
May 17, 2010
The Rt. Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton, bishop of Maryland, with the support and consent of the Standing Committee, has chosen to appoint an assistant bishop to serve full-time in the diocese for a period of approximately two years, beginning after Bishop Rabb’s retirement on January 1, 2011, until the election and consecration of the diocese’s next bishop suffragan.
The Rt. Rev. Joe Goodwin Burnett, bishop of Nebraska, will serve as assistant bishop of Maryland effective April 1, 2011, in accordance with the canons and constitutions of the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Maryland.
"It gives me great pleasure to know my colleague and friend Joe Burnett will be able to accept my invitation to come to the Diocese of Maryland to assist us during these years of transition. He is a known leader in the Episcopal Church, whose experience, intellect and wit will be greatly appreciated by everyone here. We are absolutely delighted that we can use his considerable gifts as we move forward with our Horizons 2015 priorities,” said the Rt. Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton, bishop of Maryland.
Learn more about Bishop Burnett
Bishop Rabb addresses Diocesan Convention, announces his retirement
April 30, 2010
The Rt. Rev. John L. Rabb, bishop suffragan of Maryland, has announced his intent to retire effective January 1, 2011. He has served as bishop suffragan of Maryland for 12 years. In accordance with the canons and constitutions of the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Maryland, he will submit his resignation to the Presiding Bishop and the House of Bishops in the fall of 2010.
Bishop Rabb made the announcement in his address to the clergy and lay members of the diocese during the 226th Diocesan Convention.
In his address he stated, “I am responding to what God is calling me to in a new season of ministry. I will be doing a combination of teaching, continued work in ministry development, preaching in a different venue, my Franciscan studies and writing. I love the Diocese of Maryland, all of you, each congregation and everything we have done. I have felt loved by this diocese, far more than I would have imagined. So my very good friends, it is with love that I say thank you.”
As of January 1, 2011, Bishop Rabb will have been ordained a priest 34 years. He served as bishop-in-charge from 2007-2008, following the retirement of Bishop Robert Ihloff.
As bishop suffrgan of Maryland, Bishop Rabb has oversight over the ordination process, deacon formation and deployment, clergy deployment, and Christian formation. He shares with the bishop diocesan, the Rt. Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton, visitations and confirmations.
Read Bishop Rabb's Convention Address
The Rev. Scott Slater named Canon to the Bishops
April 15, 2010
We are pleased to announce that the Rev. Scott Slater will become canon to the Bishops in the Diocese of Maryland effective July 12 of this year.
Scott has over 20 years of experience in parish ministry in numerous dioceses. He has served nine years as rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Towson, Maryland. He has also twice served as an associate rector for Christian Education, a school chaplain, and (prior to ordination) as a Youth Minister.
Scott graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Landscape Architecture (which he practiced in Florida for three years before entering the ministry full time). He holds a Master of Divinity and a Master of Christian Education from Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria and a Doctorate of Ministry from Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta.
In the Diocese of Maryland, Scott has served on the Standing Committee, the Christian Formation Council, the boards of Episcopal Community Services and the Maryland Episcopal Clergy Association, and as a Fresh Start facilitator. Ecumenically he has been a local board member and officer for Well For the Journey and the Towson Area Ministerial Association.
Bishop Sutton Leads Interfaith Mission to Challenge Gun Violence
By Val Hymes
March, 2010
Bishop Eugene Taylor Sutton led a group of 15 ecumenical religious leaders to Annapolis March 11 to support comprehensive legislation to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and to strengthen enforcement of laws covering gun sales.
As chairman of the Ecumenical Leaders Group of the Central Maryland Ecumenical Council, Bishop Sutton urged the General Assembly to support the Firearms Safety Act of 2010. He emphasized the unanimous endorsement by all the major religious denominations in Maryland – Protestant, Jewish, Orthodox and Roman Catholic – to stop the flood of guns to criminals without infringing on the Second Amendment rights of law- abiding citizens. Read the complete story...
