Episcopal Diocese of Rochester
Christians in the bond of community seeking to serve the world in the love of God.

Our Mission

Our mission:  To restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.

We grow together through radical hospitality, passionate spirituality, and committed engagement to peace and justice. 

All are welcome as equally beloved of God.

 

 

Our Faith

Together, we live the Christian life. We gather for worship and prayer to strengthen each other as seekers and followers of Jesus Christ. We believe that God forgives and makes us whole We work to proclaim our beliefs in all we do and say. We seek to see the holy in every living being, loving others as we do ourselves. We respect the dignity of every person, working for God’s justice to be available to all.

Our Parishes

The Episcopal Diocese of Rochester is a collection of 46 diverse parishes throughout the region. Our diocese includes urban parishes in the heart of Rochester neighborhoods, country churches in the northern reaches of Appalachia, parishes in small towns and suburbs, and beautiful lakeside chapels.

We have parishes in Allegany, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Schuyler, Steuben, Wayne, and Yates counties - view the parish map to see parishes near you. The Episcopal Church Welcomes You.

View a list of churches by city/town names

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Our Leadership

Bishop Kara Wagner Sherer is the chief pastor and has oversight of the diocese along with democratically-elected teams. More from Bishop Kara.

More about leadership teams.

Leadership of the diocese is shared with the Bishop by Diocesan Staff and District Deans.

Churches are led by priests, deacons, and lay leaders. Priests and deacons are chosen through a process of prayer and study and they can be of any gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or ability.


 

 

Reflections

A prayer for reconciliation: Where there is separation, there is pain. And where there is pain, there is story. And where there is story, there is understanding, and misunderstanding, listening and not listening. May we - separated peoples, estranged strangers, unfriended families, divided communities - turn toward each other, and turn toward our stories, with understanding and listening, with argument and acceptance, with challenge, change and consolation. Because if God is to be found, God will be found in the space between. Amen. Daily Prayer. With the Corrymeela Community. Padraig O Tuama.

Bishop's Writings

Website Changes

Thursday, September 26, 2024

You may notice some changes in our diocesan website. As part of the bishop transition, we are no longer using the dove logo or "Joy in Christ, a way of life." The discernment process to articulate a new vision and mission will be a deliberate and lengthy process, so this is a kind of scaffolding, a placeholder until we begin that conversation.

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Bishop's Writing / Enews September 2024

Thursday, September 19, 2024

I was heading north after a wonderful visit to Christ Church, Hornell, and lunch with the Rev. Shanna Hawks. I was going slightly out of my way to pick up an antique (?!?) vase, perfect for the niche in our new stairway, that John had found on Facebook marketplace. I wound my way through Naples when suddenly before me opened a great valley, and what I now know to be the West River and the south end of Canandaigua Lake. Wow!

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News

VIDEO - Bishop Kara's Visitation to St. John's, Sodus

Sunday, October 13, 2024

Fall was in the air for Bishop Kara's Visitation

with the wonderful people of St. John's in Sodus!

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Presiding Bishop Michael Curry reflects on an eventful nine years as churchwide leader

Thursday, October 10, 2024

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Join Election Night Virtual Prayers

Tuesday, October 8, 2024

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