Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop-elect Sean Rowe, together with the planning committees for his transition and installation, announced today that they will forego the traditional installation service in Washington National Cathedral in favor of a smaller, simpler ceremony in the chapel at the church’s New York headquarters.
This service will be livestreamed, and simultaneous interpretation will be available in multiple languages to ensure churchwide access.
“With gratitude to all involved, I have decided to begin this ministry in a new way,” Rowe said. “With a simple service at the Church Center that will include everyone via livestream, we can care for God’s creation by reducing our collective carbon footprint. I have great respect and admiration for the ministry of Washington National Cathedral. My seating will take place in the following months, and I am grateful to Dean Hollerith and the cathedral staff as we plan for that event.”
The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, offered her remarks on this decision:
“We in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and Washington National Cathedral wholeheartedly support Presiding Bishop-elect Rowe in his desire for an installation experience that is accessible to all and wisely stewards technologies that are available to us. We look forward to the day of his seating at the cathedral, and we will celebrate that occasion with great joy.”
“God is calling The Episcopal Church into a new future, and this service will mark the beginning of that journey,” Rowe said.
Further details on the installation will be provided as they become available.
