The Rt. Rev. Pierre Whalon

PIERRE WHALON comes to us from Paris, France where he is Bishop-in-charge of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe. He is 58 years old, married to Melinda Whalon, and they have one child Marie-Noelle. Pierre is a suffragan to the Presiding Bishop, a theologian, administrator, writer, musician/composer, and linguist. Pierre inherited a group of far-flung European outposts, sharing a common feeling of isolation but each with different legal systems, local languages and traditions, whose relationships with each other or with the Convocation was barely developed. Under his leadership the Convocation has completed 2 strategic plans, and the 18 isolated foreign parishes and missions, many poorly funded, have been united into a missionary jurisdiction that functions as a real diocese. He did this by empowering and raising up both lay and clergy leaders and by dint of hard work, trial and error. Prior to becoming bishop, Pierre had 16 years of parish experience as Rector of All Souls, North Versailles, PA for 6 years; Rector of St. Paul’s, Elkins Park, PA for 2 years; and Rector of St. Andrew’s Church and School, Fort Pierce, Florida for 8 years. Pierre’s vision is international and inclusive, overseeing the creation of bilingual Prayer Books as part of the strategic plan to attract new members, to include Spanish, French, Italian, and German speakers. He is presently integrating into the Convocation several ethnic communities, including refugees from Ecuador, from Rwanda, and at the request of the Old Catholic Church, two of their congregations in Italy. He persuaded the French government to give sanctuary to 1300 Iraqi Christians and others who were being persecuted and killed for reasons of faith. He has visited Haiti twice to assist in relief efforts after the earthquakes, at the request of the Presiding Bishop. Pierre is conversant in several languages, including Spanish and French, and is a regular columnist for Anglicans OnLine and the Huffington Post. He has a popular blog addressing a wide range of current issues and is frequently invited on radio and television programs to comment on religious and human rights concerns. Pierre’s strong belief is that we always have enough resources to do the work we have been given to do. This is part of his theology, and Pierre Whalon lives it.