Snook Becomes 5th Bishop of San Diego
Susan Brown Snook was consecrated June 15 as the first woman to lead the Diocese of San Diego, succeeding the Rt. Rev. James Mathes.
“The first woman priest I ever saw was such an inspiration to me because I didn’t know that women could do that,” Snook told a local television station. “It made a difference for me to understand that women could be leaders everywhere in all parts of society, including the church.”
Snook was elected on the first ballot at a special diocesan convention on Feb. 2.
Brown Becomes TEC’s Third Gay Bishop, in Maine
Thomas James Brown was consecrated June 22 as the 10th Bishop of Maine. He is the third openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church, joining the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, the retired Bishop of New Hampshire, and the Rt. Rev. Mary Glasspool, Assistant Bishop of New York.
A local newspaper reported that in thanking his predecessor, the Rt. Rev. Stephen Lane, Brown said “I promised him I would give him 30 days for retirement and then on July 22, I will be calling him every day.”
Traquair Set for Consecration in Northern California
Megan Tranquair will be installed as the 8th Bishop of Northern California on June 29, the first woman to hold that office. She was elected on the third ballot on Feb. 9. She will succeed the Rt. Rev. Barry L. Beisner, who led the diocese since 2007.
Four Candidates for Bishop of Southern Virginia
The Diocese of Southern Virginia has announced a slate of four candidates to become the 11th Bishop there. They are:
- The Rev. John T.W. Harmon; rector, Trinity Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C.;
- The Rev. Susan B. Haynes; rector, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Mishawaka, Indiana;
- The Rev. Victoria Heard; rector, Redeemer Episcopal Church in Irving, Texas; and,
- The Rev. Sven L. vanBaars; rector, Abingdon Episcopal Church in White Marsh, Virginia.
The election will be held Sept. 21. The new bishop will succeed the Rt. Rev. Herman Hollerith IV, who retired in December.
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.
