OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE DIOCESE OF SOUTHEAST FLORIDA
www.diosef.org
Volume 43 No. 2 April 2012
Building Together
There will be a live webcast on
the topic of General Convention
2012 on May 9 at 1 p.m. (Eastern) at
www.episcopalchurch.org. Participants
will be: Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori; House of Deputies President
Bonnie Anderson; Executive Officer and
Secretary of the General Convention, the
Rev. Gregory Straub; and Bishop Catherine Waynick of the Diocese of Indianapolis, the host diocese.
Information about General Convention, to be held July 5-12 in Indianapolis,
IN, including schedules, resolutions, committee membership and publications, is
posted at www.generalconvention.org.
Photo by Mary W. Cox
Teams of students in the science session at the Diocesan Academic Festival were challenged to build a geodesic dome from toothpicks and gumdrops. See p. 7 for Festival coverage.
Discovering Our Future
Workgroup begins process of review,
re-visioning of diocesan structures
By Mary W. Cox, editor
t Diocesan Convention last November, Bishop Leo Frade called for a
time of reflection and re-visioning
for the diocese in order to “be prepared to be more nimble in the
ways we serve as the Body of Christ in this 21st Century.”
The bishop announced that he would be forming a
workgroup of representatives from around the diocese to begin the work of reviewing existing diocesan
structures and operations and proposing possible
changes.
This group was convened on Feb. 3, and charged
with examining three basic areas of our common
ministry — Organizational Structure, Finance and
Demographics — in a process the bishop has called
“Discovering Our Future.” Under the guidance of fa-
A
cilitator Charles Fulton III, retired director of Congregational Development for The Episcopal Church, the
workgroup is now gathering information from individuals, congregations, ministries and communities
around the diocese. Interim reports were presented
for discussion at a meeting on March 28.
The assigned task of the Organizational Structure
Group, chaired by Fr. Bob Taylor of Good Shepherd,
Tequesta, is “to review and analyze all units of our
diocesan structure through the lens of how nimble, efficient and effective each unit is, flagging where it
works well and where there are opportunities for im-
See DISCOVERING OUR FUTURE, Page 2
Go to www.diosef.org
2
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DISCOVERING OUR FUTURE
from Page 1
provement.”
The group has begun its work by:
Reviewing the national and diocesan canons to
determine what they specify as to the role and function of specific diocesan structures;
Obtaining job descriptions for each of the fifteen diocesan staff members, including the bishop, to
determine if there is overlap among duties or if staff
members carry out tasks not in their job description;
Using Survey Monkey to survey volunteers
who serve on diocesan committees to ascertain what
motivates them to serve, their cost in time and money
and what they like best (and dislike most) about serving their diocese;
Reviewing Church Canons and the liturgy for
the Ordination of a Bishop to develop an overview of
what the role of a diocesan bishop is intended to be,
in order to shape a vision for the future leadership of
our diocese; and
Assessing the committees and commissions of
the diocese for gender, ethnic, age and regional balance, as well as balance among clergy, lay and staff
participation.
The Finance Group, chaired by Fr. Bob Trache of
St. Mark’s, Ft. Lauderdale, is charged with reviewing
and analyzing diocesan income and expenses, projecting the trends of the current budget to 2015 and
drafting several proposals for balanced budgets,
showing both expanding and static income.
In his report at the March meeting Trache said that
after review of diocesan budgets from 2007 to the
present, the group “does not foresee any significant
change in diocesan income in the near future.”
He said the group will prepare three draft budgets:
The first will reflect a three percent decline in total
revenue; the second will reflect no change in total
revenue; and the third will reflect a three percent
gain.
The group has begun a preliminary analysis of
parish income, and has found a number of congregations whose income falls below the $200,000 per year
level estimated by the Episcopal Church to be necessary for the support of fulltime clergy leadership.
“The financial piece is what’s going to make people the most nervous,” Trache said.
The Finance Group will continue its analysis of
parish budgets and creative possibilities for the “atrisk” congregations, and is also expected to review
trends in diocesan expenses and look at alternative
assessment formulas.
Its final report is expected to include, in addition
to documented financial trends of our diocese and the
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effect assessment changes would make on income
and expenses, a five year projection report of congregations that are able to sustain a full-time priest, those
which will likely move to alternate forms of priestly
ministry, and those which have already moved to alternate forms of priestly ministry.
The Demographics Group, chaired by the Rev.
Maribeth Conroy of St. Philip’s, Coral Gables, has
been gathering data on the profiles of the people and
congregations of the diocese. This data will be compared with a professionally developed demographic
report for the geographic area comprising our diocese, along with data from business and municipal
planning departments.
The final report from this group is expected to
capture the rich diversity of our area and our diocese
now and into the near future, and to include the implications and challenges for our future ministry.
Final reports from all three groups will be presented in June, in preparation for the next three
phases of the process, which will broaden participation to involve as many people as possible.
Phase two will bring the information gathered by
the workgroup to the clergy of the diocese at the annual Clergy Conference in September.
The third phase will involve a larger part of the
diocese in the visioning process through two daylong
gatherings of approximately 50 diocesan leaders
called the “consultative group”. Using a process
called “scenario planning,” this session will involve
exploring how our future ministry might evolve in response to a number of variables. The consultative
group will be asked to consider all of the information
gathered by the workgroups to identify potential resources and challenges, and to envision how our diocese would do ministry in a variety of circumstances.
