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2009 SESSION


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 484
Commending the Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee.
 
Agreed to by the Senate, February 25, 2009
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 27, 2009
 

WHEREAS, the Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee, the bishop of the Diocese of Virginia, will resign in October 2009 after more than two decades of exemplary leadership; and

WHEREAS, the Diocese of Virginia, one of the oldest and largest dioceses in the Episcopal Church, has over 80,000 baptized members, 424 clergy, 181 churches, six secondary schools, and two conference centers; and

WHEREAS, the Diocese of Virginia also participates in the sponsorship of six retirement communities and is one of the founding dioceses of the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria; and

WHEREAS, Peter James Lee received a bachelor’s degree from Washington and Lee University and studied law at Duke University; and

WHEREAS, before entering Virginia Theological Seminary where he received a M.Div., Peter James Lee served as a United States Army intelligence officer and was decorated for service with the United States Eighth Army in Seoul, Korea; and

WHEREAS, the Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee received an honorary doctor of divinity degree from Virginia Theological Seminary and the University of the South and a Doctor of Letters from Washington and Lee University; and

WHEREAS, before becoming the 12th bishop of Virginia on May 27, 1985, the Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee gained administrative experience and spiritual growth as he served as a deacon at St. John’s Cathedral in Florida, assistant minister at St. John’s Church in Washington, D.C., and rector of the Chapel of the Cross in North Carolina; he was named Bishop Coadjutor of Virginia in 1984; and

WHEREAS, the Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee has guided the Diocese of Virginia for over two decades with dedication, humility, and a sincere desire to minister to the spiritual needs of the members of the diocese and to reach out to the broader community as well; and

WHEREAS, the Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee serves as chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Virginia Theological Seminary and rector of the board of the Episcopal High School in Alexandria as well as chairman of the board and president of Shrine Mont, Inc.; and

WHEREAS, the Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee has also served as a member of the board of directors of the Greater Richmond YMCA, the National Alliance to End Homelessness, and the Presiding Bishop’s Fund for World Relief; and

WHEREAS, the Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee has served in numerous capacities in various organizations and in 1997, received the Jessie Ball duPont Award for “courageous and bold commitment to community leadership and social ministry”; and

WHEREAS, the Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee’s dedication and devotion to the Church would not have been possible without the support of his loving wife, Kristy, and children, Stewart and James, and their families; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly commend the Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee for his outstanding service to the Diocese of Virginia; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his service and best wishes for his future endeavors.