February 2021
Ash Wednesday Message from Bishop Howard


178th Annual Convention Wrap-Up
2021 Election Results

Diocesan Council

  • Clergy: The Rev. Trent Moore, Church of our Savior, Jacksonville
  • Lay: First Coast West Region: Nathlyn Hemmingway, St. Peter’s, Jacksonville
  • Lay: Santa Fe Region: Jim Salter, Holy Trinity, Gainesville

Disciplinary Board

  • Clergy: The Rev. Canon Bob Goolsby, St. Thomas, Palm Coast
  • Clergy: The Rev. Amy Slater, St. Mary’s, Green Cove Springs
  • Lay: Brad Farmer, St. Paul’s, Quincy

Standing Committee

  • Clergy: The Rev. Teresa Seagle, Episcopal School of Jacksonville
  • Lay: Arthur Crofton, Grace, Orange Park

Sewanee Board of Trustees
  • Lay: Randy DeFoor, St. Mark’s, Jacksonville
Cathedral Arts Project Receives Grant

The Cathedral Arts Project has been approved for a $50,000 grant to support the collective impact work of Any Given Child Jacksonville through the Landscape of Education in the Arts in Duval (LEAD). This project will inform and help families, schools, teachers, administrators, artists, arts organizations and community stakeholders understand the state of arts education in every K-12 Duval County public school.

Click here to learn more.

Hawthorne Area Resource Center
The Hawthorne Area Resource Center (HARC) was established in November 2016 because the food pantry previously located in downtown Hawthorne had closed. Therefore, in order for families and individuals to receive the necessary food to sustain healthy living, First United Methodist Church Hawthorne (FUMCH) and Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion (ECOHC) entered into a collaborative effort to serve the most vulnerable population within Hawthorne and surrounding areas. HARC was established as a food pantry and resource center, and currently is also a Farm Share distributor. 

FUMCH is a small rural church in north central Florida and is part of the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church and the United Methodist Church worldwide. FUMCH is part of a connectional system which encourages all United Methodist Churches, worldwide, to work together to make its mission known- “To Love Our Neighbors.”

ECOHC had its beginnings in 1956 when it was proposed that Hawthorne needed an Episcopal Mission. The first service was held December 16, 1956 at the first Methodist Church in Hawthorne. ECOHC is part of the Diocese of Florida and the Anglican Communion worldwide. Its involvement in HARC is driven by the lay leaders of the Church with the endorsement of the Mission Board and Vicar; all part of ECOHC’s on-going involvement in serving the needs of the local community.

HARC is housed in The Birt-Mathews House, an historic house owned by FUMC. HARC is open daily and staffed by volunteers from both churches and the local community. Day to day operations are managed by Wally Russell of ECOHC, with other members contributing their time; Yvonne Ludwig, Jim Roeder, Linda Russell, and Bob Hood. In addition to HARC’s operations, a Community Garden was established and is maintained by Dale Moore of ECOHC. The garden not only provides fresh produce but also the opportunity for anyone in the community to have their own prepared and irrigated area to grow food.
HARC has been a tremendous success in Hawthorne. It has served to not only feed and help those in need, but it serves as a location for people to come together. It fosters a community cohesiveness.
Children and Youth Service Video
This video takes us through a Children and Youth Service at St. Philip's Episcopal Church in Jacksonville.
Click here to watch the full video.
Spring Clergy Retreat Recap
February 18 - 19, 2021
Some 35 clergy from across the Diocese gathered at Camp Weed and Cerveny Conference Center for a twenty-four hour retreat from lunchtime Thursday February 18th - lunchtime Friday 19th. The retreat was entirely voluntary due to Covid restrictions. A normal clergy retreat or conference in which the clergy are expected to attend draws twice the number.

Bishop Howard addressed the clergy informally after lunch on the Thursday leading a discussion on how individual churches order their worship, parochial life and mission in the ongoing response to living with the pandemic. He also answered questions about the timetable and other matters related to the upcoming appointment of a Bishop Coadjutor. Otherwise clergy took advantage of a lot of time for small group fellowship, R & R and good food provided by Chef Ed.

Clergy were delighted to welcome and be introduced to several new clergy joining the Diocese and to have our senior seminarian Sarah Minton in attendance visiting from Duke Divinity School.

The closing retreat Eucharist on Friday was held in the Young Room as Mandi’s Chapel is in the process of undergoing much needed and appreciated repair and cleaning. Canon Allison DeFoor gave a brief but very fine homily at the Friday Eucharist. 
ERD Responding to Winter Storms
Episcopal Relief & Development ask you to help us respond to this ongoing crisis Your gift today will help provide emergency shelter, groceries, and gas — as well as serve cooked meals to families in affected areas. We are also working with a network of Episcopal dioceses to create shelters, recognizing COVID-19 precautions, for vulnerable people impacted by the storms and power outages, including those without electricity, without homes or living in poorly-insulated housing. 

BECOMING THE BELOVED COMMUNITY

IN HONOR OF ABSALOM JONES:
OUR SECOND CONVERSATION

Saturday March 13, 2021
11 a.m.
A Panel Discussion by Zoom

FEATURING

Keynote Speaker - Dr. Tammy Hodo of Jacksonville
Panel - Keith Oglesby of Christ Episcopal Church, Ponte Vedra
In honor of Absalom Jones (the first African American ordained Priest in the Episcopal Church) the Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE) in concert with the Bishop’s Institute will host a second day of conversation on racial understanding and healing in church and community. This event follows a very fine conversation inaugurated for Absalom Jones Day in 2019 hosted by St Philip’s Church, Jacksonville. We are grateful to the Dean, the Very Rev. Kate Moorehead for hosting us at the Cathedral this year.

The Panel will consist of clergy and laity from the Diocese of Florida. The meeting will last one hour. The event is sponsored by the Sidney B. Parker Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians and the Bishop’s Institute for Ministry and Leadership.
Diocesan Happenings
The Ordination of Peter Reed Corbin and Ricardo Santiago Medina

Peter Reed Corbin, ordained to serve as a local priest for Bethany Episcopal Church, Hilliard.
 
Ricardo Santiago Medina, ordained priest to serve Santa Catarina located at St. Catherine’s, Jacksonville.
 
ECW Winter Meeting
About 30 ladies gathered on Holy Ground at Camp Weed this past Saturday for their first in-person meeting in almost year.It was good to see everyone and although we did not hug each other as we wanted to, we were able to socially distance ourselves and worship together with great joy!

At this meeting we introduced our Diocesan Outreach initiative to the ladies which was received with tremendous enthusiasm. We will be supporting an initiative through the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center "See the Girl", that serves at risk young girls. More information can be found at https://www.seethegirl.org/
Helpful Links
  • Diocesan Website Updates: Please email communications@diocesefl.org with any updates and include the URL of the page where the changes are needed.
  • Looking for a job? Visit the employment page on our website for some of the current opportunities. Click here
  • Listing a job? Email communications@diocesefl.org with the job description and position contact information to be posted on the employment page.
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