From the work of the two-day consultative group
of diocesan leaders, progress reports will go out to
the entire diocese for further reflection and dialogue.
These diocese-wide discussions will be an integral
part of the dialogue at the diocesan convention.
The fourth phase will continue with detailed review, dialogue and implementation in 2013.
“Select committees have a horrible history,” Fulton told the workgroup at its March meeting. That’s
why this initial group is fairly large, he said, and is
comprised of laity and clergy, men and women, representing various ethnicities and regions of the diocese.
Equally important to the process, he said, is that
the workgroup is designed to “open out into concentric circles of people around you” and to “give them
some good questions to struggle with along with
you.”
It will be relatively easy to make technical
changes, like the number and composition of committees or even the assessment formula, he said, but
News
Discovering Our Future
Workgroup
Organizational Structure
Chair, Fr. Robert Taylor,
Good Shepherd, Tequesta
Dean Debra Andrew Maconaughey,
St. Columba, Marathon
Fr. Greg Mansfield,
St. Bernard de Clairvaux, N. Miami Beach
Fr. Andrew Sherman,
St. Gregory’s, Boca Raton
Canon Winston Wright,
Grace, West Palm Beach
Finance
Chair, Fr. Robert Trache,
St. Mark the Evangelist, Ft. Lauderdale
Maritere Carreras,
Holy Comforter, Miami
Canon Tom O’Brien,
Bethesda-by-the-Sea, Palm Beach
Canon William “Chip” Stokes,
St. Paul’s, Delray Beach
Laura Walker,
St. Thomas, Coral Gables
Demographics
Chair, The Rev. Maribeth Conroy,
St. Philip’s, Coral Gables
Isela Gonzalez,
St. Margaret’s, S. Francisco de Asis, Miami Lakes
Whittington Johnson,
Incarnation, Miami
Fr. Smith Milien,
St. Paul et les Martyrs d’Haiti, Miami
Gustavo Rodriguez, Todos los Santos, Miami
Kathleen Walker, Incarnation, Miami
added that “adaptive change” — changing the values
and behavior of congregations and parishioners —
will be the challenge for the diocese.
The “Discovering Our Future” process, Fulton
said, reminds him of the words of Psalm 137: “How
shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?”
The future will be a “strange land,” he said, but
we can create structures that will help us to continue
“singing the Lord’s song.” Watch for reports from the workgroup — and information on how you can become involved in the
Discovering Our Future process — to be posted at
the Discovering Our Future link on the diocesan website, www.diosef.org.
St. Mark’s, Palm Beach Gardens, offers new mission site
The new youth center and gymnasium at St.
Mark’s, Palm Beach Gardens, completed last year,
has made possible a brand-new ministry: “Hearts
of Palm.”
The parish describes “Hearts of Palm” as an interdenominational mission site for teens and young
adults, providing a home base for week-long missions among migrant workers, immigrants and others who struggle with poverty and homelessness in
the shadow of the affluence of Palm Beach.
The mission work week will be Monday-Thursday; groups will arrive Sunday afternoon and leave
on Friday morning.
The facility includes a safe, clean, state-of-theart youth center and gymnasium with air conditioning and on-site showers; separate sleeping
areas for boys and girls; and secure indoor and
outdoor athletic facilities. Dinner on the first night
and all breakfasts and lunches are included in the
week-long program.
Groups will plan their own group time, worship
and reflection and free time activities.
For more information about Hearts of Palm, go
to www.HOPmission.com or contact Director
Karen Cook at 561-622-0956, or email
[email protected]. News
www.diosef.org
New bishop of Jamaica attended
cursillo in SE Florida in 2010
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Howard Kingsley
Ainsworth Gregory, who was elected on Mar.
27 as the 14th bishop of Jamaica and the
Cayman Islands, is known to the Cursillo
community in Southeast Florida as a candidate
on Men’s Cursillo #87 in October 2010.
Gregory, 61, has served as suffragan bishop
of Montego Bay since 2002, and since the
beginning of this year has been serving as
Canonical Administrator for the diocese.
He succeeds Bishop Alfred C. Reid, who
retired on Dec. 31, 2011, after 11 years as
diocesan bishop.
In addition to degrees from the University
of the West Indies and the United Theological
College of the West Indies, Gregory earned a
Master of Sacred Theology degree from the
Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria,
Va., and the degree of Doctor of Sacred
Theology from Columbia Theological
Seminary in Decatur, Ga.
His enthronement as bishop of Jamaica will
take place in the Cathedral of St. Jago de la
Vega, Spanish Town, at a date to be
announced.
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Trinity Sunday offering asked for
Cathedral restoration
As work continues on the
restoration of our historic
cathedral, Bishop Leo Frade has
designated Trinity Sunday, June 3,
as Trinity Cathedral Sunday, and
asks that all congregations receive
a special offering that day to go to
the preservation of this important
tool for our ministries. For more
information on the restoration work
and how to help, contact Friends of
Trinity Cathedral at
[email protected] or go to
www.trinitymiami.org and click on
the “restoration” link.
The Net honored with second
Polly Bond Award of Excellence
At this year’s Polly Bond Awards given by
Episcopal Communicators, The Net received
the Award of Excellence for a newspaper; the
judge specifically cited the February 2011
issue.
This is the second time our diocesan
newspaper has been honored with the Award
of Excellence. In 2001 the award was given in
the category of “newspapers with over 12,000
circulation;” with fewer dioceses,
congregations and institutions publishing
newspapers in print, the circulation categories
have been dropped, and all newspapers
submitted are considered for the same awards.
