2015 Easter Southern Cross, Diocese of Southwest Florida

Lent/Easter 2015

Volume 46, Issue 1

MAGAZINE OF THE DIOCESE OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

Tampa Landmark Lives the Faith PLUS J Thrift Shop Guide J Mosaics Return J Episcopal Cuba 1

Come Soar with Us! Experience educational excellence in a nurturing Christian environment, located in the heart of Tampa’s Hyde Park since 1951.

Episcopal Parish Day School 1

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From the Bishop We Spiritually Thrive Together My dear friends, I once took a college class about outdoor survival. We were instructed in the particulars about Florida fauna and flora.

We learned about the delectable heart of the palmetto palm, wild grape vines, grubs and roots, and getting water from the morning dew. We were instructed in the survival practices of eating insects, lighting fires with sticks, and setting traps for wilderness eating. The final exam for this class was to live through a weekend in the woods alone with only a pocketknife and a small length of rope. One weekend, the entire class went into the woods on a small lake near Gainesville where we were all sent off into individual directions.

I thought it was going to be a great experience being alone with my thoughts and my new survivalist skills. I searched out a clearing that I supposed would be rattlesnake free and bed down as best I could.

To make a long story short: night fell. It was incredibly dark. There were a great number of nocturnal noises all around me and being alone with my thoughts did not provide any source of comfort. I didn’t like it too much. Fortunately, a group of us found each other and discovered a deserted lake cabin with some matches. We lit a fire and spent the night being brave with each other. In the morning I collected and ate wild grape vines. They were horrible!

Hours into the day hunger defeated us, so a few of us hitched a ride into the nearest piece of civilization and purchased bread and peanut butter. All had a good time.

We didn’t starve and gleefully pretended 2

Private self-absorption in isolation is not our goal or purpose.

we were tough. Ultimately, the instructor discovered our peanut butter survival technique and we all received “C” grades in the class. I didn’t care though; peanut butter and comrades were better than bugs for dinner in isolation.

Every Lent we reflect on Jesus facing temptations alone in the wilderness. We do so after beginning the season of Lent on Ash Wednesday by being invited to observe a holy Lent by including self-examination and repentance; prayer, fasting and self denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word. This Christian set of disciplines, on some level, feels like being alone with one’s thoughts. It might reveal the spiritual reality of nocturnal noises and fears. We might prefer to escape for some comforting peanut butter!

As I have matured in age I recognize my own need for chosen quiet and solitude so as to better reflect and pray. I

remember this college class though as a reminder that I am not as courageous as I think and that I need others. My own thoughts are not enough to sustain me.

I do encourage you to faithfully embark on a holy Lent. Spiritual reflection is a necessary discipline in a holy life. We are invited though to the observance of a holy Lent “in the name of the Church.” That one simple phrase is a healthy, spiritual corrective to the thinking of my outdoor survival class. We are not intended to perform the holy life in isolation. We are intended to be in community. Personal self-reflection in community is our path.

Private self-absorption in isolation is not our goal or purpose.

Pray personally with at least one trusted friend. Better yet, pray with a group. Self-reflect and then discuss your process, thoughts, and journey with another. If you are not sure about how to start, then talk to your priest who is conversant with the spiritual journey. We can certainly survive alone; but we spiritually thrive together. In the name of the Church, and within the community of the Church, observe a holy Lent. X Bishop Dabney Smith is Fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Southwest Florida.

In this Issue

Here, a view of St. James House of Prayer, built in 1922.

Features 8

Thrift Shopping in Southwest Florida

Get a bargain, give a donation, help a ministry

12 St. James House of Prayer

A Tampa landmark renewed

15 Mapping Out a New DaySpring

DaySpring Development Committee’s

Phil Beauchamp on future plans for our Diocesan home

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Departments The Wider Church, Briefs: General Convention Blue Book ....................... ..………………………........ 7 University Ministries by The Rev. Canon Eric Cooter ………………………………………................ 8 Meet the Priest: The Rev. Kevin Warner .............................……………...…………………....................... 9 Thrift Shops in the Diocese ......................……………………………………….........……....................10 Easter by The Rev. Dr. Tom Thoeni ………………………………………...............……….................... 21 Evangelism: At a Bride Expo by The Rev. Nathan Speck-Ewer …........……………….............................. 22 Food: Sanibel Crabcakes, Aspic and Three Bean Salad …......……...………………................................. 24 Education for Ministry:Theological Reflection for All, by Martha Goodwill …….....……........................ 26 Music: Anglican Musicians Meet Here This May ….................................………………………................ 27 Nature: Blessing the World’s Largest Artificial Reef ...............................................…....................................... 28 Travel: A Visit to Episcopal Cuba by Sarah Hill ....................................................................… .......................... 29 Obituaries.....................………………………………………………...........………………………...... 31 Events …………….........................…………………………………...........……………….………...... 32 Glancing Back with Ann B. Davis of The Brady Bunch ….……………………….………...................... 34

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Year 46 | Issue 1 | Lent/Easter 2015 X First Published A.D. 1970 Bishop, The Diocese of Southwest Florida: The Rt. Rev. Dabney T. Smith Editor: Garland Pollard Contributing Writers: Phil Beauchamp, The Rev. Canon Eric Cooter, Sandy Davis, Martha Goodwill, Roger Grunke, Michael Hunter, Sarah Hill, The Rev. John Palarine, Roberta Poellein, The Rev. Nathan Speck-Ewer, The Rev. Dr. Tom Thoeni Contributing Photographer: The Rev. Eric Cooter, Bonnie Jean Durning, Dr. David Hill Advertising Inquiries: Garland Pollard, 941-556-0315 or gpollard@episcopalswfl.org Subscriptions: The Southern Cross is mailed to parishioners of the Diocese of Southwest Florida from member parish lists. Email your address to southerncross@episcopalswfl.org to subscribe or update delivery preferences.

Editorial Submissions, Letters: The editor welcomes submissions of articles for every section of the magazine including features, news and departments. Email editor@ episcopalswfl.org. Manuscripts must be in Microsoft word format. We invite letters to the editor on subjects of interest to the entire Diocese.

Identification Statement: The Southern Cross is published by the Diocese of Southwest Florida, Department of Communications. USPS permit No. 946.

Diocese of Southwest Florida DaySpring Episcopal Center 8005 25th St. East Parrish, FL 34219 941-556-0315 web: www.episcopalswfl.org email: editor@episcopalswfl.org Twitter: @episcopalswfl ISSN 2372-7861 (print version)ISSN 2372-8159 (online version) On the Cover: St. James House of Prayer in Tampa

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The Wider Church

General Convention Task Force Issues Blue Book Now Online Report for Convention NEW YORK – Seeking information about the 78th General Convention? The Report to the 78th General Convention, commonly referred to as The Blue Book, this year will only be available online at the Episcopal Church General Convention.

At presstime, reports were currently posted on the The Taskforce for Reimagining The Episcopal Church (TREC), the Task Force on the Study of Marriage, and the Standing Commission on Communications and Information Technology. Additional reports will be posted weekly, as they are translated and edited for publication. The Blue Book also contains reports of the committees, commissions, agencies and boards of the General Convention.

The Episcopal Church’s 78th General Convention, June 25 – July 3, 2015 will be held at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City.

Documents can be downloaded as desired.

The information is available in English and in Spanish. X

Blue Book online visit generalconvention.org for more information 6

NEW YORK – In December, the Task Force for Reimagining the Episcopal Church presented its final report to the 78th General Convention and to the Church, and for inclusion in Reports to General Convention, commonly referred to as The Blue Book.

The document came with a memorandum about the TREC process: “We hope that the resolutions we proposed will be a jumping off point for this discernment process, which we hope will engage Episcopalians both within the General Convention context and far beyond.”

It went on to explain the rationale for issuing the report in advance of the Convention: “We will be sharing our specific proposed changes to the constitution and canons with experts in canon law in the coming weeks and months to help ensure internal and technical consistency. We felt it was important to share our report with the whole church now, even though some of the more highly technical aspects might need further perfecting between now and next year’s General Convention.”

TREC’s work was directed by Resolution C095, which was approved by the 77th General Convention in 2012, with the specific task of preparing recommendations to the 78th General Convention for reimaging and restructuring the church. X

Briefly Naples Mosaic Revival NAPLES - The family of Harriett Hutchings, a beloved parishioner of St. Paul’s, Naples, commissioned a mosaic in her memory.

Hutchings was a church leader and children’s faith-book author; the mosaic was inspired by the cover of one of her books. The art, by artist Truman Adams, is unusual because it revives the almost lost art of mosaics in liturgical use.

“Mary’s arm on the lamb explains Jesus as the divine Lamb of God, while his closed eyes evidence Jesus’ humanity. He sleeps peacefully in the care of his mother and Joseph, relying upon them totally for his life and well-being, just as we relied on our family when we were infants.” said the Rev. Tara McGraw, rector.

Hutchings died in 2013; her widower Don died last year, but lived long enough to see it installed.

“This nativity scene reminds us of the importance of family and calls us to holy and loving fulfillment of our family roles,” said McGraw. “It challenges us to live deeply into our partnerships with God in the fulfillment of God’s good purposes in our current settings.” X

On Campus

University Ministries Link with Nearby Parishes

BY THE REV. CANON ERIC COOTER CANON FOR MINISTRY DEVELOPMENT

IN 2013, A Campus Ministry Task Force

was formed from several stakeholders in the Diocese. The primary purpose of the Task Force was to set a vision for re-imagining Campus Ministry in the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida.

The strategy adopted and implemented last year, included the development of partnerships with parishes geographically located near three of our colleges/universities (FGCU – Fort Myers, USF- Tampa, and SCF-Bradenton). The focus was to identify and support rectors of parishes who had a heart for and a sense of call to minister as mentors, guides, and coaches to student leaders on those campuses. In addition, the focus was to identify, train, Tiara Metayer at a fall event at the St.Anselm community at University of South Florida. Metayer is one of the intern residents at USF.. and mentor young student leaders who would serve as interns on those campuses. College of Florida, which includes cam- sota, working on his bachelor’s degree.

Today, we have three ministries in the puses in Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, As of January, 1, 2015, the Rev. Roy early stages of living into this new strategy. and Venice. The Rev. Jo Popham, Priest- Allison, Rector of St Mark’s Tampa, There is now a fledgling ministry in the in-Charge at St. Nathaniel’s in North along with Deacon Alisa Carmichael early planning stages at FGCU. Port is working with Fr. Bryan, to help is now leading the St. Anselm’s Chapel The Rev. Dr. James Reho, Rector of facilitate a ministry on the Venice cam- Center at USF in Tampa. Fr. Roy and Lamb of God Church in Fort Myers, is pus. Fr. Bryan is coaching and mentor- Deacon Alisa mentor and coach six serving as chaplain to two of our student ing our student intern Paige Parker, and student interns who live in covenanted interns Alexandra our newly community at the Chapel Center.

Diaz and Austin named As this new ministry strategy English-Levitt.

Chaplain evolves, the hope is that there will be The Rev. BryAssistant, more opportunities for local parishes to an O’Carroll, RecIf you are interested in a campus W i l l i a m identify young student leaders who untor of St George’s ministry partnership, please contact Pardy, an der the guidance and mentorship of the in Bradenton, is the Rev. Canon Eric Cooter, alumnus of local priest, will be able to explore and overseeing a deCanon for Ministry Development, at SCF and a live out a lively ministry as peer minisveloping campus ecooter@episcopalswfl.org student at ters and coaches to their fellow students ministry for State USF Sara- on campuses we have yet to engage. X

get in touch

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Meet the Priest

The Rev. Kevin Warner, St. John the Divine Q: You came to St. John the Divine, Sun City Center, last summer from California. Are things appreciably different here?

A: Yes and no. Both San Diego and Southwest Florida are strong dioceses, led by excellent bishops. In both places there is good camaraderie among the clergy and one feels at home quickly. Culturally there is a difference between San Diego and Tampa. Before our five years in San Diego we lived primarily in Michigan, with sojourns in Virginia and South Carolina; Southwest Florida feels more like home.

My first Sunday, one of my parishioners introduced herself, a former member of my childhood church in Michigan where she remembered me as an acolyte. At the recent Tampa Bay Lightning game against my beloved Red Wings there were as many, if not more, red sweaters in the stands than blue. At the game I ran into former neighbors from Michigan, and we keep getting visitors from the North!

Q: You have four boys in that ‘millennial’ group that, like you, have grown up in the Episcopal Church. What are they telling you about the future of the Episcopal Church?

A: I have never asked them expressly their views but they all attend Episcopal churches by their own choice. My youngest is still in California finishing his Computer Information Systems degree at Cal Poly, Pomona, and attends a nearby church. He is active there, supporting the music program by playing bass and is also involved in a non-denominational campus fellowship. Our third son is living with us here and works as a preschool teacher at Redlands Christian Migrant Association and also plays trombone at the 9:15 service. Sunday evenings he also volunteers with the youth group.

Our older two live and work in midMichigan, getting to church when they can, but both work weekends.

Q: In Ed Brown’s arrival announcement, he referred to you as a “joyful evangelist”.

What do you see as evangelism?

A: To me, evangelism is helping people come into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Seeing people come alive in the Lord is a tremendous honor and a lot of fun, hence the joyful appellation. When I was about seven I experienced the presence of God in a significant way. I knew that He was real, that it was okay, and always would be okay. Thus, my primary spiritual gift is faith and my ministry is about helping others experience the true presence of God in their lives.

Q: You have worked with the Alpha Course. Did that work in your previous diocese and if so, how?

A: I was an early adopter, and have been running Alpha since 1999. I have watched as it has stopped the decline of the Church of England, produced our latest Archbishop of Canterbury while changing countless lives over the years. In my last diocese our parish was a “Lighthouse Parish”, providing training and support for our area of San Diego and working with other Lighthouse churches to provide regional support. We were among the first in California to introduce the Parenting

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The Rev.Warner leading worship at Monthly Eucharist at DaySpring.

Course and the Marriage Course. Both are as the names would indicate, with the Parenting Course teachings split between younger children and teens. Like the Alpha course it employs fellowship, teaching and small group discussion. We found it a wonderful way to penetrate the surrounding community and connect new and existing families with children of like ages. Likewise the Marriage Course brought in many from outside the parish.

The format for it is a little different starting with a romantic dinner for two. All watch the videos and the discussion is between the couples, not in a group.

Q: What has been the best thing about your move here?

A: That’s easy, the people of St. John the Divine! They have been wonderful in their welcome of me and my family. We feel very much a part of the community and give thanks to God for such a wonderful place! X

Retail Outreach

Thrift Shops Asset to Larger Community

THIS YEAR, ST. Michael and All Angels in Sanibel offered $1,500 to each of the seminarians in the Diocese of Southwest Florida from proceeds from their thrift shop, Noah’s Ark. It was one of many donations for the store, which is able to fund a wide array of programs with its revenue. “It’s not about raising money for the parish,” said the church’s rector, The Rev. Dr. Ellen Sloan.

“It’s about outreach locally and globally.”

The store (the sorting area is pictured above) is located on parish property, so it helps establish a place for recycling goods to those who can use it more. Noah’s Ark is one of a wide array of shops in the Diocese.

Fully one third of the parishes and missions in the Diocese operate retail shops.

The funds raised through the vintage and thrift shops in the Diocese of Southwest Florida assist dozens of charities across Southwest Florida, as well as supporting the main operations budget of some smaller parishes.

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For 2013, here are a few sample figures representing funds raised through Diocesan retail shops: •

Holy Trinity, Clearwater, $122,000 • All Souls, North Ft. Myers, $106,000 • St Andrew, Spring Hill $70,000 • Christ Church, Bradenton, $63,000 • Iona-Hope, Ft. Myers, $55,000 • Lamb of God, Ft. Myers $50,000 • St Vincent, St. Petersburg $40,000 • St Mary, Bonita Springs $40,000 • St Alban, St. Pete Beach $18,000 • St Bartholomew, St. Petersburg $18,000 At right and on the following page are shops in the Diocese. Call ahead to make sure of opening hours.

Thrift Shop Directory Clearwater

• Ascension, Clearwater: The Shed Thrift Shop is located at Church of the Ascension, 701 Orange Ave., Clearwater, FL 33756. Phone: 727-447-3469.

• Good Samaritan Episcopal, Clearwater: Located next to Good Samaritan, 2167 NE Coachman Rd., Clearwater, FL 33765. Phone: 727-447-9581.

• Good Shepherd, Dunedin: The Little Thrift Shop is located at Good Shepherd, 506 Main Street, Dunedin, FL 34698 on the north side of the street. Phone: 727-734-8238. The Furniture Thrift Shop is located just south of the light at Alt. 19 and Sunset Pt. Rd., Clearwater, FL. Phone: 727-600-5820.

• Holy Spirit, Safety Harbor: Located next to the parish hall at Holy Spirit, 601 Philippe Pkwy., Safety Harbor, FL 34695. Phone: 727-725-4726.

• Holy Trinity, Clearwater: Located at Holy Trinity, 3200 McMullen Booth Rd., Clearwater 33761. Phone: 727-723-7631.

• St. Andrew, Spring Hill: Karen’s Kit ‘N Kaboodle is located at St. Andrew, 2301 Deltona Blvd., Spring Hill, FL 34606. Phone: 352-686-1114.

• St. John, Clearwater: Located at St. John, 1676 S. Belcher Rd., Clearwater, FL 33764. Phone: 727-531-6020.

• St. Stephen, New Port Richey: Located at St. Stephen, 5326 Charles St., New Port Richey, FL. Phone: 727846-1378.

more online go to episcopalswfl.org keyword : thrift for hours and links

Tampa Deanery • St. Elizabeth, Zephyrhills: Angels in the Attic is located at St. Elizabeth, 5855 16th St., Zephyrhills, FL 33542. Phone: 813-782-1202.

St. Petersburg • St. Alban, St. Pete Beach: The Attic Shoppe is located at 316 Corey Ave., St. Pete Beach, FL 33706. Phone: 727-3605647.

• St. Bartholomew, St. Petersburg: Located at St. Bartholomew, 3747 34th St. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33711.

Phone: 727-867-7015.

• St. Vincent, St. Petersburg: Located at 5124 Gulfport Blvd. S., Gulfport, FL 33707. Phone: 727-321-7215.

Manasota • Christ Church, Bradenton: Located at Christ Church, 4030 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton, FL 34205. Phone: 941747-3709.

• Church of the Redeemer, Sarasota: Episcopal Thrift House is located at 1503 Second Ave., Sarasota, FL 34236.

Phone: 941-955-4263.

Venice • St. David, Englewood: Located in Englewood Square at 485 N. Indiana Ave., Englewood, FL 34295. Phone: 941-4741047.

• St. Mark, Venice: Divine Consign Shop is located at 203 Miami Ave. W., Venice, FL 34285. Phone: 941-488-3219. Open 10

Monday-Saturday, 10-4. Divine Consign Showroom is located 170 James St., Venice, FL 34285. Phone: 941-488-3219.

• St. Nathaniel, North Port: Located at St. Nathaniel, 4200 S. Biscayne Dr., North Port, FL 34287. Phone: 941-426-2520.

Briefly

Ft. Myers • All Souls, North Ft. Myers: The Ruth Tucker Memorial Thrift Store is located at All Souls, 14640 N. Cleveland Ave., North Ft. Myers, FL 33903. Phone: 239656-6229.

• Iona-Hope, Ft. Myers: The One More Time Thrift Shop is located in Gulf Point Shopping Center at 15660 San Carlos Blvd., Unit 6A, Ft. Myers, FL 33908. Phone: 239-437-5333.

• Lamb of God, Ft. Myers: Located in San Carlos Park at 7021 Constitution Blvd., Ft. Myers, FL 33967. Phone: 239432-0655.

• St. Michael and All Angels, Sanibel Island: The Noah’s Ark Thrift Shop is located in the last building behind St. Michael and All Angels, 2304 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, FL 33957. Phone: 239472-3356.

Naples • St. John, Naples: St. John’s Shoppe is located at 886 110th Ave. N., Naples, 34108. Phone: 239-597-9518.

