A Special Message From Bishop Howard
|
|
Even in these challenging times, there is an abundance of good happening across the diocese. As I recently shared with you all, I continue to be amazed by how clergy and parishioners have come together in new and innovative ways. We continue to worship, celebrate the love of God and be in community with one another.
We are learning, evolving and growing as our diocese gracefully and confidently rises to the challenge of sharing the love of God when we can't come together in one place.
Be assured that God is with us. He will not abandon us and we have so many reasons to continue to love, serve and praise Him!
2 Thessalonians 2: 16-17 - "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and [i]establish you in every good word and work."
Please continue to visit
our website
for updates on live streaming events across the diocese and stay tuned for exciting details about
diocesan-wide online events happening during Holy Week.
In closing we pray,
“Almighty God our Heavenly Father, graciously comfort your people amid the uncertainty facing us in the COVID19/Coronavirus contagion. Mercifully attend to those who are sick, bless those who seek a vaccine and cure, bless our Church and civic leaders as they seek to guide us, and fill our hearts with confidence that , though at times we may be afraid, we may still put our trust in you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
With much love and many blessings,
|
|
The Rt. Rev. Samuel Johnson Howard
|
|
Ash Wednesday Around the Diocese
|
|
St. Mark's Episcopal Day School
|
Father Allison traveled to St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School to help the students celebrate Ash Wednesday and assist with the services. The clergy are very appreciative of Father Allison’s support and it looks like the students enjoyed the occasion as well.
|
|
|
|
|
Ash Wednesday was also celebrated with “Ashes to Go” set up in front of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. People were able to drive up, receive their ashes and be on their way.
|
|
If you have any Ash Wednesday photos to share, we would like to see them! Please submit photos to [email protected]
|
|
Celebrating Bishop Keyser
|
|
Bishop Howard hosted a lunch Thursday March 5
th
, in honor of Bishop Charles Keyser who recently celebrated his 90
th
birthday as well as his 65
th
anniversary of ordination to the priesthood on March 15, 2020.
The three clergy members of the Diocesan staff with Bishop Dorsey Henderson and the Rev Tom Murray, Rector of St. Mark’s, Jacksonville attended the lunch.
A special quilt was given to Bishop Keyser that was made by the quilt ministry at St. Peters in Fernandina Beach.
|
|
Photo from left to right seated: Bishop Henderson, Bishop Keyser and Bishop Howard. From left to right standing: Fr Aaron Smith, Fr Douglas Dupree, Fr Tom Murray and Fr Allison DeFoor.
|
|
Clergy Conference and Retreat
|
|
The first of two annual clergy conferences or retreats in the Diocese of Florida always takes place on the Thursday and Friday immediately after Ash Wednesday. This year the twenty-four hour retreat was held at Camp Weed and Cerveny Conference Center on the 27th-28th of February. Some sixty plus clergy were in attendance.
The guest speaker was David Zahl, a lay minister who leads Mockingbird, a ministry that seeks to connect the Christian faith with the realities of everyday life 'in fresh and down-to-earth ways'. Zahl says 'Americans may be going to church less, but we're more religious than ever'. We seek to fill the void left by religion by chasing after so many secular substitutes not so much to be happy or respected but simply 'to be enough', i.e. what in old fashioned religious terms we might call the desire to be 'righteous'.
|
|
|
Zahl's two lectures Thursday afternoon and Friday morning of the conference were enthusiastically received by the clergy gathered. Several, including Bishop Howard, said it was the best clergy conference they had ever attended.
At the closing Eucharist on Friday the clergy renewed their ordination vows in the presence of the Bishop and brought sacramental oils to be blessed by the Bishop. The clergy are grateful to Pam Searcy from St John's Cathedral who played the hymns for the Eucharist. Thomas Frazer and his Camp Weed staff did a wonderful job in making everyone at home and comfortable and Chef Ed fed us supremely well as usual.
|
|
Drive-in Service at
St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Saint Johns
|
|
From t
he Rev. Rhonda Willerer, Rector, St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church:
With the social distancing affecting church services inside the church building, I wanted to find another option. I heard from some people that they wanted to be able to receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist so I started brainstorming ways to offer the sacrament and still abide by the social distancing.
After considering a couple of different options, I decided to go with a Drive In Eucharist concept. People were instructed to back into the parking spaces so they could view the altar, to bring a basket or bowl, place it on their hoods where the consecrated wafers would be place. Before the service I prepared communion wafers (in a very clean environment and wearing health gloves). I placed individual wafers in small zip lock bags.
We had people at the entrance to direct the parking and a loud speaker and an FM radio transmitter was used for those in attendance to hear and the service was live streamed on Facebook and our website.
What we learned:
People are hungry, not only for a message, but for the sacrament. Next time: Set up in the shade!
The response was wonderful. For those who are part of the St. Patrick’s family, I have heard how they appreciated being able to see each other’s faces, even if only through their car windows. For me, as their rector, that service is among the most meaningful Eucharist services I have celebrated. We had at least three people from a sister church who came to get ideas for their church.
|
|
St. Mary's Food Pantry in Demand
|
|
Many neighboring pantries have completely shut down or have drastically limited what they are able to do, but at St. Mary's they are seeing
increases in numbers served and expect demand to grow for the foreseeable future
St. Mary's is actively fundraising in order to meet the demand. To learn more visit
stmarysjax.org
.
|
|
|
- Diocesan Website Updates: Find an error or need something updated on our website? Please email k[email protected] with any updates and include the URL of the page where the changes are needed.
|
|
Diocese of Florida | 325 N. Market Street | Jacksonville, FL 32202 | 904.356.1328
www.diocesefl.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