The judge praised the paper for layout
editor Catherine Kohn’s “very strong layout,”
as well as for “strong use of photos,” “strong
variety of stories,” and “reflection of
diversity.”
The Net also received three awards for
individual photographs: an Award of Merit
(second place) for a picture of Presiding
Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori releasing a
sea turtle, and Honorable Mention awards for
pictures of worshipers at the 9/11 memorial
service at Trinity Cathedral and a baptism at
St. Mark’s School in Palm Beach Gardens.
The first two award-winning photos were by
editor Mary W. Cox, and the baptism picture,
by Kelly Tkaczow.
The annual Polly Bond Awards, named in
memory of a founding member of Episcopal
Communicators, were established in the mid1970s to recognize excellence and
achievement in the ministry of church
communication. Since 2000 our diocesan
communications ministry has received 41
Polly Bond Awards. The Net, April 2012
August pilgrimage to Cuba planned
Bishop Leo Frade and his wife, Diana, will lead a
group of pilgrims to Cuba in August.
The Aug. 1-6 pilgrimage, like the trip led by the
Frades last November, will focus on opportunities to
meet Cuban Episcopalians and see first-hand the ministries of the Episcopal Church in Cuba.
In a note about the pilgrimage posted on the
diocesan website Frade says, “This is the tenth time
that Diana and I have visited the Cuban Church. We
rejoice that at present there is more freedom for the
church and that a revival is taking place all around
the island. The Episcopal Church is alive and well
and growing under the leadership of Bishop Griselda
Delgado.”
The trip will include visits to churches in Cardenas, Santa Cruz del Norte and Bacuranao, and the
Theological Seminary in Matanazas, as well as several days in and around Havana. On Sunday, Aug. 5,
the group will worship at La Santisima Trinidad Episcopal Cathedral in Havana.
The cost is $2,555 for a double room and $2,850
for a single room. Full payment must be received by
May 1.
The Frades plan to lead a second pilgrimage Nov.
21-26.
Complete details are posted on the diocesan website, www.diosef.org or at www.bishopfrade.com.
Frade signs letter calling for justice
in shooting of Trayvon Martin
Bishop Leo Frade and Archdeacon Fritz Bazin
were among the signers of a Mar. 21 letter issued by
the Florida Council of Churches, calling for “justice
to be pursued” in the shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon
Martin and expressing condolences to his family.
Signers also included Bishop Edward R. Benoway
of the Florida-Bahamas Synod, Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America; Bishop Timothy Whitaker,
Florida Area Resident Bishop of the United
Methodist Church; and the Rev. Willie Israel of the
Moravian Church Southern Province, Florida District. All three are leaders of denominations with
which the Episcopal Church is in full communion.
“Trayvon’s death was unwarranted,” the letter
says. “Florida should be a place where a person of
any color can walk in a neighborhood without fear of
violence or being presumed a suspicious threat.
Florida should be a place where the use of deadly
force is rare and uncommon. Florida should also be a
place where the misuse of deadly force is not tolerated.”
The letter also urges that the investigation into
Martin’s death “proceed swiftly without racial bias so
that the matter is not continually tried in the media.”
For the complete text of the letter, go to
www.floridachurches.org. 4
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News
“Ashes to Go” takes liturgy to the people
By Mary W. Cox
n Ash Wednesday there were plenty of
people standing or kneeling at altar rails
around the diocese, receiving a smudge of
ashes on their foreheads as a mark of repentance and
commitment to the journey of Lent.
But there were also people who received their
ashes in the midst of their journeys in the world — at
two Broward Tri-Rail stations and a Key Largo bar.
“Ashes to Go,” taking the Ash Wednesday liturgy to
the people, is becoming part of our Lenten tradition
in Southeast Florida.
This was the second year that the Rev. Rosa Lindahl-Mallow, priest-in-charge of St. Ambrose and
Centro Hispano de Todos los Santos, Ft. Lauderdale,
assisted by members of the New River Regional Ministry, stood at the Ft. Lauderdale Tri-Rail Station with
bowls of ashes, offering commuters a holy moment at
the beginning of a work day.
Last year nine people requested ashes, but this
year there were 16, she said — including the conductor of one of the trains, who asked the group to come
up to the train so he could step off long enough to receive ashes.
Another Broward priest, Fr. Mark Andrew Jones,
priest-in-charge of St. Nicholas, Pompano Beach, was
at the Tri-Rail station in Pompano, where he gave
ashes to 43 people between 6:30 and 9 a.m.
At the Caribbean Club, a popular “watering hole”
in Key Largo, the presence of Fr. Charles Cannon,
rector of St. James the Fisherman, Islamorada, is not
entirely unfamiliar; St. James has held a “Mass on the
beach” in front of the bar twice in the past six
months.
On Ash Wednesday, though, Cannon stood at the
“Remember that you are dust...”
O
Fr. Mark Andrew
Jones of St.
Nicholas, Pompano
Beach, gives Ash
Wednesday ashes to
Ludis Alvarez at the
Pompano Beach
TriRail station.
Photo by Joe Cavaretta, Sun-Sentinel
bar with a shot glass full of ashes balanced on his
prayer book. From noon to 2 p.m. he offered ashes to
the bar’s patrons, and 55 people accepted the offer,
reverently bowing their heads as he prayed the collect
for Ash Wednesday and traced a cross of ashes on
their foreheads.
