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The Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates delivered his first sermon as the bishop of the Diocese of Massachusetts on Sept. 14 at the Church of St. John the Evangelist in Boston, where the congregation of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul is worshiping while the cathedral church is under construction.  The…

The sermon given by the Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth Jr., Bishop of Ohio, at the ordination and consecration of the Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates on Sept. 13, 2014, appears below.  A printer-friendly PDF may be found at the bottom of the page. “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus…

Bishops signed and set their seals to the ordination certificate. Matthew Cavanaugh Bishop-elect Alan M. Gates and Bishop Gayle E. Harris before the service. Matthew Cavanaugh Leon Brathwaite, Secretary of…

A former linguist, the Rev. Alan M. Gates looks to etymology to describe his theological understanding of the role of the church.  At its root, the word religion does not just describe a system of beliefs and practices, he said, but also the ties that bind us all.  On Saturday Gates will…

[Episcopal Divinity School Release]: In a matriculation ceremony held on Sept. 8 in historic St. John's Memorial Chapel, Episcopal Divinity School (EDS) officially welcomed seven new residential students to the Cambridge-based seminary and theological graduate school. The Rev. Alan M. Gates, a 1987…

Music minister Carol Abel and the Rev. Mary Church of the Good Shepherd, Reading, Massachusetts, recently completed the restoration of their 65-year-old pipe organ, which had not been playable for several years. A dedication ceremony is scheduled to take place at the church’s 10…

 As the Church in Wales prepares to enable women to become bishops, Bishop Suffragan Gayle Harris of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts became the first female Anglican bishop to preside and preach in a Welsh cathedral.“The church is not just enriched by women’s ordination, it’s more…

St. Michael's Church in Marblehead, which is celebrating its 300th anniversary this year, has been without a steeple since George Washington's second term in office when the church's former steeple had to be taken down because of rot.  A new 38-foot zinc-shingled spire was installed on Aug. 28…

Cut off from Market Basket stores around the region, many people are turning to food pantries after finding that their dollars don’t go as far at the competition, said the Rev. Laura Everett, director of the Massachusetts Council of Churches.“There’s been an increased need earlier in the month, and…

Bishop M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE sent on Aug. 25 the following message to clergy and parish and diocesan leadership:My Sisters and Brothers,As my date of retirement nears, I want to be in touch with all of you and to thank you for your continued expressions of care and concern.  We have known since…