Mass of Collegiality

In the picture above, I am the first face in the front on the left. The diocesan website has a wonderful collection of images posted here. On Tuesday of Holy Week, the Bishop and clergy gather for Mass at the Cathedral of St Vincent to reaffirm their ordination vows. As a sign of their unity, the priests concelebrate with the bishop, who also blesses the holy oils used in parishes church for the coming year. For me, it is one of the best moments of the year. The liturgy for the reaffirmation of vows is below.

After the Sermon (and Creed), the Bishop sits in a chair before the Altar and addresses those who are to renew their vows. They stand facing the Bishop, who says these or similar words

Dear friends, the ministry we share is none other than the sacrificial ministry of Christ, who gave himself up to death on the cross for the salvation of the world. By his glorious resurrection he has opened for us the way of everlasting life. By the gift of the Holy Spirit he shares with us the riches of his grace. We are called to proclaim his death and resurrection, to administer the Sacraments of the New Covenant which he sealed with his blood on the cross, and to care for his people in the power of the Spirit.

Do you here, in the presence of Christ and his Church, renew your commitment to your ministry, under the pastoral direction of your bishop?
Answer I do.

Bishop Do you reaffirm your promise to give yourself to prayer and study?
Answer I do.

Bishop Do you reaffirm your promise so to minister the Word of God and the Sacraments of the New Covenant that the reconciling love of Christ may be known and received?
Answer I do.

Bishop Do you reaffirm your promise to be a faithful servant of all those committed to your care, patterning your life in accordance with the teachings of Christ, so that you may be a wholesome example to your people?
Answer I do.

The Bishop then stands and makes this affirmation
And now, as your bishop, I, too, before God and you, re-dedicate myself and reaffirm the promises that I made when I was ordained. I ask your prayers.

Bishop and Clergy
May the Lord who has given us the will to do these things, give us also the grace and power to perform them.


I wanted to list the wonderful clergy that serve in the (Episcopal) Diocese of Fort Worth. I appreciate their partnership in the ministry of Christ and have love in my heart for each one of them and for our bishop. They are listed by date of incardination (their birth into the diocesan family either by ordination or transfer). Those before 1983 are listed according to their incardination in the pre-divided Diocese of Dallas.

CLERGY LICENSED IN THE DIOCESE
The Rev. Canon William E. Blewett
The Rev. Richard A. Cantrell
The Rev. Richard N. Clark
The Rev. Timothy R. Coppinger
The Rev. James A. Eanes
The Rev. Canon John H. Heidt
The Rev. James T. Horton, Jr.
The Rev. John E. Keene
The Rev. Nelson W. Koscheski,, Jr.
The Rev. Ronald F. Sims
The Rev. Terrance N. Jordan

DEACONS LICENSED IN THE DIOCESE
The Rev. Claire B. Linzel
The Rev. Donald R. Webb

DEACONS
04/16/05 The Rev. Dennis W. Helbert
04/2/05 The Rev. Nancy S. Weaver
05/29/04 The Rev. George L. Milyiori
10/12/02 The Rev. Susan E. Slaughter
10/12/02 The Rev. Sandra W. McCown
10/12/02 The Rev. Patricia A. Banks
01 /06/01 The Rev. Sharla J. Marks
09/24/00 The Rev. R. Mark Parker
06/27/98 The Rev. W. Ann Richards
06/06/96 The Rev. Janet G. Nocher
08/24/93 The Rev. Kerwin K. Wade
07/25/87 The Rev. Lana K. Farley