Some wanted to tell him the story of their lives;
some wanted healing prayers; two wanted to confess
their sins.
“What was truly a blessing was the time spent af-
terward with each person,” Cannon said.
“I’ll tell you the truth: I wasn’t really ready for the
depth of despair I encountered,” he added. “Several
were in obvious physical addiction, one had cancer
and three wanted me to pray for loved ones. I trust
the Holy Spirit, but there were times I felt disoriented, lacking the safety and security of the church.”
“I left exhausted, but glad I ventured out of my
Anglo-catholic comfort zone. I am glad I took the
risk.” Duncan Center celebrates ‘Oasis’ and begins ‘Magic Carpet Ride’
n Sunday, Mar. 18, the Duncan
Center continued its celebration
of completion of the swimming
pool, the first phase of the “Frade Oasis.”
Bishop Leo Frade blessed and dedicated
the pool in a small ceremony on Dec. 21, but
the March event included a Eucharist followed by swimming — for some guests, including retired Bishop Calvin O. Schofield,
Jr. — and a barbecue dinner.
The Duncan Center’s Annual Fund Campaign this spring is focused on replacing the
carpet in the Austin and Marta Weeks Building, which is in almost constant use for
meetings, seminars, conferences, luncheons
and even weddings.
Instead of installing a roll of carpet, the
plan calls for carpet squares, which can be
easily replaced individually when damaged
or stained. It will take 220 carpet tiles to
cover the floor, and parishioners in the diocese are invited to participate in the “Magic
Carpet Ride” by buying one (or more) tiles
at $50 each.
For more information go to www.duncancenter.org or call the Duncan Center at
561-496-4130. O
Photo by Mary W. Cox
Glenda Sanchez of Latin Portuguese Ministry helps Anthony Garcia, son of Fr. Rafael Garcia,
sail a paper boat in the Duncan Center pool at the Mar. 18 celebration of the “Frade Oasis.”
News
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5
Absalom Jones observance celebrates faith, heritage
By Mary W. Cox, editor
African royalty
Photos by Mary W. Cox
We’re marching to Zion...
Above: A parade of African
queens took the stage in Clinton
Brown Hall at Holy Family, Miami
Gardens, at the Absalom Jones
Luncheon. Left to right are Queen
Nzinga (Sherise Robinson),
Queen Yaa Asantewa (Shequana
Johnson) and Queen Nandi
(Damala Mandez).
Right: Bishop Eugene Sutton of
Maryland (right) and Deacon
Ledly Moss of St. Margaret’s and
San Francisco de Asis, Miami
Lakes, join in the rousing offertory
hymn at the Absalom Jones
Service.
“Tear down all walls!” Bishop Eugene Sutton of Maryland told the congregation at the 27th annual diocesan Absalom Jones Service.
Held this year at Holy Family, Miami Gardens, on Feb.
18, the service not only commemorates the life and ministry
of Absalom Jones, the first Episcopal priest of African descent, but also celebrates the many gifts of the African disapora to the Church and to our society.
Absalom Jones was born into a world in which walls
were built around him, Sutton said, but the former slave
taught himself to read and bought his wife’s freedom, then
his own.
The Episcopal Church in Jones’ lifetime had more slave
owners than any other church, Sutton noted, but Jones was
“determined to go to the seat of power and demand freedom…He made them ordain him…he made them tear down
that wall.”
Sutton asked the congregation to read the first questions
in the Catechism, calling their attention to:
Q. What does it mean to be created in the image of God?
A. It means that we are free to make choices: to love, to
create, to reason, and to live in harmony with creation and
with God.”
“If you’re not free, you can’t love,” Sutton said.
He urged the congregation to remember their God-given
freedom and “not to be enslaved by old doctrines (and) old
ideas.”
The offering at the service was designated for the
Theodore R. Gibson Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE) as “seed money” for making a recording of
Gospel music and spirituals, sung by choirs from congregations in the diocese. Proceeds from the sales of the CD will
go to a UBE scholarship fund.
The UBE-sponsored luncheon following the service was
a celebration of the achievements and contributions of
women. A highlight was a pageant of African queens, presented by Maisie McNaught, a fashion designer whose
Miami Gardens shop, Kulture Klothes by Isis, features clothing inspired by African cultures and traditions.
Such well-known queens as the Godess/Queen Isis, the
Queen of Sheba, Nefertiti and Cleopatra took the stage in
their royal regalia, along with several of the powerful
women leaders in African history whose stories may not be
as familiar: Yaa Asantewa, Nandi and Nzinga.
In a tribute to present-day women leaders, the UBE presented the “Spirit of Absalom Jones Award” to four women:
church and community leader Thelma Gibson; the Rev. Barbara Baptiste-Williams, the first black woman to be rector of
a parish in Southeast Florida; Leome Culmer, historian of
Historic St. Agnes, Miami; and Miami historic preservation
activist Dorothy Pinkney. Diocesan Spanish radio program reaches worldwide audience
Thanks to the internet, the diocesan Spanish
radio program Fe y Vida (“Faith and Life”) now
reaches a worldwide audience.
Fe y Vida is broadcast live each Saturday
morning from 9 on 10 a.m. on WFFE, La
Poderosa 670 AM in Miami. The program’s
founding host is Manny Mesa of St. Margaret’s
and San Francisco de Asis, Miami Lakes. Hosting
duties are shared with Glenda Sanchez of Latin
Portuguese Ministry, Fr. Rafael Garcia of Holy
Comforter, Miami and Fr. Mario Milian of St.
