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 communities throughout the region. Our diocese includes urban parishes in the heart of Rochester neighborhoods, country churches in the northern reaches of Appalachia, old and new congregations 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

Find a church...

Our Leadership

Bishop Kara Wagner Sherer is the chief pastor and has oversight of the diocese. Leadership of the diocese is shared with the Bishop by Diocesan StaffDistrict Deans, and democratically-elected leadership teams. 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.

Relfections and writings from Bishop Kara.

 

 


 

 

Reflections

Advent: Happy (Christian) New Year! As you clean up after Thanksgiving and try new ways to prepare leftovers, I hope you have time to gather a few greens and five candles and set an intention for your observance of a blessed Advent. While all around us the Christmas music blasts and the color and sparkle of decorations shout “Buy, buy, buy!” I am grateful for the counter-cultural time of darkness, silence, and stories of warning and hope in this Advent season. In all your busyness, take time for that hour on Sunday to escape from the pressures of the world and rest in the eternal love of God. Check out the offerings of Lessons and Carols services and other concerts around the diocese. Take time for a prayer and the lighting of your Advent wreath at home. The world will always want more time, money, and attention; God declares that you are enough, just as you are. God’s desire for us is so great that God became human, and came among us to “live and die as one of us.” Indeed, Advent reminds us that God is among us every day, in every moment, if we will only pause and notice. God's Blessings, Bishop Kara

Bishop's Writings

New Convocations and Deans – what does it mean?

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Dear clergy colleagues,

Linked here is a list of our new convocations under the name of your new dean. Included in the list are parishes, missions, and chapels. Please think of the whole area of your convocation as your mission field!

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Bishop's Writing / Enews November 2024

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Dear Friends,

At our recent Diocesan Convention, we celebrated a few of the many ministries our parishes engage in to reach out and care for their neighbors. I encouraged you to worry less about the number of people in the pews and more about the number of people you serve and work with within your communities. I believe we have the opportunity increase our engagement in our communities, particularly with our most vulnerable neighbors.

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News

Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe leads first House of Bishops meeting, talks of supporting dioceses

Friday, December 6, 2024

Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe on Dec.

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Christmas Services around our Diocese!

Thursday, December 5, 2024

We are building this list of Christmas Services throughout our Diocese.  We will be adding more daily.  We hope you will join us!

 

Church of the Redeemer, Addison

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VIDEO - Bishop Kara's Visitation in Honeoye Falls

Sunday, December 1, 2024

Despite the cold weather, we had a wonderful turnout for Bishop Kara's Visitation to St. John's, in Honeoye Falls, on the first day of Advent.

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