Diocesan News

Following the Jan. 15 announcement from Bishop M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE calling for the election of his successor, the diocesan Standing Committee has issued a letter to the diocese, the text of which appears here. Jan. 17, 2013 Dear Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, On Jan. 15, Bishop Tom Shaw…

Noting that he is now in his 19th year as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, the Rt. Rev. M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE announced on Jan. 15 his call for the election of a bishop coadjutor to succeed him upon his retirement.  The proposed date for the electing convention is April 5,…

Given concern about the recent outbreak of flu, the bishops urge congregations to exercise common sense and take the same reasonable precautions that are recommended during the regular flu season every year. These include washing hands frequently with soap and water (and using sanitizing wipes and…

[Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs] Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has joined other religious leaders from the National Council of Churches in calling for a commitment of daily prayers for the president, vice president, United States Congress and other elected officials,…

Bishop M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE is inviting everyone in the diocese to join in reading a book together in 2013, The Rich and the Rest of Us by Tavis Smiley and Cornel West.  He describes it as a book that "asks us to re-examine some of our assumptions about poverty" and commends a diocesanwide…

Instead of the annual diocesan Spring Learning Event in March, there will be five Regional Learning Days held in various locations around the diocese, beginning Jan. 12. The diocese's ongoing $20-million Together Now campaign is making more resources available to congregations for mission, ministry…

Bishop M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE and Bishop Gayle E. Harris, on behalf of the Diocese of Massachusetts, offer their prayers for all affected by the Dec. 14 shootings in a Newtown, Conn., elementary school:  "May our gracious God bring comfort to all who sorrow and give strength to all who suffer in…

Episcopal City Mission presented $282,000 in Burgess Urban Fund grants to 21 community organizations during a Dec. 13 gathering at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston.  The total amount distributed this year was up 17 perecent over last year, with …