Thomas, Coral Gables.
Each week a guest speaker is invited to make a
presentation and answer questions from callers on
a current topic.
The station estimates that more than 53,000
people now listen to the live program, either by
radio or online at www.lapoderosa.com.
A recorded version of the program on
www.soundcloud.com gives Fe y Vida its broad
international reach. Although most of the audience
for the recorded program is in the United States
and throughout Latin America, there are listeners
logging on to the recording in Demark and Japan.
The Spanish radio outreach of our diocese
began more than a decade ago with a recorded
program created by Mesa and the late Santiago
Rodriguez Amoresl of Todos los Santos, Miami.
That program ran for several years, but was eventually ended.
In early 2010, Mesa and a group of Hispanic
clergy re-launched the radio ministry, this time as
the current live, call-in show. 6
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SE Florida deacon will help plan
Province IV HIV/AIDS retreat
Deacon Charles Humphries of All Souls’, Miami
Beach, has been named by
Bishop Leo Frade to represent our diocese on the
planning team for the 21st
annual Province IV
HIV/AIDS retreat, sponsored by the Province IV
Network of AIDS Ministries and the National
Episcopal AIDS Coalition
(NEAC).
This year’s retreat for
persons infected and affected by HIV/AIDS will
Humphries
be held June 8-10 at the
Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville, NC.
The retreat leader will be the Rev. Thomas Brackett, Missioner for Church Planting and Ministry Redevelopment for The Episcopal Church, who will
focus on the theme of living the life of God’s
beloved.
Music will be led by singer/songwriter Fran McKendree.
The cost of the retreat is $185, including meals
and accommodations. Participants are responsible for
their own transportation. Some scholarships are available.
A brochure is linked to the listing for the retreat in
the April issue of Grapevine at www.diosef.org. For
additional information, contact Humphries at anglicansmoker @aol.com. Nets for Life matching gift will double
donations through May 25
Through May 25, donations to Episcopal Relief
and Development’s NetsforLife® Inspiration Fund
will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $430,000.
This means nearly $1 million will be raised to
fight malaria in sub-Saharan Africa, through the
NetsforLife® program partnership, which has
distributed over 7.7 million nets and reached over 37
million people in 17 countries in sub-Saharan Africa
since 2006.
The program combats malaria by educating
community members about proper net use and
maintenance, training community agents to deliver
life-saving nets, and providing ongoing monitoring
and evaluation of malaria prevention practices.
Any size gift to the NetsforLife® Inspiration Fund
— online, by mail or by phone — will be matched in
full until May 25, or as long as matching funds are
available. May 6 designated as Cursillo Sunday
For the past several years the first Sunday in May
has been designated as Cursillo Sunday in Southeast
Florida. This year Cursillo Sunday will be May 6.
Congregations are encouraged to use day to celebrate the Cursillo Movement and to teach parishioners about the opportunities it offers for individuals
to strengthen their relationship with Christ and their
commitment to ministry.
Speakers about Cursillo can be part of the service
that day, and in many parishes Cursillistas will serve
as chalice bearers, lay readers and others helping to
lead worship.
For more information on Cursillo, go to www.sefcursillo.org.
www.diosef.org
News
ECSEFL offers second year of
‘Outreach University’ workshops
piscopal Charities of Southeast Florida has
begun its second annual series of four Outreach University workshops.
Recognizing that leaders of outreach ministries in
the northern part of the North Palm Beach Deanery
and in the Keys are not always able to participate in
programs in the Dade and Broward Deaneries or at
the Duncan Center, ECSEFL has intentionally chosen
this year’s workshop venues to be easily accessible
for congregations in the northern and southern parts
of the diocese.
Made possible by a grant from the Roanridge
Trust, administered through the Office of Congregational Vitality of the Episcopal Church Center, the
workshops focus this year on the topics of burnout
prevention and self-care, and marketing outreach programs to the wider community. The workshops will
be videotaped and uploaded to Episcopal Charities’
website, with related downloadable resources also
available.
The series began on Mar. 10 at St. Mary’s, Stuart,
with a presentation by Dr. Marsha Wiggins, therapist,
consultant and Methodist pastor, on “Caring for the
Caregiver and Setting Healthy Boundaries for Volunteers.” Wiggins’ presentation dealt with how to manage burnout and promote a healthy work
environment, offering the biblical basis of compassion, and describing the stages of compassion fatigue
and how it differs from burnout.
She alerted participants that early recognition and
awareness was key to preventing compassion fatigue
and stated that restoring balance in one’s life was
most important, including: good sleep, good nutrition
and exercise; taking time off from work (mini-vacations); attending stress reduction courses; and enhanced self-care skills.
On Mar. 24 caregivers in the Keys were invited to
St. Columba, Marathon, for a conversation with
E
Grant will fund kitchen upgrade at
Holy Redeemer, Lake Worth
Episcopal Charities has obtained a $13,600
grant from the Lost Tree Village Charitable
Foundation for improvements to kitchen facilities
and other needed equipment for the outreach
ministries of Holy Redeemer, Lake Worth.
Holy Redeemer serves a community that includes many homeless people and recent immigrants struggling to establish a life in a new
country. The church serves lunches to its neighbors on Mondays and Tuesdays and dinners
Wednesday through Friday. There is also a
weekly food pantry, which provides clothing and
toiletries in addition to staple groceries.
