Nov 2010 - Diocese of the Rio Grande

6IN THEEPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF THE RIO GRANDESouthwestern Cultures Flow TogetherFor the Consecration of Bishop VonoBy Rev. Raymond RaneyWith a resounding shout of “AMEN” the gatheredcongregation concluded the Prayer of Consecration forthe Rt. Rev. Dr. Michael Louis Vono, declaring him thenew Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande.Approximately 1,300 persons gathered at theHyatt Regency Hotel in Albuquerque to witness theconsecration by Chief Consecrator, the Most Rev.Katharine Jefferts Schori and five Co-consecratingBishops.The Consecration was the culmination of a 21/2-year process that began with the creation and chargingof the Search and Transition Committees in Juneof 2008. Nominees were presented by the SearchCommittee in January, 2010. The Transition Committeeintroduced nominees to the Diocese in April, followedby the election of the Rev. Dr. Michal Vono on April 24,2010. The Transition Committee and the Consecrationand Liturgy subcommittees spent hundreds of hoursplanning the Consecration to incorporate its visionof an event that would be open to all who wished toattend, and reflect the diversity of cultures and faiths ofthe Diocese.Participants in the Consecration spanned the widthand breadth of the Diocese, which includes the BigBend region of Texas west of the Pecos River and all ofNew Mexico. The cultures of the Southwest blendedvisually and musically for the Consecration.The unifying focus on the altar combined thepassion and fire of the Holy Spirit in the red of thefrontal with the sacred turquoise of the drape thatBishop Vono celebratesaccented the Zia Altar cross, which embodied thesignificance of Native American symbolism with thecentrality of the Holy Spirit manifest in the symbol ofthe Dove, the angel of God’s peace. In front of thealtar, a contemporary Navajo rug by weaver EleanorZazzie combined the buttes and monuments to recallNavajo tradition with an overlay of the JerusalemCross.The music preludes ranged from contemporary andCeltic music by Ensemble@9 from St. Michael andAll Angels, Albuquerque, and St. Chad’s Music Groupand the organ works of J.S. Bach played by FrederickTeardo, associate organist at St. Thomas Church, FifthAvenue, New York. Choral works were performed bya Diocesan Choir made up of singers from thirteencongregations of the Diocese, and led by Dr. MaxineThevenot, Director of Cathedral Music. The postludewas performed by the ensemble of Mariachi Tenampa.The languages of the solemn liturgy also spannedthe cultures. The Ministry of the Word opened withthe canting of the Sh’ma in Hebrew by Rabbi LawrenceBach of Temple Mount Sinai, El Paso. The Veni CreatorSpiritus was canted in English, Spanish, Navajo andLatin by Andrea D’Agosto, who traveled from Rome,Italy, where she was Bishop Michael’s administrativeassistant at St. Paul’s-within-the-Walls EpiscopalChurch. The first lesson from the Book of the ProphetIsaiah was read in Spanish by Nick Thompson of HolyCross, Edgewood. The Lord’s Prayer was printed inEnglish, Spanish and Italian, and participants wereinvited to use the language of their choice.Co-consecrators were the Rt. Rev. Larry Benfield,Vice President of ProvinceSeven of the EpiscopalChurch; the Rev. AllanBjornberg, Bishop of theRocky Mountain Synod ofthe Evangelical LutheranChurch in America; theRt. Rev. William Frey,Assisting Bishop ofthe Diocese of the RioGrande; the Rt. Rev. OnellSoto, retired AssistantBishop of the Diocese ofAlabama; and the Rt. Rev.Pierre Whalon, Bishop inCharge of the Convocation of American Churches inEurope.Among the Sixteen Episcopal Bishops attending theConsecration were Bishop David Bailey of Navajoland;Bishop Bavi “Nedi” Rivers of East Oregon; BishopSuffragan Paul Lambert of Dallas; Suffrogan BishopDiane Bruce of Los Angelos; Bishop Andrew Doyle ofTexas; Bishop Edward Konieczny of Oklahoma; andBishop Kirk Smith of Arizona.Sarah Eagle Heart, the Episcopal Church’s programofficer for Native American ministries was includedamong a host of local, national and internationalguests, including visitors from St. Paul’s within-the-Walls, where Vono had served as rector since 1992,and others from the Convocation of Episcopal Churchesin Europe, including guests from Germany, Switzerland,Austria and France, as well as Archbishop MichaelSheehan of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.A reception hosted by the Cathedral of St.John followed the Consecration. Bishop Vono’sEnthronement at the Cathedral was celebrated at the11 a.m. Eucharist on Sunday, October 24.Rt. Rev.William Frey, the Rt. Rev. Michael L. Vono,The Most Rev. Katharine Jeffrets-SchoriRichard Frey presents crozier to our new BishopBishop Michael with consecrating BishopsBishop Michael greets Archbishop Sheehan Archdiocese of Santa FePhotos by Rev. Brian Winter