On Sunday, Aug. 10, All Saints by-the-Sea welcomes back The Right Reverend Mark Beckwith, Bishop of the Diocese of Newark, N.J. Holy Communion will be celebrated at the 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. services. A social hour with refreshments follows the 10 a.m. service. At 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 12, Beckwith will lead a discussion group on the church porch.

Also on August 10, All Saints and St. Columba’s Episcopal Church will join together for a joint Choral Evensong service at 5 p.m. at St. Columba’s. The Bishop will conduct the service, and music will be provided by The Lincoln Festival Chorus directed by Anthony Antolini. A free-will offering will be collected to support the Community Outreach program that All Saints and St. Columba’s administer together throughout the year.

Beckwith was elected the 10th Bishop of Newark, N.J. in September 2006 and was consecrated in January 2007. Prior to his election, Beckwith was Rector of All Saints Church, Worcester, Mass., in the Diocese of Western Massachusetts. He also served as associate rector of St. Peter's, Morristown and Rector of Christ Church, Hackensack. Beckwith is a 1973 graduate of Amherst College, and a 1978 graduate of Berkeley Divinity School at Yale.

Throughout his career he has been involved in finding solutions to social problems. During his tenure as Rector of All Saints Church, the congregation was nationally recognized for its neighborhood ministry. In the Diocese of Newark Beckwith co-founded Morris Shelter, and was the first president of the Inter-Religious Fellowship of the Homeless in Bergen County. Bishop Beckwith’s blog at www.dioceseofnewark.org/bishops-blog includes postings on racism, marriage equality, and discussions of his travels to other countries.

All Saints by-the-Sea is on Southport Island on All Saints Road about 2 miles on your left as you drive south on Route 238 (look for the Episcopal Church sign by the side of the road). Parking is available along Route 238, or if necessary, in the limited number of handicapped parking spaces off All Saints Road.

A golf cart will ferry persons from the handicapped lot to the church steps. You may also come to church by private boat or by the tour boat Novelty, which leaves Boothbay Harbor from Pier 8 at 9 a.m. Novelty picks up passengers from the church dock at 11:40 a.m. for return to Boothbay. The very beautiful and simple wood chapel is open for quiet prayer and meditation during the week. More information about the church and its history can be found at allsaintssouthport.org.