• St. Mary, Bonita Springs: Penny Wise Shop is located in front of St. Mary’s at 9801 Bonita Beach Rd., Bonita Springs, FL 34135. Phone: 239-947-3363.

• St. Paul, Naples: The Unique Boutique is located at the St. Paul Farmers’ Market, 3901 Davis Blvd., Naples FL 34104. Phone: 239-353-2804. X Parish not listed? Email editor@episcopalswfl.org and we will post it in our online directory.

Mission & Ministry Dividend; Choristers Sought for Confirmations PARRISH - In a letter to vestries, Bishop Dabney T. Smith announced a $150,000 “mission and ministry dividend” for local use for congregations, a result of full participation in annual diocesan apportionment. The Diocese has been able to return a portion of apportionment payments to congregations due to the fact that all churches paid their full apportionment.

ST. PETERSBURG - Dwight Thomas, Director of Music and Organist at the Cathedral Church of St. Peter, is seeking singers for a Diocesan Choir to perform at Diocesan Confirmations, Diocesan Ordinations and other events. Diocesan Confirmations are Saturday, April 11, at 11 a.m. and Diocesan Ordinations are Saturday, June 13, at 11 a.m. Visit spcathedral.net X

Tampa’s Rock The Rev. Ernestein Flemister, Rector

St. James House of Prayer’s need for a new roof brought two Tampa parishes together, and secured the future mission of one of Florida’s most memorable landmarks.

By Garland Pollard 11

ST. JAMES HOUSE of Prayer is among the most unique historic churches in the U.S. Built entirely of stone ballast, it has been, literally a rock for the Tampa Heights neighborhood it anchors since its construction in the 1920s. Back in the heyday of 20th century tourism, it was one of the landmarks of the city, appearing in those retro hand-tinted linen finish postcards you see on the wall at restaurants.

The House of Prayer sits in a transitional area of Tampa west of Ybor City and north of downtown in the neighborhood of Tampa Heights. Though bisected by I-275 and now sitting to its west, Tampa Heights was spared during various city urban renewal programs.

Its historic street grid and collection of

handsome frame cottages and houses mostly survived. However, the neighborhood still suffered blight, and the parish declined.

For almost 70 years, the House of Prayer remained a largely white congregation, as its members gradually left Tampa Heights for newer suburbs. But that flight, not only of whites but of the black middle class, has meant that St. James House of Prayer is largely a commuter church, which attracts its parishioners because of its unique legacy and mission, and not because it is nearby.

The church is a merged congregation, the historically black St. James, and the House of Prayer. While the combined church’s attendance is consistent and its members are faithful

parish views Students from Lee Elementary walk to Cornerstone Kids afterschool classes; the parish cornerstone; street pavers; a Cornerstone student; copper flashing; ferns on flint walls and close up of stone on church walls.

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givers, it has struggled as much of the parish, both black and white, arrives from other neighborhoods in the city to attend the church. The neighborhood has seen some revival; a thriving Tampa Heights neighborhood association puts on a yearly house tour to celebrate the architecture.

The Rev. Ernestein Flemister, the current rector, came to St. James House of Prayer in 2009. Flemister is a native of Liberia. She is a second-career priest who first took a law degree and then an M.B.A. before she decided on the priesthood. A lifelong Episcopalian, she readily admits that she has very much needed both of those degrees in her calling as priest.

In Monrovia, she attended Trinity Cathedral and the Cathedral School.

Because of Liberia’s status as the sole American colony in Africa, its clergy were a part of The Episcopal Church, and did not report to London, as the rest of the continent did. Her grandfather was an Episcopal priest. It was only when she came to the United States, however, that she felt called to the priesthood, first in Columbus, Ohio and then at Grace Church in Cincinnati, which, she says, prepared her for the challenges and opportunity of running a legacy parish. “I’m kind of used to the building issues,” said Flemister.

When she arrived in 2009, the church building had any number of those “issues.”

Most recently, the roof. It leaked. The original roof was made of an asbestos cement shingle, and while it had been replaced, it needed replacing again.

Enter The Rev. Canon Benjamin Twinamaani, rector of Grace Church, Tampa. Twinamaani, a native of Uganda, works with Flemister as members of the Tampa Deanery, meeting regularly in Clericus gatherings of local clergy.

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Twinamaani, when he arrived at Grace Church, had his own building issues that included a large mortgage, and consistent parish worries about finances.

Twinamaani said that his parish finances had been a struggle since 1993.

The parish was, he said, “always needing money from the Diocese.” Indeed whenever he got anxious, or felt anxiety from the vestry, he reminded himself that “no, your job is always to be steady.”

So he prayed. Literally.

Nine years ago, after receiving a seed gift of $4,000 to begin an endowment, he had prayed with the parishioner that the parish would some day have “three more zeros.” His prayers were answered, when part of the Grace property was needed for retention for Hillsborough County highway expansion. The sales price was over $4 million, which was enough to pay off the mortgage for the church, and create a permanent endowment to support future ministry in perpetuity. The money was tithed, which meant that there was over $300,000 to share with the community. From meetings of the deanery clergy, he long knew of the needs of St. James. He took the idea to his vestry, which supported the gift.

Grace Episcopal is now in a position to have their deacon, the Rev. Dr. Lynn Grinnell, give away the tithe on the gains from the money, as well as the gift to St. James House of Prayer. The gift recipient, Grace Church, then became the gift giver.

With the roof now secure, STJHOP can contend with the Gospel. The gift to St. James does not solve all of the historic parish’s building needs, which include an antique wiring system that Flemister called “every which way but loose” and a need to upgrade all the facilities. But the momentum is there. The next step is

The next step is the replacement of their corner sign, the victim of one too many car crashes. the replacement of their corner sign, the victim of one too many car crashes. The parish has sourced replacement stone to match the historic flint.

But in spite of the problems, the parish is enormously blessed. It is not just a church and a parish hall, but a complete religious education complex right in the heart of Tampa. In addition to a halfdozen or so buildings, the parish campus includes an astounding four, yes four, acres of land. It has no debt.

The future

While there are any number of worthy community needs and programs around the city of Tampa, Grace ultimately decided that St. James, with its outreach programs and consistent witness in Tampa Heights, was a cause worth celebrating, or more precisely, blessing. After all, had not Grace been blessed by an unexpected windfall?

Today, after wide press attention in Tampa, and a solid footing established for both Grace Episcopal Church and St. James House of Prayer, the donation toward the roof seems obvious. It was not always so.

“Sometimes,” said Twinamaani, “you forget you are in a Diocesan family.”

There are many twists in the story of St. James House of Prayer and Grace Episcopal Church. Most notable is that it was the cooperation of two Africanborn African-American priests that continued on page 16

House of Prayer History

By Roger Grunke, A.I.A., Junior Warden

CONSTRUCTED IN 1926, the original Episcopal House of Prayer—since 1997, the combined parish of St. James House of Prayer—was built of flint stone that was formerly ballast on the old, freight, sailing-ships. The weight of the ballast in the ships’ hulls provided stability in the rough seas, but once moored in Tampa Harbor, the ballast was cast overboard, into the harbor, and crates of cigars and other goods, from the manufacturing city, replaced the weight of the ballast for the trips to New Orleans, Havana or beyond.

At one point, the harbor-bottom was cleared of the cast-off ballast stone. It was this salvaged, flint-rock ballast that was used for the construction of the outer walls of the Episcopal House of Prayer. Unlike the indigenous Florida sand-stone, flint is a very hard, almost “petrified” material and could last for centuries. The church’s exterior walls are believed to be structural brick, with the flint rock providing a very thick veneer. The walls are on average 14 inches thick. The style of the building is “fanciful neo-gothic” and exudes charm like no other structure in the city.

The history of the church is indeed, the history of the city itself, architecturally, socially and economically. Although Tampa Heights was the city’s first residential neighborhood outside of downtown, and although the city’s most prosperous families had built beautiful Victorian homes along the granite-curbed, brick avenues, by the time the church was under construction, the new suburbs of Old Hyde Park, Morrison Grove, Suburb Beautiful and West Hyde Park began to steal Tampa Height’s wealthy southward. After the depression and World War II, the old Tampa 14

The style of the building is “fanciful neo-gothic” and exudes charm like no other structure in the city. neighborhoods fell into further decline as the automobile lured people further out into the new suburbs. With the neighborhood’s decline, the House of Prayer also declined. Maintenance was deferred or done in a make-do way, when in the 1980’s, stones were literally falling from the walls.

During the same period, the congregation was making history as the first integrated church in the city and attracted some of the city’s most progressive citizens. Sylvia Kimble, Hillsborough County’s first African-American County Commissioner, was an example of the progressive parishioners at the House of Prayer. The church

also has a history of a number of maverick rectors. As the House of Prayer membership dwindled, it was only logical that, in 1997, the House of Prayer amalgamated with the historic congregation, that of St. James—the first Episcopal church established to serve Tampa’s Hispanic, Caribbean an African American Episcopalians.

As charming as the neo-gothic building design is, it has had design problems since its inception. The first problem is that the flint-rock, triangular parapet gables, at every end of the building, form an uneven surface for the roof flashing to attach to.

Consequently, the roof, along each gable end and wherever the roof shingles meet the stone have been prone to leaking—for the last 88 years. This hurdle is being overcome by cutting the protruding corners of the flint-rock and filling the spaces between the uneven shapes of rocks (“parging”), so that modern metal flashing can be installed. A second problem is that the continued on next page

Con’t: History of St. James House of Prayer

Con’t: Tampa’s Rock

continued from previous page

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building lacks roof insulation. Insulation was not thought of in the 1920’s and people didn’t air-condition the spaces under the roofs. Today, as fast as the air-conditioning can produce cold air, the sun’s radiant heat penetrates the thin roof deck, canceling out most of the air-conditioning value.

Adding insulation was a dilemma, in that as the building is a historic building and as long as it is eligible for local, state and federal grant monies, neither the interior ceiling nor the exterior could be noticeably altered, without losing funding.

