A Community Gathered in Gratitude

On May 6, 2026, the Berkeley community gathered in profound gratitude and joy to celebrate the distinguished service and enduring legacy of Dean Andrew McGowan ’26 DHon, and Professor Felicity Harley-McGowan. More than 170 alumni, trustees, former trustees, students, faculty, and friends filled Marquand Chapel and later the New Haven Lawn Club for an evening marked by beauty, thanksgiving, friendship, and deep affection.

The celebration began with a glorious Festal Eucharist in Marquand Chapel at Yale Divinity School. The service brought together the rich liturgical and musical traditions of Berkeley and Yale in a moving expression of thanksgiving for the McGowans’ years of leadership and service. The Rt. Rev’d Michael B. Curry ’78 MDiv ’25 DivDH, retired Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, preached a stirring sermon on the Gospel of John and the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ. With characteristic warmth, prophetic clarity, and pastoral grace, Bishop Curry reflected on the transformative power of love at the heart of the Gospel and offered a moving tribute to the witness and ministry of Dean McGowan and Professor Harley-McGowan.

A video of the Festal Eucharist may be viewed here.

Joining the celebration were several bishops from across the Anglican Communion and The Episcopal Church, including the Rt. Rev’d Dr. Ian T. Douglas ’10 DHon, Bishop (retired) of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut; the Rt. Rev’d Jeffrey W. Mello ’24 DHon, Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut; the Rt. Rev’d Andrew St. John, Bishop (retired) of the Diocese of Melbourne, Anglican Church of Australia; and the Rt. Rev’d Julia E. Whitworth, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts.

Music played a central role in the evening’s worship. A chamber orchestra composed of Berkeley and Yale School of Music students accompanied the liturgy alongside the Berkeley Choir, which was strengthened by singers from the Yale Consort. One of the evening’s musical highlights was the premiere of a newly commissioned communion anthem, Come, Risen Lord, by Australian composer Peter Campbell, written especially for the occasion. The anthem offered a radiant and deeply prayerful musical meditation that beautifully complemented the Eucharist and the spirit of the evening.

Following the service, guests gathered at the New Haven Lawn Club for a celebratory dinner honoring the McGowans’ extraordinary contributions to Berkeley Divinity School and Yale Divinity School. The evening began with a reception and the unveiling of a newly commissioned portrait of Bishop Curry by artist Louise Mandumbwa, which was supported by the Episcopal Diocese of New York as well as the Episcopal Diocese of Texas.

Throughout the dinner, colleagues, trustees, alumni, and friends offered reflections marked by humor, gratitude, and admiration. Berkeley Trustee Caroline Williamson served as emcee, while Board Chair James Elrod ’17 MAR, welcomed guests. Bishop Andrew St. John offered the invocation and a heartfelt personal reflection on Andrew and Felicity’s ministry and friendship. The Rev’d Dr. Molly James ’05 MDiv read a stirring letter from Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe ’25 DHon, and Yale Divinity School Dean Greg Sterling delivered one of the evening’s most memorable moments with deeply moving reflections on the McGowans’ extraordinary leadership, friendship, and lasting impact upon the life of Yale Divinity School and Berkeley.

Several special presentations formed the emotional center of the evening. The Rev’d Andrew Ogletree ’21 MDiv, presented an icon of St. Martin, commissioned for St. Luke’s Chapel, while student leaders Jae Kirkland Rice ‘27 MDiv, and Whitney Kimball Coe ‘26 MDiv, presented Professor Harley-McGowan with the Berkeley Cross in recognition of her extraordinary service to the community. Later in the evening, James Elrod and Board Vice-Chair Linda Lorimer ’77 JD, presented Dean McGowan with an honorary degree and announced the remarkable progress of the Harley-McGowan Endowed Scholarship Fund, established in honor of Andrew and Felicity’s legacy.

Dean McGowan concluded the evening with reflections that were at once deeply personal, intellectually rich, and profoundly hopeful. Drawing upon themes that have animated his ministry and leadership for more than a decade, he spoke movingly about Berkeley’s vocation within one of the world’s great universities and the enduring importance of theological education in the life of both the Church and the academy. Reflecting on Berkeley’s distinctive place within Yale, he affirmed the School’s commitment to forming leaders capable of engaging the great questions of meaning, truth, justice, and faith in a rapidly changing world. 

He also reflected with gratitude on the remarkable resilience and growth of Berkeley during a challenging period for theological education more broadly, emphasizing that Berkeley has not merely endured but emerged as an increasingly vital presence within the Episcopal Church and Yale University alike. Bishop Jeff Mello offered the final benediction, bringing to a close a celebration that was at once joyful, reverent, and deeply moving—a fitting tribute to two beloved leaders whose ministry has shaped Berkeley profoundly and whose legacy will continue for generations to come.