The Suffragan Bishop of Washington, the Rt. Rev. Jane Dixon, made a second visitation to St. Luke's, Bladensburg, Md., on Jan. 17, following up on her appearance there on Jan. 14, 1997, both under strong, repeated protests over a prolonged period from rector, wardens and vestry.

Repeated visits to the diocese's other Anglo-Catholic parishes - Ascension and St. Agnes on Massachusetts Avenue and St. Paul's, K Street - have not yet been scheduled. While the diocesan or suffragan ordinarily visits every two years, the Rt. Rev. Ronald Haines made an extra visitation to St. Luke's in December 1997.

The weather was not as wintry as two years ago, but the reception for Bishop Dixon was still undeniably icy as the parish, conforming to a policy developed in 1997, removed the tabernacle, stilled the organ, excused both choir and acolytes, and held its annual meeting a week earlier than planned. Only a handful of parishioners attended, as opposed to 55 present for the early Eucharist.

Arriving with her husband and a member of the standing committee, Bishop Dixon hailed the rector, the Rev. Edward Raffetto, as he crossed the churchyard and told him that she expected to inspect the register. Otherwise, she declared, Bishop Haines expected it to be brought to his office.

Vested in an alb, Bishop Dixon lit two candles on the altar and summoned her husband to ignite the taller ones. Then, wearing cope and miter, she faced a congregation of 22 persons to begin the service, but stopped short between the Collect for Purity and Summary of the Law to prohibit the taking of pictures. When there were no volunteers to lead intercessions, Tom Hobbin of the standing committee stepped forward. In 1997, Bishop Dixon expressed her appreciation for being received but this year made no reference on the continuing controversy. She preached instead on the Martin Luther King holiday, taking up her recurring emphasis on justice and inclusiveness.

Although she did not offer the customary sung mass, as she had attempted at St. Paul's, she did conform to parish practice by using the altar that has never been moved from its position against the north wall.

Mindful of the hymns weakly raised in 1997, Bishop Dixon refrained from calling for them. Instead, at the conclusion of her improvised blessing, "Amazing Grace" was begun on cue by Ellen D. Washington of Laurel, Md., where Bishop Dixon was formerly rector. She processed up the aisle, blessing mainly empty pews.

After Bishop Dixon left the church, Fr. Raffeto and acolyte Gary Schenk entered the church and, using prayers from The Book of Occasional Services, "cleansed" the church. Reading from Lamentations and reciting the Litany of the Saints, Fr. Raffeto sprinkled the altar, chalice and paten with holy water.

(The Rev.) James B. Simpson