After much research and investigation, a design was created that would raise the existing top surface of the roof shingles only a few inches, and create a continuous series of conductive draft chambers. The new roof takes in ambient air at the edge of the eaves, and the conductive power of the sun’s heat pulls the air upward along the steep roof, where it exits with the radiant heat along the new ridge vent. Neither the in-take vents nor the exiting vent along the ridge beam will be noticeable

Future Needs •

•

•

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Restoration of the belfry’s wood louvers, which need to be painted and or replaced, as they allow water into the sacristy Historic doors need to be re-hung and reworked, to better reflect current codes Wiring needs to be updated and replaced.

from the street. Two layers of aluminum foil also reflect much of the sun’s intense, sub-tropical energy. The new shingles will also be “tapered” to give a diagonal pattern that simulates those in old photos of the 1930’s. $65,000, a full half of the costs of the re-roofing is derived from a Hillsborough County Preservation Challenge Grant.

In removing the old roofing shingles, workmen discovered the gables themselves to be unstable! This condition was one giving rise to serious alarm, as the gable ends are the very structure and support of the church. Putting several professional minds together, a system of anchors has been devised, anchoring the gable ends to the “roof diaphragm.” While the solution is logical, it is not one commonly applied.

Thus, contractors were hesitant in rendering a fixed bid for the work. This work was not anticipated in the original re-roofing budget, but its necessity is not arguable!

The “in progress” solution is to execute the anchor plan on the smallest gable, on the south side of the Germaine Room, keeping strict accounting of all time and materials, and then determine the price for the remaining four gables from the experience of that gable. This cooperation, on the part of the structural specialist, is in itself a blessing.

With the re-roofing (an endeavor of several-years), the interior will be easier to cool due to the convection insulation system, and the water intrusion should be halted. This however does not solve all of the little rock church’s inadequacies. A series of continued improvement must be made to bring the building to full, modern comfort and safety compliance. X Junior Warden Roger Grunke, A.I.A., prepared this report for the vestry in preparation for the new roof.

put aside parish boundaries to protect the legacy and future of The Episcopal Church in Tampa.

While of course the rest of the city does not attend St. James House of Prayer, it is a much-beloved civic landmark in Tampa.

Twinamaani reminds that money can become a golden calf, and it cannot be worshiped because gold takes you “back to Egypt.” Twinamaani said that where he comes from back in Uganda, cows, cattle and land are seen as God, but not money.

“I’m from Africa, where money is not God,” said Twinamaani.

Today, if you visit St. James House of Prayer on any weekday afternoon, the parish hall is bustling with the Cornerstone Kids afterschool program. On Sunday, attendance is solid, and attracts a wide variety of professionals.

They have revived Vacation Bible School for the neighborhood, and hold a Harvest Festival with bouncy houses and games.

“We’ve come this far by faith,” said Flemister.

There is little doubt that the material needs of the parish will be met. Flemister said that her challenge is how to share the Gospel in a way that the immediate neighbors can relate to.

“More than anything, our call is to become a part of this community,” said Flemister. X 15

Mapping Out a New Plan for DaySpring In the December issue of the Southern Cross, Michael Kline, the chairman of the DaySpring Development Committee, discussed a new master plan for DaySpring Camp and Conference Center.

This plan is the culmination of multiple years’ work by the committee, which is now beginning to implement the plan.

By Phil Beauchamp DaySpring Development Committee EACH OF US has our conception of a sacred place, a

place where we find quietness in the spirit. For me, DaySpring is that sacred place, where I can be most closely in connection with Christ.

And since 1984, DaySpring has been welcoming guests at this “sacred place at the heart of the Diocese” for retreats, meetings and summer camp events. Over these past 30 years, this ministry, property and set of facilities has grown and changed.

From the start, DaySpring quickly outgrew capacity and dormitory buildings. Additional meeting rooms and a pavilion were added to accommodate larger groups. Four youth cabins and a second large pavilion were added in the late 1990s. Diocesan offices were moved from Lakewood Ranch to the DaySpring campus in 2011 with the construction of Diocesan House, creating a renewed energy and traffic for the property. Now, three decades later, as DaySpring continues its mission, it includes 18 buildings on a 92-acre campus.

But as the campus has grown and aged, it has many new needs, including the need for larger, multi-purpose 16

conference rooms, a pool and enough space for all to worship together. With Bishop Smith and Diocesan Council’s desire to continue the growth and excitement of creating a gathering place for the Diocese, a formal “visioning” process began in the spring of 2014 with the hiring of planning consultant Jody Oates of Westerville, Ohio-based master planning firm Kaleidoscope Inc.

Gatherings centered on improving parish life, such as Vestry Retreat, are a key part of programming for DaySpring. Pictured here in 2014 from St. Alban’s St. Pete Beach, are Joanne MacConnell, Anna McKenzie, Joel Taliaferro, John Paul, the Rev. Gigi Conner, Ernie McKenzie and David Ottinger.

About the Master Plan

Pictured below is a new map of DaySpring. Main buildings such as Curry Hall, St. Thomas Chapel, dorms and cottages and cabins remain, and wetlands remain undisturbed.

However, spaces have been identified for a possible Meeting/Worship Center, Program Center and two adult lodges.

MASTER PLAN – FULL SITE DaySpring With the new master plan, which replaces one fromEpiscopal picturedCenter here, hopefully reflects this, and identifies various p.12 2000, we set out to achieve a DaySpring vision based on three “sectors” of the campus, both existing and to be developed, important guidelines. The vision would be concise and affirm for worship, programs and meetings. The plan also includes the purpose of DaySpring; it would be capable of motivating lodges with guest rooms and additional recreation areas inall persons, and it would provide the cornerstone roadmap cluding a pool and pool house. As we move forward, we will for DaySpring’s future. The plan is intended to serve as a gen- trace a link back from our planning and goal setting to our eral guide for our planning over the next five to 10 years-- Vision Statement, asking ‘how does this help us achieve our specific enough to say something about what we will do and Vision?’ capable of driving us to achieve common goals.

The plan was presented to the Diocesan Council in DeDaySpring is a place where we can see that the land- cember and unanimously and enthusiastically adopted. scape and Holy Spirit are interconnected. The concept plan, continued on page 20 17

DaySpring Plan Begins in the Parish

By The Rev. John Palarine Canon for Program and Youth It is a joy and honor to be in the Diocese of Southwest Florida and to be working for Bishop Smith and to be part of the amazing staff. I so look forward to getting to know the Clergy, Youth Leaders (teens and adults) and other lay leadership in the Diocese. I am grateful to be here.

I have been ordained in the Episcopal Church for many years and have served in many roles. My passion has always been to serve Christ and to lift up the gifts of young people in the Church.

I do this not because they are the future of the church (they are the present and future) but because they have touched my life and have transformed many congregations. My primary goal in this new position is to create a movement in this Diocese where every congregation regardless of its size or circumstances would have a strong youth presence.

In short, my first priority is to support your parish or mission in lifting up young people. If your ministry is strong, I want not only to support it but celebrate it and help others learn from you.

If your ministry with youth is nonexis-

camp online To find out about youth programs or register, visit episcopalswfl.org keyword youth. Camp photos from the last three years are online at campdayspring.org

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Last summer, youth, counselors and seminarians at DaySpring Summer Camp enjoyed teamwork on the high ropes at DaySpring. Pictured here are, from left, Katherine Gunther, John Winter and an instructor from Pathfinder, the group that teaches DaySpring’s ropes.

tent, struggling or not where you want it to be, I want to help you see God’s vision for youth in your part of God’s kingdom and offer my full support. You will soon see many opportunities for enhancing your ministry with young people. You will be hearing about an effective three phase model: creating a vision, raising up adult teams, and leadership training for young people. I believe strongly that youth ministry is different in every place and possible in every place. I can hardly wait to see us discover this together.

I give thanks to God that we have New Beginnings, Happening and the wonderful camp at Dayspring. I am grateful for all of the leadership that has made this possible and for the continued commitment by many to these valuable ministries. I intend to support these programs and to person-

ally be fully engaged in opportunities to change lives in the name of Christ.

We are so blessed in this Diocese to have Dayspring, its outstanding staff and the wonderful facility with such rich traditions. I receive the news of the “Master Plan” with great joy and the great possibilities for the future. Along with my youth responsibilities, I will be exploring with others, ways to add and enhance Episcopal programming.

Stay tuned, the present and future are so bright and exciting.

I am excited about this summer’s all new camp program including the expansion to six weeks. The first three weeks will continue to offer the traditional camp activities with even more growth and formation program opportunities. Weeks four through six will offer special programs. Elementary age continued on page 20

DaySpring Master Plan continued from page 18 The Vision Statement reads:

Leadership and Youth Programs

continued from page 19

will offer two mini camps especially for new campers or those who don’t want to be away very long.

Week five will be a “Mission Camp” to teach and encourage mission in our congregations and give a mission experience. Week six is “Leadership Camp” for high school and adults coming as teams from congregations. I have a proven leadership training model that teaches 16 leadership skills. This will make a difference not only in the lives of those who participate but in the life of your congregation.

There is much more to say about all that is about to happen but let it suffice for now to say thank you for allowing me to serve in your midst.

I look forward to ways that we can work together and enrich our ministries and God’s kingdom. X Information on camps, including online registration, is at www.episcopalswfl.org under the Youth tab.

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“We, as a Diocesan Community, will realize the full potential of DaySpring as the finest faith based camp and conference center in Florida; offering sustainable programs which provide spiritual enrichment and personal growth to support and enrich our guest’s journey of faith; while serving the people of the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida and the larger church, by providing a place of welcome, comfort, and state of the art facilities.”

We believe that the Vision Statement answers the questions: If you were looking back from 2019, what would you be celebrating? And, if you were looking forward from 2019, what would you be planning? As we begin implementing the master plan, the development concept, our next step, will be centered on the highest and best use of the DaySpring campus consistent with our mission and vision.

At the January 17, 2015 meeting of Diocesan Council, representatives from across the Diocese of Southwest Florida voted to authorize our DaySpring Development Committee to retain a land use planner to proceed in implementing the DaySpring Master Plan. This will ensure that our overall direction is understood by Manatee County be-

fore we begin. Concurrently, we will be presenting a plan for immediate construction of a replacement building for the deteriorating triple-wide modular “New” Pavilion, which actively serves all large groups utilizing DaySpring, but was designed to be temporary.

