Bayview Mission has long served residents of San Francisco
Bayview Mission, founded by the Ven. Canon Nina Pickerrell, has long provided food, supplies, and services to residents of San Francisco’s Bayview/Hunter’s Point neighborhood.
Third Annual Diocesan Juneteenth Celebration
Story and photos by the Rev. Canon Debbie Low-Skinner
The Third Annual Diocesan Juneteenth Celebration took place on June 16 at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Oakland. This was a joint effort of DioCal, the Diocesan Afro Anglican Commission, and the local chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians.
The celebrant was the Rev. Dr. Mauricio Wilson, UBE Western Regional Director and Rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Oakland. The preacher was the Very Rev. Eric Metoyer, Dean of the San Francisco Deanery. The Gospel was read by the Ven. Canon Carolyn Bolton, Deacon of St. Paul’s, Oakland. The host was the Rev. Jim Dahlin, Rector of St. Augustine’s.
More than 100 years old, St. Augustine’s is one of the two historic Black churches in DioCal (the other is St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church, near the Fillmore District in San Francisco). In 1969, St. Augustine’s was the site of the first free breakfasts served by the Black Panthers to feed hungry inner-city children.
Among the many attendees were members of St. Augustine’s, St. Paul’s, St. Cyprian’s, Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP), Canon Amy Cook from the diocesan staff, members of the Standing Committee, and clergy, including the Revs. Michael Barham, Dr. Ruth Meyers, Will Scott, Javier Torres, Jane Stratford, and Jeff Dodge.
Bishop Search and Transition Committee begins reviewing applications
Article by the Bishop Search and Transition Committee
The Bishop Search and Transition Committee gathered Saturday, June 17 to review applications for the role of Ninth Bishop of California. The meeting at Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP), the Episcopal seminary in Berkeley, began with a celebration of the Holy Eucharist by the Rev. Dr. Paul Fromberg, the committee’s co-chair. Following the service, members of the Diocese of California Standing Committee offered words of encouragement before leaving the Bishop Search and Transition Committee to its discernment work.
The committee spent the next six hours poring over the extensive materials offered by each applicant to discern which of them will advance to the next step in the process, which is a series of interviews.
At the end of the day’s gathering, Rev. Dr. Fromberg concluded, “We made great progress toward identifying those individuals who will be included in our preliminary slate.” Bishop Search and Transition Committee co-chair Brenda Paulin added, “I was moved by how sincerely and thoughtfully our applicants and committee members engaged in this process.”
The next step in the process is for the Bishop Search and Transition Committee to finalize a preliminary slate, which it will present to the Standing Committee for approval. The preliminary slate is scheduled to be announced on September 22, 2023. That announcement marks the start of the ten-day period during which nominations by petition will be accepted before a final slate is determined.
People in the Diocese of California will have an opportunity to meet with the final slate of nominees at a series of “Meet & Greet” gatherings scheduled November 2 through 5, 2023 at a selection of parishes and missions. The specific times and locations for the Meet & Greets will be announced once the final slate is determined. Voting will occur among clergy and lay delegates at a special electing convention on December 2, 2023.
Following a process of church-wide consent, the approved bishop-elect will be ordained and consecrated at Grace Cathedral on May 4, 2024. Bishop Marc will retire on July 24, 2024, amid celebrations of thanksgiving for all he and Dr. Sheila Andrus have shared with and contributed to our diocese.
The Standing Committee and Bishop Search and Transition Committee members ask for prayer for their work, and for all transitions in the life of our diocese and in the lives of Bishop Marc and his family, as well as the bishop-elect and her/his/their family.
The Diocese of California has a long history of involvement in international and interfaith activities
The Diocese of California has a long history of involvement in international and interfaith activities. Here are some examples from recent years:
- In 2022, Bishop Marc greeted the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., the Honorable Linda Thomas-Greenfield, and her delegation, at Grace Cathedral.
- Bishop Marc’s climate change work has helped him forge relationships with international leaders, including:
- The late Archbishop Desmond Tutu
- Christiana Figueres, former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
- Former head of the U.N., Ban Ki-Moon
- Our bishop works with national, state and local leaders in government, and with non-profits.
- Currently, our Canon to the Ordinary, the Rev. Cn. Debbie Low-Skinner is the Vice President of the Board of the San Francisco Interfaith Council.
Dean Robert Willis at Washington National Cathedral
Story by the Rev. Canon Debbie Low-Skinner
The Dean Emeritus of Canterbury Cathedral, The Very Rev. Dr. Robert Willis, was the guest preacher on June 11 at Washington National Cathedral for Pride Sunday. He began by thanking his long-time partner, Fletcher, for his love and support and for his camera work and production of the hundreds of COVID-era daily Morning Prayer YouTubes, which spanned a total of 26 months.
Also in his sermon, he cited:
- The importance of the rainbow in the Bible as a sign of God’s promise to the earth and humankind. The rainbow also arches over the throne of God.
- We are reminded of the quote of St. Catherine of Siena: “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.”
- The life of Matthew Shepherd was tragically cut short, and he died for being gay in a brutal anti-gay hate assault. His portrait is now displayed in the St. Joseph Chapel of Washington National Cathedral.
- We are reminded of Joseph, with the “amazing technicolor dream coat,” who was hated by his brothers and thrown down a well and left for dead. But God fulfilled his promise to humankind by saving Joseph, who in turn later saved his family and Israel from famine.
- As June 11 is the Feast Day of St. Barnabas, we are reminded that Joseph Barnabas was literally the “son of encouragement.” He befriended and introduced Saul/Paul to the rest of the apostles. He encouraged and ministered with Paul in his missionary journeys. They only separated because Barnabas stood by John Mark, his nephew, despite Paul’s insistence to leave John Mark behind.
- The rainbow is the sign of triumph over the dark clouds of evil.
Canon Debbie’s Visit to St. Bede’s, Menlo Park
Story and photos by the Rev. Canon Debbie Low-Skinner
On a beautiful Sunday morning, June 11, Canon Debbie attended services at St. Bede’s Church in Menlo Park (located near Stanford University and the Stanford Linear Accelerator Complex). She presented to the rector, the Rev. Dan Spors, a proclamation that was signed/sealed by Bishop Marc to congratulate St. Bede’s on its sixtieth anniversary.
Rev. Dan told Canon Debbie that post-COVID attendance has been increasing. And outreach leaders, Sue and Mike Sartor said that the May 21st parish picnic/tailgate party raised $7,000 to fund various outreach efforts for this year.