Katharine Jefferts Schori facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori |
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| 26th Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church | |
Jefferts Schori during her term as Presiding Bishop (2010)
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| Church | Episcopal Church |
| In Office | 2006–2015 |
| Predecessor | Frank Griswold |
| Successor | Michael Curry |
| Other posts | Bishop Assisting of Los Angeles Diocese(2019-2024) Assistant Bishop of Wyoming (2024) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1994 (priest) |
| Consecration | February 24, 2001 by Jerry Lamb |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 26, 1954 Pensacola, Florida, United States |
| Denomination | Episcopal |
| Parents | Keith Jefferts Elaine Ryan |
| Spouse | Richard Schori |
| Children | Katharine |
| Previous post | Bishop of Nevada (2001-2006) |
| Alma mater | Stanford University Oregon State University Pacific Church Divinity School |
Katharine Jefferts Schori, born on March 26, 1954, is a very important leader in the Episcopal Church in the United States. She was the 26th Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church. This means she was the top leader.
She was the first woman to be chosen as a "primate" (a top leader) in the worldwide Anglican Communion. Before this, she was the 9th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada. She was elected on June 18, 2006, and officially started her role on November 4, 2006. She served until November 1, 2015, when Michael Curry became the next Presiding Bishop.
As of July 2025, she is serving as an Assistant Bishop in Wyoming.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Katharine Jefferts Schori was born in Pensacola, Florida. Her father, Keith Jefferts, was a physicist, and her mother, Elaine Ryan, was a microbiologist. Her family has Irish and Swiss roots.
She was first raised in the Catholic Church. When she was eight, in 1963, her parents joined the Episcopal Church, and she joined with them.
Education and Interests
Jefferts Schori went to school in New Jersey. She studied biology at Stanford University, earning her first degree in 1974. Later, she earned two more degrees in oceanography from Oregon State University in 1977 and 1983.
She is also a pilot and can fly planes using only instruments. Both of her parents were pilots too.
In 1979, she married Richard Schori, who was a professor at Oregon State. They have one daughter.
Early Career in the Church
Katharine Jefferts Schori earned her Master of Divinity degree in 1994 from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific. She became a priest that same year.
She worked as an assistant rector at the Church of the Good Samaritan in Corvallis, Oregon. She helped the Hispanic community there because she speaks Spanish fluently. She also led adult education programs.
In 2001, she was chosen and became the Bishop of Nevada.
Honorary Degrees
She has received special honorary degrees from several theological schools. These include the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in 2001, Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in 2007, and Sewanee: The University of the South in 2008.
Becoming Presiding Bishop
In June 2006, the Episcopal Church held its General Convention in Columbus, Ohio. On June 18, Jefferts Schori was chosen to be the next Presiding Bishop. She was selected from seven candidates. The House of Bishops voted for her, and then the House of Deputies (which includes deacons, priests, and regular church members) also approved her election.
This was a historic moment because she was the first woman to become a "primate" (a top leader) in the worldwide Anglican Communion. She was the 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church.
Starting Her New Role
At a press conference on June 18, 2006, the newly elected Presiding Bishop shared her goals. She wanted to lead the church in helping people, especially by working to end poverty and hunger. She spoke about helping those who are left out and bringing good news to everyone.
Katharine Jefferts Schori officially became Presiding Bishop on November 1, 2006. Her special ceremony, called an investiture, took place on November 4 at the Washington National Cathedral. Her official seating in the cathedral happened the next day.
She was the 963rd bishop to be consecrated in the Episcopal Church. She was consecrated by three other bishops: Jerry A. Lamb, Robert Louis Ladehoff, and Carolyn Tanner Irish.
As Presiding Bishop
During her time as Presiding Bishop, some groups from four dioceses (Fort Worth, Pittsburgh, Quincy, and San Joaquin) left the Episcopal Church. They joined another group called the Anglican Church in North America. Jefferts Schori approved legal actions regarding church properties during this time.
In 2009, during the General Convention of the Episcopal Church, some people had questions about her opening speech. She later made a clarifying statement to explain her remarks.
End of Her Term
On September 23, 2014, Jefferts Schori announced that she would not seek another term as Presiding Bishop. On June 27, 2015, the General Convention elected Bishop Michael Curry of North Carolina to be the 27th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church.
After her term as Presiding Bishop ended, she continued to serve the church. From 2017 to 2019, she was an assisting bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego. Since 2019, she has been one of the assisting bishops in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. As of July 2025, she is serving as an Assistant Bishop in Wyoming.
See also
In Spanish: Katharine Jefferts para niños
- List of presiding bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America
- List of Episcopal bishops of the United States
