Rejoice in the Risen Lord!
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
It is with great joy that you are invited to the Ordination and Consecration of the Reverend Dr. Sally J. French as the XIII Bishop of New Jersey on Saturday, June 24 at Trinity Cathedral, Trenton, NJ.
The Most Reverend Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church, will be the chief consecrator. The Right Reverend Kevin Robertson, Bishop of the Anglican Church of Canada, Diocese of Toronto will preach at the service.
All are welcome! There will be reserved seating in the nave, chapel, and a tent outside of Trinity Cathedral for clergy and congregational representatives. If necessary, overflow areas might be established. Since there will be seating available for those who want to be present that day, it is important to register. Please register through the link below by June 5th
Diocese of New Jersey Ordination and Consecration Registration
The Ordination and Consecration website provides much information and may address questions you may have, including the weekend schedule.
Diocese of New Jersey Ordination and Consecration Website
Please join us as we welcome our new bishop.
Participate via LIvestream
If you can’t join us in person, you might consider organizing a watch party at your parish or home to join in this celebration. Send us a photo of your watch party!
Ordination and Consecration will be livestreamed on the diocesan Facebook and YouTube page, as well as on this website at dioceseofnj.org/live
Special Choir
A special Diocesan Choir to sing for the Ordination and Consecration is being organized. Due to limited seating, we can only accommodate approximately 50 singers, with about 12 or 13 singers per part (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass). Sign up by responding to the choir section during registration.
Please also continue to keep Bishop-elect Sally, her husband, Fr. Clarke French, and their children, Jack and Libby, in your prayers, along with Bishop Chip and Susan Stokes and their family, as we all mark this time of transition together.
Yours in our Risen Lord,
Diocese of New Jersey Transition Committee
Volunteering at the Consecration
Your time and talents are needed for the Ordination and Consecration on June 24
If you are interested in participating in some way with the Ordination and Consecration, please let the Rev. Canon Valerie Balling know via email. Even if you have mentioned your interest previously, please contact her now. We are specifically looking for help from vergers, acolytes, ushers, and deacons to help with distributing Communion. Please note that you may or may not be asked to serve, depending on how much help we need. Bishop-Elect French and the Transition Committee are grateful for your interest and willingness to participate.
Consecration Donations
All the info needed for the consecration of the next Episcopal Bishop of New Jersey
- First woman as bishop of Diocese of New Jersey
- Diocese of New Jersey is 14 of the state’s 21 counties
- Website covers all important information https://www.bishopsearchnj.org/
- In person and online participation in the service offered
- Deadline for registration is June 5.
Complete and extensive information on the June 24 Ordination and Consecration of Sally J. French as the XIII Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey is now available at https://www.bishopsearchnj.org/
The deeply moving and sprit-filled Ordination and Consecration for French, the first woman to be a bishop in the diocese, will begin at 10 am at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, State St., Trenton. https://www.trinitycathedralnj.org/ Individuals and congregations will benefit from the all-inclusive data shared on the website, such as schedules, parking, and how to participate.
Additionally, links for watching the ordination and consecration on Facebook and YouTube are included, as well as at live.dioceseofnj.org
Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey
The Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey was founded in 1785. The first bishop was elected in 1815.
The Diocese encompasses 14 of the state’s 21 counties, from Rt. 78 and south.
There are 144 congregations, including seasonal, collegiate, and institutional chapels. The oldest congregation in the diocese is St. Peter’s in Perth Amboy, where services began in 1685.
Currently there is one retired bishop and 370 priests and deacons in the diocese, along with 55 clergy licensed to act.
Meet the new bishop
The Rev. Dr. Sally J. French was elected to be XIII Bishop of the Diocese of New Jersey on Jan. 28, 2023, and will be consecrated and seated on June 24.
Bishop-Elect French previously served as Canon for Regional Ministry and Collaborative Innovation in the Diocese of North Carolina. Her work provided congregational support to churches in Raleigh, Durham, and Rocky Mount. She worked with clergy and lay leaders to strengthen vitality and foster collaboration.
Prior to joining diocesan staff in North Carolina, Bishop-Elect French spent 20 years in parish ministry. She served congregations of all sizes and types, in a variety of roles and capacities. Most recently, she designed and oversaw the process to revise the Journey to Adulthood youth ministry curriculum, a program of Christian education for teens that has been used by thousands of Episcopal congregations since 1995.
Bishop-Elect French was raised in Toronto, Canada, in a secular home. She was baptized, confirmed, and sponsored for ordination through campus ministries at the University of Toronto.
She is married to the Rev. Clarke French, who was rector of Church of the Holy Family in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and they are parents to teenagers Jack and Libby.
For more information https://www.bishopsearchnj.org/
Links
Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey www.dioceseofnj.org
Ordination and Consecration https://www.bishopsearchnj.org/
Trinity Cathedral https://www.trinitycathedralnj.org/
The Episcopal Church www.episcopalchurch.org
Note to media: In-person, online, or phone interviews with Bishop-Elect French are available by contacting Steve Welch, 609-403-4100
