The Rt. Rev. Griselda Delgado Del Carpio, Bishop o f Cuba, will be attending the Episcopal Council February 10-11 at the Expo Center in Bryan. The public is invited to council events. The Brazos County Expo Center will be bustling with people from around Texas the weekend of February 10-11, with approximately 1,000 Episcopal clergy, delegates, registrants, youth and volunteers gathering for the 163 rd Diocesan Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. The Diocese of Texas is one of 110 domestic dioceses in the Episcopal Church and operates independently within the canons of the Church.
The three Episcopal churches in the community – St. Andrew’s, Bryan; St. Thomas and St. Francis, College Station –will serve as the host churches and will provide the volunteer base for the Council. Students and faculty from Saint Michael’s Episcopal School will also serve as volunteers.
The Council is the annual business meeting of the diocese, held every February and where elected delegates from all congregations, college ministries, and resident clergy vote on constitutional changes and stewardship of the diocese.
Texas was the first foreign mission field of the Episcopal Church when Texas was still a republic. The first Episcopal Church in the diocese was established at Matagorda in 1839. Today, the Diocese of Texas includes 57 counties and 155 congregations, with a diverse community of believers, following the Episcopal tradition from Matagorda to Jefferson and Lampasas to the Louisiana line. The parishes are large and small, contemporary and traditional, and include 409 clergy, 67 schools, 17 college ministries and close to 1,500 outreach ministries
During the Council, participants will attend worship services, workshops, and meetings. The community is invited to attend several activities such as the Opening Eucharist on Friday, February 10, 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. This Episcopal service has a rich liturgy and beautiful music and will be bilingual. The public is also invited to browse a wide variety of booths and exhibits by craft-makers, outreach ministries, booksellers and jewelers.
The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle, former rector of St. Francis in College Station, will preside over the Council. The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle is the Ninth Bishop of Texas and will preside over the Council. Bishop Doyle previously served as the rector of St. Francis in College Station. He is a gifted and experienced teacher and preacher and has a particular interest in reaching younger and more diverse populations in the Diocese of Texas.
Additionally, the Rt. Rev. Griselda Delgado Del Carpio, Bishop of Cuba, will attend the Council. She is known for her deep love of the church in Cuba, for her insight into the history of the church’s witness in Cuban society, and for her focus on stewardship of financial resources and strategic planning.
IF YOU GO
Episcopal Council Public Events
FRIDAY, February 10
Exhibits open: 1:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
Opening Eucharist: 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., including special choir presentations
Exhibits open: 8:00 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.
SATURDAY, February 11
Exhibits Open: 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m
For more information, visit the Diocesan Council website www.epicenter.org
