Dear Sisters, Brothers & Siblings in Christ,
Alleluia! God willing, the IX Bishop of Pittsburgh will be ordained and consecrated at a glorious service at 11 am on Saturday, November 13, at Calvary Episcopal Church, 315 Shady Avenue, East Liberty! The Reverend Dr. Ketlen Solak will become our bishop at a service presided over by the Most Reverend Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church.
On behalf of the Transition Committee of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, we want to tell you more about this special service and ways in which you and your parish can participate.
Volunteers
This is a grand diocesan event, which means we want all parishes to participate. We have a variety of ways to join in. We need acolytes, choir members, ushers, parking attendants, and banner bearers to carry a banner from each parish in the procession and a stand to place it in. [If you don’t have a banner, make one]! Please let us know if you or your parish has volunteers! We have created a volunteer form which you can access here, or you can email us at transition@episcopalpgh.org.
Donations
As was done for Bishop McConnell in 2012, we also need donations from each parish, communally as a parish (through your Vestry) and individually (by person), to pay for the new crozier, ring, and chasuble that will be presented from the Diocese of Pittsburgh to our new bishop at this service. We hope every parish will contribute something towards these key symbols of office. You may also contribute to the altar flowers, although only in the name of our new bishop. If you wish to donate individually, please do so though your parish. If you have any questions, just email us at transition@episcopalpgh.org.
Attending the Saturday Ordination/Consecration at Calvary
Attendance at the service itself is by ticket through invitation only and will be limited because of the size of Calvary, but we encourage you to apply for an invitation to attend. All attendees and participants 12 and over must be vaccinated – and show proof of that prior to the service — and masks must be worn inside the church. We hope by November 13 to allow for normal seating at Calvary but, depending on Covid, we may have to make some adjustments which could limit attendance. Please understand the difficult circumstances under which we are operating.
The ordination/consecration of a new bishop generally takes at least two hours and will be followed by a reception at Calvary with Ketlen+ for you to greet her. If you would like to receive a ticket to attend the service, please click here, or email us at transition@episcopalpgh.org. We should note that this service will also be live-streamed, so you can join us in real time on your devices if you are unable or prefer not to attend in person.
Attending the Sunday ‘Seating’ at Trinity Cathedral
On Sunday, November 14, at 10:30 am, Bishop Solak will be officially “seated” at Trinity Cathedral, 328 Sixth Avenue, Downtown, in a service to which everyone is invited. No tickets are necessary, but vaccination and masking are required. Following the service, there will be a reception at Trinity with +Ketlen to conclude this great weekend! Please come join us!
As we welcome our new bishop to the Diocese of Pittsburgh, we want you to join us in whatever ways you feel comfortable. If you have any questions at all, feel free to email us at transition@episcopalpgh.org. Thank you for your prayers for our new bishop and all involved in welcoming her to Pittsburgh!
Yours in Faith,
THE TRANSITION COMMITTEE
Jon Delano, Chair
Florence Atwood, Vice Chair
The Rev. Canon Dr. Cathy Brall
Gerry Dalton
Pat Dunkis
Maximillion Elliott
Kathy Farrington
Jill Gordon
Thomas Moore
Eric O’Brien
Mary Ann Slater
The Rev. Dr. Julie Smith
The Rev. Luke Zerra
Dr. George A. Zitnay
The Rev. Dr. Don Youse, Chaplain