The Bishop encourages all those in support of the DREAM Act to get involved. Here are three ways to get involved and lend your support.

Press release from Bishop Mariann in response to President Obama's endorsement of marriage equality

The proposed new rites honoring creation include materials for observing Rogation Days, the blessing of the animals on the feast of St. Francis or the nearest October Sunday and prayers for “civic occasions” such as Earth Day or Arbor Day or blessing a community garden.

Going to your first clergy conference in a diocese is always fraught with peril. And, since I preached at Bishop Mariann’s consecration, everyone knew who I was. I was more than a little nervous...

Located this year at the beautiful site at West River, the diocesan Middle School Retreat 2012 was a momentous event. The group created strong friendships as they explored the theme, “Loving God’s World.”

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, a former Girl Scout, preached at a packed April 28 interfaith service at Washington National Cathedral that celebrated a century of girl scouting.

Bishop Mariann has announced the call of Ms Joey Rick to be the Canon for Congregational Vitality.

The parish of Christ Church Christiana Hundred, just outside of Wilmington, Delaware, puts music to work in service of mission.

Climate activist and Episcopal priest the Rev. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas described the Episcopal Church’s response to climate change during a conference in Washington, D.C.

The Space shuttle Discovery made a last fly-around of the region on April 17.

Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori and Bishop Mariann will gather with St. Paul's to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the parish.

Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington, an organization supporting those in need of a safe supportive environment, invites applications for the position of Executive Director

Many hundreds of people from the diocese gathered to join the bishop and Brian McLaren for an evening discussion in the Cathedral

[ENS] Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams on March 16 revealed that he is to step down from his role at the end of the year.

Bishop Mariann is pleased to announce the new position of Missioner for Young Adults and invites applications.

Groups in the diocese met on March 10 to discuss Brian McLaren's "Finding Our Way Again"

Bishop Mariann's statement on the signing of the Civil Marriage Protection Act in the state of Maryland

The Rev. John Ball, rector of Trinity, St. Mary's, and three students from St. Mary’s College, stepped out of their comfort zone on Ash Wednesday to offer ashes at the bus stop.

In a February 7 article in the Washington Post's On Faith section, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde endorses marriage equality in Maryland.

The Cathedral Chapter announced Jan. 4 the appointment of the Rev. Francis H. Wade, former rector of St. Alban's, D.C., as interim dean of Washington National Cathedral.

On Nov. 13, the Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde was seated as the Diocese of Washington's ninth bishop and preached her first sermon as bishop.

On Nov. 12, Mariann Edgar Budde was consecrated as the ninth Bishop of Washington. She is the first female to serve the Diocese of Washington as diocesan bishop.

For Ugandan bishop, compassion is more than a feeling – it’s a calling

Martin L. Smith is a well-known spiritual writer and priest. He is the senior associate rector at St. Columba’s, D.C.

The Rev. Luis León, rector of St. John's, Lafayette Square, and Paul Barkett, senior warden, speak about the life, history, plans and character of the "Church of the Presidents."

Episcopal Church of the Sudan is under increasing pressure, Khartoum bishop says

As Bishop John Bryson Chane prepares to step down as the Eighth Bishop of Washington, writer Nancy C. James looks back at his nine years of ministry to the Diocese of Washington.

“I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know God,” says the Rev. Margaret Guenther, who serves as associate rector of St. Columba’s, D.C., and was among the first clergywomen ordained in the Episcopal Church.

Wise men from the East observed a star in its rising and followed it to Bethlehem, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh for the Christ child. What was the significance of these gifts?

Mariann Edgar Budde speaks about the transition to her new ministry in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington ahead of her Nov. 12 consecration.

Bishop Chane surveys the damage at the top of Washington National Cathedral's central tower, and offers a blessing to the workers. (slideshow)

Jerusalem Bishop Suheil Dawani has been granted residency permits.

A statement from Bishop John Bryson Chane following the release of American hikers Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal who had been in custody in Iran.