As we talk about the plan, our vision is not just about buildings and maps, but about connections. The vision centers on the people of the Diocese, and our relationship to each other in Christ.

The first visible part of the reemphasis of DaySpring came with the move of Diocesan House to DaySpring, which meant Bishop Smith and Diocesan staff are now a part of DaySpring each day. The second part of the plan is addition of staff resources to support programs at DaySpring, including the hiring of The Rev. John Palarine to lead youth and adult programs. X DaySpring Development Committee member Phil Beauchamp has been active in three parishes, as well as his work with the Diocese. Beauchamp is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Morton Plant Mease Health Care and Sarasota Memorial Hospital. While in Sarasota, he attended St. Boniface from 1985-9 and later All Saints Tarpon Springs from 1992-2004. He and his wife Carol are parishioners at Calvary Episcopal, Indian Rocks Beach, where he has been a warden, Endowment Board Chair and active in supporting the award-winning youth sailing program there.

Easter

Angels & Miracles at Resurrection Matthew’s Gospel focuses on angels, but Jesus simply says to go forward.

The Rev. Dr.Tom Thoeni reminds that the guards were left with the mystery.

“His appearance was like lightning. His clothing white as snow. The guards shook with fear and became like dead men because of him. He spoke to the women. He gave them explicit commands, offering comfort and clarity in the midst of a moment wrought with fear and amazement.”

I AM SPEAKING of an angel, not

of Jesus. I am speaking of an unnamed, heavenly being, charged with opening the empty tomb for a risen Savior and announcing his resurrection.

It is curious that on Easter morning we have more information about the angel than we do our Lord. Matthew takes more care in describing the angel’s appearance, his clothing, actions and words, than he does in telling us about Jesus. More than half of our reading this morning is focused on the angel. Only the last three sentences of our passage deals directly with our Lord. Even then we are told so very little about His appearance, or actions and He speaks a fraction of the words of the angel.

What are we to make of this? If it weren’t such the central feast and day of Christianity, if you knew nothing of our faith, you could hear this reading and think that the resurrection of Jesus was just another passing miracle, like the healing of the blind man, the feeding of the 5,000, or the raising of Lazarus.

As we mark His resurrection, we are told so very little about Him. We are 20

Through the years, many artists have interpreted the tomb. Pictured here, Benjamin West’s The Angel at the Tomb of Christ, part of the collection of The Brooklyn Museum.

told He met the two women and greeted them. He met them as they were running to tell the disciples of the angel’s message. They grasped His feet and began to worship Him. Jesus’ response was surprisingly terse. He calmed their hearts and reminded them of the angel’s message to the disciples: Go to Galilee; there they will see Me. As Matthew continues the story of Jesus there still is no magnificent moment of epiphany or mystical rapture.

The very next words of the Gospel of Matthew are these: While they were going…. Matthew continues the story by telling us that the women quickly and faithfully obeyed as the guards were left to deal with the crisis of an empty grave.

Perhaps that is why Jesus’ words are so terse and our reading treats this

Easter moment, the very moment of resurrection, as little more than transitional. Perhaps we are called to consider whether this moment, the new life in Christ, this Easter reality that began with Jesus’ empty tomb, is one of crisis or one of obedience.

Let us be clear: there is always a reaction to the resurrection. There is always a response. It seems that, to Matthew, the responses are two: Will we deny this moment or will we embrace it?

“I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.” the angel says to the two Marys. “He is not here, for He has been raised….”

“Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee;” Jesus says, “there they will see Me.” There is no standing still in this passage. There is no repose or angelic choirs or beautiful moments of peace. There is only response. Come and see. Go and tell.

There is always a reaction to the resurrection. There is always a response. We are challenged to embrace our faith and step forward on our way to Galilee, to Plant City, to our neighbors and friends and families; to loved ones and strangers. To speak and serve in love. To preach peace to all, even ourselves. To come and see. To go and tell.

Happy Easter X The Rev. Dr. Tom Thoeni is rector of St. Peter’s, Plant City.

Evangelism

At the Expo for the Bride Guided by the Holy Spirit, Fr. Nathan Speck-Ewer decided to visit a local Wedding Expo, and found out about the ultimate ‘wedding planner.’

LAST OCTOBER, A billboard that

I had passed time and again began nagging at me. “Wedding Expo” it said— the date and time listed for a coming Sunday after church. It was curiosity, mainly: What happens at a Wedding Expo? Having never been, I didn’t know what to picture. And in my life as a Christian and an Episcopal priest (where a wedding is a covenant with God) I wondered each time I passed it... what is a Wedding Expo all about?

Furthermore, if aliens (and I’m agnostic when it comes to belief in aliens, but just saying…) if aliens were to come down and visit a Wedding Expo, what would they then say that a wedding of two people is? And so it was that on the Sunday of the Expo I found myself pulling in to the parking lot for the undertaking of a grand anthropo-theological experiment—to discover what I could.

And come to find out, an hour later as I walk out, three great truths were illumined for me by the Expo—truths that I will now share.

we circle around, rather than directly address, the questions that confront us the most.

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The first truth: in life, sometimes we circle around, rather than directly address, the questions that confront us the most.

Expos—or at least this one—are about circling around. As I walked through the hall of the convention center, having gotten my little bracelet that allowed entrance, and walked inside as a participant, I began circling around just like everyone else. Except, of course, I was not like everyone else.

I was dressed in a suit, in clericals (having just come from church) and alone.

Y o u n g brides-to-be in casual clothes and their mothers (and the occasional sometimes unhappy-looking fiancé) dominated the scene.

And there was a lot to look at: for what people circled around were vendors of sundry things.

There were caterers, DJs, country clubs that hosted weddings…even the zoo had a booth (staffed, I’m happy to say, by an Episcopalian—so visit often and get married there!) Stationers, clothing boutiques for brides, bridal shops, vacation rentals to plan that special honeymoon—everything you could think of… except, oddly

enough I noticed, any booth dedicated to the service itself.

Indeed, as I circled around, it came in focus for me: where are the celebrants?

Where are the officiants? I began to picture an alternative Episcopal Wedding Expo that we might do: Rite 1 celebrants, booth 3F; Rite 2 celebrants, 4C; diocesan station for permissions for second marriages, perhaps done electronically (like ATMs?). But this Expo was not that Expo.

In fact the more I circled, and as I

began talking with vendors and people around me, the more I realized a great irony. For like the vendors who circled the wedding itself with their goods, but for whom the question of the wedding ceremony itself with their goods and wares, but did not directly address it, so it was with the people—they were cir-

cling, too. Which leads me to the next great truth...

Sometimes the questions choose us (and not we them).

As I circled, some people around me took notice and asked me: “Are you a priest?” To be charitable, I suppose since it was somewhat close to Halloween, I might not have been. A man in a clerical collar and black suit… “Yes, I am a priest,” I replied. But when I asked in return who is going to do their wedding ceremony, what surprised me is that a few of the brides-to-be seemed genuinely startled by the question. Had they not thought about this aspect yet? Some deferred to their mothers with their eyes. (Uh-oh!) Others genuinely didn’t seem to know. They had begun to plan the food, the entertainment, the dress, what they would wear afterwards—all the things around the wedding—but as for the ceremony itself, it was yet an unknown. What about the ceremony?

With weddings it’s not a question you can really avoid for too long, can you?

Sometimes we simply can’t avoid the questions because (for better or worse) they don’t avoid us.

But, alas, as I kept going around, it was not to be. On one of my final passes of the hall, a member of security approached me (remember I stuck out like a sore thumb or priest, take your pick!). He wondered in a calm way if I was soliciting. He had seen me talking to vendors and those around me. And I had not paid to be a vendor at the Wedding Expo after all. I had come and paid the fee as a participant to browse alongside the brides-to-be, their mothers, and that occasional sometimes dourfaced fiancé. Of course, there are many things that popped into my mind to respond to his question whether I was soliciting: “I’m not soliciting, I’m on a 22

Even the zoo had a booth (staffed, I’m happy to say, by an Episcopalian) mission from God.” “I’m not soliciting, I’m doing God’s Will.”

Indeed, some part of me wanted to say, “I’m a priest. Isn’t the heart of this ‘Wedding Expo’ the wedding itself?

Didn’t we (Christians) invent marriage?” I suppose I could have gone that way. After all, the caterers, DJ’s, honeymoon vacation specialists, stationers— this whole industry that is so clearly thriving here because of the Church and the sacrament of marriage—where would they all be were it not for us? You can see I got a little huffy. But I realized a split-second later that these responses wouldn’t do, because of a truth which I have known a long time, which I can too easily forget, but now (by way of his question) was coming back to me and in a new way… that long before we Christians came along, marriage was. And long after we individually are gone from this mortal shore, marriage will be. The wedding of one to another, the joining together of two people—this great, enduring institution of marriage that has wound its way through centuries, cultures, and changes in expression—we Christians in the West just got into the habit somewhere along the way of thinking it was ours…because it was exclusively—at least for a little while.

But perhaps you can see where this is going. Because I was going. Security was kind but I couldn’t stay. Though as I neared the door near the last of the vendors (did you know that you can rent fog machines

and strobe lights for your wedding afterparty?) a young woman, her mother, and grandmother stopped me. I had seen them before and they found me again.

They wondered if I did weddings: “we want God to be a part of the ceremony,” the bride-to-be said. I replied in so many words that, yes, I did weddings; and that, yes, I had this crazy idea that God wanted to be part of their ceremony, too.

And there by the door (not outside yet, but just on the edge, in just a little) we shared a laugh, I listened to their spiritual story and of their hope, and we exchanged numbers… and security nearby with both eyes on me, not encouraging. (I could imagine the news headlines: “Priest Thrown Out of Wedding Expo!”) But nonetheless through it all, a third truth illumined plain as could be: for I realized that God’s work at the margins isn’t to be marginalized. Indeed, in a way—in our time as in many others—it’s the kind of thing that God does best: at the margins, calling us to the heart of matters, through questions which we can’t avoid (though we may try) and into deeper expressions of faith.

