Thank you for your warm welcome, countless acts of kindness, and heartfelt prayers. Thank you to all who have worked so hard to ensure a smooth transition for the diocese. Thank you for gathering to praise God and rededicate ourselves to the mission of Christ, and for all who have worked so hard to make today’s worship an occasion of beauty and grace.  I am blessed to be your bishop.   

My first task as bishop is to know you, to pray with you, and hear your hopes and concerns. To that end, I’ll be traveling around the Dioceseof Washington, working alongside the dedicated Church House staff, joining the important rebuilding efforts at the National Cathedral and all congregations in transition.  

In these early days, I ask of you two things: first, to tend to your own spiritual lives, taking time each day for prayer and reflection.  In our busy world, it’s easy to imagine that everything is up to us alone, and we forget that God is our rock and our strength.
 
Second, please take a moment to tell me what is on your heart and what you think I need to know in the first 100 days of my episcopate.  Use this website or our Episcopal Diocese of Washington Facebook page, or write me a letter, speak to me in our gatherings, or give me call. In these early days, I want to listen more than speak.

At the Diocesan Convention in January, I’ll tell you what I’ve heard.