The Rt. Rev. Julia E. Whitworth, Bishop Diocesan
Bishop Whitworth is the 17th bishop diocesan of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts.
The Rt. Rev. Julia E. Whitworth
She was ordained to the priesthood in September 2010 and served as the assistant rector of St. James's Church in West Hartford, Conn., from 2010 to 2012, and then as the canon for liturgy and the arts at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York City, from 2013 to 2016. She was the rector of Trinity Church in Indianapolis from 2016 until her election as bishop in May 2024. She was ordained and consecrated a bishop in October 2024 at Trinity Church in Boston.
While in the Diocese of Indianapolis, she was a General Convention deputy and a member of the Executive Council and the Committee for Canons and Constitution. She also served on the Board of Trustees of St. Richard’s Episcopal School; the Board of Directors of Trinity Haven, the first dedicated residence for LGBTQ+ youth in Indiana; and the LGBTQ+ youth advocacy organization Shelly’s Voice. She is a former member of the Governing Board of the National Association of Episcopal Schools.
She is a 1993 graduate of Dartmouth College, where she majored in drama and English, with minors in women's studies and education. She holds a Master of Arts degree from New York University/Tisch School of the Arts, in performance studies, and a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary.
Whitworth is married to artist-designer Ray Neufeld. They have three children, Liam, Gregory and Grace.
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Carol J. Gallagher, Assistant Bishop
Bishop Carol J. Gallagher began as assistant bishop in the Diocese of Massachusetts on Feb. 1, 2023.
The Rt. Rev. Carol J. Gallagher
She completed her work in the diocese as of Dec. 31, 2024, and is taking sabbatical time ahead of her official retirement date in March 2025.
Prior to her appointment as assistant bishop, she served the diocese, since November 2018, as a regional canon, providing transition ministry with congregations and clergy involved in search processes for new ordained leadership, along with lay leadership development and clergy wellness support for the congregations of the diocese's Central Region.
Bishop Gallagher, who is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, previously served as assistant bishop in the Diocese of Montana, beginning in 2014, developing relationships with Native leaders and congregations there, educating and training clergy and lay leaders in issues of race, gender and inclusion, and leading the Task Force on Native Issues.
She brings a passion for training and formation for all the baptized and for using her skills in culture, leadership development, pastoral care, and faith and relationship to empower others.
She served for six years prior to her ministry in the Diocese of Montana as assisting bishop in the Diocese of North Dakota and for two years as assistant bishop in the Diocese of Newark. She was ordained and consecrated bishop suffragan in the Diocese of Southern Virginia in 2002 and served there until 2005.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in writing and communications from Antioch College, a Master of Divinity degree from Episcopal Divinity School, a Master of Theology degree from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in urban affairs and public policy from the University of Delaware.
She is married to Mark Gallagher and has three daughters and three grandchildren.