The Lost Tree Foundation awards grants to
health and human services organizations in Palm
Beach and southern Martin Counties, providing
funding primarily for capital needs such as construction and renovation projects, and purchases
of furnishings or equipment.
According to Holy Redeemer’s priest-incharge, the Rev. Christina Encinosa, the grant
will be used to purchase four tables, 16 chairs, a
freezer, a refrigerator, a water heater, a new
stove/oven and stainless counter for the kitchen,
as well as computers that will be used to help
clients in such areas as job searches, language
Joyce Curtis, executive director of the Jubilee Center
of South Broward, on “Reducing Stress for Staff and
Volunteers.” Twelve Keys outreach community leaders participated, listening to Curtis’s presentation on
her experiences and insights, and engaging in dialogue about the particular challenges of offering services in the Keys.
Two more workshops are scheduled in this year’s
series:
May 5 — “Work Smarter, Not Harder: Marketing
for Faith-based and Nonprofit Organizations,” presented by Megan Connolly, a partner with Splinter
Communications, a boutique marketing communications agency specializing in achieving measurable
program delivery results, at St. Luke’s Port Salerno;
and
June 2 — A repeat of Wiggins’ presentation on
“Caring for the Caregiver and Setting Healthy
Boundaries for Volunteers” at St. Columba,
Marathon.
Both workshops begin with registration and refreshments at 9 a.m. and end at 12:30 p.m.
Episcopal Charities encourages program staff and
volunteers of all ECSEFL-funded ministries, all Episcopal Charities Messengers, and anyone interested in
learning more about outreach program administration, to attend these workshops. For more information
or to RSVP for one of the workshops, contact Carol
at 561-799-6424 or [email protected]. skills and access to social services.
“We Serve Kids” builds community
among outreach ministries for youth
Last fall Episcopal Charities convened a new
network comprising the leadership of congregational afterschool and summer programs for children and youth.
The “We Serve Kids” community continues
to offer opportunities for learning, conversation
and mutual support for those engaged in these
ministries.
At a March meeting hosted by Paul’s Place at
St. Paul’s, Delray Beach, the group heard a targeted presentation by Megan Connolly, principal
at The Splinter Group in Fort Lauderdale on how
to operate and market outreach programs effectively.
The group is next scheduled to meet June 14,
from 10 a.m.to noon; the host site has not yet
been chosen.
Anyone currently working with outreach programs for children and youth, or interested in beginning such a ministry, is invited to become part
of “We Serve Kids.”
For more information contact Bonnie Weaver,
Episcopal Charities’ Program, Grant and Resource Director at [email protected].
News
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www.diosef.org
The Net, April 2012
7
Academic Festival celebrates diocesan schools
By Mary W. Cox, editor
ed by the Saint Andrew’s School Pipe
Band, a procession with banners from 10
diocesan schools filed into the Chapel of
Saint Andrew, Boca
Raton, on the morning of Mar. 3 for the
Participating schools
30th Diocesan AcaAll Angels Academy,
demic Festival.
Miami Springs; Palmer
Trinity School, Palmetto
More than 400
Bay; Saint Andrew’s
students and their
Episcopal School, Boca
teachers participated
Raton; St. Joseph’s
in the day of learning,
Episcopal School, Boynfun, competitions,
ton Beach; St. John’s
performances and exEpiscopal School,
hibitions that began
Homestead; St. Mark’s
with a Eucharist celeEpiscopal School, Ft.
brated by Bishop Leo
Lauderdale; St. Mark’s
Frade.
Episcopal School, Palm
Beach Gardens; St.
In a homily illusPhilip’s Episcopal
trated with balloon
School, Coral Gables;
animals, the Rev.
St. Stephen’s Episcopal
David Taylor, Saint
Day School, Coconut
Andrew’s School
Grove (Miami); St.
chaplain, told the stuThomas Episcopal
dents to remember
Parish School, Coral
three points: Have
fun; see what you and
Jesus can do; and be
the person you were created to be.
“Don’t be afraid of breaking something,” he said.
“Jesus can handle brokenness…”
“You are the ‘new wine’…Take your gift and fan
it into flame.”
The young people had a chance to meet and enjoy
teamwork with students from other schools in two
workshop sessions that gave each of them an opportunity to focus on two different academic disciplines.
Subjects included art, creative writing, community
service, drama, problem solving, science, Spanish,
technology and a “Trivia Bowl.”
Harmony
L
Photo by Mary W. Cox
Students in a combined chorus from ten diocesan schools sing at the closing program of the Diocesan
Academic Festival.
Students wrote stories; made mobiles based on the
shapes of body parts of insects; learned about the outreach ministries supported by Episcopal Charities;
competed to build the tallest possible tower out of
three sheets of paper; took photographs and created
videos; and constructed geodesic domes from toothpicks and gumdrops (see photo, p.1).
Young musicians who had been given music to
practice at their individual schools came together for
rehearsal as diocese-wide ensembles: chorus, brass,
woodwind, guitar, strings and for the first time, percussion.
Along with the drama group in an improvised skit
using hats that each actor had been asked to bring, all
of the music ensembles performed in the festival’s
closing program. St. Columba’s windows receive ‘Heritage’ designation
t. Columba, Marathon, which celebrated the
50th anniversary of its church building in
December 2010, can now boast the first
“Florida Heritage Site” designation in the middle
Keys.
