From December 3 until February 23, Bishop Sean Rowe will be on sabbatical from his ministry in the Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania. Rowe, who was elected bishop provisional of the Diocese of Western New York in October, will assume that role in early April upon Bishop Bill Franklin’s retirement.

Rowe says that he plans to use his sabbatical for rest, reflection, and study. “I’m going to do some academic work, write some articles based on the research I did for my doctoral dissertation, read some good books about organization and really begin to think about our future together,” he said in a recent video.

“As spring begins, we’ll be looking forward to this new beginning … I’m just really excited about the possibilities,” Rowe said.

During Bishop Rowe’s sabbatical, Canon Vanessa Butler is available to answer questions about plans for the partnership between the two dioceses. She can be reached via email.

Watch the bishop’s video: