At the special electing convention held on Saturday, April 5 at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Boston, lay and clergy delegates to the convention elected the Rev. Alan Gates, Rector of St. Paul’s Church in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, to be the next bishop of the Diocese. The. Rev. Gates was elected on the fourth ballot of the convention.

The bishop elect must now receive a majority of consents of the church’s diocesan bishops and diocesan Standing Committees. Pending those consents, his consecration will take place on Saturday, September 13th at the Agganis Arena at Boston University.

Left to right: Steve Spinetto, Dick Simeone, Lyn Brakeman, and Scott Squillace prepare for the vote.

Steve Spinetto and Scott Squillace, along with our rector Tom Mousin, were St. John’s lay delegates to the convention. Also present were Lyn Brakeman and Dick Simeone, retired priests and Priest Associates at St. John’s. More information about our new bishop and the the election, including individual ballot results, can be found here:

http://www.diomass.org/diocesan-news/alan-gates-ohio-elected-bishop-diocese-massachusetts

As is often the case, St. John’s was well represented at a diocesan event. Postluants Jay Jordan and Emily Garcia were both present, with Jay serving as a Marshall at the door and Emily helping to register folks as they arrived. And three priests who all served St. John’s were captured in a conversation which clearly had a decisive effect on the final ballot.

Marshalls (including Jay Jordan) graciously welcome the delegates.

Left to right: The Revs. Steve Ayres, Brian Murdoch, and Gareth Evans determining who will be the new bishop