The Rev. Canon Gregory Michael Howe, eighth custodian of the Book of Common Prayer, died Jan. 12 at Seashore Point Wellness and Rehabilitation Center in Provincetown, R.I. He was 80.
A native of New York City, Howe was a graduate of Columbia University and General Theological Seminary, and pursued postgraduate work at St. George’s College in Jerusalem and at the Pontifical University of Sant’Anselmo in Rome. He was ordained deacon in 1964 and priest in 1965.
He was rector of Christ Church in Dover, Del., from 1964 to 1998. During his years in Delaware, he served on the Commission on Ministry, Diocesan Council, and as chairman of the Standing Committee.
For the wider Episcopal Church, he served on the Episcopal Church’s Standing Committee on Liturgy and Music and helped develop, write, and edit liturgical resources for use in worship.
Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold III appointed Howe as custodian of the Book of Common Prayer, a position he held from 2000 to 2015.
In July 2015, Canon Howe discussed his role as the prayer book’s custodian for an episode of The Collect Call podcast hosted by Holli Powell and Brendan O’Sullivan-Hale.
A requiem Eucharist is scheduled for 11 a.m. Jan. 25 at St. Mary of the Harbor in Provincetown.
Matthew Townsend is a Halifax-based freelance journalist and volunteer advocate for survivors of sexual misconduct in Anglican settings. He served as editor of the Anglican Journal from 2019 to 2021 and communications missioner for the Anglican Diocese of Quebec from 2019 to 2022. He and his wife recently entered catechism class in the Orthodox Church in America.
