Dear People of God in Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania: In May, I wrote to you in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by police officers and the protests that followed. I called for primarily white churches such as ours to examine ourselves and acknowledge the ways in which we benefit from an entrenched…
Dear People of God in Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania: In mid-March, when we suspended in-person worship, none of us could have imagined the ways the world was about to change or what would be required of us in response. Throughout these long months, you have been resilient, flexible and collaborative as we have…
“Let’s get some things in order,” said Bishop Sean in his sermon for Trinity Sunday, which took 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 as its text. “Do our work on race justice and relationships with each other. And I don’t mean just read a book, I mean do the work. Sit with each other and talk about these…
Dear People of God in Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania, Like you, I have seen the video of a white police officer kneeling on the neck of George Floyd while three other officers stood by and watched Floyd die. Like you, I know about the peaceful protests and the spasms of destruction in cities…
Dear People of God in Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania, On Wednesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that he is now permitting New Yorkers to gather for worship in groups of ten people or fewer, as long as people wear masks and practice social distancing. Similarly, earlier today Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf moved ten counties…
Dear People of God in the Dioceses of Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania: As the governors of our states begin outlining plans to reopen economies after Covid-19 shutdowns, it is clear that the risks of gathering in groups is still significant, particularly for people who are vulnerable to the most serious effects of the…
“This Jesus who is no longer there is now with us and sending us forth with a mission of hope that the world around us will be transformed, that justice will come in its fullness, that joy will come even in the midst of darkness,” Bishop Sean said in his Easter sermon. “This is a…
On Palm Sunday, Bishop Sean preached about the Gospel of Matthew’s account of the passion. “Holy Week has twists and turns,” he said, “but spoiler alert, the ending is really good. God makes something new out of what is a mess.” A partial recording of the online Palm Sunday service led by people from across…
As part of the partnership’s online worship on the fifth Sunday in Lent, Bishop Sean preached on the gospel lesson of the day, John 11:1-45. It tells the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. A full recording of the service is available below:
On March 22, Bishop Sean led worship online with the Very Rev. Melinda Hall of the Cathedral of St. Paul in Erie and Craig Dressler of St. Mark’s, Erie. Watch the service on YouTube.
March 12, 2020 Dear People of God: Today, I write with regret to tell you that I am suspending Sunday worship effectively Sunday, March 15. The COVID-19 epidemic is spreading so quickly that I cannot in good conscience permit gatherings that could easily hasten the spread of the disease and contribute to the collapse of…
Dear People of God: In a prayer of confession often used in our church, we promise to “repent of the evil that enslaves us, the evil we have done, and the evil done on our behalf.” Understanding sin in this way—as both a personal and collective failing—seems particularly apt this Lent as we continue to…
