Preparing for the Bishop’s Visit

Episcopal Visitations

The regular pastoral visitation of all parishes and worshiping communities is among the principal responsibilities of the bishop’s ministry. It is also one of its great joys. Each visitation is an opportunity to strengthen our shared life in Christ and to embody the unity of the Church.

The Purpose of the Visitation

A pastoral visitation is both an ordinary expression of parish life and a special occasion. These are not competing realities. The central act of every visitation is the proclamation of God’s Word and the celebration of the Holy Eucharist with the gathered community. All other elements of the visit are secondary and should support, not overshadow, these central acts.

While confirmations, receptions, and reaffirmations may take place during a visitation, they are not the primary reason for the visit. The scheduling of a visitation should not depend on the availability of candidates. Rather, the visitation itself is a primary way for the bishop to live out the call to be apostle, chief priest, and pastor of the diocese.

Pastoral visitations will be scheduled in such a way as to balance the following priorities:

• the length of time since the last pastoral visitation; ∙ the need to schedule Episcopal rites: major parish anniversaries, dedications of new buildings, groundbreakings, etc. (Some of these will be scheduled by necessity on days other than Sunday);
• particular pastoral needs of the parish; ∙ the celebration of the feast of title or another significant event in the life of the parish.

The scheduling of visitations may be initiated by the Rector or Priest-in Charge or Senior Warden (if there is not a clergy person) of the parish or by the Bishop’s Office. As a rule, a parish will not receive a second regular pastoral visitation until all other parishes have been visited.

The bishop strives to visit parishes every 24 months.

Before the Bishop’s Visit

On or around the Wednesday before my visit, the Bishop would like to meet with the Clergy, the Wardens and/or the Vestry to hear from you about life in your congregation. This is simply a time to connect on any hopes, concerns or joys that you’d like to share. This time will also help her prepare to be with the congregation and have a clearer sense of what’s happening in your life together. Two weeks prior to your visitation, please email or mail the following items to April Caballero, [email protected].

1. The Proposed Sunday Morning worship Bulletin.
2. Your most recent Annual Meeting Report.
3. Your end of year financials from the previous year.
4. Your budget for the current year.
5. Your most recent treasurer’s report.
6. Your most recent audit.
7. The last six months of vestry meeting minutes.

Please know that she thoroughly enjoys reading all this information.

April will follow up with clergy or wardens to schedule our pre-visit time together.

On the Day of the Visit

The bishop will make every effort to arrive no less than 30 minutes before the service. If necessary, the bishop will arrive earlier to sign confirmation certificates, prayer books, etc., prior to the start of the service and to spend time with confirmands and those being received. Where space is available, the bishop prefers that you merge the morning liturgies into one. An occasional opportunity to merge the whole parish together is good, and there is perhaps no better time than the Bishop’s visitation. This will also allow the bishop more time to be flexible with adult forums, meetings with youth and children, spending time with the Vestry or enjoying fellowship with parish members. Please make sure there is time for the bishop to engage with the congregation during fellowship.

Schedule and Logistics for the Visitation

• Please reserve a parking space for the bishop and prepare to meet her on arrival. She may need help carrying in her bags with vestments and crozier.
• Please have the service register and registers of sacramental rites (i.e. the Red Book and the Green Book) ready for the bishop’s review when she arrives. If you have Prayer Books and/or certificates to sign, please also have these available on arrival.
• Please return the Visitation Report form to the Bishop’s Office the week after the visitation. The information goes to the Archives for diocesan recordkeeping.
• The day’s schedule is outlined in the visitation form and will be refined in the zoom call prior to the visit. Please note that the bishop will meet with the candidates for baptism/confirmation/reception/reaffirmation of vows before the service.
• The loose offerings taken to go to the Bishop’s Discretionary Fund should be mailed to the Bishop’s Office, not given to the Bishop on the day of the service.
• There is no expectation to provide the Bishop with food but her dietary restrictions are listed here for convenience: She is a vegetarian (no chicken, no fish, no beef–eggs and dairy are fine!).

