Quickies: Hellos and goodbyes and birthdays

• I just got forwarded an email from Charles Bennison, Jr. (left), the Espicopal Bishop of the Diocese Pennsylvania, that says he was asked to resign effective March 31. He writes that “if you felt that I were not leading the diocese effectively and asked me to resign, I would pray about it, and, if I felt it were God’s will, I would do so. I am seriously praying about the Standing Committee’s request, and I ask that you pray for me, for our colleagues throughout the diocese, and above all for the unity and health of our diocese.” As a Catholic, I’m not sure if this is a huge deal, but make of it what you will. The full email is after the jump.

• According to his Myspace profile, indie rock and Princeton basketball guru Jon Solomon will be producing a biweekly podcast featuring local artists called “Local Support” for PW competitor Citypaper starting in March. Looks like I need to saddle up. Or, you know, we can all coexist in this here “Internet” thing. [Myspace]

• A very happy birthday to the Philadelphia Gay News, who is seven years older than me, and they’ve totally kissed more people than I have, too. Boys and girls. [PGN]

• Also, today, none other than Mozart is 250. In, uhm, less fun news, it’s also Holocaust Memorial Day. And while the Apollo 1 disaster killed three astronauts 39 years ago today, the Challenger was nice enough to wait a day and not add to the bummers remembered today. [Wikipedia]

From: Episcopal Diocese of PA

[mailto:EpiscopalDioceseofPA@diopa.org]
Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 5:05 PM
To: Diocese Staff
Subject: The Conversion of Saint Paul

January 25, 2006

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Last evening the Standing Committee informed me that it had voted unanimously to ask me to retire or resign as your bishop by March 31.

I said in my address at the Diocesan Convention last November that if you felt that I were not leading the diocese effectively and asked me to resign, I would pray about it, and, if I felt it were God’s will, I would do so. I am seriously praying about the Standing Committee’s request, and I ask that you pray for me, for our colleagues throughout the diocese, and above all for the unity and health of our diocese.

I look forward to our deanery clericus meetings this spring and our deanery pre-convention meetings over the weeks leading up to the Special Diocesan Convention on March 25 as times when we can discern prayerfully together God’s will for us as a Christian community. I will send out the call for the Special Convention after Diocesan Council meets on February 9. The schedule for the upcoming meetings is in the February issue of The Pennsylvania Episcopalian.

I welcome your communication with me by telephone, email, mail, or in person. Please know of my love and prayers for each and every one of you.

Faithfully in Christ,
Charles E. Bennison, Jr.

P.S. If those of you in charge of congregations would read this to your people at your services of worship in the next week, I would be grateful.