So I don’t know what you do with Wedding Expos. I’ve been to one, and I was not thrown out. And I may as yet go to others—I don’t know; we’ll see. But come next October, I do know this… I am doing a wedding. X About the Author: Father Nathan Speck-Ewer is Chaplain of Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School in Bradenton.

He assists the Diocese of Southwest Florida as appointed Vicar of St. Dunstan’s, Largo, and consults with churches of different denominations on matters of retreats, strategic planning, conflict resolution, and governance.

Food

Sanibel Flower Guild Luncheon SANIBEL - St. Michael and All Angels began in 1957 when a group of Episcopalians met to establish a mission church. The Rev. Thomas Madden was the first vicar.

The mission first met in a restaurant at the ferry landing until the construction of their current home, a gothic modern structure designed by Gustel Kiewitt, the architect who designed the St. Louis Arena. The first services in this unique structure were on Palm Sunday, 1961.

Below, a few choice recipes from the book created by their cookbook committee, which was led by Liz Coffey:

Crab Cakes by Betty Stephenson 1 T. scallions, finely chopped 1 T. red bell pepper, finely chopped 1 T. garlic, minced 1-1/4 sticks (6-oz.) unsalted butter, melted 2 T. all-purpose flour 1/4 c. heavy cream 1 lg. egg yolk, lightly beaten 2 T. fresh basil, finely chopped 1 T. Dijon mustard 2 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice 1 tsp. salt 8 slices firm whole wheat sandwich bread cut into 1 inch slices 23

Photo by Ralph & Jenny Daily, Flickr.com

Our search to show off the culinary heritage of the Diocese takes us to St. Michael and All Angels, where their Angelic Fare cookbook presents tasty options from that storied Gulf island, Sanibel

1/4 c. chives, finely chopped 1/4 c. parsley, finely chopped 1 tsp. black pepper 2 lbs. jumbo lump crabmeat Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cook scallions, bell pepper and garlic in 2 T. butter in a 1 qt. heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring for 1 minute; then whisk in flour and cook the roux stirring constantly for 1 minute.

Add cream and bring to a boil while whisking.

Reduce the heat and simmer, whisking 2 minutes. Mixture will be thick. Remove from the heat and whisk for 1 additional minute. Whisk in the egg yolk, basil, mustard, chili sauce,

lemon juice and salt; chill uncovered about 15 minutes, until cooled. While sauce is cooling, line a tray with wax paper and butter a shallow baking pan.

Set aside.

In a food processor pulse the bread, chives, parsley and pepper until finely chopped and transfer crumb mixture to a plate. Stir the crabmeat into the cooled sauce and form into 12 (3-inch) patties, arranging them on the tray with the wax paper.

Gently coat each crab cake with the crumb mixture and place in the buttered baking pan. Drizzle with remaining melted butter and bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Fr. Dodd’s Mother’s Three Bean Salad 1 can of yellow wax beans, drained and washed 1 can of green beans, drained and washed 1 can of red kidney beans, drained and washed 2 med. onions, sliced thin Dressing: 1 c. sugar 1 c. white or wine vinegar 1/3 c. oil Mix dressing and combine with beans and onion. Put into quart jars (or one larger container). Refrigerate at least overnight, or longer. Add sliced almonds, pimiento or garbanzo beans, if desired. Stays good in the refrigerator for some time.

Mary Jane Rawlins’ Tomato Aspic

1 pkg. lemon Jell-0 1 c. tomato juice, heated 2 T. fresh lemon juice 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 2 dashes garlic powder 1 (8-oz.) can stewed tomatoes, smushed in food processor 1/4 onion, grated

Combine the heated tomato juice with the lemon Jell-0. Add lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, tomatoes and onion. Stir well and pour into a ring mold. Refrigerate 6 or more hours.

Unmold aspic on lettuce and serve with shrimp salad or cottage cheese in the center. Place a small dish of Miracle Whip salad dressing by the plate with the aspic. Serves 4 - 6.

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Flower Guild Luncheon Salad from Harriet Pattison 8 slices thick cut bacon 8 oz. mixed colorful lettuces 1 lg. Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped 1/2 c. toasted walnut halves, coarsely chopped 1/2 c. dried cranberries 6 oz. crumbled blue cheese Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place baking rack on a sheet pan and lay bacon slices on the rack. Roast the bacon for about 20 minutes, until brown. Cool.

In a large bowl, toss lettuce, apple, walnuts, cranberries and blue cheese. Chop

Poem

the bacon into large pieces and add to salad mixture. Toss the salad with just enough dressing to moisten.

Dressing 3 T. apple cider vinegar 1 tsp. grated orange zest 2 T. freshly squeezed orange juice 2-1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard 2 T. pure maple syrup Kosher salt, to taste freshly ground pepper 2/3 c. good olive oil Using a blender combine the vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, mustard, maple syrup, salt and pepper. Add the olive oil last. Blend well. X

Ode to the Diocese of Southwest Florida ‘Twixt waters’ shore and citrus grove To north and south we see A land abundant with God’s grace, A land of fruit and tree, Of sun and sand, Of palm and pine, Of heritage and pride.

Lord, lead us here in work and play Our hearts and hands please guide.

Show us the needs of those we serve In poverty and pain.

To age and youth, To rich and poor, In sunshine, wind and rain, To neighbors, friends and travelers here Grant us the means to show Your gracious, kind, refreshing ways, Your love and peace to know. © by Sandy Davis, 2014

Education

Theological Reflection for All Finding the ultimate meaning, is the goal of the EfM program writes Martha Goodwill.

THE DESIRE TO create meaning out of experience is universal. From one generation to another, people need to find answers to important questions or at least simply to understand better their experience. As a person matures the issues change but the desire to know and understand remains. We are meaningseeking beings who hope to find wisdom that guides us. In general, the term “theological reflection,” used in various ways throughout the theological world, means knowing God and knowing about God through experience.

Theological reflection is a life skill used to create meaning, in fact, to discover ultimate meaning. What makes reflection theological is not a specialized vocabulary, but the relentless, restless urge to experience wholeness which brings a person to the Holy. The word “holy” in English stems from the Old English word haleg, which means whole.

Education for Ministry makes a bold claim: Each of us is a theologian.

It is not an option. The question is not whether or not we reflect theologically.

The question is how proficient we are.

Throughout the four years in EfM, participants practice the discipline of theological reflection. Models and methods developed within the program guide and support theological reflection. Assignments present fundamentals of theological reflection. The intent is to provide resources and practice for the refinement of this life skill. X 25

About Education for Ministry “Theological Reflection has been a wonderful tool for me. I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing within our EfM Group. Taking an image, exploring the metaphor, sharing where it is found in our culture, searching the Bible for scriptures, exploring what we learned and always ending with a wonderful Collect. It has taught me about Spiritual discernment and how important it is for me to think and feel about myself, others and our world. It has truly given me the insight to be a LIGHT for the World!”

Shirley Duncan “The process of Theological Reflection has been of great value to me in trying to sort out complicated situations, especially those that embody conflicting values or are emotionally charged. The discipline is particularly effective when performed in my EFM group - with spiritual friends who are mutually respectful and non-judgmental. My goal is to apply the discipline regardless of where or with whom I am when such a situation arises. I am often surprised by the different perspectives of others regarding a particular issue, and find that the process opens me to other ways of seeing things.”

Judith Radasch “I am still working through the process of Theological Reflection, and having difficulty wrapping my head, if you will, around the concept. But, it has helped me to be able to stop and review my concerns and questions, and work on a broader perspective of working problems out.”

Doriel Boyce “For me, Theological Reflection is opening the door to a difficult topic and inviting God into the conversation.”

Susan Board

Education for Ministry is a lay theological program from Sewanee, The University of the South. Contact Diocesan Education for Ministry Coordinator Martha Goodwill at mgoodwill@episcopalswfl.org for information.

Music

Anglican Musicians Meet Here The Association of Anglican Musicians meets in Tampa this June to share ideas and make connections. Roberta Poellein and Michael Hunter invite the Diocese to plan ahead and join them.

THE ASSOCIATION OF Anglican Musicians will hold its 49th annual conference in the Tampa Bay area June 14–18, 2015. This will be the first time the organization has met in the Diocese of Southwest Florida. With the event, the planning committee has made a point of showcasing area musicians and clergy in the daily concerts and services.

Venues will include St. Andrew’s and St. John’s, Tampa; St. Thomas, St. Petersburg; and the University of Tampa; performers will include Dr. Haig Mardirosian and Joshua Stafford, organists; the choirs of St. Andrew’s and St. John’s, Tampa; and The Gulf Coast Youth Choir.

The conference preacher will be the Rev. Dr. Thomas Williams, Professor of Philosophy at the University of South Florida and newly appointed Canon Theologian at the Cathedral Church of St. Peter, St. Petersburg.

Bishop Dabney Smith will officiate at the closing Eucharist at St. Andrew’s, Tampa, on Thursday, June 18.

The theme for the Tampa Conference, “The Tree of Life My Soul Hath Seen,” was inspired by the majestic banyan trees indigenous to the area, with the text of the well-known setting by Elizabeth Poston informing the committee’s planning. At each confer26

ence the national organization provides funds to commission original choral and instrumental works, and this year’s hymn composer, the Rev. Dr. John L. Hooker, has written a stunning text and tune based on the earlier poem.

Dr. Hooker is a priest and a musician and was active in AAM for many years prior to his retirement. Until recently he resided in Clearwater and was a member of the conference planning committee. Dr. Hooker’s name will be familiar to Episcopalians in the many churches that use the supplement to The Hymnal 1982 entitled “Wonder, Love and Praise,” which provides hymns with a slightly more contemporary flair.

Orlando organist and composer—and outgoing president of the Royal School of Church Music in America—Andrew

Walker has been commissioned to write a festival setting for the Rite II Eucharist (including optional parts for congregation, brass quintet, and timpani).