The Standing Committee of the Diocese of Washington has received the consents needed to ordain the Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde as bishop.

Founded by an Episcopal priest from the Diocese of Washington, the Wendt Center for Loss and Healing offers grief and trauma counseling to all ages.

Cowboys and Aliens (PG-13); The Mighty Macs (G); Rise of the Planet of the Apes (PG-13); The Smurfs (PG); Zookeeper (PG); Transformers: Dark of the Moon (PG-13)

Light can be fully appreciated only when we experience it in contrast to darkness.

With a shared belief in one God, a common ancestor, Abraham – through his sons, Isaac and Ishmael – and intertwined narratives, these three faiths are members of the same spiritual family. This is what I learned in my Middle Eastern childhood; this is what I’ve tried to teach my son.

The critical work of evaluation and discernment in the churches of our diocese – asking hard questions and receiving empowering answers – must be our mission right now and in the future, when the ninth Bishop of Washington takes office. Time is of the essence if we are to engage with courage and claim our rightful heritage as disciples of Jesus Christ.

You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…- Matthew 5:43-44a

For the last year, photographer Tom Wolff has traversed the approximately 1,864 square miles of the Diocese of Washington to photograph its 89 parishes.

In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, dazed staff, tourists, docents and clergy poured out of the cathedral and its surrounding buildings and stood in outside in huddles on the grass.

As our nation commemorates the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the American Civil War, diocesan archivist Diane Ney takes a look at the parish records of that era.

Horrible Bosses; Crazy, Stupid, Love; Friends With Benefits; The Tree of Life; Beginners

To cry, “Father, hallowed be your name” is a confession brought on by the crisis we have created through idolatry, and an urgent pledge to desacralize the institutions we have been falsely treating as sacred, and let God alone be holy.

Washington National Cathedral’s Bourdon Bell will toll ten times on Sept. 11, at 8:46, 9:03, 9:37 and 10:03 a.m., in remembrance of the lives lost when four planes crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field.

I am convinced that the church needs to be much less passive about exciting young women and men with the possibility that God wants to recruit the energy and gifts they have precisely as young people, to re-invigorate the ordained ministry from within.

On discernment & the Holy Spirit

Chapel of the Intercession at Washington Hospital Center 1010 Irving Street, NW Washington, DC 20010-2412 202/577-7138 Established 1906 The Rev. Michael Marrett, chaplain

Document lays the groundwork for future mission, ministry and financial stability

Don Sloane offers advice to clergy dealing with addicts and their family members

Collington Episcopal Life Care Community, which has served D.C.-area seniors since 1988, on June 2 became an affiliate of The Kendal Corporation, a nationally recognized nonprofit that has developed senior living communities in eight states.

Bishop’s Appeal 2011 launched in May, St. Luke’s, Bladensburg to join Roman Catholic Church, Wade called as dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Lexington, Ky., Hannibal elected to National Association of Episcopal Schools governing board, Spanish-language magazine launched in December, Walkabout Week’ draws hundreds, Civil Rights activist speaks at dinner honoring Marshall

Apreciados hermanos, saludos de paz en Nuestro Señor Jesucristo. Les comparto la reflexión con la que me dirigí a Convención especial para la elección de la novena Obispa de la Diócesis de Washington. Mis oraciones están con cada uno de ustedes, con sus familias y con todos los miembros de nuestra Diócesis ahora que se prepara para iniciar una nueva etapa en su historia.

I believe that we can grow to our fullest potential in marriage. It may take several “marriages within a marriage” to achieve this goal – before children, with children and after children...

Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves but to God…- 1 Corinthians 6:19

REVIEWS: The Help (PG-13); Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer (PG); The Beaver (PG-13); Super 8 (PG-13); Cars 2 (Rated G); Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (PG-13); X-Men First Class (PG-13); Green Lantern (PG-13); Kung Fu Panda 2 (PG); Thor (PG-13)

Reviews: How to Die in Oregon (PG); Midnight in Paris (PG-13); The Hangover Part II (R)

The Episcopal Diocese of Washington elected the Rev. Dr. Mariann Edgar Budde as its first female diocesan bishop on the second ballot on June 18, pending the required consents from a majority of bishops with jurisdiction and standing committees of the Episcopal Church.

