March 22, 2019
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
Anyone who, for almost any reason, has had any dealings with the diocesan office for many years now, has come to know the name Judi Rogers, my Executive Assistant. For the last ten years, it was Judi, I’m sure, whom you were told to contact for just about anything; she, who would provide the information you needed, point you in the right direction, or set up the appointment you requested. And it was likely she who would contact you when you were not expecting (or even wanting) it, to remind you of that overdue report, or to ask you to rearrange your schedule because of a change in mine.
Recently, Judi informed me of her wish to retire this spring. As much as I would have liked to talk her out of it, I also know how thoughtfully Judi arrives at a decision such as this. She and I agreed that her last day in the office would be May 31st.
Judi’s tenure began in May 2009, when our office occupied a small rental suite in Monroeville, and the diocese itself was in the throes of reorganizing. As someone very active in the local synod of the ELCA, she brought her stable Lutheran sensibilities to our sometimes chaotic Episcopal world. She served under three bishops — Johnson, Price, and me — and saw numerous changes in our governing bodies and diocesan staff. In July of 2015, when we returned the bishop’s office to the third floor of Cathedral House in downtown Pittsburgh, Judi extended her daily commute so as to continue her service to all of us.
Having a background in public relations and broadcasting, she brought us a variety of talents and in her time here developed others. We have relied on her gifts as communicator, editor, general organizer, herder of cats, and wrangler of administrative details across many fields, from liturgy to canon law. She has fielded calls and queries from prelates and rabbis, clergy and wardens, politicians and civil servants, as well as from confused parishioners looking for guidance and hurting strangers looking for help. All of this she has handled with remarkable patience and genuine care, and I will miss her very much indeed.
Please join with me in thanking Judi and wishing her well. And please keep her and her family in your prayers as they embark on the next phase of life.
Faithfully your bishop,
(The Right Reverend) Dorsey W.M. McConnell, D.D.
VIII Bishop of Pittsburgh