Clergy Funerals

Clergy funerals, especially for long serving and beloved clerics, are a big deal. There is usually a big turn out of priests and deacons. When beloved priest, the Rev. Don Matthews, died some years ago there were about 85 clergy vesting and processing at his funeral service at Trinity Cathedral. And usually the bishop of the diocese presides at such affairs. Yesterday by my count there were 21 priests, 10 deacons and Bishop John Rodgers present at the Rev. Jamie Forrest’s funeral service at Church of the Ascension, Oakland. It should be noted, Jamie served 31 years as a priest of our diocese. Jonathan Millard, Ascension’s rector, preached a marvelous sermon and led a spirit-filled funeral service. Archbishop Duncan could not be present due to his presiding at the Investiture Service of Bishop John Guernsey as diocesan of the newly formed ACNA Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic in Virginia.

Clergy funerals are also one of the few, if only opportunities, that the priests and deacons from the TEC-Pgh Diocese and the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh have had interaction since October 2008. I am thinking of the attendance at the funerals of Don Gross and Barbara Knotts. There were a fair number of clergy from TEC-Pgh that attended those two services.

But I guess the dust has settled and the Great Divide in Pittsburgh is now become like the trench warfare of World War I --- stalemate and little if any interaction. I did not see one TEC-Pgh priest or deacon at the service yesterday. And Jonathan Millard was deliberate to invite ALL clergy, both vested and unvested, to come forward for the Commendation. So it goes.

I'll report if any TEC clergy attend the memorial service at St. David's on Monday evening (with Abp Duncan presiding).