Who will be our new Bishop?

Who will be our new Bishop?

Some Background Your church is part of The Episcopal Church, which has churches all over the world. This is the shield of the Episcopal Church. It is like a history lesson for our church. The Episcopal Church in America was founded in 1789, as a separate group from The Church of England. However, this seal was not adopted until 1940. The shield is red, white and blue, the same colors as our American flag. The whole background (which is called the field) is white with a red St. George s cross. St. George is the patron saint of the Church of England (this helps us remember our roots!). Just like the American flag, the section in the top left corner is blue. In that section, there are nine small crosses that symbolize the original nine dioceses of the USA in 1789. The X formation is in remembrance of St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland. This reminds us that The Church of Scotland ordained Samuel Seabury to be the first American BISHOP in 1784. Color it in! 1

But what is a Diocese? The Unites States is a big place, and so The Episcopal Church divides it up into 9 provinces, and these are further divided into 99 dioceses. Dioceses are to the national church like what states are to the country. Color each Province a different color! Our Diocese is part of Province 3, which includes all of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, DC. Notice that there are five Dioceses in Pennsylvania The Diocese of Pennsylvania, The Diocese of Bethlehem The Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania The diocese of Pittsburgh and our diocese, The Diocese of Central Pennsylvania you can see how we got our name: Our diocese goes from the border of Maryland all the way to the border of New York! Color the Dioceses of Province 3 too! 2

OUR Diocese The Diocese of Central Pennsylvania is comprised of 12,827 people in 65 parishes. Can you find your church? + Harrisburg 3

The Seal of Our Diocese Just like The Episcopal Church has a shield as a symbol, each diocese has a seal. This is the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania Seal. The overall shape is called a vesica; it represents a fish, an ancient Christian symbol. The crest is a mitre, key and a crozier symbols for the Episcopacy. On a Celtic cross (a reminder of our ties with the Church of England) is a dove descending. This is a symbol for God s Holy Spirit. The symbols above the cross are: a crescent for John Harris (founder of Harrisburg); a white rose with a red center (for Lancaster and York); and a plate for William Penn (founder of Pennsylvania). On the edges is the motto of the Diocese Spiritu Dum Spiro Spero which when translated means In the Spirit, while I breathe I hope. Ask for help to know what colors it should be! 4

So what is a BISHOP? The Bishop is a Priest especially ordained to lead the diocese. The Bishop acts as the authority of Christ in our diocese. His or her role is to teach and care for the spiritual needs of the Priests and people of the diocese. Bishops visit each church regularly. They baptize and confirm members, and ordain priests and deacons of the diocese. Who picks the Bishop? At a special meeting, the new Bishop will be elected. Every priest and deacon gets a vote. Most importantly, the laity (the people of the church) vote. Each parish has at least one laity vote; more are given according to how many people there are in the parish. Color this church full of people to look like your church friends! 5

A Bishop can be a WOMAN OR A MAN. The Presiding Bishop (the Bishop of the entire Episcopal Church) is Katharine Jefferts Schori. She will be here to help consecrate our new bishop. A Bishop has special clothes that they wear when they visit. These are called VESTMENTS, and the bishop has two wardrobes for services: formal, and informal. Color in Katharine Jefferts Schori s formal vestments! 6

The Formal Attire Mitre Crozier A bishop wears a cope, mitre, pectoral cross, and carries a crozier at formal occasions. Cope Cross The outfit is usually in the colors preferred for the church season. Do you know what the church year colors are? Fill in the grid with the color for each season. Advent Christmas Epiphany Lent Easter Pentecost Season after Pentecost 7

The Cope A Shepherd s Cloak This is a long cape, worn when Holy Eucharist is celebrated. It is like a shepherd s cloak that could shelter a lamb. The cope can be quite plain or very ornate it s up to the bishop who wears it. Which would you like? It can also be any of the colors of the church year, or white which can be worn at any service at which the bishop presides. Finally, it can be multicolored, with a design over the whole thing; this could also be worn at any time. 8

The Mitre A Special Hat The Mitre is a symbol of the bishop s authority. It is a folding, pointed hat with lappets that drape down the back of the neck. It generally matches the cope. The top is shaped like the flames of Pentecost; we don t know where the lappets came from. Some people say it shows the water of baptism flowing down. Like the cope, the mitre can be very simple or quite fancy, with silver, gold and jewels! Make yours as plain or fancy as you want! 9

The Informal Outfit The informal wardrobe is made up of several colorful layers. First, they put on a purple robe called a cassock. This is covered by a gown that looks like a nightgown, which is called a rochet. It has gathered sleeves that have bands of either red of black at the wrists. Over the rochet, the bishop wears a long red or black vest that is called a chimere. Stole To finish the outfit, the bishop wears a stole draped over the neck. The stole is the proper color for the church season. Do you think bishops get hot in all those clothes? Rochet Color your casual bishop in either red or black as described. Cassock A Bishop has some special things given to them as gifts when they are consecrated. Let s look Chimere 10

The Crozier A Shepherd s Staff A Bishop carries a crozier to symbolize that he or she is the shepherd of his or her flock. The crozier is a walking stick to show that the bishop s call is to travel near and far to preach the Gospel. The curved end is like the crook a shepherd uses to lead lambs along, and the pointed end symbolizes the bishop s role in defending the faith. Sometimes the bishop will use the crozier to knock on the door of a church! 11

The Pectoral Cross The bishop s pectoral cross is usually a large cross hanging from the neck by a cord or chain that reaches far down on the chest, below the heart. It is distinguished by its size up to 6 inches! Like all of the other bishop s signs of authority, the bishop has the say over whether this cross will be plain or ornate. This is the actual size of one bishop s pectoral cross! 12

The Bishop s Ring A Signature Seal A new bishop receives a very special ring as a gift when consecrated. Sometimes it is handed down from the previous bishop, and sometimes it is made new. Like a wedding ring, it is a symbol of commitment, the bishop s commitment to the Church and the people under his or her care. Most bishops rings are often set with an amethyst stone, which is purple remember that purple is the bishop s special color. The stone, or the gold, if the ring has no stone, is usually engraved with the seal of the diocese, or the new bishop s personal design. He or she uses it to mark a wax seal on ordination and other important documents. In olden times, a bishop s ring was smashed to bits so that no one could use it before the rest of the world knew of the bishop s death! Design a ring that shows your commitment to the Church! 13

The Cathedra A Special Seat for a Special Visitor You may have a special chair or throne in your church that is reserved for the bishop. It s not that no one else can sit in it; but when the bishop is at your church, he or she sits there. Having this chair in your church symbolizes that the bishop, rather than the parish priest, is the authority over the local church. Do you have a cathedra in your church? Ask if you can sit in it (not when the bishop is in town)! 14

Follow the maze to get the new bishop from Harrisburg to your church! A publication of The Diocese of Central Pennsylvania Search Committee With thanks to The Diocese of Alabama and The Diocese of Wyoming 15