The Rt. Rev. Orris G. Walker, Jr., Bishop of Long Island from 1991 to 2009, died Feb. 28. He was 72.
Born in Baltimore, Walker was a graduate of the University of Maryland and General Theological Seminary. He was ordained deacon in 1968 and priest in 1969. During the 1980s he earned further degrees from Drew University, the University of Windsor, and the Graduate Theological Foundation-Berkeley.
Before his election in Long Island, Walker served at St. Mark’s Ecumenical Church, Kansas City, and St. Matthew’s and St. Joseph’s Church, Detroit.
“His episcopate championed the cause of full inclusion of women in the ordained ministry of the diocese,” said the Rt. Rev. Lawrence C. Provenzano, who succeeded Walker in 2009. “Bishop Walker’s episcopacy covered a difficult and sometimes controversial period in the history of the diocese, nevertheless, his dedication to the people of the Diocese of Long Island will forever stand as a testament to his love for Jesus Christ and his dedication to the ministry of the Church.”
Image: Bishops Lawrence Provenzano, left, and Orris Walker at General Convention in 2009. • Diocese of Long Island