The planning committee would like to invite all parish musicians and clergy in the Diocese of Southwest Florida to join the conferees for the morning session on Thursday, June 18, at the Hilton Tampa Downtown Hotel. Two workshops will be offered: Dr. Daniel A. Vincent, Jr., MD, FACS, specializes in the diagnosis of voice disorders, the medical and surgical care of the voice, and care of the professional voice. Jason Lorenzon is Managing Attorney at Lorenzon Law LLC in Independence, Ohio. He is an Immigration attorney with an added knowledge of copyright law—which is of particular interest to Lorenzon, as he is also an organist. He studied with Todd Wilson and was a former Director of Music at the Roman Catholic cathedral in St. Petersburg before entering law school. His workshop will seek to answer your questions about photocopying, fair use, licensing, and other issues that arise for organists and choir directors—especially those with minimal budgets for new music. X Find out about the conference at conference.anglicanmusicians.org

Nature

Blessing of World’s Largest Reef One of the world’s largest artificial reefs is under construction off the coast of Naples.Trinity-by-the-Cove’s The Rev. Edward Gleason blessed the project.

ONE OF THE largest artificial reef projects in the western hemisphere has begun. The first of 36 reefs has been constructed in the Gulf waters of Collier County in January 2015.

The first 500 tons, of 18,000 tons of reef material in total, was deployed on January 9.

This massive project started with a vision just two years ago, when longtime angler and local attorney Peter Flood of Naples joined forces with the Economic Recovery Task Force to develop a state of the art artificial reef program.

The Task Force engaged the City of Marco Island, the City of Naples and Collier County. They applied for a Gulf Seafood and Tourism Promotional Fund grant from BP. Private donor funding was made possible through an agreement with the Community Foundation of Collier County.

The mission from the beginning was to build a world class artificial reef system without the use of taxpayer funds. To ensure that the technical expertise was secured to support a project of this magnitude, the quintessential expert was contacted. ‘Dr. Reef ’, that is. Dr. Heyward Matthews, the father of artificial reef development for more than 40 years, volun27

of the Reefs’ by Associate Rector The Rev. Edward Gleason of Trinity-bythe-Cove. – Meg Stepanian The blessing including a Prayer for Stewardship: Most Holy God, you have provided the vast resources of earth and sea, and the hidden forces of nature. Teach us to recognize Your hand in all your works that we may rejoice in Your goodness with reverence and thanksgiving, ever striving to be good stewards of the sea and creation; protect and keep safe those who will deploy the reef. We pray these things through Your Holy Name.

Amen.

Reef materials before deployment

teered as a critical partner in the success of the program.

On January 8 and 9, hundreds participated in the Artificial Reef Deployment Celebration Events. Marco Island Marina donated the use of their parking lot for attendee parking and Dolphin Transportation donated the transportation of attendees to a Deployment Ceremony. On January 9, the Key West Express donated the use of their vessel and crew for special guests, dignitaries, and media to cruise 10 miles offshore to witness the momentous occasion of the ‘Blessing

Gleason created a special prayer for the Blessing of the Reef. It reads: Gracious God, you said let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures and you blessed them so they would fill the seas. We give thanks for the hearts, imaginations and hands that have worked to make this reef a reality and pray that you would bless, hallow and consecrate this reef, that it may be transformed from dead stone into vibrant life so that living creatures may indeed fill the seas. We offer these prayers through your most Holy Name. Amen.

Travel

Revisiting Episcopal Cuba Havana is closer to Marco Island than Wesley Chapel, yet that Episcopal Diocese has been out of our consciousness. Sarah Hill tells of a recent visit, part of her altar guild work.

IT ISN’T OFTEN that Diocesan Altar Guild can really be classified as exciting but sharing our experiences with the Episcopal Church in Cuba brings teaching to an entirely new level! I have just returned from my fifth trip to Cuba in the past fourteen years and want to share with you how vibrant our church is in a country that has so many limitations.

There are 44 Episcopal churches across Cuba with the Cathedral being in Havana. It may seem surprising that our church is thriving in a country where religion has been suppressed. In the time that David and I have been traveling to Cuba, we have seen more new churches each time. Some are only house churches with five to six people.

They are so eager to live out the Gospel as the Body of Christ. As I have become acquainted with priests and parishioners across the island, I have been asked to help with many aspects of liturgy.

Their worship is very traditional and familiar to us. They have no way to buy religious goods or even fabrics, so they welcome items we no longer use. They often cannot buy candles but they still have candlesticks! Their altars are adorned with maybe one nice linen or a lovely tablecloth.

They need all the little white linens. Many altars are a nice old table and some have very creative frontals! Chalices and patens are impossible to obtain and they like nice, 28

It may seem surprising that our church is thriving in a country where religion has been suppressed. metal ones! When they receive Communion, they all intinct. A very small amount of wine is placed in the chalice and each person is given a wafer and they barely dip it. No one drinks from the chalice. The purificator is used as a napkin in case a drop of wine falls. They can buy wafers from a Roman Catholic convent in Havana. I have also seen them use bread cubes.

The church is eager to ordain new priests and deacons. Fortunately, there is an excellent seminary in the city of Matanzas. It is actually ecumenical but the Episcopalians have wonderful teachers and services. We were there for two days and went to a midweek Eucharist and morning worship. While there, we had a chance to discuss altar guild practices that they would love to offer as part of a seminary program. One consideration could be to buy maybe a bolt of white fabric and let them share with churches and then create sewing projects to construct pieces. Stoles and albs are also in popular demand.

We went to 10 different Episcopal

churches and had communion seven times. It was the beginning of Advent and we brought purple candles for them. Their wreaths were not our pine circles but rather glittery tinsel mounds.

Some had candles, and some used only one. In Santiago we went to house services for the lighting of the weekly candle, and they prayed and sang and then had refreshments. Probably 30 people attended. It was beautiful.

In Santiago, I had been asked to have a sewing class for 20 ladies. I brought white fabric, needles, thread, scissors, samples to copy and they had a Saturday morning workshop with three sewing machines and lots of enthusiasm. This all took place in Spanish and somehow, my college Spanish has surfaced and I was able to do it. We had tiny cups of coffee and a big cake at the end. They sewed and sewed and created purificators and corporals. In Cuba, they had made palls stiffened with old x-ray film and thought mine were too thick! They are so creative in the face of having nothing to buy!

The Bishop of Cuba is a woman who has become a good friend. The Rt. Rev. Griselda Delgado was with me several times to translate and encourage the ladies to prepare the Lord’s Table with loving care. They loved hearing that they were part of a worldwide group, and that altar guild is the

same wherever you are.

They use the Spanish (blue) Book of Common Prayer in their churches and follow them faithfully. What is different is the music! They have a whole range of what might be considered “praise” music but it is more traditional. Often they play the music on a small recorder or in some churches, they use a television and have words on the screen. We were impressed that most people seemed to have all the words memorized and they sing out with such great joy. When they pass the peace, it can easily take 20 minutes. Everyone kisses each other and are so loving and caring. Cubans are very compassionate. Two other very important ways the church is doing God’s work is having purified water available at some churches now for the community to share and some also have gardens and Cubans can have healthy fruits and vegetables to eat.

Their diets are very restricted and food is expensive for them. Their salaries are tiny. With all the adversities, they always share and care for one another.

The most valuable thing I was able to bring with me was the Spanish version of the Altar Guild manual from the Diocese of Texas. I gave them copies and they were so grateful. They will make more copies but since paper is hard to buy and expensive, they share.

Just a week after our return, President Obama opened the door of hope for the Cubans. They deserve this chance for a future and there is plenty of room for the Episcopal Church to help.Cuba is ready to move forward. They have a high literacy rate and work very hard. They will do their part. Keep them all in your prayers. X Sarah Hill is a member of Cathedral Church of St. Peter in St. Petersburg, and is President of Diocesan Altar Guild. She traveled on a Cathedral religious visa.

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POSTCARDS FROM CUBA

From top: Altar guild techniques; sewing in Santiago; interior of the Havana cathedral; historic postcard of the cathedral formally called Iglesia De La Santisima Trinidad.

It was designed by Cram & Ferguston, the noted Boston gothic architecture firm.

Photos by Dr. David Hil

Obituaries

Lynda Botzenhart

The Rev. John Beverly Kelley

BRADENTON - Lynda Botzenhart, a youth leader for the Diocese of Southwest Florida and Christ Church, Bradenton, died January 9, 2015.

Botzenhart, whose career in youth ministry at Christ Church was almost 15 years, was a leader both at the parish and Diocesan level.

Born Oct. 3, 1960, she was honored at the 2014 Bishop’s Ball for her many years of service to Diocesan youth, including chairman of the Happening Steering Committee and lay director of Diocesan Happening events.

Her funeral was held at Christ Church, Bradenton, on Saturday, January 17, 2015.

DUNEDIN - The Rev. John Beverly Kelley, 86, died peacefully on January 2, 2015.

Fr. Kelley was a retired priest of the Diocese of Connecticut. Ordained in 1953, he served many parishes in Southwest Florida for the past 10 years. Born August 1, 1928 in Miami, Florida, he holds degrees from Union Theological Seminary, Seminary of the Southwest. He was ordained by Bishop A.C. Lichtenberger on Dec. 6, 1953.

As an active priest, he served congregations in the Dioceses of Connecticut, Virginia, New York and Ecuador. He is survived by his wife, Gwynneth Davis; children Gregory, Ayla, Katherine and Kevin; and six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

A service at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Dunedin, was held Wednesday, Jan. 28 at 10 a.m.

The Rev. Leon Anthony Jaster CLEARWATER - The Rev. Leon Anthony Jaster, 85, died December 15, 2014. Fr. Jaster received a BA (1952) and MA (1957) from Loyola University and a BTh from the Jesuit Theological Seminary in 1961.

He was received into the Episcopal Church in 1982 by Bishop James Wetmore. He married Margaret Ann Everett in 2004.

Service to The Episcopal Church included assistant at Church of the Good Shepherd Dunedin 2000-04; rector, Church of our Savior, Lake Charles, Louisiana, 1989-94; assistant at St. Mary’s, Tampa, 1984-86; and Vicar, Christ Church, Magnolia, NJ 1982-83.

30

The Rev. Robert David Liguori OSPREY - The Rev. Robert David Liguori, 85, a longtime priest at St. Wilfred, died January 6, 2015.

