By Kendra Bryant
AFRO Intern
Loved ones and colleagues gathered July 12 at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Baltimore, Md., to celebrate the life of the Very Rev. Canon Sandye A. Wilson. She served as dean of the Cathedral Church of All Saints in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, and chaplain of All Saints Cathedral School.
“Sandye was a witness to the love of Jesus Christ among us,” said the Rt. Rev. Rafael Morales Maldonado, bishop of Puerto Rico in the Episcopal Church.
Wilson, 71, died on April 15 after a battle with stage three serous endometrial cancer.
The celebration featured classic hymns, including “Give Thanks for Life,” “When Peace Like a River,” “When We All Get to Heaven” and “Shall We Gather at the River.”
The Rt. Rev. Micheal Bruce Curry, 27th presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, preached a sermon focused on God’s love and acceptance of all of His creations.
“You and I, Sandye, and all who have gone before are God’s people,” said Curry. “This is the God that we share with her, a God who sees us as we are, welcomes us as we are, and then makes us new.”
Wilson was a native of Baltimore and a graduate of Vassar College. Wilson’s ministry in The Episcopal Church spanned more than 40 years, according to the Episcopal News Service, marking historical milestones along the way. She was ordained as a priest in 1980 by her mentor and friend, the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, the first Black woman ordained in the Episcopal Church.
“Like Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, Sandye sat at Pauli’s feet and listened and learned,” according to Wilson’s obituary. “Pauli in turn gave Sandye wonderful experiences and opportunities to represent her in various settings, including on television and at conferences.”
Wilson became the first woman rector (religious authority) in the worldwide Anglican Communion and went on to lead congregations in the dioceses of Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, Newark and New Jersey. She also served as chief operating officer of Saint Augustine’s University, a private historically Black university in Raleigh, N.C., one of two HBCUs still associated with the Episcopal Church. She was a longtime deputy to the General Convention, a member of the Executive Council and former president of the Union of Black Episcopalians and a dedicated member of The Church Pension Fund Board of Trustees, among other positions.
Along the way, she left an indelible impact on many.
“I remember three words from Sandye,” the Rt. Rev. Maldonado recalled. “The first was to love, the second was to forgive, and the third was to serve.”
Wilson served as a chapel faculty member at Princeton University, Yale University Divinity School, the University of Minnesota, and as the chief operating officer (COO) of St. Augustine’s University.
In February, she received the “Beautiful Are Their Feet” award from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, honoring her faith-driven commitment to justice.
“Thank you, Sandye! Thank you for your legacy here. Thank you for your work,” said Maldonado. “Thank you, Sandye, for your joyful spirit.”
See Wilson’s full obituary here.