On Sunday, Mar. 25, retired Bishop Calvin O.
Schofield, Jr., joined Dean Debra Andrew Maconaughey, St. Columba’s rector, to bless and dedicate
the Florida Historical Marker designating the church’s
stained glass windows as a Florida Heritage Site. Local
dignitaries and a Boy Scout color guard took part in the
celebration.
The text on the cast aluminum marker in front of the
church includes the dates of the congregation’s founding and the construction of the present building, as well
as the significance of the windows, their narratives and
the faceted glass technique used in their construction.
The subjects of two of the nineteen windows are mentioned: the large portrait window of St. Columba in the
parish hall and the Loch Ness Monster window in the
church. (According to legend, St. Columba stopped the
creature from attacking and devouring a swimmer.)
A portion of the marker’s cost was funded by a grant
from the Bureau of Historic Preservation of the State of
Florida.
The State of Florida recognized the historical impor-
S
Heritage site
St. Columba’s parishioner
Peter J. Sehlinger (right)
reads the State of Florida
designation of the parish’s
windows as a Florida Heritage
Site, as retired Bishop Calvin
O. Schofield, Jr., Boy Scout
Duncan McCarty and crucifer
Anne Morkill await their parts
in the ceremony dedicating
the Historical Marker.
Photo by
Noval Smith
tance of the stained glass windows at St. Columba in
October 2010, when the members of the Florida Historical Marker Council of the Department of State”s Division of Historical Resources voted unanimously to
approve St. Columba’s application for a Florida Historical Marker and declared the parish’s remarkable stained
glass windows a Florida Heritage Site.
The application to the state was prepared by
parishioner Peter J. Sehlinger, who has published an
illustrated history of the windows, Resplendent Radiance: The Windows of St. Columba Episcopal Church.
8
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The Net, April 2012 www.diosef.org
Visiting bishop
Parishes in Progress
www.diosef.org The Net, April 2012
9
Palm Sunday
Elevator blessing
Bishop Leo Frade and acolyte Laura
Giron step out of the elevator at the
Senior Housing center at Holy Comforter, Miami. The 40-year-old elevator
was recently renovated; it had become
a hazard for residents, often out of service and sometimes trapping people between floors, but has now been brought
up to code and is computer-operated.
On Mar. 25 Frade blessed and dedicated the newly modernized elevator,
so needed for the safety and comfort
those who live in the building.
Photo by Libby Reed
The Rt. Rev. David Bailey, bishop of Navajoland, confirms Paul Kane at St. Mary Magdalene, Coral Springs on Feb. 19. In addition to confirming and receiving 13 people that day, Bailey spoke on the previous afternoon to a group of more than 30 members of the Navajoland Mission Partnership team, as well as others interested in that ministry. The Mission Partnership was
started over 11 years ago by members of St. Mark the Evangelist, Ft. Lauderdale, and is led by Saint Mark's and Saint Mary
Magdalene. Team members have come from six parishes in the diocese, a Methodist church in Margate and churches in Ohio,
Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.
Photo by Rene Loredo
Photo by Nilson Rapalino
Thurifer Marcial Roman and acolyte Maria Jose Figueroa lead members of Holy Cross/Santa Cruz, Miami, in a
Palm Sunday procession along North Miami Avenue beside the church building.
Tithes expected
‘Foot-washing Friday’
New ministry
Fr. Chris Todd (center), priest-incharge at St. Francis in the Keys,
Big Pine Key, blesses a child at the
altar rail during communion at
neighboring Lord of the Seas
Lutheran Church, on Mar. 11, when
he was formally installed as that
congregation’s interim pastor. To the
left is Lutheran Deacon Wayne
Hulting and at right, Pastor Paul
Lutze, Assistant to the Evangelical
Lutheran Bishop of the FloridaBahama Synod of the ELCA. The two
congregations have frequently held
joint services on special occasions,
and now they will share more of their
ministries as Todd pastors both
churches.
Photo by Tony
Magnana
Photo by Ken Sims
A February excursion for the “Golden Circle,” the retirement club at Holy Family, Miami Gardens,
took the group to the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood. Much to everyone’s amusement, in
case any of his flock had played—and won—Holy Family’s rector, Fr. Horace Ward was waiting in
front of the church when the bus returned with a large basket to receive “tithes” of the winnings.
Photo by Lily Rudolph
On Mar. 18 three new members of Daughters of
the King — Kathy Butcher, Faith Englund and Dr.
Rosemarie Valentine — were admitted to the order at
St. Mary’s, Stuart, bringing the total in the chapter to
19. Diocesan DoK President Helen Bhagwandin and
North Palm Beach Deanery Coordinator Andrea V.
Bourne-Hintzen took part in the ceremony.
Bethesda-by-the-Sea, Palm Beach, was listed
among the 100 best buildings in Florida by the Florida
chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Results
of an online poll ranking the buildings in the top 100
will be published online at aiafltop100.org. “I think it’s
a great way to remind people that our life of faith is
beautiful, since everything that we do is immersed in
God’s love,” Bethesda’s rector, Fr. James Harlan, told
the Palm Beach Daily News.
Members of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew chapter at St. Joseph’s, Boynton Beach, assisted in the Jan.
22 renewal of the chapter at St. Paul’s, Delray Beach.
