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The Episcopal Diocese of New York is a
diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...
of the
Episcopal Church in the United States of America The Episcopal Church, based in the United States with additional dioceses elsewhere, is a member church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is divided into nine provinces. The presiding bishop o ...
, encompassing three
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
boroughs A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...
and seven
New York state New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...
counties.The Episcopal Diocese of New York, The Diocese
Retrieved 8 December 2022.
Established in 1785, it is one of the Episcopal Church's
original Originality is the aspect of created or invented works that distinguish them from reproductions, clones, forgeries, or substantially derivative works. The modern idea of originality is according to some scholars tied to Romanticism, by a notion t ...
dioceses In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...
. The current diocesan bishop is the Rt. Rev. Andrew Dietsche, whose seat is at the
Cathedral of Saint John the Divine The Cathedral of St. John the Divine (sometimes referred to as St. John's and also nicknamed St. John the Unfinished) is the cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. It is at 1047 Amsterdam Avenue in the Morningside Heights neighborhood ...
.The Episcopal Diocese of New York, Our Bishops
Retrieved 8 December 2022


Overview

The Diocese of New York contains approximately 190 places of worship in the
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
boroughs A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...
of
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
,
the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
and
Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...
and the
New York state New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...
counties of
Dutchess Dutchess County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 295,911. The county seat is the city of Poughkeepsie, New York, Poughkeeps ...
,
Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...
, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan,
Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...
and Westchester. Beyond New York City, the diocese is divided into two regions (Region II and the Mid-Hudson Region), which are made up of geographical deaneries, each of which is known as a "clericus". The diocese was established in 1785 after the
Anglican Church Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the ...
was disestablished following the
American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
, and is one of the nine original dioceses of the Episcopal Church. It is one of ten dioceses, plus the
Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe The Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe (formerly the Convocation of American Churches in Europe) is a jurisdiction of the Episcopal Church created in 1859 by an action of its general convention. The convocation includes all Episcopal cong ...
, that make up Province 2. The diocese is led by the Rt. Rev. Andrew Dietsche, 16th Bishop of New York, who is assisted by the Rt. Rev. Allen K. Shin as bishop suffragan and the Rt. Rev. Mary Glasspool as assistant bishop. Dietsche is expected to retire in 2024 and will be succeeded as diocesan bishop by the Rev. Matthew Heyd, currently rector of the
Church of the Heavenly Rest The Church of the Heavenly Rest is an Episcopal church located on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 90th Street, opposite Central Park and the Carnegie Mansion, on the Upper East Side of New York City. The church is noted for the architecture of i ...
in New York City.Episcopal Diocese of New York Bishop Search, "The Rev. Matthew Foster Heyd Is Bishop Coadjutor-Elect of the Episcopal Diocese of New York"
3 December 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
The Bishop's seat is the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on Amsterdam Avenue in
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
, where the diocesan offices are also located. The national headquarters of the Episcopal Church are also located in the diocese, at 815 Second Avenue. The diocese has approximately 50,000 members and 500 canonically resident priests.


