On this date the New York Times reported that a majority of bishops and dioceses of the Episcopal Church had approved the election of the church’s second openly Gay bishop, THE REV. MARY D. GLASSPOOL. Bishop Glasspool, was to be consecrated as one of two new assistant bishops, known as suffragan bishops, in Los Angeles on May 15. Both elected suffragan bishops are women — the first ever to serve in the diocese. Both were elected  at a convention of the diocese in December, but according to church rules had to win the approval of a majority of the bishops and standing committees (made up of clergy and laypeople) of the church’s 110 dioceses.

Bishop Glasspool’s confirmation was never certain. Bishop Glasspool, who has been serving in Maryland as an adviser to the bishops for nine years, said in an interview: “I feel overjoyed. I feel relieved. I’m breathing again.”  She and her partner, Becki Sander, a postgraduate student in social work, have been together for 22 years.

Rev. Glasspool was born on Staten Island, raised in Goshen, NY, where her father, Douglas Murray Glasspool, served as rector of St. James’ Church until his death in 1989, and graduated Bachelor of Arts Magna cum Laude from Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA in 1976; earned her Master of Divinity from Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, MA in 1981; was ordained a deacon in June 1981 by Bishop Paul Moore, Jr. of New York; and in March 1982 was ordained a priest by Bishop Lyman Ogilby of Pennsylvania.  From 1981 to 1984, she served as assistant to the rector, and later interim priest-in-charge, of St. Paul’s Church, Philadelphia, moving from there to be rector of St. Luke’s and St. Margaret’s Church, Boston, where she remained until 1992. She then moved to the Diocese of Maryland, first as rector of St. Margaret’s Church in Annapolis (1992-2001) and then, until her election in 2009 as suffragan bishop of Los Angeles, as Canon to the Bishops in the diocese.

The Rt. Rev. Mary D. Glasspool came to the Diocese of New York as Assistant Bishop in April, 2016.