Julia E. Whitworth is an American Episcopal priest and Bishop-elect of the Diocese of Massachusetts, previously serving as Trinity Church's rector in Indianapolis. Her consecration will take place in October 2024.[1] [2]
Born in Richmond, Virginia, Whitworth graduated from Dartmouth College in 1993 with a Bachelor's degree in drama and English, and later studied for a Master's degree at New York University Tisch School of the Arts. She received a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in 2010.[1]
Whitworth began her career as a drama instructor at the Tisch School of the Arts and was a visiting lecturer at Mount Holyoke College.[1]
Having been ordained as a priest in 2010, she served as assistant rector of St. James's Church in West Hartford, Connecticut, until 2012, and as canon for liturgy and the arts at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City from 2013 to 2016, when she became rector of Trinity Church, Indianapolis.[1]
On May 18, 2024, she was elected to serve as the 17th Bishop of Massachusetts − the first woman to serve in that role.[3] Her consecration will be held at Trinity Church, Boston, on October 19, 2024.[2] [4]
Whitworth is married to Ray Neufeld, an artist and designer, with whom she has three children.[1]