Reparations for slavery to be topic as Episcopal presiding bishop meets NY bishop-elect
NEW YORK — The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, will join the Rev. Matthew Heyd for an intimate conversation on Friday, May 19 at 9:15 am, ahead of Heyd’s consecration as bishop coadjutor of the Diocese of New York on Saturday, May 20.
The conversation will focus on three priorities Heyd has identified as his focus as he begins his time at the diocese, including racial justice, with a special focus on economic reparation from the diocese to descendants of slaves. Presiding Bishop Curry, who is a descendent of slaves, and the first black presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, and Heyd, who is white, are both from North Carolina. The Diocese of New York formally apologized for its role in slavery and its aftermath in March at a Service of Apology at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine attended in person by Heyd, and at which Curry gave a powerful video address.
Ahead of new bishop’s consecration, two North Carolinians will share vastly different family histories of slavery in a conversation on Friday, May 18 at 9:15 am.
The conversation will also feature information about the establishment of The New York Episcopal Federal Credit Union–a project, led by the Diocese of New York and formalized this past fall, which is aimed at fighting economic disempowerment by providing banking services to the large sectors of the population within the diocese that has historically not had access to them.
Heyd has also identified creation care as a central focus for the diocese, which extends from Staten Island in the south to Port Jervis in the north, encompassing urban, suburban, and rural congregations and communities that are as varied in their composition as in their median incomes.
LOCATION
Donegan Hall in Diocesan House, on the campus of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Please enter on the drive between 111th and 112th Streets, immediately to the south of the Cathedral building, and walk back to the security booth for directions.
TIME
In-person attendees may access the event beginning at 8:45 a.m.
A/V & LIVESTREAM NOTES:
Recording will be permitted on-site, but please note that all recordings will be relying on ambient sound.
The conversation will also be livestreamed on the YouTube channel of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and a recording and transcript will be made available for those who cannot attend in person. A Spanish translation will also be made available at a later date.
BACKGROUND:
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry addressed the Diocese of New York at the Service of Apology for Slavery in March 2023, underscoring the importance of lamentation, apology, and reparation. The Diocese of New York has pledged 1.1 million dollars toward racial justice efforts within the Diocese. The pledge comes as the Diocese prepares to launch the New York Federal Episcopal Credit Union on Thursday, May 18, just one of the parallel efforts to address economic inequality in the Diocese. Episcopal Churches in the Diocese of New York are also compelled to conduct environmental audits of their buildings and energy usage, with the goal of reducing the Diocese’s carbon footprint by 30% by 2030, per a resolution passed by the Diocese at its 246th General Convention in 2022.
Background Resources:
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry address to the Diocese at the Service of Apology
Conversation on Reparations with The Rev. Matthew Heyd & The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop
Conversation with The Presiding Bishop & The Rev. Matthew Heyd on May 9th
Creation Care Resolution adopted on November 12, 2022 at the 246th General Convention of the Diocese of New York to reach net carbon neutrality by 2030
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Contact:
Nicholas Richardson
The Episcopal Diocese of New York
917 838 1062
nrichardson@dioceseny.org