[ENS] Diocese of Western New York elects R. William Franklin as bishop

[<mdavies@episcopalchurch.org>]

>Episcopal News Service
>November 20, 2010

Diocese of Western New York elects R. William Franklin as bishop

[Episcopal News Service] The Rev. R. William Franklin was elected on
Saturday, Nov. 20 as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western New
York, pending the required consents from a majority of bishops with
jurisdiction and standing committees of the Episcopal Church.

Franklin, 63, senior associate priest at St. Mark's Episcopal Church,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was elected on the seventh ballot out of a
field of four nominees. He received 95 votes of 150 cast in the lay
order and 46 of 89 cast in the clergy order. An election on that
ballot required 76 in the lay order and 45 in the clergy order.

A message Franklin released to the people of the diocese of Western
New York shortly after learning of his election can be read at the
diocese's website: http://www.episcopalwny.org/.

The election took place during a special continuation of the diocese's
174th annual convention held at St. Paul's Cathedral in Buffalo, New
York.

Pending a successful consent process, Franklin will succeed the Rt.
Rev. J. Michael Garrison, who will retire upon his successor's
consecration.

Under the canons (III.11.4) of the Episcopal Church, a majority of
bishops exercising jurisdiction and diocesan standing committees must
consent to the bishop-elect's ordination as bishop within 120 days of
receiving notice of the election.

Franklin has served as the Senior Associate at St. Mark's since July
2010. Since his ordination to the priesthood in 2005, he served as
associate priest at St. Paul's Within the Walls in Rome and associate
director of the American Academy in Rome, fellow and associate priest
of the Anglican Centre in Rome, interim vicar of the Church of the
Resurrection in Orvieto, Italy, and professor of theology at the
Pontifical Angelicum University. From 1998 to 2002, he was dean and
president of Berkeley Divinity School at Yale University. Earlier in
his career he was a professor at General Theological Seminary in New
York and at St. John's University in Collegeville, Minnesot.

Franklin and his wife, Carmela Vircillo, have been married since 1971.
They have two children; Corinna and Beatrice.

The consecration is due to take place April 30, 2011 at the University
of Buffalo Center for the Arts.

>The other nominees were:

The Rev. Michael N. Ambler, rector, Grace Episcopal Church, Bath, ME;

The Very Rev. Canon Michael A. Bamberger, rector, Episcopal Church of
the Ascension, Sierra Madre, CA;

The Very Rev. Canon Barbara J. Price, rector, St. Peter's Church,
Eggertsville, NY.

Information about all the nominees is available at
http://www.episcopalwny.org/nominees

The Diocese of Western New York is comprised of 60 congregations and
encompasses the seven westernmost counties of New York State.

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79425_125842_ENG_HTM.htm