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2022 SESSION

22105771D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 253
Offered February 21, 2022
Celebrating the life of the Reverend Canon John Fletcher Lowe, Jr.
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Patrons-- Carr, Convirs-Fowler, Hope, Jenkins, Maldonado, Plum, Rasoul, Reid, Simonds, Watts and Willett; Senators: Boysko, Deeds, Ebbin, Edwards, Hashmi, Howell and McPike
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WHEREAS, the Reverend Canon John Fletcher Lowe, Jr., esteemed spiritual leader, accomplished social justice advocate, and beloved member of the Richmond community, died on August 25, 2021; and

WHEREAS, born in Greenville, South Carolina, Fletcher Lowe graduated from the Gilman School in Baltimore before earning degrees from Washington and Lee University and the General Theological Seminary; and

WHEREAS, Fletcher Lowe was ordained to the priesthood in 1960 and served parishes in the Episcopal Dioceses of South Carolina and Southwestern Virginia before assuming the role of Executive Secretary of the Department of Christian Social Relations with the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia in 1967; and

WHEREAS, Fletcher Lowe subsequently led the parish of Church of the Holy Comforter in Richmond as rector from 1970 to 1985 while holding positions on various leadership bodies with the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, including its Liturgical Commission, Executive Board, and Standing Committee, which he served as president; and

WHEREAS, Fletcher Lowe devoted his last decade of full-time ministry to parishes under the Diocese of Delaware before retiring in 1994; he then held several interim positions around the world, first at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Richmond and later with churches in Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and France; and

WHEREAS, in recognition of his efforts in 1971 to protect Christian clergy who had faced persecution under the administration of Ugandan president Idi Amin, Fletcher Lowe was made a canon of St. Paul’s Cathedral Namirembe in Kampala, Uganda; and

WHEREAS, Fletcher Lowe was a tireless advocate for economic, racial, and social justice throughout his life and was integral to the founding of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, the largest statewide advocacy organization for the faith community, which he served as Executive Director in 1997 through 2004; and

WHEREAS, Fletcher Lowe was particularly concerned for the religious rights of incarcerated individuals, serving many years as a visiting chaplain at state penitentiaries, and spoke often and ardently in favor of criminal justice reform; and

WHEREAS, Fletcher Lowe will be fondly remembered and dearly missed by his loving wife of 62 years, Mary Frances; his children, John, Elizabeth, and Suzanne, and their families; and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of the Reverend Canon John Fletcher Lowe, Jr., whose sagacious spiritual counsel and unwavering commitment to the less fortunate members of society were an inspiration to all who knew him; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of the Reverend Canon John Fletcher Lowe, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.