Reverend Dr Peter Chase

On behalf of the Clergy, Council and whole congregation of the Chaplaincy we want to congratulate Peter Chase, Chaplain of St Nicholas’ in Fujairah and Chaplain to the Mission to Seafarers on the award of an Honorary Doctorate from the Episcopal Graduate Theological Seminary, in Berkeley, California.

The following excerpts are reproduced from the article posted on ‘Fujairah in Focus‘ on 22 October. The award was also published on the website of the Church Divinity School of the Pacific.

The Rev. Peter Chase, Chaplain of Fujairah’s Flying Angel and vicar of the Fujairah Anglican Church (St Nicholas), was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree on 13 October 2011 from the Episcopal Graduate Theological Seminary, in Berkeley, California. Rev. Chase received his degree along with two other priests—the Rev. Mary Frances Schjonberg, an editor with the Episcopal News Service in New York City and the Rev. David E. Pettengill, a retired priest in Mesa, Arizona—in recognition of their significant contributions to the Episcopal Church. The degrees were presented as part of a celebration of the Holy Eucharist in the All Saints Chapel on the Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP) campus.

At the conferral the Rt. Rev Mark Hollingworth, Bishop of Ohio, presented Peter Chase and gave an extended account of his achievements. Here is a summary of his statement:

“In Peter’s first appointment as an Associate Rector in California, he contributed not only to the parish but also to the diocese, especially in the areas of pastoral care, church planning and youth ministries. As Rector of the Episcopal church in Salt Lake City, Utah, for almost a decade, Peter played a critical role in an ‘extraordinary ecumenical venture’ in which the church shared fellowship and service with five mainline denominations.

During Peter’s seventeen years of service as Rector of St. Mary’s Church in Newton, Massachusetts, his leadership gifts were relied upon in the church and community alike. A list of his accomplishments and leadership positions during this period is lengthy but is marked notably by his commitment to clergy vocational development and wellness. Peter served as co-President of the Massachusetts Episcopal Clergy Association, worked as a mediator with individuals and churches in conflict and acted as a mentor to young vicars. His commitment to the ongoing support of the ordained leadership is reflected as well in his dedicated services to the CDSP alumni.

Retiring from fulltime parish ministry, Peter Chase has spent the last two years with the Mission to Seafarers in the Northern Emirates of the United Arab Emirates. There he serves as chaplain aboard the MV Flying Angel, the only boat of its kind, serving the second largest anchorage and the largest seafarer’s center in the world. As well he is vicar of the St. Nicholas Chapel in downtown Fujairah, a ministry to expatriates in the Anglican Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf.

As husband, father, priest, community leader, CDSP alumnus and Boston Red Sox fan, Peter has lived up to his name and his namesake, modeling fidelity and providing rock-solid leadership as a Christian and an Episcopalian.”

Thank you Peter for your service to the Chaplaincy – and once again congratulations, Reverend Dr Peter Chase!