In a June 6 press release, the Diocese of Washington announces that St. Luke’s, Bladensburg will seek entry into the Roman Catholic Church.

Hear what the five nominees who have been chosen to stand for election as ninth bishop of Washington had to say during a series of walkabouts around the diocese May 23-26.

Learn more about the five candidates selected to stand for election as the Ninth Bishop of Washington on June 18.

Growing in spiritual knowledge under two charismatic priests, I have spent my youth learning to respect the church as a place of peace and spiritual education, and my years as a college undergraduate seeking more opportunities for both my personal and professional growth within the church.

From a sermon preached by the Rev. Jill Morehouse Lum at the February 3 St. Alban’s School Lower School Holy Eucharist (grades four through eight).

Hanna, Unknown, African Cats, Jane Eyre, Source Code, Rio,

“Is there anything as horrible as starting on a trip?...the last moments are earthquake and convulsion, and the feeling that you are a snail being pulled off your rock.” – Anne Morrow Lindbergh

St. Francis’ Church, Potomac Parish 10033 River Road Potomac, Maryland 20854-4902 301/365-2055 www.stfrancispotomac.org Established 1955; 1300 members The Rev. William M. Shand III, rector Body of Christ aims to introduce readers to different parishes in the church family of the Diocese of Washington. This month, writer Diane Ney speaks with the Rev. William M. Shand III, rector of St. Francis’, Potomac, to learn more about the life, history, plans and character of that congregation.

I honestly believe there is nothing more fulfilling than diversity, nothing more affecting than people different than yourself. It’s truly a gift, this diversity of religion, appearance, beliefs, culture. We can make the most of this gift by attempting to understand all others.

The division between sacred and secular is mainly a figment of our lack of imagination, or a symptom of our fear of letting religion out of its safe compartment.

I am saddened by the inability of the Maryland House of Delegates to pass legislation that guarantees marriage equality.

Walls Speak: The Narrative Art of Hildreth Meière, at the National Building Museum through Nov. 27.

Cedar Rapids, Limitless, Win Win, The Lincoln Lawyer, happythankyoumoreplease, The Elephant in the Living Room

The Presiding Bishop arrived in style for the April 10 celebration of the parish’s 350th anniversary.

Members of the 21 predominantly small, historic parishes in the diocese’s Region 6 have started a conversation about their future.

Should religion be taught in schools? Newseum panel takes a serious look at this sensitive issue.

Bulletin inserts for the Holy Week of Lent 2010.

A Lenten pastoral from Bishop John Bryson Chane to the people of the Diocese of Washington regarding Israel's revocation of Jerusalem Bishop Suheil Dawani's visa and residency cards.

All Souls Memorial Episcopal Church 2300 Cathedral Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20008 202/232-4244 Web site: www.allsoulsdc.org Established 1911; 450 members The Rev. John Beddingfield, rector

This column focuses on the thinking and action that has brought one particular entrepreneur, “Gabe,” to a better place during this recession.

I Am Number Four; The Green Hornet; The Rite; Unknown; Gnomeo and Juliet; Just Go With It; Rango

American historian Christopher Lasch wrote that when critics accused Martin Luther King Jr.’s civil rights movement of being “petit bourgeois,” many of King’s followers responded, in essence, “Yes, and what’s your point?”

Taking my usual walk around the Tidal Basin yesterday, I was pondering our upcoming episcopal election. A wry quotation from Claire Booth Luce popped into my head: “Anyone who is not confused today cannot be thinking straight.” Understanding what a bishop is meant to be and do has become complicated.

