Spence Burton
Encyclopedia
The Rt Rev
Spence Burton, SSJE was an Anglican Bishop
in the mid 20th century and the first American to be consecrated a Bishop
in the Church of England
.
Born in 1881 and educated at Harvard University
he was ordained in 1908. After a short spell as an assistant priest
at St John the Evangelist, Boston
he was to spend the next 30 years with the Society of St. John the Evangelist
eventually becoming Father Superior of the American Congregation. In 1939 he was appointed Suffragan Bishop
of Haiti
and the Dominican Republic
. Three years later he was translated
to Nassau
, finally resigning in 1962. He died on 15 February 1966. A college he founded during his Episcopate recently celebrated its 60th anniversary.
Right Reverend
The Right Reverend is a style applied to certain religious figures.*In the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church in Great Britain it applies to bishops except that The Most Reverend is used for archbishops .*In some churches with a...
Spence Burton, SSJE was an Anglican Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
in the mid 20th century and the first American to be consecrated a Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
.
Born in 1881 and educated at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
he was ordained in 1908. After a short spell as an assistant priest
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at St John the Evangelist, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
he was to spend the next 30 years with the Society of St. John the Evangelist
Society of St. John the Evangelist
The Society of St John the Evangelist is an Anglican religious order for men. The members live under a rule of life and, at profession, make monastic vows of poverty, celibacy and obedience. The SSJE was founded in 1866 at Cowley, Oxford, England, by the Father Richard Meux Benson, a priest in the...
eventually becoming Father Superior of the American Congregation. In 1939 he was appointed Suffragan Bishop
Suffragan bishop
A suffragan bishop is a bishop subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop. He or she may be assigned to an area which does not have a cathedral of its own.-Anglican Communion:...
of Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
and the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. Three years later he was translated
Translation (ecclesiastical)
Translation is the technical term when a Bishop is transferred from one diocese to another.This can be* From Suffragan Bishop status to Diocesan Bishop*From Coadjutor bishop to Diocesan Bishop*From one country's Episcopate to another...
to Nassau
Bishop of Nassau
The Bishop of Nassau was an episcopal title given to the Ordinary of the Diocese of Nassau, from its formation in 1861 until it was retitled the Diocese of Nassau and The Bahamas in 1942.-References:...
, finally resigning in 1962. He died on 15 February 1966. A college he founded during his Episcopate recently celebrated its 60th anniversary.