2023 ANNUAL REPORT: WELCOME FROM BISHOP MARIANN

Dear Diocesan Family,

Your diocesan staff gathers each quarter to take stock of progress on the diocese’s strategic plan goals. Over the course of two days, we look back with clear eyes and committed hearts to examine what went well and what didn’t. Then, with our fresh insights in mind, we set our intentions for the next ninety days of work. Every December, we widen our lens to include the broader arc of the past year and our hopes for the year to come.

I am particularly grateful for the progress the diocese made on our strategic plan in 2023. Faithful step by faithful step, parish leaders and diocesan staff rededicated themselves to becoming a diocese that draws on the gifts of all God’s people to serve Christ together and live Jesus’ Way of Love. Together we worked to ensure that our endeavors–large and small–had meaningful impact. Together we worked with passion, dedication, professionalism, and commitment to the mission we share. It is a story I’m proud to share in the pages of this Annual Report.

As we move into 2024, I and the rest of your diocesan staff are eager to continue collaborating with leaders from all corners of the diocese, building momentum and vitality and encouraging our people to keep their eyes on Jesus and his presence in our lives. This is our collective vocation as courageous disciples and to remind ourselves of this, Courageous Discipleship will be our theme for the coming year.

I am humbled by the privilege of working alongside you as we respond to the call of the Holy Spirit in our midst.

Faithfully,

Mariann

The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde
Bishop of Washington