Since it was formed in the mid 1970s, the diocesan Hunger Fund has given away more than $1 million in grant money to local food pantries, food banks and feeding programs – with the stipulation that the funds provided be used strictly for food.

Susan L. Stonesifer is the Diocese of Washington’s historiographer. Sources include “Electing the Bishops of Washington 1895-1990: the Evolution of a Process,” by Richard Hewlett.

Reflexionando a Mateo 5: 10-12, la conclusión del Sermón de la Montaña y lo que implica.

127 Hours; Blue Valentine; No Strings Attached; The King’s Speech; Another Year

The final slate of candidates for the ninth Bishop of Washington announced on the Bishop Search Web site, <a href="http://search.edow.org/">http://search.edow.org</a>.

The exterior of our lives may be in upheaval and storms, but the interior can remain firmly fixed and at peace.

Plans are now under way to bring the ruins of the former church under the roof of the future one.

Yogi Bear (Rated PG); The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Rated PG); Tron: Legacy (Rated PG); Tangled (PG)

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (Rated R); Love and Other Drugs (Rated R); Fair Game (Rated PG-13); Burlesque (Rated PG-13)

The potato, which has been cultivated since about 200 B.C., is today the world's fourth largest food crop, following rice, wheat and maize, and contains most of the vitamins needed for sustenance.

Kids in the Sunday Children’s Program at St. Barnabas’, Leeland harvested and sold a crop of potatoes this fall, donating the proceeds, about $200, to a church-run farm in Monrovia, Liberia.

“Keep Looking Up” read the sentiment beneath the signature block in a recent e-mail to the diocese seeking records from the former Addison Parish for genealogical research.

The Washington Episcopal Clergy Association is focusing its 2010/11 program year on “Reimagining Congregational Vitality,” as the future of the mainline churches is looking rather bleak.

What makes a family? For six years I have been writing this Family Matters column assuming that the notion of family is simply understood when people write or talk about families.

How many years do I have left with a clear mind?—a question I asked myself a few days ago after I had phoned to check how my godmother is doing in her nursing home in Toronto.

Body of Christ aims to introduce readers to a different parish in the church family of the Diocese of Washington each month. This month, writer Diane Ney speaks with the Rev. William B. Lewis, rector of St. Philip the Evangelist, Anacostia, to learn more about the life, history, plans and character of that congregation.

The Rev. James “Jay” Magness was consecrated as the sixth Bishop Suffragan for Federal Ministries in June 2010. Here, he speaks with writer Diane Ney about his plans and his office’s recent relocation to Capitol Hill from New York City.

Today, Jerusalem – known in Hebrew as Yerushaláyim "Place of Peace" and in Arabic as al-Quds al-Sharif, "The Holy Sanctuary" – is a tortured place.

Enter Pope Urban II and the Crusades. In an effort to curb infighting in Europe and preserve peace amongst Christians within the jurisdiction of the Holy See,

For the world’s 2 billion Christians these are “the stories of our tribe,” author and theologian Marcus Borg told a group of diocesan clergy last Advent. “It would be hard to think of another set of stories that is as well known.”

Como todos ustedes saben el Adviento está a la vuelta de la esquina. Por eso he optado por compartir con ustedes estas reflexiones acerca del mismo.

Unexpected Gifts from Antiques Roadshow

Narrative and reviews of recent films

Forty years ago I received a Christmas gift which has been close to my desk as a conversation piece ever since: an antique kaleidoscope

On Oct. 16 the Latino Ministries of the Diocese of Washington had their annual celebration, with a Eucharist at St. Alban’s, D.C., followed by a magnificent party.

This Christmas, Bethlehem will come to Washington. And Washington will go to Bethlehem, thanks to modern technology, a pilgrimage, and a deep desire to worship together.

Annual Ignatius Program addresses the divisiveness that permeates today’s politics

The 1979 American Book of Common Prayer is truly a book to end all books.

