Episcopal Bishop visits St. James' Church

Goshen — The Rt. Rev. Catherine S. Roskam, Bishop Suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, visited St. James’ Church, Goshen on April 5. Bishop Roskam celebrated, preached and administered confirmation at the 11 a.m. service. Afterwards she met with the parish vestry. When she was consecrated Bishop in 1996, she was the first female bishop in the Diocese of New York and only the fourth in the entire United States. As Bishop Suffragan she has oversight of the 66 Episcopal congregations of Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties. Deeply committed to youth and young adults, Roskam focuses on congregational development, clergy care and leadership training; she was also closely involved in the foundation of the Global Women’s Defense Fund of the diocese. Most recently she has been a driving force behind The Carpenter’s Kids, a rapidly-growing program of parish-to-parish links with communities in Tanzania, developed to provide AIDS orphans with the clothing and sustenance they need to attend and succeed at school. St. James’ Church, under the spiritual direction of its Rector, the Rev. M. Carl Lunden, is located at 1 St. James’ Place in Goshen. For more information call the church 294-6225.