Saturday

Reported to the Van Noord Arena at Calvin College at 9:30 for a liturgy rehearsal for the consecration of Whayne Hougland as Bishop of Western Michigan. My role was just to be part of the gaggle of bishops who lay hands on the ordinand at the appropriate moment, so not much rehearsing was required on my part, but it nonetheless served a larger purpose for me to be there. Then, back in a vesting room, there was the curious ritual of the signing and sealing the new bishop's ordination certificate, along with an extra one for the archives. Then we had some unplanned and unstructured plenary conversation with the Presiding Bishop until it was time to get vested and line up for the procession. These occasions are always terribly important in the life of a diocese. Of course, it's still near enough to my own consecration that it sets off all sorts of associations and memories, all very positive. We got the deed done.

I next proceeded south on U.S. 131 and eventually ended up in Warsaw, Indiana, where I am bunking for the night, having enjoyed dinner with some former parishioners. Tomorrow I will attend the early liturgy at St Anne's before wending my way further south.

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