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Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania

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Coordinates: 40°15′40″N 76°53′10″W / 40.26104°N 76.88605°W / 40.26104; -76.88605
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This article is about the Episcopal Diocese formerly known as the Diocese of Harrisburg. For the current Catholic diocese, see Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg.

Diocese of Central Pennsylvania
Location
CountryUnited States
Ecclesiastical provinceProvince III
Statistics
Congregations61 (2023)
Members8,322 (2023)
Information
DenominationEpiscopal Church
EstablishedNovember 29, 1904
CathedralSt Stephen's Cathedral
Current leadership
BishopAudrey Scanlan
Map
Location of the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania
Location of the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania
Website
www.diocesecpa.org
St. Stephen's Cathedral, Harrisburg

The Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania is one of the dioceses of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.[1][2] It was established in 1904 as the Diocese of Harrisburg, separating from the original Diocese of Central Pennsylvania now known as the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem.[3]

The seat of the bishop and home of the diocesan offices is St. Stephen's Episcopal Cathedral at 221 North Front Street in Downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

History

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In 1871, the original Diocese of Central Pennsylvania was established. In 1904, the Diocese of Harrisburg split off from the old Diocese of Central Pennsylvania, leaving the remainder to rename itself the Diocese of Bethlehem in 1909. In the 1970s, the name of Central Pennsylvania was re-adopted by the Diocese of Harrisburg. In October 2022, the diocesan conventions of Central Pennsylvania and Bethlehem initiated the process for exploring reunification.[4] On October 19, 2024, the conventions of the two dioceses both voted to unify as the Diocese of Susquehanna, effective January 1, 2026.[5]

In the 1880s, the first boys' choir in the diocese was established at Christ Church in Reading, Pennsylvania.[6]

From October 2006 until May 2014, Nathan D. Baxter was the bishop of the diocese. Following Baxter's retirement Robert Gepert was named as provisional bishop of the diocese. On 14 March 2015, Audrey Scanlan was elected to become the next bishop of the diocese, and was consecrated in September 2015.[7]

In October 2024, the conventions of the Dioceses of Central Pennsylvania and Bethlehem approved an agreement to reunify, with the merged entity to be called the Episcopal Diocese of the Susquehanna effective January 1, 2026.[8]

List of Bishops

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Bishop Dates
1st Mark Antony De Wolfe Howe 1871-1891 (First Bishop of Central Pennsylvania, present day Diocese of Bethlehem)
2nd Nelson Somerville Rulison 1891-1897 (Second Bishop of Central Pennsylvania, present day Diocese of Bethlehem)
3rd Ethelbert Talbot 1898-1904 (Third Bishop of Central Pennsylvania, present day Diocese of Bethlehem)
4th James Henry Darlington 1905- 1930 (First Bishop of Harrisburg after diocese was created in 1904)
5th Hunter Wyatt-Brown 1931-1943 (Second Bishop of Harrisburg)
6th J. Thomas Heistand[9]
1943-1966 (Third Bishop of Harrisburg)
7th Dean T. Stevenson 1966-1982 (Forth and Last Bishop of Harrisburg & First Bishop of Central Pennsylvania after name was changed in 1971)
8th Charlie F. McNutt [10][11] 1982- 1995 (Coadjutor Bishop 1980–1982)
9th Michael W. Creighton [12] 1996-2006
10th Nathan D. Baxter [13]
 2006-2014
11th Audrey Scanlan [14] 2015–present

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Diocese of Central Pennsylvania: Episcopal Appointments by Bishops Howe and Rulison." Reading, Pennsylvania: The Daily Times and Dispatch, March 6, 1886, p. 3 (subscription required).
  2. ^ "Central Diocese of Pennsylvania." Reading, Pennsylvania: Reading Times and Dispatch, June 15, 1881, front page (subscription required).
  3. ^ Journal of the Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church, Diocese of Central Pennsylvania Wilkes-Barre, Pa; The E.S. Yordly Co. title page, p.50.
  4. ^ "Dioceses of Bethlehem and Central Pennsylvania explore merger | Anglican Ink © 2024". anglican.ink. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Conventions approve Reunification – The Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania". Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  6. ^ "Training Boy Choirs: The First Boy Choir in the Diocese of Pennsylvania." Reading, Pennsylvania: Reading Times, July 5, 1889, front page (subscription required).
  7. ^ "Central Pennsylvania diocese elects Audrey Cady Scanlan as bishop", Episcopal News Service, The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society, 15 March 2015, retrieved 1 January 2022
  8. ^ Anderson-Cripps, Lauren (22 October 2024). "Dioceses of Central Pa. & Bethlehem Approve Reunion". The Living Church. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  9. ^ "'Retired Bishop Heistand Dies' (Episcopal News Service: Press Release # 79352)".
  10. ^ "'McNutt Consecrated in Central Pennsylvania' (Episcopal News Service: Press Release # 80404)".
  11. ^ "'Episcopal Diocese Invests Its New Bishop' (Episcopal News Service: Press Release # 82148)".
  12. ^ "'Bishop Consecrated in Central Pennsylvania' (The Living Church)".
  13. ^ "Central Pennsylvania: Baxter consecrated as 10th bishop". Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  14. ^ "Central Pennsylvania diocese elects Audrey Cady Scanlan as bishop", Episcopal News Service, The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society, 15 March 2015, retrieved 1 January 2022
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40°15′40″N 76°53′10″W / 40.26104°N 76.88605°W / 40.26104; -76.88605

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