Blog - The Episcopal Diocese of Olympia

Updates from the Joint Board for Bishop Transition of the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia

Dear members of the Diocese of Olympia, The Joint Board for Bishop Transition of the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia is very pleased to announce the launch of our official transition website and the opening of applications for our Bishop Search Committee. You can find information and a timeline about the transition process, our Charge to the Bishop Search Committee, and application forms for joining the search committee. The deadline to apply for the search committee is March 31. If you

Lent: A Message from Bishop Skelton

Greetings, People of the Diocese of Olympia. I’ve long been a fan of the author, Belden Lane, and he is the author of an important book in my life entitled, “The Solace of Fierce Landscapes,” which by the way is the best title of a book ever. In that book, Lane talks about the connection between desert or wilderness spirituality and what he himself experiences during his many walks and hikes in the wilderness. About this, Lane quotes late 19th

A Greeting from Bishop Skelton

“In my experience, times of transition are emotional times, times when we can bounce around between feeling grief, confusion, excitement about a new thing about to happen, all within moments of each other. If you’re feeling any or all of these things, know that it’s normal, at least that’s what I tell myself.” Bishop Skelton offers her greetings as she begins her time as Bishop Provisional for the Diocese of Olympia, as well as her approach to serving as Bishop

Bishop’s Task Force on Homelessness: Olympia and Shoreline

From Don Fornoff, member of Bishop’s Task Force on Homelessness: The Washington State Legislature has provided some movement towards dealing with homelessness and the housing crisis in the State. And as usual, some push back. But still, many parishes keep motoring on, as is the case at St. Dunstan’s in Shoreline. The Bishop’s Task Force on Homelessness has some thoughts for the diocese about these places. First, in Olympia, neither HB 1389 (rent stabilization) nor HB 1124 (6 month’s notice

Creation Care Advisory Announcement

We have exciting news about diocesan Creation Care! A small group of members from various parishes has come together to form an advisory group focused on Creation Care. Together we have developed a set of offerings that (a) present ideas and raise up activities taking place in parishes across the diocese; (b) provide an opportunity to collectively take steps to meet, share, and together appreciate the importance of Creation Care and further Climate Justice; and (c) collate information from across

Don’t Rain on my Parade: An Occasional Paper on Property Management in the Diocese of Olympia Series

From the Rev. Dr. Dennis S. Tierney, Diocesan Property Manager: Photo by Tanya Paquet on Unsplash Some of you may know that the insurance premiums went up in 2023. Part of the reason for the increase from Church Insurance is that several of our congregations made large claims last year which influenced all our rates. Most of the large claims were because of water damage to buildings and furnishings. Some of the water damage came from broken pipes, or leaking

The Most Rev. Frank Griswold, 1937-2023

Greetings, People of the Diocese of Olympia, I was very sad to learn over the weekend about the death of former Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, also the former Bishop of the Diocese of Chicago. Frank was one of those quiet, competent, learned, articulate people whose well-tended spiritual life was obvious, even palpable, when you met him. At one point during my vocational path, Frank invited me into the ordination process in Chicago, something I did not end up pursuing. He

On the One-Year Anniversary of the Invasion of Ukraine

Greetings, people of the Diocese of Olympia, Today is the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In these last 12 months unspeakable atrocities have been inflicted on the Ukrainian people, leading to a humanitarian crisis that will be with them, with the Russian people, and with all of us for years to come. Poet William Stafford, Poet Laureate of Oregon from 1975-1990, is my favorite poet, mostly for the blunt yet humble utterances he has left us that speak

Advocacy for the Homeless

From Donald Fornoff, Member of the Bishop’s Task Force on Homelessness The Bishop’s Task Force on Homelessness continues to reach out to parishes and congregants to continue the works of ‘loving our neighbors as ourselves.’ There are so many good things being accomplished throughout the Diocese of Olympia, which the Task Force wishes to highlight soon. Right now, however, the Legislature continues its’ work to bring bills online to address homelessness. It becomes a matter of providing a framework to

A Prayer and Resources for Black History Month

Greetings, People of the Diocese of Olympia In a meeting of the Circles of Color that I attended on February 1, the following prayer was prayed by Canon Carla Robinson. I was very moved by it and wanted to share it with all of you as something you might pray during Black History Month. May God bless the memory of Tyre Nichols. We pray for his family during this time of unspeakable loss and grief. His life mattered. Tragically we

Creation Care Advisory Group Seeks Members

Carrying the exciting momentum and energy from Convention, we have gathered a group to guide and organize the diocese’s efforts around Creation Care. You can watch this video to learn more about what our diocesan effort may look like through the experience of the Diocese of San Diego. The committee is currently formulating and discerning how to best connect the dots between parishes to collaborate and share Creation Care resources, events, actions, and liturgies. We hope to offer opportunities and

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