Christ Church Cathedral - Springfield, Massachusetts 02

The Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts is the

diocese 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 associa ...

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 ...

in the five western counties of

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

. Formed from a division of the

Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts is one of the nine original dioceses of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. History Massachusetts was founded by Puritans who did not accept such aspects of the Church of England as bisho ...

, it was officially recognized at the organizing convention of November 10, 1901. At a special meeting on January 22, 1902, Alexander Hamilton Vinton, Rector of All Saints Church in

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the second-List of cities i ...

, was elected first diocesan bishop. The first two Anglican parishes in what would become the diocese were started in Great Barrington in 1762 and Lanesborough in 1767 on the Housatonic River, at first served by priests from the

Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut The Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut (also known as The Episcopal Church in Connecticut) is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, encompassing the entire state of Connecticut. It is one of the nine original dioceses ...

. There are 67 congregations in the diocese. The Episcopal See is in the city of Springfield, Massachusetts. Since 1929, the

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

has been Christ Church Cathedral, which was built in 1874.

Shareholder activism

After the February, 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, on July 12, 2018 a resolution proposed by Western Massachusetts Episcopal Bishop Douglas John Fisher on a national plan to invest in firearms manufacturers and retailers as a form of shareholder advocacy was approved by 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.

during the 79th meeting of the

General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America The General Convention is the primary governing and legislative body of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. With the exception of the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Constitution and Canons, it is the ultimate authority ...

in Austin, Texas. The Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts purchased 200 shares, the minimum holding needed to qualify to formally submit shareholder resolutions, of Springfield, Massachusetts-based firearms manufacturer

American Outdoor Brands Corporation American Outdoor Brands, Inc., formerly known as Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation until 2016, is an American manufacturer of outdoor sports and recreation products, with a current 18 brands of outdoor equipment. Until 2020, it owned Smith & Wess ...

(AOBC), the parent company of

Smith & Wesson Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (S&W) is an American firearm manufacturer headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. Smith & Wesson was founded by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson as the "Smith & Wesson Revolver Company" in 1856 ...

. The Diocese partnered with the Adrian Dominican Sisters on a shareholder resolution asking AOBC to report to investors regarding the steps they are taking to reduce

gun violence Gun-related violence is violence committed with the use of a firearm. Gun-related violence may or may not be considered criminal. Criminal violence includes homicide (except when and where ruled justifiable), assault with a deadly weapon, and ...

. On February 8, 2019 AOBC released a 20-page report, which said, in summary, "AOBC’s reputation among firearm buyers and Second Amendment supporters is more critical to the success of the Company and the enhancement of shareholder value than its reputation among industry detractors and special interest groups with a political agenda."

Companion diocese

* Anglican Diocese of Kumasi

Bishops

# Alexander Hamilton Vinton (1902–11) # Thomas Frederick Davies (1911–36) # William Appleton Lawrence (1937–57) # Robert McConnell Hatch (1957–70) #

Alexander Doig Stewart Alexander Doig Stewart (January 27, 1926 - August 12, 1999) was bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts from 1970 to 1984. Education Stewart was born in 1926 in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Scottish parents, Alexander Doig St ...

(1970–84) # Andrew F. Wissemann (1984–92) # Robert S. Denig (1993–95) # Gordon Paul Scruton (1996–2012) # Douglas John Fisher (2012–present)

References

External links

Episcopal Diocese of Western MassachusettsChrist Church CathedralWeb site of the Episcopal Church
*
Journal of the Annual Meeting of the Convention, Diocese of Western Massachusetts
'

Western Massachusetts Western Massachusetts, known colloquially as “Western Mass,” is a region in Massachusetts, one of the six U.S. states that make up the New England region of the United States. Western Massachusetts has diverse topography; 22 colleges and u ...

Diocese of Western Massachusetts Christian organizations established in 1901 Province 1 of the Episcopal Church (United States) {{anglican-diocese-stub

Shareholder activism

Companion diocese

Bishops

See also

References

External links