Pat McGaughan writes for The Episcopal News, Diocese of Los Angeles:
The Rt. Rev. John Harvey Taylor was ordained and consecrated bishop coadjutor of the Diocese of Los Angeles July 8 in a “grand fiesta” of celebration highlighting the diocese’s rich cultural diversity and its focus on mission.
Korean drummers, Chinese dancers, and a mariachi band led processions of bishops from across the Episcopal Church as about 3,000 laity, clergy, ecumenical visitors, interfaith guests and civic leaders gathered for the service at the Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in downtown Los Angeles. Another 8,000 watched the celebration by live-streamed video.
Banners representing the diocese’s 140 congregations and institutions lined the pavilion’s entryway prior to the start of the service. Taylor chose the theme “Feeding Hungry Hearts” for both the consecration service and his episcopate, and guests were invited to bring grocery gift cards for distribution to those in need.
The Golden State British Brass Band performed musical preludes and two choirs — 80 choristers from congregations across the diocese and the Episcopal Chorale Society — offered musical selections during the three-hour multilingual service led by Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop and Primate Michael B. Curry.
Co-consecrators included Los Angeles Bishops Jon Bruno, bishop diocesan, whom Taylor will succeed upon Bruno’s retirement; Diane Jardine Bruce, bishop suffragan; Chester Talton, resigned bishop suffragan, and Sergio Carranza, resigned bishop assistant.
… Of the consecration service, Taylor, 62, said: “Today is a giant celebration of the unity in Christ of the people of God discovering through the beauty of the liturgy, the beauty of the music and our faith in the power of the Holy Spirit to bind us together, to bind up our wounds, and heal our divisions and listen to each other with love and without rancor and by talking to one another face to face about the things that inspire us, the things that worry us, the things that divide us.
“We have been fed today to go forth into the world to do the work that Jesus Christ has prepared for us, to feed his people, to work for justice, to work for unity, to work for peace. It was a grand fiesta in the Diocese of Los Angeles.”
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.
