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Camp Weed Gatherings in May

Convocation

The May 18 Convocation was a beautiful day for the Diocese of Florida. Those with different opinions about the events of the last two years and beyond were able to come together to speak honestly and to listen respectfully. Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves led the day with gentleness and strength, and most left the Youth Pavilion feeling that good progress had been made. Bishop Mary is compiling the responses from the different groups, and will share the data with the Steering and Standing Committees; decisions about next steps will be made once that information has been shared and processed.

Clergy Day

Clergy Day took place on Tuesday, May 7. 72 clergy gathered together for prayer, worship, and dialogue. We spent time beginning to hear each other‘s stories and discerning what we need corporately and individually for true reconciliation in our lives together.


The open discussions and engaging conversations were under the guidance of The Rt. Rev Mary Gray-Reeves.

Bishop Frank Cerveny Celebration for

50 Years of Consecration

On Thursday, May 23 there was a celebration for the 50th anniversary of Bishop Frank Cerveny's consecration as the 6th Bishop of Florida.


Taliaferro Hall at St. John's Cathedral, Jacksonville overflowed with love and affection for Frank and his wife Emmy.

2024 General Convention Deputies and Attendees

The 81st General Convention will take place June 23-28, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky at the Kentucky International Convention Center. All clergy and laity deputies and attendees at the Convention can be found in the document here or on our website below "Regional Canons" here.


For more information on the 81st General Convention, please click here.

In Case You Missed it

Standing Committee May Updates

Recently, the Standing Committee distributed a letter with updates on their plan and progress in the diocese. To read the full letter, please click here.

Spires in the Sun Receives Florida Historical Society 2024 Charlton Tebeau Award

As previously mentioned, "Spires in the Sun: The Carpenter Gothic Episcopal Churches of Florida," written by Jonathan Rich and photographed by Phil Eschbach, won the Florida Historical Society's Charlton Tebeau Award. The correct year of the award is 2024, not 2023 as previously shared.

New First Coast East Regional Canon

We recently shared that The Rev. Laura Magevney has been named Regional Canon for the First Coast East Region of the Diocese of Florida.

 

Reverend Magevney currently serves as an Associate Rector at Christ Church in Ponte Vedra Beach.


To read the full communication and view the list of regional canons, please click here.

Spring P.O.S.T. Postponed; Fall Meeting on November 14, 2024

 As you know, the diocese traditionally has hosted a P.O.S.T. retreat in the summer and fall of each year. However, after careful consideration, the Diocesan staff have decided to postpone the Spring conference and take this opportunity to revamp and enhance the event to better meet the needs and expectations of attendees.


We will be seeking your input on program and event improvements and are confident that those improvements will result in a more impactful and rewarding experience for everyone involved.  For that reason, please add November 14 to your calendars for a fall get-together. More info will be delivered later. We will keep you “P.O.S.T.”ed! 

 

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to Deanna Peck at dpeck@diocesefl.org or Hannia Reyes at hreyes@diocesefl.org. We look forward to sharing more details about the revamped event soon!

Upcoming

Deacon’s Day: June 4

Deacon's Day will be hosted at the Diocesan office on June 4 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Lunch is included. Please RSVP to Hannia Reyes at hreyes@diocesefl.org if you plan on attending.

Juneteenth Concert at St. John's Cathedral, Jacksonville on June 15

There will be a Juneteenth concert on Saturday, June 15 at St. John's Cathedral at 5 p.m. Reception following.


The concert is presented by the Jacksonville Gospel Chorale and singers from the Shorter College Choir. All are welcome to join!

Recent Bishop Church Visitations

On May 26, Bishop Stokes visited St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Quincy to confirm Desmond Kurz.


Congratulations!

On May 26, Bishop Benhase visited St. John's Episcopal Church, Tallahassee.


The church remarked the following on Facebook:

"Trinity Sunday at St. John's was filled with joy and fellowship! Bishop Benhase made his annual visit and confirmed both youth and adults. Plus he rededicated our historical baptismal font. It was a truly beautiful and exciting Sunday!"

#DioFlFeast

Clean Up Day at St. Michaels and All Angels Episcopal Church, Tallahassee

On May 25, several parishes participated in a clean-up day at St. Michaels and All Angels Episcopal Church, Tallahassee. The church got hit by severe storms and a tornado earlier this month.


