A Farewell to Two Bishops
The Close of an Era

By Michael J. McPherson

It seemed strange sitting in the great Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine attending the funeral service for the Rt. Rev. Walter Decoster Dennis and then, only a few weeks later, the funeral service for the Rt. Rev. Paul Moore, Jr., XIII Bishop of New York. Somehow, one got the feeling of the close of an era.

Many tributes have been paid to Paul Moore and I will not attempt to match them. Bishop Moore hired me as Controller of the Episcopal Diocese of New York in 1988. Truth be told, administration was not the Bishop’s strong suit (the Diocese would have to wait for the next Bishop of New York — Richard F. Grein — to restore the fiscal integrity of the Diocese). But Bishop Moore was a great Bishop and the church, the Diocese, New York City, and indeed the nation will long be in his debt.

Curiously, my best memories of Bishop Moore are not while working for him but two incidents that happened a few years prior. While I had been raised Roman Catholic, I was struggling with my faith and I attended a liturgy of Integrity at St. Luke’s in the Fields in Greenwich Village. Bishop Moore presided. He had just ordained Ellen Barrett, the first openly gay woman ordained in the Episcopal Church. That ordination received a lot of attention – inside and outside the church. That evening, Bishop Moore talked about the ordination. He told us he had been unprepared for the amount of criticism he had received, including some large parishes and wealthy individuals who wrote to him saying they would no longer financially support the Diocese. Bishop Moore said he had to remember he was the Bishop of the entire Diocese and that included black and white, gay and straight, poor and wealthy. I will never forget his candidness, openness, and honesty. He spoke to us as if he was struggling through the situation with us and was sharing his feelings. The Bishop said he prayed that if he had to do the whole thing over again, he would have the strength to do it. I remember thinking, “What an extraordinary man.”

The next occasion was a service sponsored by Dignity, the Roman Catholic gay group. At that time they held services at St. Francis Xavier on 16th Street. They invited Bishop Moore to attend and preach at a Saturday night service. The Bishop later told me the Roman Catholic Chancery Office was having fits over the invitation. They clearly did not want him to attend but also did not want to expressly forbid him. When it was clear that Bishop Moore had no intention of canceling, the Chancery Office informed Dignity that Bishop Moore could not preach the sermon because he was not “theologically qualified” to speak on the scriptures. Dignity and the Bishop went along with the Chancery’s demand and it was arranged that Bishop Moore would say a few words during the announcements just before the final blessing. The church was packed and when this large man (he was 6’4”) rose, the church was absolutely quiet. He thanked everyone for inviting him to come. He said God loved us; that we were all children of God; and he begged us not to abandon the church – and specifically not to abandon the Roman Catholic Church – just because a few men were wrong about their views on homosexuality. He reminded us that these few men were not the church and he ended by giving us his blessing and declaring his love for us. I have never witnessed such a reaction. The entire congregation rose and gave the Bishop one of the longest and loudest ovations I have ever heard. Most of us were in tears. Bishop Moore later told me it was one of the most moving moments in his life.

I loved this man. He was a great man, a great Bishop, and a real giant.

I worked with Bishop Dennis very closely while I was at the Diocese. I always believed he was a shy man but when he had opinions, he certainly was eloquent and forceful in expressing them. As an aside, he also had the ability to use the acoustics of the Cathedral better than anyone I have ever heard. He knew how to project – both loud and soft sounds --and you could clearly hear him no matter where you were in the church.

As the second African-American bishop elected in the Episcopal Diocese of New York, he possessed a burning passion for justice and, not surprising, he was a founding member of the Union of Black Episcopalians. He was a prolific writer and his articles in the Sewanee Theological Review were always insightful and informative. He was also deeply loved by the people of the Diocese.

My favorite memory of Bishop Dennis was the day he met the Dalai Lama and introduced the Dalai Lama to his two Tibetan spaniel dogs. I even think the Bishop used this picture as his Christmas card that year. He was so proud of this encounter.

I could go on and on about his beginning the Guild of St. Ives, his early stand on a woman’s right to choose, his deep commitment to justice and peace, his contribution to the National Church’s Standing Commission on Constitution and Canons, etc., but I best remember the humanity of the man, his gentle laughter, and his commitment to the church.

How fortunate the Episcopal Diocese of New York was to have these two wonderful bishops serve them. May they both rest in peace.