Mrs. Ruth Grant, an assistant to the Bishop of California beginning in the 1940s who guided many priests through their postulancy, died December 15 at 103.
She joined the diocesan staff in the 1940s, when Karl M. Block was bishop. She also served bishops James Pike, Kim Myers, and William Swing. During Swing’s episcopacy she was named vocations secretary. She chose to retire in 2006, when Swing retired. “Over her decades of service, she became the confidante of countless clergy who relied on her for counsel and pastoral advice during their postulancy period and beyond,” said a brief obituary published by the Diocese of California.
Grant attended the same parish, St. Stephen’s in Belvedere, beginning in 1946, and celebrated her 100th birthday there.
The Ark, a weekly newspaper, published a story about her centennial celebration in 2021. “One year ago, Ruth Grant of Old Tiburon was celebrating her birthday from home, recovering from a bout of COVID-19 that had put her in the hospital for three weeks,” reporter Deirdre McCrohan wrote.
“This year her birthday was a little more normal — if turning 100 is normal. Grant spent the milestone day, Nov. 30, with her children, then after Sunday service she celebrated with fellow parishioners at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, where she has been a member and beloved figure since she first moved to Tiburon. That was 75 years ago, in 1946, when 25-year-old Grant and husband Rollin bought their home on Mar West Street.”
The Rev. Darryl James, former president of the Union of Black Episcopalians and a longtime priest in the Diocese of Chicago and the Diocese of Long Island, died on December 10 at 70.
James was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He was a graduate of Howard University and Yale Divinity School.
He was ordained deacon in 1984 and priest in 1985. He served as rector of Messiah-St. Bartholomew Church in Chicago from 1985 to 2006, and became priest in charge of Grace Episcopal Church in Jamaica, Queens, in 2007. Three years later, he became rector of Grace.
He was president of the UBE from 1995 to 1998. James cited his achievements as president as developing a statement of UBE’s mission; heightened youth involvement; and forming a vision for UBE’s work in the 21st century.
The Ven. Canon Jerome J. Nedelka, who led his parish on Long Island after a devastating arson fire in 1989, died December 8 at 86.
Nedelka was born in Flushing, New York. He was a graduate of Wagner College on Staten Island and Philadelphia Divinity School. He was ordained deacon in 1964 and priest in 1965. He served first at All Saints Church in Bayside and then at Christ the King Church in East Meadow. At Christ the King, he oversaw the installation of the parish’s steeple.
His third parish, St. Mark’s in Islip, featured a jewel-box sanctuary built in 1880 by William K. Vanderbilt, including eight stained-glass windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany. An arsonist attacked the church 10 days before Christmas in 1989. The historic sanctuary suffered extensive damage. All eight Tiffany windows shattered into hundreds of pieces of colored glass lying on the ground.
Parishioners banded together to find the pieces of stained glass and begin restoring the church. “The parishioners have just been incredible,” Nedelka told The New York Times. “They have been searching in there, down on their hands and knees, for eight to 10 hours a day.”
They were guided by a pair of historians who had photographed the Tiffany windows for a history of the church, and an expert in stained-glass restoration. “We rebuilt it exactly the way it was, with some modern necessities, and that cost us an extra $1 million,” Nedelka said.
In retirement, Nedelka and his wife of 64 years, Ruth Ann, served retired clergy and their families.
He is survived by his wife, two sons, and a cousin.
—Adapted from an obituary by Jim Nedelka
Other Deaths
Douglas LeBlanc is the Associate Editor for Book Reviews and writes about Christianity and culture. He and his wife, Monica, attend St. John’s Parish Church on Johns Island, South Carolina.