Bishop-elect Mary Glasspool Receives Consents for her Election
A message from Bishop Sutton
Today is a great day for the cause of justice and the ministry of reconciliation in The Episcopal Church. We have received word from the Presiding Bishop’s Office that the consent process has been completed for the election of the Rev. Canon Mary Douglas Glasspool as Bishop Suffragan in the Diocese of Los Angeles.
I rejoice that a majority of Bishops and Standing Committees have seen in Canon Glasspool what we have experienced in the Diocese of Maryland: that she is an exceptionally gifted pastor, administrator and spiritually-centered leader who will prove to be an outstanding member of the House of Bishops. While I know that many of our brothers and sisters cannot rejoice at the news of her election as a matter of conscience – seeing it as a moral issue and not a ‘rights’ issue – I do pray that the whole Church will be open to the Spirit’s guidance as we all move forward together in light of this historic event. I believe that the time is now for us to remove old barriers and recommit ourselves to welcoming all of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Faithfully yours,
The Rt. Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton
Bishop of Maryland
March 17, 2010
L.A. Diocese Elects the Rev. Canon Mary Glasspool Bishop Suffragan
In accordance with the Canons and Constitutions of the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Los Angeles, the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland today announced that the Rev. Canon Mary D. Glasspool was elected bishop suffragan of Los Angeles. Glasspool was elected on the 7th ballot from a slate of three nominees, after two nominees withdrew. Total number of votes: 356 out of 629 possible.
A statement from the Rev. Canon Mary Glasspool regarding the Bishops Suffragan Election in the Diocese of Los Angeles
Gracias con todo mi Corazon. Thank you with all my heart. It is such an honor and a privilege to be among you wonderful people of the Diocese of Los Angeles. I’m deeply and forever grateful for the trust you’ve shown in me, and I look forward with great excitement to serving together with you, and alongside +Jon and Diane+, in furthering the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ in the world – in whose name we are all honored to serve.
It has also been an enriching experience to get to know five incredible human beings who have dedicated all of their considerable gifts and skills to the life and love of the Lord. You all can probably guess that it takes a lot of effort, even courage, to put yourself out there for public examination, questioning, and then voting. It speaks well of the Diocese of Los Angeles that a variety of such well-qualified people stood and stand before you. I hope you will continue to pray for all of us, as we continue to respond to God’s call wherever that takes us. May I add my profound thanks to Bishop Bruno and Julian Bull and to all the Search Committee who worked very hard for lo these many months to get us all to this day.
I’m very excited about the future of the whole Episcopal Church, and I see the Diocese of Los Angeles leading the way into that future. But just for this moment, let me say again, thank you, and thanks be to our loving, surprising God. I look forward, in the coming months, to getting to know you all better, as together we build up the Body of Christ for the world.
The Rev. Canon Mary D. Glasspool
December 5, 2009
Download a press release from the Diocese of Maryland
Read a brief biography of Canon Glasspool
Visit Canon Glasspool's nominee page
Learn more about the Bishops Suffragan search in the Diocese of Los Angeles
Roman Catholic and Episcopal Churches
Bishop Eugene Taylor Sutton was a guest on WYPR's daily public affairs program, Midday, Wednesday, November 4. Bishop Sutton and Sister Mary Charles of the All Saints Sisters of the Poor joined Midday host Dan Rodricks to talk about the the Roman Catholic and Episcopal churches.
Click here to listen to the program
Published in the Baltimore Sun, October 30, 2009
In the wake of Vatican plans to make it easier for Episcopalians to become Catholic, the Episcopal bishop of Maryland would like to make one point clear: The door swings both ways.
Lost in talk of the splintering of the Anglican Communion, Bishop Eugene Taylor Sutton says, is the appeal that the 45,000-member Episcopal Diocese of Maryland has held for former Roman Catholics and others looking for a big-tent church.
Continue reading Episcopal bishop opens door to Catholics
Read The Sun's entire interview with Bishop Sutton
Published on the Baltimore Sun's website October 22, 2009
We have received with concern the recent announcement from the Vatican regarding the creation of new church structures to receive groups of former Anglicans ("Reformation in reverse," Oct. 21). For 450 years, men and women have moved between the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion in both directions, seeking a spiritual home that expresses the authentic relationship each person has with God.
