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Diocesan News
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Diocese and Parish News

Diocesan News

After nearly four years serving as assistant for governance and administration, Chelsea Smith will be leaving the diocesan staff on Dec. 2 to complete an accelerated training program to become a software developer.  "We wish her well as she takes this next step in her career," Canon to the Ordinary Bill Parnell said.

Diocesan News

In a vote described as historic by many in attendance, the 237th annual convention of the Diocese of Massachusetts, meeting Oct. 28-29 in Danvers, approved the creation of an Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts Reparations Fund "as part of our effort to address our legacy of wealth accumulated through the enslaved labor of Africans and Afro-Caribbeans on our behalf and for our use today."

Diocesan News

The 237th annual Diocesan Convention gathered Oct. 28-29, 2022, in Danvers and in person for the first time since 2019. Among the business was the creation of a diocesan Reparations Fund and recognition of Bishop Gayle Harris as she prepares to retire.

Diocesan News

Following is the prepared text of the address given by Bishop Alan M. Gates at the 237th annual Diocesan Convention on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022.

Parish News

Grace Chapel in Brockton, a mission congregation of the diocese, invites the diocesan community on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, at 10 a.m. for a celebration of its 12th anniversary.  "My greatest joy has been the opportunity to watch children grow and see individual lives transformed over the last 12 years," the Rev. Moses Sowale, Grace Chapel's vicar, said by e-mail. "We celebrate the beauty of our uniqueness in Christ while breaking down the walls created by our differences."

Diocesan News

On the brisk, blustery afternoon of Oct. 2, Bishop Alan M. Gates joined the Order of St. Anne and Bethany House of Prayer in Arlington to bless a newly created Mysteries of Joy Garden. The garden is planted where the refectory of the former St. Anne’s School, also known as the Germaine Lawrence School, was located.  The "Mysteries of Joy" are one way of praying the rosary and explore the stories around the Nativity. The garden is still in its early stages, with plans to add a mural on the back of the gymnasium to anchor the space in the artwork and history of the sisters, along with artwork to illuminate and encourage reflection on each of the joyful mysteries. 

Diocesan News

With two families of Darby Vassall descendants watching from front-row folding chairs amid a standing crowd of parishioners, guests and curious passers-by, the 11-minute film had its outdoor debut on the anniversary of Vassall's death, in 1861, and as part of a multimedia installation created by researcher and artist Nicole Piepenbrink, it is putting a public spotlight on some historical facts that many at the 1759 church became aware of only recently.   

Diocesan News
Racial and economic justice actions top the voting agenda for the upcoming Diocesan Convention--including the creation of a Reparations Fund "as a part of our effort to address our legacy of the wealth accumulated through the enslaved labor of Africans and Afro-Caribbeans." Taking place Oct. 28-29…
Diocesan News
After nearly 20 years of service in the Diocese of Massachusetts, Bishop Suffragan Gayle E. Harris has announced her upcoming retirement.  She plans to complete her work in the diocese as of Dec. 31 of this year and then take sabbatical time ahead of her official retirement date of March 31,…
In the News
On Sunday afternoon, Sept. 25, more than 50 residents turned out to watch as leaders of the Marblehead Racial Justice Team, a local advocacy group, unveiled a new replica of the original headstone placed for Agnes, an enslaved woman who died in 1718 and was buried in her enslaver's family plot on…