Story by the Rev. Canon Debbie Low-Skinner
Photos by Cn. Stephanie Martin Taylor and Cn. Debbie Low-Skinner
On Sunday, in the second of the two bishop double-header of visitations, our newly consecrated Bishop Coadjutor Austin Rios and our beloved Diocesan Bishop Marc Andrus made their official visit (which turned out to be a fiesta of all fiestas) on the Fifth Sunday in Easter/Cinco de Mayo in a bilingual Holy Eucharist at El Buen Pastor at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Redwood City.
Despite Saturday’s rains, it was a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon, as the multi-generational members of both congregations gathered with the Rev Dr. Pamela Stevens, a Transitional Deacon, to welcome our bishops. Also in attendance were Bishop Austin’s spouse, Maleah Rios, and her parents from North Carolina; assisting clergy Archdeacon Nina Pickerrell and the Chaplain to Bishop Austin, the Rev. Will Bryant (from the Cathedral in the Diocese of Western North Carolina); Grace Cathedral Verger Tim Gee; the Rev. Monique Ortiz, Pastor of Santa Maria y Santa Marta Lutheran Church-San Francisco and the SF Night Ministry; retired El Buen Pastor Vicar, the Rev. Anna Lange-Soto; Canon for Diocesan Communications, Canon Stephanie Martin Taylor; Canon for Racial, Social, and Environmental Justice, the Very Rev. Canon Eric Metoyer; Canon to the Ordinary, the Rev. Cn. Debbie Low-Skinner; and Diocesan Communications Associate Ellie Simpson.
In addition, the sanctuary was filled with laity and clergy well-wishers from throughout DioCal. Congregations represented included Santiago/St. James, Oakland; St. Paul’s, Burlingame; Good Shepherd, Belmont; St. Edmund’s, Pacifica; St. Ambrose, Foster City; Epiphany, San Carlos; Holy Trinity, Menlo Park; St. Bede’s, Menlo Park; All Saints, San Leandro, St. Anne’s, Fremont; St. John the Evangelist, San Francisco; St. Luke’s, San Francisco; and St. Mary the Virgin, San Francisco.
Bishop Austin presided and offered the homily in Spanish. During the announcements, a series of blessings were offered: For Nancy Grandfield, who was celebrating her one-hundredth birthday and has long been cherished as an active participant at Epiphany, San Carlos, and in DioCal; For Deacon Pamela, an El Buen Pastor member, along with Manuel Morales, a new postulant; For two El Buen Pastor young women graduating from college and pursuing careers, respectively, in psychology and public health; For Deacon Pamela and a group from El Buen Pastor; who will be making a pilgrimage to a rural Indigenous community in Kaui; And for DioCal Communications Associate Ellie Simpson and Brother Angel Roque BSG, who were both traveling home, respectively, to Chicago and Austin, Texas, after working so hard in support of Bishop Austin’s bilingual consecration service.
After worship, the congregation was treated to a bountiful buffet of delicious Mexican food, a big chocolate cake, and lots of desserts. It was a fitting and festive celebration of our bishops, of many honored guests, and the calling of Deacon Pamela as Clergy-in-Charge of both St. Peter’s and El Buen Pastor.
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