In the wake of improving relations with Cuba, the Episcopal Church there recently voted in its synod to reaffiliate with the Episcopal Church (see our story here). And this past week, a dozen bishops visited Cuba as a beginning of the journey towards reconciliation.
From the El Paso Times:
The Rev. Michael L. Vono, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande in Albuquerque, is one of 12 Episcopal bishops from the continental U.S. who left for Cuba on Tuesday. “In this new day of relationships with the U.S. and Cuba, we are endeavoring to re-energize the relationship between our church’s dioceses,” Vono said in a statement. The group was invited by Cuba’s episcopal bishop, Griselda Delgado del Carpio.
As a border diocese, the Rio Grande has worked tirelessly to build bridges of ministry to Mexico. It pleases me to make this trip to build our hopes for ministries in Cuba,” Vono said.
Bishop R. William Franklin of the diocese of Western New York is also going, explaining that the delegation is made up of bishops who were ordained in the same year as the Bishop of Cuba, the Rt Rev Griselda Delgado del Carpio.
The bishops making the trip are:
- The Right Rev. David Bailey – Diocese of Navajoland
- The Right Rev. Martin Field – Diocese of West Missouri
- The Right Rev. Scott Hayashi – Diocese of Utah
- The Right Rev. Mark Lattime – Diocese of Alaska
- The Right Rev. Daniel Martins – Diocese of Springfield
- The Right Rev. James Magness – Armed Services & Federal Ministries
- The Right Rev. Michael Milliken – Diocese of Western Kansas
- The Right Rev. Rayford Ray – Diocese of Northern Michigan
- The Right Rev. John Smylie – Diocese of Wyoming
- The Right Rev. Michael Vono – Diocese of Rio Grande
- The Right Rev. Terry White – Diocese of Kentucky
posted by Jon White