The Right Reverend Sean Rowe as Presiding Bishop
Yesterday, the bishops of The Episcopal Church, including our own bishops, elected the Right Reverend Sean Rowe to replace Bishop Michael Curry upon his retirement as Presiding Bishop. Bishop Rowe will be formally installed in November and serve at least a nine-year term.
The Anglican Communion is made up of 42 independent but interdependent Churches. The Episcopal Church is the American member of the Communion. Each of the Churches has a bishop who oversees and moderates the life of the Church and confers regularly with the Presiding Bishops of the other Anglican Churches. This is one of the ways the Anglican Churches across the world maintain unity in heart and mind. Bishop Rowe has been elected to exercise that role.
Bishop Heyd has given me permission to invite Bishop Rowe to preach at the Cathedral. It will be an honor and a joy to welcome him whenever he can join us.
Literally decades ago, Bishop Rowe and I began many years of together reading the ordination exams of graduating Episcopal seminarians across the country. Then, he became my own bishop when I was a parish priest and seminary professor in the Diocese of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He is an intelligent and wise man. He holds a doctorate in organizational development which makes him an ideal leader as the Church becomes smaller and strategizes its future. He is kind and clever, and he is completely without pretense. He is, to put it plainly, a very good man.
We, with the Washington National Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, are the country’s preeminent Episcopal institution. The election of Sean Rowe as Presiding Bishop is a reason for us to be joyful and hopeful. Please join me in looking forward to welcoming him soon to the Cathedral.
The Very Reverend Patrick Malloy, PhD
XI Dean