Recipes can yield unexpected blessings, writes Barbara Bartocci in Grace on the Go: 101 Quick Ways to Pray (Morehouse Publishing, 2006).

The Diocesan Profile, which essentially serves as a prospectus for the next Bishop of Washington, was published on Sept. 14, and applications will be accepted until Oct. 15.

The oil spill was an accident, a terrible accident.

In her book, When in Doubt, Sing, Jane Redmont tells of a seminary student in New York City who was serving her field education in hospice ministry.

At Trinity, Upper Marlboro, where I serve as rector, we have Coffee Hour.

one couple’s experience

Cinema releases

el nacimiento de una nueva creatura en el seno de un hogar que siempre espera uno más. Ese hogar es la Iglesia.

Martin L. Smith is a well-known spiritual writer and priest. He is the senior associate rector at St. Columba’s, D.C.

Karen Armstrong speaks at St. John’s Lafayette Square

Body of Christ aims to introduce readers to a different parish in the church family of the Diocese of Washington each month.

On Beads of Prayer celebrated its fifth year of ministry – and the shipment of its 10,000th set of prayer beads to members of the military

Former Navy chaplain is 6th Bishop Suffragan for Federal Ministries

Sometimes we are visited by angels in many forms who remind us of this timeless truth. Who might your angel be?

Film on military chaplains screens in D.C.

Civil Rights leader served as role model, mentor to many

There truly is no word in any language to adequately describe the scope and horror of this tragedy.

The Faith Community Network of College Park is an organization made up of faith leaders who are passionate about advancing quality of life through coordinated action and prayer.

This recipe originally appeared in the Ascendant, the newsletter of Ascension, Gaithersburg.

Do you still think about your first love? Choosing to let our first love stories grow up with us rather than acting them out can be an immensely rewarding experience that enhances our present loves.

Cinema reviews for family

Cinema reviews

have had an invisible disability for more than 50 years that has had major effects on my life.

What a marvelous thing it would be if we opened the space in our lives to read and share poetry with one another,

Proclaiming the Gospel calls for intimacy and determination, two preachers say

Body of Christ aims to introduce readers to a different parish in the church family of the Diocese of Washington each month

Latino ministry is the focal point of the 2010 Bishop’s Appeal which began in early May.

Alex de Waal will be interviewed by Cathedral Dean Samuel Lloyd on May 9 as part of Washington National Cathedral’s Sunday Forum series.

Mission statements have become a byproduct of parish and diocesan life.

The Presiding Bishop was visiting Epiphany as part of an April 22-25 visit to the Diocese of Washington

On May 16, the two congregations of St. Matthew’s, Hyattsville will become one.

In The Book of Common Prayer, four feasts are listed as “especially appropriate” for the administration of baptism: the Easter Vigil, the Day of Pentecost, All Saints and the Baptism of our Lord.

A smorgasbord of culinary activity

Body of Christ aims to introduce readers to a different parish in the church family of the Diocese of Washington each month.

Writing is a demanding trade, and I am one of those who has to do a lot of talking and preaching in order to ply it.

We often think of only one response at the time of death – grief, but it’s much more complicated than that.

Cinema reviews

A recent media conference in Alexandria, Egypt titled Reporting Across Borders: Freedom of Information in the Digital Age reminded me of the power of words to build bridges.

St. Andrew’s Students Join Campus Kitchens Project

Saludos mis hermanos y hermanas, marzo es el mes en que recordamos el bautizo con fuego y sangre del profeta Oscar Arnulfo Romero

Priests in the Diocese of Washington may preside at civil same-sex marriages in the District of Columbia under new guidelines released by Bishop John Bryson Chan

Michele Hagans will be involved in special projects as determined by the bishop and currently is providing advice to leaders of three parishes in the diocese on matters pertaining to facilities use and development.

Bishop John Bryson Chane travelled to Doha, Qatar to take part in the seventh U.S. Islamic World Forum Feb. 13-15.

