Bishop's Page

The Rt. Rev. Kara Wagner Sherer

The Rt. Rev. Kara Wagner Sherer is the ninth and first woman bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester. She was consecrated on July 13, 2024. Kara is a lifelong Episcopalian who has served in ministry across the United States and in England. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, and taught in New York City, Potter’s Bar, England, and Chicago, Illinois, before earning a Master of Divinity from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. Kara served in Chicago parishes for 21 years, including 19 years as rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church. During her time there, she focused on growing an authentic worshipping and community-serving congregation. She prioritized raising up and training leaders, fostering dialogue and learning— particularly in the conversation between science and faith—and engaging in justice work, including creation care, antiracism, violence prevention, and full inclusion of LGBTQ+ people. As bishop, Kara leads a diocese of 48 congregations and chapels, served by over 100 priests and deacons, across eight counties stretching from Lake Ontario to the Pennsylvania border. This region encompasses the city of Rochester, its suburbs, the Finger Lakes, and the Southern Tier. The strength and reach of these rural, suburban, and urban parishes in diverse communities makes them uniquely posed to be a light of love and service to all.