CANONICAL CLERGY
01 /01/06 The Rev. R. William Dickson
11/01/05 The Rev. Steven M. Pope
10/29/05 The Rev. Mark A. Stockstill
10/28/05 The Rev. Taylor Marshall
09/14/05 The Rev. Christopher P. Culpepper
08/20/05 The Rev. Lee M. Nelson
05/26/05 The Rev. Ronald B. Thomas
05/05/05 The Rev. DeWayne Adams
10/26/04 The Rev. Roger G. Grist
10/7/04 The Rev. Darryl J. Pigeon
03/13/04 The Rev. David A. Madison
03/26/03 The Rev. Joshua J. Whitfield
03/22/03 The Rev. John M. Phelps
03/22/03 The Rev. Davidson R. Morse
12/24/02 The Rev. S. Philip Swickard
10/08/02 The Very Rev. Christopher C. Allen
06/08/02 The Rev. James R. Reynolds
03/16/02 The Rev. Timothy M. Matkin
03/12/02 The Rev. Frank S. St. Amour, III
07/30/01 The Rev. Quintin G. Morrow
06/29/01 The Rev. Alex D. Moffat, Jr.
05/14/01 The Very Rev. J. Scott Wilson
05/01 /Ol The Rev. Robert O. Mitchell
02/06/01 The Rev. Felix O. Akinkugbe
02/02/01 The Rev. Walter W. Kesler
01/23/01 The Rev. Edward F. Kresowaty
01 /06/01 The Rev. Stephen W. Jones
10/19/00 The Rev. William C. Cantrell
04/24/00 The Rev. Burton A. Shadow
12/15/99 The Rev. Sergio Diaz
10/28/99 The Rev. James Frederick Barber
09/23/99 The Rev. James Stanley Sullivan
09/09/99 The Rev. David F. Klein
05/08/99 The Very Rev. Scott R. Wooten
11 /03/98 The Rev. Deuel C. Smith, Jr.
06/27/98 The Rev. Eric C. Mills
06/27/98 The Rev. Marvin B. Shannon
05/29/98 The Rev. David A. Edman
11 /04/97 The Rev. Russell E. Fisher, Jr.
08/25/97 The Rev. Bryant C. Bechtold
06/21 /97 The Rev. Zeke L. Rogers
10/18/96 The Rev. Robert L. Young
09/03/96 The Rev. Melvin A. Bridge
07/01 /96 The Rev. Thomas B. Kennedy
07/01/96 The Very Rev. Ryan S. Reed
04/22/96 The Rev. I. Jonathan Ogujiofor
10/16/95 The Rev. Christopher N. Jambor
09/11 /95 The Rev. Timothy P. Perkins
02/11 /94 The Rev. Ignacio J. Loyo
01 /31 /94 The Very Rev. Christopher T. Cantrell
12/28/93 The Rev. Tommy F. Bye
12/27/93 The Rev. W. Crews Giles
12/27/93 The Very Rev. Andrew F.L. Bradley
01 /30/93 The Rev. C. Gregory Sherwood
08/20/90 The Rev. Ronald R. Baskin
08/02/90 The Very Rev. Christopher C. Stainbrook
08/24/89 The Rev. H. Jay Atwood
08/17/89 The Rev. Alan E. McGlauchlin
10/06/88 The Rev. Louis H. Hayden
02/1 5/88 The Rev. William J. Taylor, III
12/23/87 The Rev. Jesse G. Smith
09/04/87 The Rev. Joseph H. Schley
07/25/87 The Rev. Vance C. Page
07/25/87 The Rev. William T. Stanford
05/07/87 The Rev. William L. Hobart
01 /Ol /87 The Rev. John G. Twyman
11/24/85 The Rev. J. Ronald Baker
10/15/85 The Rev. Henry C. Mayer
09/30/85 The Rev. Canon David E. Nyberg
03/1 3/85 The Rev. M. Gayland Pool
01 /1 8/85 The Rev. William P. Barrett, Sr.
09/1 1/84 The Rev. Thomas E. Hightower
09/11/84 The Rev. John G. Arthur
07/16/84 The Rev. Richard E. McHenry
04/13/84 The Rev. Vernon A Gotcher
08/23/83 The Rev. Earl D. Haverly, Jr.
08/04/83 The Rev. Jeffery A. Logan
08/01 /83 The Rev. Canon Courtland M. Moore
01 /Ol /83 The Rev. Efrain Huerta
09/05/82 The Rev. Canon Charles A. Hough III
03/16/82 The Rev. Stephen D. Carter
03/16/81 The Rev. Donald N. Kreymer
08/31/80 The Rev. William R. Belury
06/28/80 The Rev. Frank B. Reeves
11 /0l /78 The Rev. Thomas A. Powell
06/25/78 The Rev. Radford B. Allen, Jr.
09/14/77 The Rev. James U. Norwood
06/26/77 The Rev. Louis L. Tobola, Jr.
06/24/77 The Rev. Sam McClain
04/01/77 The Rev. William A. Komstedt
06/22/76 The Very Rev. William A. Crary, Jr.
09/05/75 The Rev. William H. Risinger, Jr.
09/01/75 The Rev. John H. Stanley, Jr.
06/17/75 The Rev. James A. Rogers
09/27/74 The Rev. Bertrand N. Honea, Jr.
08/25/74 The Rev. James A. Hazel
06/16/73 The Rev. Cecil Dow James
01/15/73 The Rev. John D. Payne
06/20/70 The Rev. Canon Billie R. Boyd
10/27/68 The Rev. V. Stanley Maneikis
09/21 /63 The Rev. George C. Kershaw
06/20/61 The Rev. Canon Laurens R. Williams
01/31 /49 The Rev. Canon James P. DeWolfe, Jr.


This is one of my favorite picture of "Father Jim," the senior priest of the diocese, and probably the best priest I have ever known.