Standing Committee names Search and Transition committee chairs

Christian and Muslim leaders, gathering for a historic summit at Washington National Cathedral

Here is a recipe for a decadent and delicious dessert to share with someone – or many people – you love

Body of Christ aims to introduce readers to a different parish in the church family of the Diocese of Washington each month.

I have a hunch that as more people restrict themselves to virtual experiences online, regaling themselves with the infinite array of images a key-stroke can summon to their screens, a counter-cultural revolt will not be long in coming.

Suffering with her frail body, yet extraordinarily independent and unafraid to speak her mind, my mother was interested in all my adventures

Cinema reviews

Thanks to a happy coincidence and some good-hearted people at the Sport Chevrolet dealership in Silver Spring, 21 children from Latino congregations around the Diocese of Washington received brand new bicycles for Christmas.

Conversation continues Diocesan Council’s commitment to addressing parish health

No pretendo hacer una interpretación exhaustiva de estas palabras del libro sagrado, sino el esbozo de una aplicación práctica a la luz de nuestro presente.

Black History Week, now Black History Month, was founded in 1927 by Carter G. Woodson, chair of Howard University's history department, in the week that contains the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln

A number of the diocese's 254 schools, ranging from preschools to a university and a seminary, were destroyed or heavily damaged

The Rev. Simón Bautista, canon for Latino ministries in the Diocese of Washington, has been chosen to serve as co-chaplain to the House of Bishops

The Diocesan Council formally approved a three-year companion relationship between this diocese and the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem at its Jan. 12 meeting.

The Right Rev. John Bryson Chane plans to step down as the Eighth Episcopal Bishop of Washington in mid 2011, he announced during a Jan. 30 address to the Diocesan Convention.

A closer look at the diocese's historically black congregations

A closer look at the diocese's historically black congregations.

St. Nicholas, Darnestown, the first new church built for a new parish in the diocese in more than 40 years, was dedicated and consecrated during a joyful service on May 10.

Despite the hustle and bustle of the city, many people in downtown Washington notice the bells as they scurry about their business. When new parishioners are asked how they “found” Epiphany, a frequent answer is “I heard the bells.” What is the story of these wonderful bells and how did they come to find themselves in Epiphany’s tower?

High above the city, at the top of Washington National Cathedral’s Gloria in Excelsis Tower, six English peal bells are ringing out into the dark and windy night.

Washington National Cathedral kicks off its centennial celebrations by honoring the dreamers and believers who worked to make the House of Prayer for All People a reality.

GRATE PATROL: St. Paul’s K Street parishioners bring breakfast to the D.C. streets.

One hundred and fifty five years ago, a young woman died and a church was born. The woman was 24-year-old Phoebe Nourse, the granddaughter of a local farmer, and the church was - and is - St. Alban's, Washington, D.C.

Just shy of his 84th birthday, Daugherty, retired since 1986, is still a beloved presence at Ascension, the church that was born in the trailer park. And on Oct. 17 he will preach at its 50th anniversary celebration - wouldn't miss it for the world.

Established in 1683 in Port Tobacco, Christ Church sat next to the Charles County Courthouse until that structure burned in 1895, and the new courthouse was erected near a recently completed railroad station named for La Plata Farm. Over the years, the original log meeting house gave way to a brick building, and eventually, in 1884, to a new Gothic-style church built of ocher-colored Aquia sandstone from Stafford County, Va. With the courthouse gone and the river silting up, Port Tobacco’s days as a center of commerce were past and the village was turning into a ghost town.

Back in 1954, things were looking bleak at St. Mark’s, Capitol Hill. Following a post-war migration to the suburbs, the inner city parish had lost most of its members, and just 30 or 40 people were attending Sunday services in a run-down building that could seat 800.

The Diocese of Washington’s churches have always dealt with death: providing parishioners with services, solace and in many cases, a final resting place.

The congregation of St. Mary's Chapel, Ridge, recently decided it was time to replace the church's frosted glass windows with something special.