January 28, 2023

Dear colleagues and friends,

On Saturday morning, February 11, at 11 o'clock, the Wilma Ruth Combs Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians, Trinity Cathedral, and the Diocese of Ohio will host at Trinity Cathedral our annual celebration of Absalom Jones, whose feast day is February 13.

Following last summer’s action of the 80th General Convention, we will also celebrate the life and ministry of the Rt. Rev. Barbara Clementine Harris, Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of Massachusetts. The first woman to be ordained a Bishop in the Anglican Communion, she is celebrated by commemorating the anniversary of her consecration on February 11, 1989.

The Rt. Rev. Gayle E. Harris, the current Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of Massachusetts, will preach, and the service will be livestreamed. I write to encourage you to attend this celebration, either in person or online, and to remember these two saints of the church in your prayers and parishes on Sunday, February 12.

The annual Absalom Jones service is an important event in our common journey toward Becoming Beloved Community. This year, it provides an opportunity to remember both the Rev. Absalom Jones, the first African American to be ordained in The Episcopal Church, and Bishop Barbara Harris, the first African-American woman to serve in the episcopate, and to affirm our commitment to racial reconciliation and the disassembling of racism. Their courage, dedication, and deep faith can inspire in us the same spirit necessary to heal the racial division and injustice of our own day. (A flyer describing the service may be downloaded here.)

Presiding Bishop Curry has invited contributions to be made from these observances, whether in special diocesan services or in regular Sunday parish worship on February 12, to St. Augustine’s University in Raleigh, NC and Voorhees College in Denmark, SC. He has written, “Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are essential institutions that help prepare people from diverse backgrounds for success in an array of vital professions. As we approach the celebration of Blessed Absalom Jones, the first African-American priest in The Episcopal Church, it is fitting that we honor his memory by lending our support to two schools that continue to form new African-American leaders.”

To this end, you may send any contributions to Sue Leishman at 2230 Euclid Ave, Cleveland OH 44115 or online at this link by selecting Absalom Jones Fund under Designate My Gift. You may also contribute directly to the Absalom Jones Fund online at www.episcopalchurch.org/development/HBCU.

I urge you to remember Blessed Absalom and Bishop Barbara on February 11 at the Cathedral and in your congregations the following day, and to make a gift to the Absalom Jones Fund for HBCUs.

Gratefully,

The Rt. Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr.
Bishop of Ohio