Bishop Mallory Installed in El Camino Real
Episcopal News Service. October 23, 1980 [80365]
SAN JUAN BAUTISTA, Calif. -- The Rt. Rev. C. Shannon Mallory, 43, was installed Oct. 11 as the first bishop of the new Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real. The Rt. Rev. John M. Allin, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, presided at the Recognition and Investiture in the plaza of this historic California mission. For the occasion the sedilla (bishop's chair) in which California's first Episcopal bishop was consecrated in 1853, was brought to the mission from Trinity Church, San Francisco's oldest parish.
Among other members of the House of Bishops in attendance were the Bishops of California, San Joaquin, Hawaii, Connecticut and Arizona, and the colorful procession included representatives of each parish, preceded by its banners.
An unusual aspect of the event was that it is the second time within ten years that Bishop Mallory has been elected the first bishop of a new diocese. In 1972, he was elected first bishop of the then new Diocese of Botswana in the Province of Central Africa.
A native of Texas, Bishop Mallory grew up in Van Nuys, Calif., and was educated at UCLA and General Theological Seminary. He entered the mission field after his ordination to the diaconate in the Diocese of Los Angeles. He was ordained priest in Africa where he exercised his ministry until resigning as Bishop of Botswana in 1978 to clear the way for an indigenous bishop to be elected. He served in Ovamboland (Namibia), South Africa, and Uganda before his elevation to the episcopate. His last act as Bishop of Botswana was to consecrate the new cathedral, which had just been completed.
He was assistant to the Bishop of Long Island at the time he was elected Bishop of El Camino Real on June 21.
There are no current plans for a cathedral in the Diocese of El Camino Real. "We are a pilgrim Church, " the bishop noted, "on the King's highway. This new diocese is an optimum size for rediscovering and experiencing some of the dynamic qualities of the early Church. In my vision for the diocese these would include a more effective and supportive quality of fellowship among clergy and laity, less of a hierarchical orientation, and more of a collegial inter-relationship among bishop, clergy and laity. And I believe intensely that chief pastors are meant to be chiefly pastoral.
"Therefore I look forward to an episcopate in which I will spend more time with the clergy in their ministries than I will in the office. I do not believe that bishops are consecrated to be chiefly administrators, which is often what happens to us."
The Diocese of El Camino Real was created by the General Convention from the southern portion of the Diocese of California, and extends along the central coast from Palo Alto to Arroyo Grande. It became an independent diocese at its primary convention on June 20, after several years of discussion and process. It includes 40 churches and approximately 100 clergy.
Bishop Mallory is married to Armonda Lou Ober, and they have five children. They reside in Carmel Valley and the diocesan office is in Salinas.