Episcopal Visitations

  An official visit by one of our bishops is and should be a significant event in the life of any congregation. The bishops are outward and visible signs of the Episcopal ethos, which makes us Episcopalians and which binds the tens of thousands of us in ten counties together as the Episcopal Diocese of New York, an identity in mission transcending parish bounds.  

2023 Visitation Schedule (March 23)

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The schedule of visitations is created each year in the early fall, and sent out to all parishes before the calendar year ends. The sending of this schedule has been done in recent years as an electronic communication to all priests and deacons, wardens and church offices. Parishes which are scheduled to receive a visitation in the forthcoming year are invited to request preferred dates by email to Arlene Bullard between June 17 and September 15, and everything possible will be done to accommodate those requests. In addition to the regularly scheduled visitations by the three bishops of the diocese, we are also able to provide, from time to time, visitations by Bishops Wolf, Sauls and others. In this way we can best work to meet the needs of parishes that require a visit for the purpose of confirmation during their “off year.” Please arrange for such visitations through Arlene Bullard. A parish receiving a visitation should expect that the visiting bishop will preach and celebrate the Eucharist. It is not necessary that there be confirmations at the time of the visitation. The sacraments of initiation – baptism and confirmation – are customary at the time of visitation, but not necessary. Parishioners can also be presented for reception into the Episcopal Church and to reaffirm their faith. The bishop will also want to meet with the vestry, and to review the books in which the parish records of baptisms, marriages, confirmations and burials are recorded. It is also very much the preference of the bishops to officiate only at the principal service at the time of the visitation, unless a very compelling reason suggests that the bishop be present for more than one service. It is always expected that the Propers for the visitation will be those of the Sunday, as assigned by the lectionary. Contact Arlene Bullard to request blank certificates for visitations made by Bishop Dietsche and assisting bishops. Contact Michelle Chang in order to request blank certificates, checklists and any other information about visitations to be made by Bishop Suffragan Shin and Assistant Bishop Glasspool. For more information about bishops’ visitations contact the Canon for Pastoral Care.