Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut

Diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States

The Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut (also known as The Episcopal Church in Connecticut) is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, encompassing the entire state of Connecticut. It is one of the nine original dioceses of the Episcopal Church and one of seven New England dioceses that make up Province 1.

Anglican services have been conducted in Connecticut since 1702. The diocese was established on 22 June 1785 following the American Revolution, and is one of the nine original dioceses of the Episcopal Church. The inaugural diocesan bishop was the Rt. Rev. Samuel Seabury, the first Anglican bishop with a see outside the British Isles; he also served as Presiding Bishop of the Church. Later bishops included the Rt. Rev. Walter H. Gray, who was also the first chair of the Civil Rights Commission in Connecticut and played a leading role in two meetings of the Lambeth Conference. The Most Rev. Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, preached at the consecration of the 15th Bishop of Connecticut, the Rt. Rev. Ian Douglas, in 2010. Douglas was assisted by the Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens as suffragan, the first woman to be elected bishop in Connecticut. The Rt. Rev. Jeffrey Mello succeeded Douglas as the 16th Bishop of Connecticut in 2022. The bishop's cathedra is situated at Christ Church Cathedral in Hartford, and the diocesan offices are located in Meriden. As of 2021 the diocese had a membership of approximately 40,000, down from 68,000 in 2003.

Bishops of Connecticut From Until Incumbent Notes 1784 1796 Samuel Seabury Also Presiding Bishop 1789–1792 and Bishop of Rhode Island 1790−1796; died in office. 1797 1813 Abraham Jarvis Died in office. 1819 1865 Thomas Church Brownell Also Presiding Bishop 1852−1865; died in office. 1865 1899 John Williams Previously coadjutor since 1851; also Presiding Bishop 1887−1899; also provisional bishop of Mexico; died in office. 1899 1928 Chauncey Bunce Brewster Previously coadjutor since 1897. 1928 1934 Edward Campion Acheson Previously suffragan 1915–1926 and coadjutor since 1926. 1934 1950 Frederick Grandy Budlong Previously coadjutor since 1931. 1951 1969 Walter Henry Gray Previously suffragan 1940–1945 and coadjutor since 1945. 1951 1957 Robert McConnell Hatch, suffragan bishop Later Bishop of Western Massachusetts. 1969 1970 John Henry Esquirol Previously suffragan since 1958. 1971 1977 Joseph Warren Hutchens Previously suffragan since 1961. 1977 1981 Morgan Porteus Previously suffragan 1971–1976 and coadjutor since 1976. 1981 1993 Arthur Edward Walmsley Previously coadjutor since 1979. 1981 1986 William Bradford Turner Hastings, suffragan bishop 1993 1999 Clarence Nicholas Coleridge Previously suffragan since 1981; later assisting bishop in Pennsylvania; first African American bishop in Connecticut and third in the United States. 1987 1993 Jeffrey William Rowthorn, suffragan bishop Later bishop in charge in Europe. 1999 2010 Andrew Donnan Smith Previously suffragan since 1996. 2000 2014 James Elliot Curry, suffragan bishop 2000 2005 Wilfrido Ramos Orench, suffragan bishop Later provisional bishop in Central Ecuador. 2007 present Laura Jean Ahrens, suffragan bishop 2010 2022 Ian Theodore Douglas 2022 presentJeffrey William Mello

The diocese is divided into six geographical areas known as regions. As of 2022, the there were approximately 190 places of worship in the diocese.