The House of Bishops concluded its fall meeting on September 15 after a week of worship, reflection, and witnessing the ministry of the Diocese of the Dominican Republic. On various excursions and events, bishops and their spouses were joined by members of the diocese, led by Bishop Moisés Quezada Mota.
The Latin American diocese, comprising 65 congregations and 24 schools, is part of Province IX, which also includes Central Ecuador, Colombia, Honduras, Litoral Ecuador, and Venezuela. The meeting, held September 10–15, is one of two annual in-person gatherings of the 140-member body.
According to Bishop Lawrence Provenzano of Long Island, experiencing the witness of the church in the Dominican Republic was the most important part of the gathering.
“With limited resources, the Diocese gives everything it can—caring for people and living out the call of Matthew 25 through ministries that meet deep human need,” Provenzano told The Living Church. “To experience their generosity and hospitality was both humbling and inspiring.”
In a blog entry, Bishop John Taylor of Los Angeles wrote that a September 13 Holy Eucharist—serving as a welcome event for the visiting bishops—was attended by about 600 deacons, lay leaders, and priests, possibly representing all of the diocese’s parishes.
Taylor described the service as “festive, Spirit-drenched” and three hours long, with a sermon delivered by Presiding Bishop Rowe and the Eucharist celebrated by Mota. He noted the significance of the gathering as the first time the bishops have met in the Dominican Republic.
“Yet while the DR is one of 22 countries making up The Episcopal Church, the bishops had never been,” Taylor wrote.
“It is always hard to be away from one’s work in ministry, especially during a week as momentous as this. And yet it feels good to make some overdue history and at last to be grateful guests of gracious hosts.” On September 12, the Diocese of Los Angeles announced the slate for its forthcoming bishop election.
In a Facebook post with a selfie, Bishop Betsey Hawley Monnott of Iowa described a September 14 worship service much as Taylor did. “It was a spirit-filled slice of the Kingdom of God in this place,” Monnott wrote.
Bishop Frank Logue of Georgia, who provided TLC with photos from his visit, said his group toured an assisted living home in Boca Chica, run by the diocese. During that day, September 11, bishops and spouses split into four groups and visited various ministries across the Dominican Republic.
Taylor visited the Cathedral of the Epiphany–Union Church in Santo Domingo, where the cathedral’s music director organized a concert. An hour away in San Pedro de Macorís, other bishops visited Iglesia Episcopal San Esteban, which runs an elementary school and clinic, according to Shireen Korzan of Episcopal News Service.
In a letter to the wider church, the House of Bishops expressed collective gratitude to Mota, his wife, Jeannette, and Presiding Bishop Rowe, pledging to “renew our commitment to the work of missional partnership and collaboration as together we seek to be a wholesome example for the entire flock of Christ.”
The bishops also acknowledged the turbulent events in the United States while they were gathered in Latin America.
“While gathered, we have been keenly aware of the pain, fear, and uncertainty experienced by many in this present moment across our various contexts. On the first day of our meeting, we received reports of yet another school shooting, followed by the news of yet another politically motivated killing,” the letter reads.
“The disturbing increase in political violence; the ongoing atrocities associated with war and global conflict; the continued starvation of God’s children; the intimidation and persecution of the vulnerable and those who have been marginalized; and the rise of authoritarianism across the globe all require a robust Christian response.”
Bishop Julia Whitworth of Massachusetts skipped the end of the bishops’ meeting to accompany a parishioner during a check-in appointment with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Such routine meetings have been widely reported as traumatic for asylum-seekers, who on many occasions are immediately detained by the agency.
Together with Whitworth were 500 supporters who joined Blanca Martinez, a native of Honduras, who worships at San Pedro Episcopal Church in Salem, Massachusetts, according to Religion News Service.
On its Facebook page, the Diocese of the Dominican Republic described the bishops’ historic gathering as “a visit with purpose and innovation and revival for the Episcopal Church.”
Caleb Maglaya Galaraga is The Living Church’s Episcopal Church reporter. His work has also appeared in Christianity Today, Broadview Magazine, and Presbyterian Outlook, among other publications.