History


Colonial and revolutionary period

Anglicanism Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the ...
in New York can be traced to the
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
acquisition of the territory from the
Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...
in the latter part of the 17th century. In 1664 the English king, Charles II, awarded the
Province of New York The Province of New York (1664–1776) was a British proprietary colony and later royal colony on the northeast coast of North America. As one of the Middle Colonies, New York achieved independence and worked with the others to found the Uni ...
to his brother, the Duke of York (later James II),New York to Pennsylvania 1664-1744 by Sanderson Beck
/ref> and English rule over New York was firmly established by 1674. Initially, since James II was a
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
, little was done to promote the
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
in New York, but in 1683 the '' New York Charter of Liberties and Privileges'' was adopted, guaranteeing religious tolerance and liberty, and, after the
Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...
, the English monarchy actively promoted the growth of the Church of England in the province. In 1693 it became the province's
established church A state religion (also called religious state or official religion) is a religion or creed officially endorsed by a sovereign state. A state with an official religion (also known as confessional state), while not secular, is not necessarily a t ...
, although certain accommodations were made for the
Dutch Reformed Church The Dutch Reformed Church (, abbreviated NHK) was the largest Christian denomination in the Netherlands from the onset of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century until 1930. It was the original denomination of the Dutch Royal Family and ...
. In 1693, the first Anglican parish in New York, St. Peters Church, was founded in what was the town of Westchester (today Westchester Square in the Bronx) followed a year later by Trinity Church in lower Manhattan. With royal patronage and the assistance of the
Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Societi ...
, other churches were founded in the ensuing decades, such as Grace Church (now Christ's Church) in Rye in 1705. As Anglicanism grew in New York and throughout the American colonies, the Church of England began to see the need to establish an episcopate in the Americas. This plan caused fear among a number of colonists and may have contributed to the
American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
. The Church's involvement in the creation of King's College (now
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
) and its large endowment, far surpassing all other
colonial colleges The colonial colleges are nine institutions of higher education chartered in the Thirteen Colonies before the United States of America became a sovereign nation after the American Revolution. These nine have long been considered together, notably ...
of the period, added to the fear of creating an
episcopacy A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
and of
Crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...
influence in America through the College. During the Revolution, many thought that the Church harbored loyalties to
George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
. It has been estimated that as many as 90 percent of Anglican clergymen in the diocese remained loyal to the Crown during the revolution.


Post-revolutionary period

After the Revolution, the Church was disestablished and a number of prominent clergymen were imprisoned, including
Samuel Seabury Samuel Seabury (November 30, 1729February 25, 1796) was the first American Episcopal bishop, the second Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, and the first Bishop of Connecticut. He was a leading Loyalist ...
, rector of St. Peter’s in the Bronx, who later became the first Bishop of Connecticut. After an act was passed in
Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
whereby the English bishops were empowered to confer the episcopate upon men who were not subject to the British Crown,
Samuel Provoost Samuel Provoost (March 11, 1742 – September 6, 1815) was an American Clergyman. He was the first Chaplain of the United States Senate and the first Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, as well as the third Presiding Bishop of the Epis ...
was consecrated as the first Bishop of New York in 1787. Two years later, the Episcopal Church formally separated from the Church of England so that its clergy would not be required to take an oath of allegiance to the Crown. The selection of Provoost served to mollify anti-Anglican sentiments that had arisen during the Revolution. In his ''Addresses on the History of the United States Senate'', Senator
Robert Byrd Robert Carlyle Byrd (born Cornelius Calvin Sale Jr.; November 20, 1917 – June 28, 2010) was an American politician and musician who served as a United States senator from West Virginia for over 51 years, from 1959 until his death in 2010. A ...
noted that in the years before the Revolution Provoost "was a passionate Whig, and his sympathy for the colonies against English rule did not sit well with his wealthy loyalist congregation. Before long, his patriotism cost him his parish. During the Revolution, Provoost ... narrowly escaped capture and death at the hands of the British". Having thus established his revolutionary credentials, Provoost was chosen as the first
chaplain of the United States Senate The chaplain of the United States Senate opens each session of the United States Senate with a prayer, and provides and coordinates religious programs and pastoral care support for senators, their staffs, and their families. The chaplain is appoi ...
in 1789, when the government was based in New York. Immediately following his inauguration as the first
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
,
George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
, together with members of Congress, proceeded to St. Paul's Chapel, where Provoost led a service of prayer for the new government.


