What a glorious day! We celebrated the ordination and consecration of our third bishop, the Right Reverend Mary Gray-Reeves, with joy and thanksgiving. Planning for the ordination began months ago, and the Standing Committee is grateful for the all the thought, care and prayer that resulted in a day we will all remember. We join Bishop Mary in giving special thanks to:

• The Rev. Mary Morrison, Chair of the Transition Committee, liturgical coordinator, for her tireless and diligent efforts in attending to every detail;
• The Rev. Katherine Baginski Doar, Chair of the Ordination Sub-Committee;
• St. Andrew’s Parish for hosting the ordination;
• The vergers, acolytes, presenters, litanists, lectors, marshalls and gospellers;
  The ministers of communion and the clergy and laity who served at the altar;
  The singers and musicians for creating beautiful music for the ordination and reception;
• The sound team for helping us hear it all and the photographers for recording this special day;
• The Rev. Paul Eustace and the security team;
• Ms. Jen Ezell for coordinating the reception at St. Andrew’s;
• Mr. Bruce Friesen, Mr. Timothy Gee, Ms. Lynda Alexander, and the staff of St. Andrew’s for all their contributions to the day;
• Mr. Philip Gould and the usher team;
• Ms. Diane Martin and the greeters;
• The Rev. Bob Mayer and the crew of bishops’ drivers;
• The Rev. Cynthia Montague for arranging the children’s program;
• The Altar Guilds and Flower Guilds of St. Andrew’s, Saratoga and St. Francis’, San Jose;
• St. Jude’s, Cupertino and Ms. Linda Morris, chair, for hosting the bishops’ and participants’ reception;
• Ms. Edy Unthank for communications;
• The Rev. Jo Weber for ticket coordination;
• Mr. Hugh Wright and the parking team;
• The Rev. Max and Ann Wright for hospitality;
• St. Stephen’s-in-the-Field, San Jose for hosting the clergy and lay leaders’ meeting with Bishop Katharine;
• All who volunteered their gifts of time and talent to make this special day happen!

Bishop Mary’s ordination begins a new segment of our journey together as God’s people in the Diocese of El Camino Real. The Standing Committee has met for the last time in its role as Ecclesiastical Authority and is resuming its more usual canonical role. Members of the Standing Committee will continue to serve as liaisons to the Board of Trustees, the Commission on Ministry and the Department of Missions to support communication during this transitional time. Following the passage of the revised diocesan canons at our October meeting of Convention, we are putting into place the structure we decided on at Convention in 2006. The newly-formed Board of Trustees has met for the first time, the restructured Department of Missions will gather soon for its first meeting, and Bishop Mary will be meeting with the deaneries early in 2008 to lead discernment of the path ahead. We are on our way—stepping out into yet another transition as the Bishop and People of El Camino Real.

Your Standing Committee gives thanks for each person in the diocese—for the support you have given us during these last years and for the prayer, courage and work that has brought us with God’s abundant grace to this new place. As our diocese moves forward, we build on the work of the past years, and we encourage you to continue the process of dialogue that has been the vehicle for our ongoing healing and renewed focus on our mission.

Linda Taylor
President, Standing Committee