Episcopal Diocese Gets New Leader

It was church history.

The Rt. Rev. Frederick H. Borsch reached out his arm and offered a tall shepherd’s staff to the Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno.

For a few seconds, the longtime friends clutched the staff together. It seemed like neither wanted to let go of the moment, which occurred Saturday in front of a thousand people at the annual Diocesan Convention of the Los Angeles Episcopal Church.

When Borsch released it, Bruno formally replaced him as pastoral shepherd of the diocese. He becomes the sixth bishop in the church’s 106 years in the city, and the first Los Angeles native to serve as leader.

It also was the first time in the diocese history that the passing of the staff--a symbol of church leadership known as a crosier--occurred in public. Previous bishops had either died in office or were unable to give the nearly 6-foot-tall, gold- and jewel-encrusted staff to their successors.

“It’s a unique, special moment,” Bruno said. “A true honor.”

Bruno is a barrel-chested 55-year-old man who stands roughly 6 feet, 5 inches tall. He played professional football for the Denver Broncos. After his football career, the onetime Roman Catholic became a Burbank police officer.

“I finally found what I was best at,” he said, moments before taking the crosier and addressing the audience of ministers and laypeople at the Riverside Convention Center. Getting “people to see the divinity within.”

Before the ceremony, Bruno’s sermon centered on Rosa Parks, whose refusal to give up her seat on a public bus was a pivotal act in the civil rights movement.

He said church members should use Parks as an example because she was a woman of humility, courage and strength--a woman who changed the world with a small act simply because of “the fact that her feet were tired.”

Bruno outlined his vision of what he would like the Los Angeles Diocese to become. He said he will focus on social and economic activism, including gay rights, creating a diverse church membership, and curbing domestic and street violence.

“I want to create the best community you can ever imagine,” he said.

Borsch, 66, will officially leave office Jan. 31 after guiding the Los Angeles diocese for 14 years. He somberly addressed the convention, fighting tears as he reflected on friendships, difficult moments and success.

A noted scholar who is regarded as a liberal leader in the 2.4 million-member Episcopal Church, Borsch was heavily involved as a civic activist.

The Los Angeles Diocese has 85,000 members and encompasses Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and part of Riverside counties.

“The hard moments, like the riots and the Northridge earthquake, they provided great tests,” Borsch said. “But they provided a way for us to come together . . . a way for us to care and love for one another.”