Locally, in the last two months, a group of former Episcopal nuns were received as Roman Catholics, but also -- with little media coverage -- two former Roman Catholics were received as clergy into this Episcopal Church diocese, and a third, received in 2000, was installed as Dean of the Cathedral Church of the Incarnation.
Continue reading Anglican-Catholic conversions are nothing new
Cathedral of the Incarnation Welcomes, Installs New Dean
The Very Rev. Hal T. Ley Hayek Only Third Dean in Cathedral’s 98 Year History
The Cathedral of the Incarnation, Baltimore, celebrated the new ministry and installation of the new dean, the Very Rev. Hal T. Ley Hayek, on Saturday, October 17 at 10 a.m.
The Rt. Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton, bishop of Maryland, celebrated the Eucharist at the service and the Rt. Rev. Michael B. Curry, bishop of North Carolina, preached. Bishop Curry was the rector of St. James’ Church, Lafayette Square, Baltimore, until his 2000 consecration as bishop.
Download the Press Announcement
Click here for directions to the Cathedral of the Incarnation
Cathedral Celebration Highlights on YouTube
The Rt. Rev. Michael Curry, bishop of North Carolina, preached on Jesus' Family Values. The sermon is posted in two parts on our YouTube channel (EpiscopalMaryland): View Part 1, View Part 2. Also, watch the Cathedral's Igbo Community welcome Dean Hayek.
All Saints' Sisters of the Poor will enter into full Communion with the Roman Catholic Church
"Despite the sadness we feel in having to say farewell, our mutual joy is that we remain as one spiritual family of faith, one body in Christ" -- The Rt. Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton, bishop of Maryland
Archdiocese of Baltimore -- Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien, Archbishop of Baltimore, will receive the Society of the All Saints’ Sisters of the Poor, and the group’s chaplain, Fr. Warren Tanghe, into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church at a Mass on September 3, 2009.
The sisters, who contacted the Archdiocese last year to investigate the possibility of entering into full communion with the Catholic Church after a seven-year period of discernment, will continue to reside in their convent in Catonsville, where the Order has been located since 1917. The nuns first arrived in Baltimore in 1872. Read more...
The Rev. Canon Mary D. Glasspool Nominee in Diocese of Los Angeles Election
Canon Glasspool is one of six finalists in the Diocese of LA’s upcoming bishop suffragan election. Of the nominees, two will be elected to serve as bishops suffragan for the six-county west coast diocese. The election will take place during the diocese’s annual convention in Riverside, Calif., December 4-5.
Glasspool currently serves the Diocese of Maryland as the canon to the bishops. In that position, Glasspool’s role is highly varied and includes Sunday visitations with parishes, congregational development and pastoral and mission strategy planning.
An ordained priest since 1981, Glasspool served in parishes in Philadelphia, Boston and Annapolis (St. Margaret’s) before becoming canon to the bishops in 2001. She has served on Diocese of Maryland’s Standing Committee, the board of Episcopal Community Services of Maryland, and has been a deputy to General Convention four times, each time being elected as head of the deputation.
“I have often said that this is one of the finest diocesan staffs in the Episcopal Church. When one of its members is called to other important positions in the church, then all of us are honored. Mary Glasspool is an important and long-serving leader in the Diocese of Maryland. Her work here has prepared her for even greater responsibilities. Our prayers are with Mary through this election, and with the Diocese of Los Angeles as it discerns God’s will,” said Bishop Eugene Taylor Sutton, bishop of Maryland.
Resolution D025: Commitment and Witness to the Anglican Communion
A statement from the Maryland Deputation and Bishops
July 15, 2009
As stated in the explanation of Resolution D025, “This resolution provides clarification in light of the Windsor Report (2004) and subsequent discussions in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion.” The eight resolves that make up D025 essentially reaffirm the canons by which we already abide.
The Diocese of Maryland is a diverse diocese, one that respects the opinions of others and allows individuals to follow their calling, their hearts and their minds. Having participated in the listening process as directed by the 2004 Windsor Report, the deputation and bishops recognize that the members of this diocese come to the Episcopal Church from a variety of backgrounds, ethnicities and life experiences. And it is with loving respect for one another that we can disagree on a variety of subjects and still remain in communion with one another.
A Message from the Honduran Missioners
Working in Talanga, Honduras
June 29, 2009
In the news today (Monday, June 29) are reports of a non-violent military coup in the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa, on Sunday, June 28. The Diocese of Maryland is in the midst of its annual high school youth mission trips to the country, serving El Hogar de Amore y Esperanza, an Episcopal orphanage in Tegucigalpa, and the orphanage’s agricultural and technical training school in Talanga, located north of the capital city.
We are pleased to report that the 13 youth missioners currently working at the training school in Talanga and their adult chaperones are safe, having arrived in the country on Friday morning, June 26, prior to the changing political situation. The group destined for the orphanage on Saturday, June 27, returned to Baltimore after reaching Miami, the first leg of the trip.
A Message from the People, Clergy and Bishops of the Diocese of Maryland regarding the Holocaust Museum Attack
Posted June 11, 2009
The People, Clergy, and Bishops of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland extend our deepest condolences to our brothers and sisters of the Jewish community on the occasion of the senseless attack at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. on June 10. We are saddened that the museum, which is dedicated to teach the world of the horrible consequences of hatred, has become the target of an attack borne of hatred and bigotry.
We also offer our sympathy to the family of Stephen Tyrone Johns, the courageous security guard at the museum who lost his life in the attack in doing his duty to protect others.
We rededicate ourselves to the cause of interfaith dialogue and understanding that so many of our clergy and congregations are regularly engaged in on an ongoing basis.
Diocese of Maryland Supports “Summer of Peace”
Posted May 27, 2009
Bishops Eugene Taylor Sutton and John L. Rabb of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, today join with Archbishop Edwin O’Brien of the Archdiocese of Baltimore to declare a “Summer of Peace” on city streets, a broad faith-based effort to promote peace in Baltimore.
Download the entire statement from our bishops
Presiding Bishop visits Trinity Church, Towson
Posted May 26, 2009
The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, preached at the Ascension Day service, May 21, at Trinity Church, Towson. Celebrating both the occasion on which Christ is taken into heaven after appearing to his disciples for 40 days and Trinity’s 150th Anniversary, Jefferts Schori reminisced, “I can’t think about Ascension without seeing those old stained glass windows and paintings that show Jesus’ bare feet in midair.”
Maryland Church News editor Sharon Tillman filed a story about Bishop Jefferts Schori's visit. Read it here.
Read the text of Bishop Jefferts Schori's Ascension Day sermon
News from the 225th Convention of the Diocese of Maryland
Bishops' Addresses
Bishop Suffragan's Address
The Rt. Rev. John L. Rabb
Friday, May 1
Bishop Diocesan's Address
The Rt. Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton
Saturday, May 2
Resolutions
- 2009-01
Right to Seat, Voice and Vote at Convention
Resolution was passed - 2009-02
Clergy and Lay Employee Compensation
Resolution was passed - 2009-03
Amendment to Constitution - Communicants
Resolution was passed - 2009-04
Amendment to Constitution - Lay Delegates
Resolution was referred to the Committee on the Rights to Seat - 2009-05
Camps for Children of the Incarcerated
Resolution was passed - 2009-06
Prison Ministry Sundays
Resolution was passed - 2009-07
Liturgical Commemoration of Justice Thurgood Marshall
Resolution was passed - 2009-08
Date of Annual Convention
Resolution was passed
Visit the Convention Page for more information about the 225th Convention.
Regarding Liturgical Practices during the “Swine Flu” Season
Posted April 30, 2009
We have heard from some in our diocese of health concerns as we face a potential pandemic. In an effort to encourage confidence during this time, we want to offer these guidelines for contact during worship and especially around the Holy Eucharist. Read more...