Liturgical Details

• The liturgical color will be the color of the season unless there is a baptism, in which case the color will be white. During Epiphany and Pentecost, the color may be red at the bishop’s discretion. 
• The Propers of the Day (from the Revised Common Lectionary) are used for Sunday visits (unless a Major or Patronal Feast is appropriate), except under extraordinary circumstances and with the consent of the bishop. 
• The bishop’s visitation always includes the Holy Eucharist with the bishop as celebrant and preacher (unless discussed and approved in advance). 
• The bulletin cover should note that it is the Episcopal visitation (this is helpful for historical purposes and serves as explanation for any visitors). 
• If it is your custom and preference to have the mass sung, the Bishop is delighted to oblige. 
• You may select whichever Eucharistic Prayer you feel best suits your congregation in the setting, as long as it is one of those approved for use in The Episcopal Church. 
• The bishop would like a senior acolyte or lay minister to assist her during the service. 
• Please place a glass of water under or on a table beside the bishop’s chair. 
• Clergy from the parish should read the Gospel, prepare the table, and do the ablutions, stand at the altar with the bishop during the Eucharistic Prayers, assist in distributing Communion, make the announcements, and give the dismissal. (Unless a deacon is present, in which case the deacon will do all of the roles assigned to the deacon.)
• Please include in the bulletin and the announcements the reminder that the undesignated offering goes to the Bishop’s Discretionary Fund, for support of clergy, congregations, and non-budgeted ministries.
• Please have any language (printed or announced) around reception of communion to invite everyone to come forward – and give instruction on how to receive a blessing for those not baptized or who do not want to receive communion. 
• When there are no baptisms, confirmations, or receptions, the liturgy on the day of the bishop’s visitation should include the renewal of baptismal vows. The renewal of vows (BCP p. 292) will replace the Nicene Creed even those that are otherwise Rite I. 
• The bishop’s chair should be set in front of the altar facing the congregation.
• If there is a prie dieu available, it is helpful to use for confirmations, receptions, and reaffirmation of vows to make for ease of kneeling. 
• If you have a printed bulletin with the liturgy, the bishop’s copy needs to be no smaller than 12pt font. 14pt font is strongly preferred where possible. 
• During announcements, the bishop is grateful for a brief greeting. However, please do not introduce her as a guest. The bishop’s presence represents the whole Church to the local community and the local community to the whole Church. We gather not as separate parts, but as one body in Christ.
• If there are to be photos after the service (with those being baptized, confirmed, received, etc….and/or a Parish Photo), please have the person taking the pictures ready promptly following the service. 
• The bishop enjoys taking selfies and group photos to post on social media so the diocese can get to know each other through photos and stories. Please make sure that congregation members are comfortable with this and that photo releases have been signed for children as necessary. 
• If you take pictures during the day, please share them with the bishop before the end of the day so they can be included in her Social Media posts. If you post, please tag her in them: Bishop Sarah Fisher

Suggested bulletin announcement: 

Bishop Fisher takes photographs before, during, and after worship services to share on her social  media platforms. She invites you to post photos, reflections, or a favorite moment from today’s  service on social media. Be sure to check in and tag us on [social media platforms @ChurchHandle]. Bishop Fisher can be found on Facebook @ and Instagram @BishopSarahFisher. It’s a way of spreading the Good News that God is at work in and through our  worshipping communities.

Baptisms

• Baptism is full membership in the body of Christ. Full preparation of sponsors (and parents of children to be baptized), as well as of the mature candidate, is essential and should be done by the clergy of the congregation prior to the baptism.
• The bishop, when present, is the celebrant; and is expected to preach the Word and preside at Baptism and the Eucharist. The priest of the parish or community may do the actual Baptism.
• The bishop officiates at the Presentation and Examination of Candidates; says the Thanksgiving over the Water, consecrates the Chrism, where applicable, reads the prayer, and officiates at what follows. The bishop also chrismates.
• Where the baptized person is an adult (or young person who can reasonably make a mature affirmation of faith), the bishop will confirm them immediately after Baptism.
• The Paschal Candle is lit and in proximity to the font.
• Please make the chrism available in a small container from which chrism can be poured. An oil stock is for pastoral use, not for liturgical use.
• Have a branch or a small group of branches tied together to use for asperging the congregation after the Baptism. This can be done accompanied by an appropriate piece of music, during the procession from the font, or during the Peace.
• The Prayers of the People and the Confession are omitted if there is Baptism or Confirmation.

Confirmations/Receptions/Reaffirmations

• Full preparation of candidates for confirmation, reception, and reaffirmation is expected. Confirmation is appropriate for those who were baptized at an early age and never made a mature affirmation of faith. Reception is appropriate for people who have been confirmed by a bishop in another denomination in communion with the Episcopal Church (listed below) and now wish to be a part of the Episcopal Church.
• The bishop lays hands on all people being confirmed, received, or reaffirming their baptismal vows.
• Chrism needs to be available for anointing those being confirmed.
• Each person being confirmed, received, or reaffirming vows should have a nametag with their name legibly printed. Clergy (or a representative) from the congregation will stand beside them and say their name and the rite being conferred as each person comes forward.
• It is appropriate, and an important symbol of our unity in the Body of Christ for those being confirmed or received to have sponsors. The sponsors may accompany them forward if desired by those on whom the rites are being conferred.

Some Liturgical Preferences

• There should be only one chalice on the altar at the consecration. 
• The bishop  prefers  to use a lavabo, if available.  
• From Easter Day through the Day of Pentecost, please do not have the Agnus Dei read or sung.  
• Per the rubrics of the Book of Common Prayer, from Easter Vigil though the Day of Pentecost “Alleluia, alleluia” may be added to the dismissal. Please note, this is only appropriate season to add the Alleluias at the dismissal 
• Confirmations/Receptions may take place during Lent and Advent.

Lastly

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to April Caballero, [email protected]. 

Bishop Fisher is  very much looking forward to being with you and your faith community.