Parishes include Holy Comforter Episcopal Church, Tallahassee, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Quincy, Advent Episcopal Church, Tallahassee, Grace Mission Episcopal Church, Tallahassee, Christ Episcopal Church, Monticello, Father Hugh from St. Michaels and All Angels, and laity from St. Johns Episcopal, Tallahassee.

St. John's Cathedral, Jacksonville: 'Living Liturgy: A Survey of Worship Services Created Since BCP 1979'

There were thirty four participants in a workshop on liturgy led by the Dean, Kate Moorehouse Carroll on Saturday, May 25 at St. John’s Cathedral. This was a good number drawn from churches around the Diocese especially on the Memorial Day weekend.


‘Living Liturgy: A Survey of Worship Services Created Since the BCP 1979’ was co-sponsored by the Bishop’s Institute and St John’s Cathedral and is the second offering in a series on liturgy led by the Dean.

Trinity Parish North Campus, St. Augustine First Sunday Service

On May 19, the first Sunday evening service took place at the Trinity Parish North Campus in the Silverleaf area. There were over 200 people in attendance.


The church shared on Facebook:

"We didn't know what the Lord had in store for us, but we knew He wanted us there. It took an incredible group of people to make this happen, but none of it would have been possible without our Heavenly Father guiding us. The fellowship and Holy Spirit could be felt in every corner of the building. We are so excited for what lies ahead!"

St. John's Cathedral: Easter Garden Retreat with Canon Susanna Gunner

On May 3-5, there was an Easter Garden retreat held at St. John's Cathedral. The retreat delved into the gospel stories of Jesus’ resurrection and considered how participants can embody that resurrection in their daily lives, touching on this question:


How can we continue to embrace the message of hope and new beginnings long after Easter, and how can we share this hope with a world in need of healing?


Throughout the weekend, Susanna incorporated music, poetry, and art to enhance the study of the texts and inspire fresh perspectives.

All Saint's Episcopal Church, Jacksonville Parish Retreat at Camp Weed

Earlier this month, All Saint's Episcopal Church, Jacksonville had a fantastic (First Annual!) parish retreat at Camp Weed and Cerveny Conference Center.

"Spires in the Sun" Author Talk and Book Signing

Earlier this month, there was another author talk and book signing at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Fernandina Beach.

Camp Weed Summer Camp

Camp Weed provides summer camp experiences for over 500 campers every summer.


The programming includes a variety of activities to engage campers and to help promote their spiritual, physical, and mental growth. Some of these activities include kayaking, archery, wall climbing, swimming, arts and crafts, and so much more.


Campers are divided into large groups, small groups, and cabin groups throughout the day to give them opportunities to get to know others, themselves, and God a little bit better. 


Spend your summer at Camp Weed and register for camp today!

To sign up, please click here.

Summer Camp Dates

Cursillo is a three-day learning, sharing, inspirational experience of living in a Christian community. The objective of the Cursillo movement is to make Christian community possible in neighborhoods, parishes, work situations and other places where people live the greater part of their lives.


For more information contact Guy Bond (Lay Director) or The Rev. Sandy Tull (Spirtual Director).

Men's Cursillo #147

Dates: September 26-29

Rector: Clay O'Neal

Joint Team Retreat: TBA

Welcoming Ultreya: October 26


For more information, please click here.

Women's Cursillo #147

Dates: October 3-6

Rector: Julie Williams

Joint Team Retreat: February 9-10

Welcoming Ultreya: April 27


For more information, please click here.

Diocesan Happenings

Coming Up:

June 2 @ 9:30 a.m.: Bishop Benhase to visit Holy Trinity, Gainesville


June 2 @ 9:30 a.m.: Bishop Stokes to visit St. George Episcopal Church, Jacksonville


June 4 @ 9 a.m.: Deacon's Day


June 9 @ 10 a.m.: Bishop Stokes to visit St. Paul's By-the-Sea, Jacksonville Beach


June 15 @ 5 p.m.: Juneteenth Concert at St. John's Cathedral, Jacksonville

Do you have news or updates you want to share in our next issue of Diocesan Digest? Please email us at communications@diocesefl.org for consideration.

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