Bishop Sutton attends Death Penalty Rally
Most likely before midnight, today before midnight someone in this state will die under violent circumstances. For the survivors of yet another dead person, hopefully the killers will be punished? Understandably we will all be outraged at the senselessness of the murder. There will be public cry to kill the perpetrator.
Many will provide text of scriptures as a religious justification for this action especially the verse: an eye for eye, and a tooth for a tooth. We will all be tempted to succumb to the baser emotions of our nature…and call for revenge. but who wants to live in a society full of revenge -- one marked by the continued use of state sponsored killing in response to killing?
You only have to look at the news headlines every day from around the world to know what happens to whole societies and nations that use violence to rectify violence.
There is no room for state sponsored killing and state-sponsored revenge. To kill and to revenge for the killing of another person contributes to a cycle of killing. Applause.
Jesus Christ who is my Lord and Savior came, not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. He told us the fulfillment of the law is the law to love. But the test of love is not found in doing the loving thing whenever it is easy to do so. Love is doing what is right precisely when it is hard. Jesus taught his disciples to go beyond an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, for that would inevitably lead to what MLK and others would call an “eyeless and a toothless society.” Instead he taught us to love even the unlovely and stop the cycle of violence. Stop the hate. Stop the killing. Simply stop.
I am here before you today in a small part because of my African American hero and my mothers and fathers in the civil rights era and our white, Jewish and other friends of every creed and color. They took those words to heart, and they employed those principles to battle hate and murderous violence in their day. I want to close with a portion of an address given by MLK about 6 months before he was killed.
To our most bitter opponents. We shall match your capacity to inflict suffering by our capacity to endure suffering. We shall meet your physical force with soul force. Do to us what you will And we shall continue to love you. We cannot in all good conscience obey your unjust laws, because non cooperation with evil has as much a moral obligation as cooperation with good. Throw us in jail, we shall still love you. Send you hooded perpetrators of evil into our communities and beat us and leave us half dead and we shall still love you. But be you assured that we will wear you down buy our capacity to love. One day we shall win freedom, but not only for ourselves. We shall so appeal to your heart and your conscience that we shall win you in the process. And thus our victory will be a double victory.
That’s the power of love. That’s the power that saved this nation from violence and from ruin in the 1960s. I am still convinced that it’s the most powerful weapon that we have to deter violence and murder today. It is more powerful than the electric chair. It is more powerful than lethal injections. We are not going to kill our way out of a society that is awash in violence. That’s why I implore you and all our legislators. Follow your conscience and believe in that power again, in this century, so that we all may be saved.
……Today am proud to say our governor has demonstrated a strong moral compass and political courage to end state-sponsored killing in Maryland.
The Rt. Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton
Bishop of Maryland
Other News from Around our Diocese
Maryland Church News
(Mailed quarterly to all households in the diocese. Also available online.)
The Maryland Church News is considered the Journal of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland. Published quarterly, MCN is a resource for Episcopalians throughout the diocese. It includes messages from the bishops, diocesan and parish news, thematic feature articles, information and events. It is a vital tool that mirrors where we are as a church and how we witness to our community, and provides an in-depth analysis of our mission. Contact mcn@episcopalmaryland.org.
Parish E-mailing
(Sent semi-weekly via e-mail.)
The mission of the Parish E-mailing is to communicate to clergy, parish offices and lay leadership in the Diocese of Maryland diocesan information and services, parish events open to the larger community and diocesan wide educational opportunities. The Parish Mailing also links to “help wanted” ads with relevance to employment and volunteer opportunites within our Diocese. Contact the Development and Communications Office at mcn@episcopalmaryland.org.
Clergy E-mailing
(Sent semi-weekly to all clergy in the diocese via e-mail.)
The Clergy Mailing is to keep clergy informed of events around the Diocese or in the wider church relevant to them--ecumenical services, special day services, training, education, new ministries, ordinations, books, conferences, etc. Contact the Communications Office.
Press Room
(Updated as necessary.)
This page contains news and contact information for members of the press. Contact pressroom@ang-md.org.
