On Sunday, September 30, the Right Reverend Carlye Hughes, the Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Newark, will visit the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit, 36 Gould Street, Verona, to preach and celebrate the 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist. All are welcome.
Bishop Carlye, as she likes to be known, was consecrated as the 11th bishop of the diocese at a large service that was held at NJPAC on September 22. She is the first female African American bishop to lead the diocese and one of only a handful of female African American bishops throughout the country. The Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, who became well-known after his sermon at the Royal Wedding in May, led the ordination service at NJPAC.
“Bishops regularly visit a different church in their Diocese each week throughout the year,” said Reverend Jerry Racioppi, rector at Holy Spirit. “It is an honor that Bishop Carlye has chosen to visit Holy Spirit for her very first Sunday visitation.” Father Jerry co-led the nominating committee that searched for and interviewed the candidates for the new bishop.
Over the months of the search process, Father Jerry has gotten to know Bishop Carlye. “She’s has a warm and loving spirit, combined with a great sense of humor,” says Father Jerry. “I think she is going to be a wonderful leader for the Diocese.”
Bishop Carlye recently moved from Fort Worth, Texas, with her husband David Smedley and dog Abbey to assume her ground-breaking role in Newark. In Fort Worth, she was Rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, a parish that chose to stay with the Episcopal Church of America when others in the Diocese of Fort Worth were seceding because they disagreed with the more inclusive direction the national church was taking. When she arrived at Trinity Episcopal in 2012, congregants were still healing from that contentious period. In her time there, she guided Trinity to expand spiritual practices, promote strong relationships with local schools, increase outreach activity, repair infra-structure, and complete a successful capital campaign.
Although she is a Texas native, Carlye is no stranger to the Northeast. Previously, she served as rector at St. Peter’s Episcopal Peekskill, a small multi-ethnic parish in the Hudson Valley, and worked at St. James’ Church, a large parish on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
The bishop of an Episcopal diocese is responsible for leading, supervising, and uniting the church. They provide Christian vision and leadership for their diocese. They also perform confirmation and reception services, as well as ordain new deacons and priests.
