Sean W. Rowe
Encyclopedia
Sean W. Rowe is the eighth Episcopal
Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania
.
and Virginia Theological Seminary
. He was, at age 24, the youngest Episcopal priest in the United States
at the time of his ordination, in December 2000. He was rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Franklin, Pennsylvania, in the Diocese of Northwestern PA.
At the time of his election, Rowe was 32 years old, and would become the youngest member of the House of Bishops. Rowe was elected on the first ballot from a slate of four candidates, with 64 lay votes and 29 clergy votes. The election was at the Cathedral of Saint Paul
in Erie, Pennsylvania
on May 19, 2007. In October 2009, Bishop Rowe was granted an honorary doctorate in divinity from the Virginia Theological Seminary
. Bishop Rowe received an appointment to the Theology faculty at Gannon University
, PA, in 2008.
Rowe was consecrated on September 8, 2007. The consecrators included Presiding Bishop
Katharine Jefferts Schori
, Rowe's predecessor Bishop Robert D. Rowley, Jr.
, retired Bishop J. Mark Dyer of the Diocese of Bethlehem, Ralph E. Jones, bishop of the Northwestern PA Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), Arthur Williams
, retired Bishop suffragan of the Diocese of Ohio
, and Wayne P. Wright, bishop of Delaware
.
Rowe is still the youngest bishop in that branch of the church at the age of 34.
In October 2009, Bishop Rowe was given a commission as a Kentucky Colonel by the Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky after being nominated by several clergy of his diocese. The mission of the Honorable Order of the Kentucky Colonels is “irrevocably dedicated to and is organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes." http://www.kycolonels.org Funds from the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels have been utilized for the purchase of wheelchairs for muscular dystrophy victims, for the distribution of books to school children.
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania
Episcopal Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania
The Episcopal Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania is one of the Dioceses of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.Sean W. Rowe is the eighth Episcopal Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania. He is, as of July 2008, at age 33, the youngest bishop in the...
.
Education and early career
Rowe graduated from Grove City CollegeGrove City College
Grove City College is a Christian liberal arts college in Grove City, Pennsylvania, about north of Pittsburgh. According to the College Bulletin, its stated three-fold mission is to provide an excellent education at an affordable price in a thoroughly Christian environment...
and Virginia Theological Seminary
Virginia Theological Seminary
Virginia Theological Seminary , formally called the Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in Virginia, is the largest accredited Episcopal seminary in the United States. Founded in 1818, VTS is situated on an campus in Alexandria, Virginia, just a few miles from downtown Washington, DC. VTS...
. He was, at age 24, the youngest Episcopal priest in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at the time of his ordination, in December 2000. He was rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Franklin, Pennsylvania, in the Diocese of Northwestern PA.
Election and consecration
Cathedral of Saint Paul
St Paul's Cathedral is a cathedral in London, England.St. Paul's Cathedral or the Cathedral of Saint Paul or the Cathedral Church of Saint Paul or other variations of the name may also refer to:Australia...
in Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
on May 19, 2007. In October 2009, Bishop Rowe was granted an honorary doctorate in divinity from the Virginia Theological Seminary
Virginia Theological Seminary
Virginia Theological Seminary , formally called the Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in Virginia, is the largest accredited Episcopal seminary in the United States. Founded in 1818, VTS is situated on an campus in Alexandria, Virginia, just a few miles from downtown Washington, DC. VTS...
. Bishop Rowe received an appointment to the Theology faculty at Gannon University
Gannon University
Gannon University is a private, co-educational Catholic university offering associate's, bachelor's, and master's degrees, certificates and doctoral degrees and is located in Erie, Pennsylvania. Gannon University has an alumni base numbering around 31,500. Current enrollment is 4,238.Gannon's...
, PA, in 2008.
Rowe was consecrated on September 8, 2007. The consecrators included Presiding Bishop
Presiding Bishop
The Presiding Bishop is an ecclesiastical position in some denominations of Christianity.- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America :The Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is the chief ecumenical officer of the church, and the leader and caretaker for the bishops of the...
Katharine Jefferts Schori
Katharine Jefferts Schori
Katharine Jefferts Schori is the 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States. Previously elected as the 9th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada, she is the first woman elected as a primate of the Anglican Communion...
, Rowe's predecessor Bishop Robert D. Rowley, Jr.
Robert D. Rowley, Jr.
Robert D. Rowley, Jr. was the seventh bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania.Rowley was ordained to the priesthood in 1978 and was ordained bishop in 1991. Prior to his ordaination, Rowley was a lawyer and served in the United States Navy.-Notes:...
, retired Bishop J. Mark Dyer of the Diocese of Bethlehem, Ralph E. Jones, bishop of the Northwestern PA Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), Arthur Williams
Arthur Williams
Arthur or Art Williams may refer to:*Arthur Williams , actor*Arthur Williams , Anglican colonial bishop*Arthur Williams , American boxer*Arthur Williams...
, retired Bishop suffragan of the Diocese of Ohio
Episcopal Diocese of Ohio
The Episcopal Diocese of Ohio is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the northern half of the state of Ohio.The see city is Cleveland, home of Trinity Cathedral, the cathedral of the diocese. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr...
, and Wayne P. Wright, bishop of Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
.
Rowe is still the youngest bishop in that branch of the church at the age of 34.
In October 2009, Bishop Rowe was given a commission as a Kentucky Colonel by the Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky after being nominated by several clergy of his diocese. The mission of the Honorable Order of the Kentucky Colonels is “irrevocably dedicated to and is organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes." http://www.kycolonels.org Funds from the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels have been utilized for the purchase of wheelchairs for muscular dystrophy victims, for the distribution of books to school children.
See also
- List of Bishop Succession in the Episcopal ChurchSuccession of Bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United StatesThis list consists of the bishops in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, an independent province of the Anglican Communion. This shows the historic succession of the episcopate within this denomination.-Key to chart:...