Bishop Rob is one of 42 diocesan bishops to authorize the use of the 2024 edition of "Season of Creation: A Celebration Guide for Episcopal Parishes," during this year's Season of Creation, Sept. 1 - Oct. 4.    According to the Episcopal News Service, "developing this resource has been a grassroots effort inspired by the ecumenical Season of Creation movement, a desire for authentic Episcopal liturgical expression, and the awareness that parish leaders often have limited time and energy to prepare and plan services for every season." The guide incl ..read more

By Susan Sherrill Axelrod On a day full of prayer and celebration, the Rt. Rev. Sean W. Rowe, bishop of Northwest Pennsylvania and bishop provisional of Western New York, was elected to be the 28th Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church. The election, which was decided on the first ballot, took place during the 81st General Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, where on Wednesday at mid-morning, members of the House of Bishops walked from the Kentucky International Convention Center to nearby Christ Church Cathedral to cast their votes. Their decision was made by noon, with the announcement he ..read more

Two-thousand twenty-four is the 50th anniversary of the ordination of women in The Episcopal Church. On April 28 St. Andrew’s in Hopkinton and May 8 St. Thomas’ in Dover joined the celebration of this milestone by hosting public showings of “The Philadelphia Eleven,” which tells the story of the 1974 ordinations and the brave women and men who made it happen. Both events were attended by enthusiastic crowds and included panel discussions following the film. At St. Andrew’s, where about 100 guests attended, the Rev. Alanna Van Antwerpen of SpiritBound Digital Mission facilitated the discussio ..read more

Written by Betty Lane and James McKim Over the past few years, the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire (ECNH) has passed resolutions committing the diocese to working toward racial reconciliation, healing and justice guided by the long-term commitment to Becoming Beloved Community. As a church we have affirmed the path of telling the truth about our churches and race, proclaiming the dream of Beloved Community, practicing Jesus’ way of healing love, and repairing the breach in society and institutions. The 221st Convention of the ECNH passed the resolution “Becoming the Beloved Community: A Pla ..read more

The 81st General Convention of the Episcopal Church will be held in Louisville, KY June 23-28. This year is especially monumental, with the election of a new Presiding Bishop. If you'd like to know more about how General Convention works and what happens there, we are fortunate to have an excellent primer, written by freelance reporter Melodie Woerman and Cynde Bimbi, director of communications and public relations for the Episcopal Church in Delaware. Learn more Other helpful links: General Convention resources: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/public-affairs/gc81/. Governance: https://www.ep ..read more

Trinity Church Claremont’s temporary shelter was featured in a story published by the Valley news and NHNPR, “Upper Valley winter shelters keep dozens warm and dry.” From the story: “The shelter’s volunteers provided meals and overnight monitoring. Several Claremont churches, including First Congregational Church, St. Joseph and St. Mary’s provided monetary donations or volunteers to support the project. Elizabeth Moriarty, a pastor at Trinity, said they are currently seeking a new building to house the shelter, as the church is not an adequate space for a seasonal or year-round program. In ad ..read more

Creative Redevelopment of Episcopal Church Property Will Further Church’s Mission To Serve The Community On the front steps of Christ Church, Portsmouth, from left: Portland Housing Authority Executive Director Craig Welch, HAVEN Executive Director Kathy Beebe, and Bishop Rob Hirschfeld | Photo by Kathleen Soldati The Episcopal Church of New Hampshire has announced plans to redevelop its Christ Church property on Lafayette Road in Portsmouth. The Episcopal diocese, which owns the 3.5-acre plot, has partnered with the Portsmouth Housing Authority (PHA), HAVEN—the state’s largest organization p ..read more

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In the Episcopal Church and in the Anglican Communion, the last Sunday in Epiphany each year is designated as World Mission Sunday, a time when the church comes together to focus on the global impact of our call to “seek and serve Christ in all persons” (Baptismal Covenant, Book of Common Prayer, p. 305), and on ways congregations can become involved. This year, World Mission Sunday falls on February 19, 2023. In New Hampshire, Bishop Rob asks every congregation to join him in prayer for our global partners in Angola and in the wider Anglican Communion on February 19, incorporating the “Angol ..read more

What is a Pro-Cathedral, you might be asking? A Pro-Cathedral is a church named by a diocesan bishop to serve as a cathedral but which remains under local church governance. It is used as a cathedral for diocesan purposes.  Bishop Rob shared these thoughts about this new designation: "Designating Trinity Claremont as Pro-Cathedral is an experiment, not a permanent designation. It highlights that the diocese is giving special attention to a church where we think that God is up to something important, powerful, and new. With this designation, we signify that we're paying attention to how t ..read more