Born July 18, 1929 in Oneonta, New York, Fr. Liguori married Joan Muriel Schrang in 1951. He was awarded an STB from Yale Berkeley in 1953 and was ordained deacon and priest in the same year by Bishop Frederick Barry. Prior to his arrival in Florida, he served New York parishes in Syracuse, Auburn, Cambridge, Sa-

lem, and Albany. He served St. Wilfred, Sarasota, beginning in 1984, first as assistant and as rector from 1988-94. He retired in 1994.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Joan and four sons, David, Jonathan, Christopher and Joel (Luann).

The Rev. Arlo Leinback VENICE - The Rev. Arlo Leroy Leinback, 96, a longtime rector of St. David’s Englewood, died December 15, 2014 in Venice.

The Rev. Leinback married the late Mary Duff Burt in 1947. They had four children, Bruce, Susan, Sheila and Joan. He received a Master of Arts degree in Social Work from the University of Minnesota in 1950.

He read for Holy Orders and was ordained to the Diaconate in 1957 by Bishop Hamilton Kellogg and made priest in 1959 by Bishop Philip McNairy. He served parishes in Gary, Indiana, and Cannon Falls, Minnesota.

Leinback came to the Diocese of Southwest Florida in 1964, where he served as vicar of St. David’s Englewood. He was later called as rector of St. David’s, serving until his retirement. As a retired priest, he served at St. Boniface, Siesta Key; St. Edmund, Arcadia and Church of the Nativity, Sarasota. While in Southwest Florida, Fr. Leinback served on the Court Array (Disciplinary Board), the Committee on Constitution and Canons A service in his honor was held December 20, 2014 at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Venice. X

Events

2015 Calendar Visit us at episcopalswfl.org for more information; look for EVENTS tab.

Events at DaySpring Episcopal Center unless noted otherwise.

Diocesan Events

Diocesan Altar Guild at Cathedral ST. PETERSBURG - The Diocesan Altar Guild has set their annual meeting for March 7, 2015, at the Cathedral Church of St. Peter. Their featured speaker is Sr. Suzanne Elizabeth, CSJB, a member of the Episcopal Community of St. John Baptist in Mendham, New Jersey. During the course of each year, many groups come to the Convent and Retreat House for prayer and study.

PARRISH - The Rev. Dr. Melford “Bud” Holland, a leader in theological education and leadership development in The Episcopal Church, will lead Fall Clergy Retreat this September.

Until his 2009 “retirement” Holland served as program officer for ordained ministry and leadership development at the Episcopal Church Center. The Fall Clergy Retreat is set for Sept. 14, 15 and 16. It will be held at DaySpring.

31

Feb. 19 - Chrism Mass, St. Boniface Feb. 21 - Deacons’ Retreat March 10 - College of Presbyters Exercises at the 2014 March 11 - Retired Clergy Lunch Church Employee March 21 - Clergy Spouse Association Retreat Gathering. The 2015 event is set for Dec. May 9 - Vestry Retreat 11 at DaySpring.

August - Baseball with the Bishop, Tropicana Field September 8,9,10 - Fall Convocations across Diocese September 14,15,16 - Fall Clergy Retreat September 26 - Acolyte Festival, Cathedral Church of St. Peter October 16, 17 - Diocesan Convention, Charlotte Harbor Event & Conference Center December 11 - Church Employee Gathering

Specialized Events & Training April 28 - Audit Workshop May 21-23 - Education for Ministry Mentor Training September 15, 16 - QuickBooks & ACS User Days September 29 - Healthcare Benefits Workshop October 27 - Budgeting Workshop

Youth Events & Camps March 6-8 - Happening #71 (High School) June 7-12 - Elementary Summer Camp June 14-19 - Middle School Summer Camp June 21-26 - High School Summer Camp July 12-18 - Elementary “Mini” Camps

Session 1, July 12-15; Session 2, July 15-18 July 19-24 - Middle School Mission Camp July 26-31 - High School Leadership Camp September 26 - Acolyte Festival, Cathedral Church of St. Peter November 13-15 - New Beginnings #58 (Middle School)

ATTEND SUMMER CAMP AT DAYSPRING DATES AND NEW PROGRAMS Counselor Training June 5-7 Elementary Summer Camp June 7-12 Rising 3rd – 5th Grade, $390 All the traditional and fun camp activities at DaySpring for students going into the 3rd grade to 5th grade.

Middle School Summer Camp June 14-19, $390 Rising 6th-8th Grade Full camp activities and program for middle schoolers Special addition of Canon Michael Durning as chaplain.

Campers participate in a Christian program designed to help them grow spiritually and emotionally, providing opportunities to explore new interests, skills and friendships. Six week-long sessions have been programmed for elementary, middle and high school students.

The fee for one week includes room, all meals and activities fees. Programs for high school and middle schoolers will include, for 2015, more in depth personal and spiritual growth design and program as well as the traditional canoeing, high ropes and zip line.

High School Summer Camp June 21-26, $390 Rising 9th-12th Canoeing, high rope, sports and zip line with even more additions for 2015.

Elementary “Mini” Camps Session 1- July 12-15 (through lunch), $200 Session 2 – July 15 (dinner) – July 18, $200 Rising 3rd – 5th Grade Special focus on those who have not been to DaySpring or would like to have a shorter time away from home. Same great activities in a condensed time. Participants can choose one of the sessions or stay for both sessions (note: attending both sessions would add one day to the normal five-day session).

Middle School Mission Camp July 19-24, $390 Teams of middle school students and adults from congregations. Come to camp, learn about and experience mission. Day missions in the Diocese.

Featuring missionary Michelle Perry, Children’s Village, South Sudan.

Senior High Leadership Camp July 26-31, $390 Teams of senior high and adults will participate in the “After Damascus” leadership training for youth in partnership with Youth Presence Ministries (founded by the Rev. John Palarine). Great way to raise up the leadership of young people for your parish or mission.

Register online at episcopalswfl.org

by March 31, 2015 and save $30!

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CONTACT The Rev. Dr. John Palarine Canon for Program and Youth 941-556-0315, cell 941-807-9906 jpalarine@episcopalswfl.org Katie Arp Camp Director 813-833-8102 karp@mail.usf.edu Michelle Mercurio Registrar 941-556-0315 x977, fax: 941-556-0321 mmercurio@episcopalswfl.org

Glancing Back

Here’s a Story! In 1975, actress Ann B. Davis, Alice on The Brady Bunch, visits Diocesan offices.

ANN B. DAVIS, the actress who Ring; other “popularity” contests are won 310 individuals. Meanwhile, St. Bar-

played Alice on The Brady Bunch, visited Diocesan House in St. Petersburg.

She was a regular worshipper at Holy Cross in St. Petersburg while she appeared in Three on a Honeymoon at a local dinner theater. She is pictured here with Bishop Hargrave, Bishop Haynes and Fr. Herbert Beck in The Southern Cross. Davis, who died in June 2014 in San Antonio, was a well-known Episcopalian who sold her home in California in 1976 join Bishop William Frey in an Episcopal religious community of work, study and prayer. She later relocated to Pennsylvania where Frey was at Trinity School for Ministry.

That winter, The Rev. John M. Howells of Swansea, Wales is selected to head the Episcopal ministry to colleges in the St. Petersburg area. He had been a chaplain to the Archbishop of Jerusalem, where he worked in the Persian Gulf oil fields.

At the ECW fall meeting, the Deanery Choir sings a newly written ECW hymn by Suzanne Waterman with words by her sister, Gloria Morse, both of St. Boniface. The song is “Arise o Christian Women”

1955

The Palm Branch newsletter reports that at St. Andrew’s, Tampa, Freddie Littlejohn wins the Brotherhood of St. Andrew 33

by Chuck Martin and Mary Lou Newde.

Meanwhile, St. Mary’s Tampa has surpassed its goal of raising over $100,000 for a building, which

was “truly the record of faith, prayer and sacrifice.” St. Mary’s began as a Sunday School of St. Andrew’s and reached mission stage in 1950 with the calling of The Rev. Warren I. Densmore.

The canvass, led by William H. Reynolds of Tampa Marine, was oversubscribed by $30,000.

Meanwhile, Episcopal Church Women were supporting a Diocese of South Florida radio program, heard in Southwest Florida on WPLA Plant City.

1965

St. Thomas, St Petersburg has organized a “Caller” program under the leadership of Mr. Norman Neale. The group of eight women and nine couples call on every member of the parish. The group makes 405 calls and meets with

tholomew’s holds a St. Petersburg Altar Guild meeting, led by Deanery Directress Mrs. Hattie W. Troy.

1985

That year, Diocesan staff under the Rt. Rev. Paul Haynes includes Canon to the Ordinary The Rev. Canon Wells Newell Graham; Archdeacon the Ven. Hoyt Massey, Southern Cross Editor Joyce Smith; and Records Secretary Mrs. Martha Hallas.

At DaySpring, a junior high conference called Friendship is planned; Senior High students were participating in a conference called Sweet Dreams, to be led by Fr. Bill Spaine, the former assistant at St. Thomas, Snell Isle. Also that year, the Rev. John Palarine, Youth Ministry Coordinator for the Diocese of Central Florida, is keynote speaker at the New Life in Youth Conference April 19-21. Also that year, “Episcopalian” youth from across Florida gather at Cypress Gardens; Fran McKendree closed the day with a “fantastic concert!” X Honor Our Tradition: Looking Back is taken from the archives at Diocesan House. If you have questions about your archive or can donate items of interest, contact the Communications Office at 941-556-0315.

‘We have this treasure ...’

Support the 2015 Bishop’s Appeal Assist DaySpring Endowment or DaySpring is a sacred place that seeks to enrich and empower its visitors in Christ through prayer, worship and fellowship. Your gift to DaySpring, however large or small, will help support DaySpring in perpetuity.

Assist Episcopal Charities of Southwest Florida Episcopal Charities is the funding support organization for congregation-based community outreach and special needs.

TEAR HERE

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USE MY GIFT □ For Episcopal Charities Endowment Fund □ For DaySpring Endowment Fund □ Share my donation equally between the two funds

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