Bishop Beckwith

Episcopal congregations in at least 20 towns in northern New Jersey will take to the streets on Ash Wednesday, February 22, marking the beginning of the holy season of Lent by giving “Ashes to Go.”

Ash Wednesday initiates the Lenten season of reflection and penitence which precedes Easter. In the Episcopal tradition, clergy use ashes to mark the foreheads of the faithful with the sign of the cross, saying “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

In a Star-Ledger op-ed, Bishop Beckwith, Rabbi Matthew D. Gewirtz of Temple B’Nai Jeshurun in Millburn and Bishop E. Roy Riley Jr. of the New Jersey Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, join together to make a faith-based case for marriage equality in New Jersey:

In making it clear that he will veto the marriage equality bill now making its way through the state Legislature, Gov. Chris Christie has ensured that the debate over the morality of gay and lesbian relationships will be with us for months to come.

The Vatican has invited Episcopalians who oppose their church’s liberal leanings to join the Roman Catholic fold, but so far, New Jersey congregations aren’t budging.

Pope Benedict XVI announced Jan. 1 the creation of what’s essentially a nationwide diocese to allow Episcopalian congregations to cross over while preserving some aspects of their Anglican heritage. But despite deep philosophical dissent in the Episcopal Church, church leaders and clergy said they do not expect the Vatican’s measure to spur any exodus by conservatives in New Jersey.

The assignment from God to the prophet Jeremiah is a tough one. God asks, no God tells Jeremiah, that he has a prophetic sermon to preach: to “pluck up, tear down, overthrow and destroy – in order to build and plant.”

In a festive day filled with centuries-old religious traditions and pageantry, as well as joyful singing, the Rev. Valerie Bailey Fischer was installed this month as the seventh rector of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Teaneck following a nationwide search.

The church was overflowing with parishioners, friends, clergy from other churches and family - including the new rector's husband and 3-year-old daughter, Maggie - as the Right Rev. Mark Beckwith, Bishop of Newark, formally installed Bailey Fischer as the congregation's spiritual leader.

A small but growing group of gay marriage supporters are staging a rally on the steps of the Statehouse this morning as lawmakers prepare to hold a committee hearing on a bill that would allow gay couples to wed.

[The Rt.] Rev. Mark Beckwith, the bishop of Newark’s Episcopal Diocese, said supporters stand ready to help Christie find a “political way to maintain his views, but to still do what’s right.”

“Support of marriage for gay and lesbians is support for all marriage,” said Beckwith.

With The Episcopal Church’s senior officer for ministry redevelopment as guest preacher at the opening Eucharist, the 138th Annual Diocesan Convention will launch a diocese-wide focus on mission issues under the theme Living Into Christ's Mission.