“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.“ That comforting assurance finds special favor among those involved with, or afflicted by, the internecine brawls that, without ceasing, roil the faithful. The Episcopal Church of the United States recently concluded its General Convention in Southern California. The public fireworks may have been few, yet the consequences will be many.

Abide with me, fast falls the eventide.“ Soft voices fill sacred space. “Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping.“ Compline closes the day. Prayer proceeds without ceasing. The words are chanted and sung at the Society of Saint John the Evangelist, a monastic community of the Episcopal Church. Its monastery lies in Cambridge along the Charles River, adjacent to Harvard University. The premises include a guest house, quarters for the brothers, and the Chapel of Saint Mary and Saint John, and are open for retreats that are not withdrawals but re-entries into the real. Visitors include groups and individuals, friends and strangers—although in the truest sense there are no strangers here. Silence predominates. In a world of noise, it is a welcome sound. “Elected silence, sing to me.“

The chapel beckons. Its space is illuminated by candlelight; stained glass draws the sun. The cross at the altar centers sight, intellect, and emotion. A symbol once associated with torture and execution was in sacrificial glory transformed into an affirmation of unconditional love. That transformation continues even unto this very hour, and will continue throughout all hours to come. Daily, fear gives way to hope. Passion re-enacted leads not to the oblivion of the tomb but to the fulfillment of paradise.

Tomorrow the Rev. Herman “Holly” Hollerith IV will be consecrated as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia. Although the Richmond-based Diocese of Virginia ranks as the largest in the Episcopal Church of the United States, many Episcopal churches throughout the metropolitan area belong to the Southern branch, which includes parishes south of the river and to Richmond’s east. It was formed in 1892 from the Diocese of Virginia and traces its roots to the commonwealth’s birth.

A Williamsburg priest who says homosexuality should not exclude people from full involvement in the Episcopal Church will be consecrated this week as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia.