In a three-plus-hour service full of bright reds and swelling hymns, Bishop Bob Fitzpatrick was ordained yesterday as the fifth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Hawai'i at St. Andrew's Cathedral before a congregation of about 500 people.

On hand were 18 Episcopal bishops from places around the world, including Japan and Taiwan, as well as a notable interfaith contingent of Hawai'i's Buddhists, Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholics, Christians from other mainline denominations, even Bahai.

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, the presiding bishop of the U.S. Episcopal church, served over the ceremonies, which included the traditional laying on of the hands by bishops during the consecration about halfway into the service.

The sermon — given by former Presiding Bishop Edmond Browning, who also served as the second bishop of Hawai'i — was focused on cycles of life. Browning talked about how he remembered retired Bishop Richard Chang in earlier days, and how it was the last time anyone would refer to Fitzpatrick, 48, as "bishop elect."

"I am one of the earlier things that has come and passed," Browning said, drawing big laughs. "I am an old thing. Now even Richard Chang is an old thing; that sage young priest who was more than a right hand for all those years in a moment or two is going to be your bishop emeritus. I think the passing of time has got to be one of the greatest things."

Browning also talked about "new things," such as the election of Jefferts Schori as the first woman presiding bishop, and the fact that controversy is never far from the Episcopal church.

"To become a bishop today is a little like being drafted," he said. "You find yourself located in the midst of conflict you didn't start, but though which you must lead. It was like that for me, for my predecessor and for his predecessor. ... It carries conflict, because being a church involves us in conflict. There hasn't been a time when the church didn't disagree internally about important things."

After being consecrated, Fitzpatrick smiled broadly as he served communion to members of his family and gathered dignitaries.

All the pomp and pageantry was enough to move some onlookers to dab their eyes. Jan Ellison, who came from the Big Island for the ceremonies, said she started tearing up the moment a majestic red-and-gold streamer came fluttering down the aisle, twirled by a woman holding a long pole.

"I thought it was spectacular," Ellison said. "Such a celebration of life. ... I loved the intercultural flavor of it, and using Hawaiian throughout. Even repeating King Kamehameha's invitation to the first bishop! It was so meaningful to me."

Multicultural, it was: Besides including bishops hailing from all over the globe, the ceremony included scriptural readings in Korean and Cantonese; and prayer requests in Portuguese, Samoan, Spanish, Japanese and even Igbo, a language spoken in Nigeria.

With the Episcopal diocese's deep roots in Hawai'i, the organizers made sure Hawaiian culture was represented in song, dance and prayer, with the Gospel read first in English, then Hawaiian and Ilocano.