Later history

In the 1830s and 1840s the
Oxford Movement The Oxford Movement was a movement of high church members of the Church of England which began in the 1830s and eventually developed into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose original devotees were mostly associated with the University of O ...
caused controversies and divisions within the diocese, as it did elsewhere within the Episcopal Church and the broader Anglican communion. In New York, the divisions crystallized in a dispute over the ordination of
Arthur Carey Arthur Carey (June 26, 1822 – April 4, 1844) was an Episcopal churchman known for his support of the Oxford Movement. His controversial ordination sparked heated debate not only within the Episcopal Church but in the United States in gene ...
. A graduate of the
General Theological Seminary The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church (GTS) is an Episcopal seminary in New York City. Founded in 1817, GTS is the oldest seminary of the Episcopal Church and the longest continuously operating Seminary in the Anglican Communi ...
, Carey had been greatly influenced by the ''
Tracts for the Times The Tracts for the Times were a series of 90 theological publications, varying in length from a few pages to book-length, produced by members of the English Oxford Movement, an Anglo-Catholic revival group, from 1833 to 1841. There were about a do ...
'', and as his ordination approached, he was opposed by a number of clergy and laity. Benjamin Onderdonk and other presbyters conducted an examination of Carey, which ultimately found him fit for ordination, and he was thus ordained in 1843. The dispute did not end, however, and a number of letters were published accusing Carey and ultimately Onderdonk of being overly sympathetic to
Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
. The controversy spread beyond the diocese, and at least one other diocese adopted a resolution condemning Onderdonk. As the controversy continued, charges were presented to the
House of Bishops The House of Bishops is the third House in a General Synod of some Anglican churches and the second house in the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.
alleging that Onderdonk had committed an "immoral act" with a Mrs. Butler and other women (charges of intoxication were also mentioned, but downplayed).Project Canterbury: Statement of Bishop Meade
/ref> After a trial, the House of Bishops suspended Onderdonk in 1845.
Whether or not this was the result of the dispute over the issues raised by the Carey affair was hotly debated at the time, in a series of tracts and published letters of the parties involved. After Onderdonk's suspension, the episcopacy was vacant for seven years until
Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright I Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright I (February 24, 1792 – September 21, 1854) was a provisional Episcopal bishop in Manhattan, New York City. Early life Wainwright was born in Liverpool, England on February 24, 1792. He was the son of Peter Wainwrig ...
was called as Provisional Bishop in 1852. The healing work that he began in the diocese was continued by his successor,
Horatio Potter Horatio Potter (February 9, 1802 – January 2, 1887), was an educator and the sixth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. Dearth of biographical information Potter "shrank from public notice, left no literary monument and has, regrettabl ...
, under whose leadership the Episcopal Church continued to grow. As a result of this growth, it was decided to split the diocese into four separate areas in 1868, with the creation of the dioceses of
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
, Albany and
Western New York Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all sources agree WNY in ...
. Under Potter's nephew and successor, Henry Codman Potter, plans were developed and, after much deliberation, a site was chosen for the construction of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, in the Morningside Heights area of Manhattan. The cornerstone was laid in 1892 and the Cathedral was consecrated and opened for worship in 1911. Since the late 19th century, and especially in the mid-to-late 20th century, the diocese has been noted for its social activism, with Bishops Horace Donegan and Paul Moore, for example, prominent advocates of the
civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...
movement. It was under Donegan that the diocese permitted women to serve on vestries and ordained its first women deacons and priests. The late 20th and early 21st centuries have been marked by increased diversity. During Bishop Mark Sisk's tenure, Japanese- and Spanish-speaking congregations were established, and, as of 2022, worship services were offered in the diocese in at least 10 languages, including Spanish, French, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Igbo. In 1996 Episcopal Charities was founded to fund local programs and, as of 2022, has provided some $17 million in support.


Bishops of New York

The following have served as diocesan bishops, provisional bishops, bishops coadjutor, bishops suffragan or assistant bishops in the Diocese of New York:


Diocesan bishops


Bishops suffragan


Assistant bishops


Churches

As of 2022, there were approximately 190 Episcopal places of worship in the diocese, located in the New York
boroughs A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...
of
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
,
the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
and
Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...
and in the
New York state New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...
counties of
Dutchess Dutchess County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 295,911. The county seat is the city of Poughkeepsie, New York, Poughkeeps ...
,
Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...
, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan and
Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...
and Westchester. They include the following, some of which may no longer be active:The Episcopal Diocese of New York, Maps of the Diocese
Retrieved 8 December 2022.


New York City


Manhattan


Staten Island


The Bronx


Dutchess County


Orange County


Putnam County


Rockland County


Sullivan County


Ulster County


Westchester County


Educational and other institutions


Schools

The following schools are located within the Diocese of New York and affiliated with the Episcopal Church:


Spiritual communities

Anglican spiritual communities and religious orders active within the Diocese of New York include:


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:New York Episcopal Diocese of New York Episcopal Church in New York (state) New York New York Province 2 of the Episcopal Church (United States) Christianity in New York City Episcopal bishops of New York Religious organizations established in 1785