Diocesan News

The diocesan Racial Justice Commission invites all people in the diocese to take part in a Racial Equity Diversity and Inclusion (REDI) Assessment. It is an online survey that takes 30-35 minutes to complete, and is being offered by the commission's Subcommittee on Accountable Structures and Practices as "something people in our diocese can do to move us closer to the idea of Beloved Community." 

In honor of Bishop Gayle E. Harris's 20 years of service as bishop suffragan, a new fund has been established to support leadership development for women of color in the Diocese of Massachusetts.

Bishop Alan M. Gates announced the Bishop Gayle E. Harris Fund for Leadership Development for Women of Color during the recent Diocesan Convention, held Oct. 28-29 in Danvers--Harris's final one as bishop suffragan.

Harris, who has served as bishop suffragan in the Diocese of Massachusetts since January 2003, announced on Sept. 29 that she will 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, 2023.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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. 

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.