June 2005

Bishop Michel Honored

On May 6, the Rt. Rev. Rodney R. Michel, former NEAC board member and member and past chair of the Executive Council Committee on HIV/AIDS, was awarded the Distinguished Trustee Award from the United Hospital Fund of New York for his service to Episcopal Health Services of the Diocese of Long Island. The Board of Managers (Trustees) of Episcopal Health Services oversee the operation of a hospital and two nursing homes in the diocese.

The United Hospital Fund, founded in 1879, is the nation’s oldest federated charity. It was created to help organize public support for hospitals to help offset the growing cost of charity care. Among its recent activities has been support for the development of the New York City AIDS Fund.

Bishop Michel was consecrated bishop, the seventh Bishop Suffragan of his dioceses, on April 12, 1997. In 1998 he received the Doctor of Divinity honoris cause from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary. He has worked actively in community affairs, especially local and national ecumenical programs, throughout his ministry. Currently, in addition to numerous other commitments, he is Episcopal visitor to the Brotherhood of Saint Gregory, president of the Board of Directors of the American Bible and Common Prayer Book Society of the Episcopal Church, and Chair of the Standing Commission on Religious Communities of the House of Bishops.