Fr Gordon Reid's Golden Jubilee of Priesthood


On 11 June, the Feast of St Barnabas, the Revd Canon Gordon Reid celebrated 50 years as a priest in God's Church. The occasion was marked by a High Mass in St Mark's Philadelphia, at which I was privileged to be the preacher. The church was full for the celebration, at which the Bishop of Pennsylvania, the Rt Revd Daniel Gutierrez, presided "from the throne".


Fr Gordon was ordained in Edinburgh and has served there and in Salisbury and Inverness. In the Diocese in Europe he has served in Ankara, Izmir, Stockholm, Gibraltar (as Dean), Milan (as Archdeacon of Italy and Malta) and London (as Vicar General). From Europe he moved to Philadelphia where he was Rector of St Clement's Church for many years.


Fr Gordon has retired from stipendiary ministry but is still very active. Bishop Gutierrez has made him Dean of Southwark (a deanery in the Philadelphia, pronounced "South-Wark") and presently Fr Gordon is providing priestly cover for St Mary's Church, which is also the centre of campus ministry for Penn State University, while the Rector is on maternity leave. He also continues to be an active priest on our diocesan locum list.


Following the service there was a warm reception for Fr Gordon, then a small dinner party hosted by the Rector of St Mark's, the Revd Fr Sean Mullen. The Associate Rector of the parish, the Revd Mother Erika Takacs was the Deacon of the mass.



In my sermon I was able to assure Fr Gordon of the good wishes, love and prayers from his many friends in the Diocese in Europe. His has been a distinguished ministry, so far!

Fr Sean, Bp Daniel, Fr Gordon
Photos courtesy of Marc Coleman

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