Toby Grace, Orville Clough, John Putnam, Gary
Shusas, Fr. William “Chip” Stokes, Roy Talbot and
Ken Taranto were installed as Brotherhood members,
and these new members were installed as officers: Buff
Miner, director; John Cvinar, vice-director; William
Hurd, treasurer; and Ken Miller, secretary.
Members of the baseball team from St. Alban’s
School in Washington, DC, returned during their spring
break for a second year of volunteering at Holy Redeemer, Lake Worth, where they helped expand the
church garden last year. This year they provided garden-
ing help at the home of the advisor to the church garden, who is battling a brain tumor.
Fr. Andrew Sherman, rector of St. Gregory’s,
Boca Raton, was cheered by members of his congregation as he and his running partner Vanessa Vinik Frost
completed the Ft. Lauderdale A1A Marathon, 26 miles
from Ft. Lauderdale to Pompano Beach, on Feb. 18. It
was Sherman’s first marathon run.
About 75 parishioners from St. Nicholas, Pompano Beach, and the Latin Portuguese Ministry
(based at St. Nicholas) marched in a Good Friday procession through the streets near the church, following a
young member of the congregation carrying a roughhewn wooden cross he had made. Along the route the
group stopped at 14 locations as Fr. Mark Andrew
Jones, priest-in-charge of St. Nicholas, and Fr. Jose de
Jesus Sanchez of the Latin Portuguese Ministry, along
with multilingual parishioners, read the Stations of the
Cross in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
The Ancient Spanish Monastery Foundation of St.
Bernard de Clairvaux, North Miami Beach, held its
second annual Ancient Spanish Monastery Legacy Gala
on Apr. 14. The evening, which included dinner, live
jazz performances and dancing under the stars, honored
five outstanding local leaders. All proceeds will go to
support the preservation of art, antiquities and architecture St. Bernard’s historic building, the Ancient Spanish
Monastery, which is thought to be the oldest building in
North America.
Church of the Resurrection, Biscayne Park,
This is not a Maundy Thursday picture. At St. George’s Center, Riviera Beach, clients wait to have their feet
washed on Feb. 10 at the dedication of a new foot-washing area at the Center. At St. George’s foot-washing is a
service provided to homeless clients every Friday; for people who live on the streets with little access to basic hygiene, foot care is essential—and often unavailable. Thanks to a grant from an anonymous foundation and donations from a local Lutheran church, St. George’s was able to expand its kitchen facilities and create the special
area for the foot-washing.
will celebrate its 65th anniversary with a May 19 Gala
at the Miami Airport Marriott, and a festive Eucharist
on May 20 with Bishop Leo Frade as celebrant and retired Bishop Frank Cerveny of the Diocese of Florida
preaching. Cerveny was ordained to the priesthood in
1958 at Resurrection, where he was then an assistant.
St. Thomas Episcopal Parish School, Coral
Gables, held its First Annual Alumni 5K Fun Run on
Saturday, Feb. 11. Two St. Thomas alumni, Annie Valls
and Alex McDowell, now sophomores at Ransom Everglades High School, planned the race as a way to bring
alumni back to St. Thomas — and an opportunity to
raise funds not only for the school, but also for a cause
beyond the school. The race succeeded with both goals:
There were more than 400 participants, and proceeds
came to over $21,000, half of which was donated to
Breakthrough Miami, a program which supports and
mentors students in underserved communities in Miami
Dade.
The Rev. Jennie Lou Reid will be instituted as
rector of St. Faith’s, Cutler Bay, on Apr. 22. When St.
Faith’s became a self-supporting parish last fall, Reid,
who had been serving as priest-in-charge, was formally
called to be rector.
Proceeds from the annual Spring Bazaar and Craft
Fair at St. Matthew the Apostle, Miami, on Mar. 24
will completely cover the cost for the parish’s Vacation
Bible School program in June, so there will be no fee
for children to participate.
10
THE
NET
The Net, April 2012
www.diosef.org
From Our Bishop
Discovering Our Future
What’s beyond ‘we’ve always done it that way’
o you realize that our diocese was
created more than four decades ago
— and that our form of operation
has remained the same ever since
the former Diocese of South Florida
was divided into three dioceses, Central, Southwest
and Southeast Florida?
For as long as we can remember we’ve been
“doing it that way” — the way our brand-new diocese
organized itself in late 1969, which was very similar
to the way dioceses had been structured for most of
the 20th Century. But in the past few years the structure that served us so well through our first decades
has begun to be obviously inadequate; we need to be
more nimble as we move into the rapidly changing
realities of a new century.
During our last Diocesan Convention I called the
diocese to a time of prayer, examination and reflection. In my address I said:
“Many of the ways we organize ourselves to do
the necessary business of the Church as an organization and to share our resources have been with us for
well over a century; I am sure that you will agree that
we must be prepared to be more nimble in the ways
we serve as the Body of Christ in this 21st Century...
To respond to these challenges I am calling for a
workgroup composed of representatives from around
our diocese to begin analyzing our existing diocesan
structures and proposing (opportunities for change)...
We need to look at what has worked in the past and
what may serve us in the future, and also proceed to
begin implementing those changes.”
I am calling this process “Discovering Our Future.” Now I am not talking of working with a crystal
ball or a Ouija board for predictions of what the future will bring. Instead, I am talking about the hard
work of prayer, examination and reflection that will
help us discern the deeper realities of ministry to
which God has called us and the structures that will
best help us to respond to this call.
The process is based on the following assumptions:
God is calling us to a nimble, mission based future;
D
Official publication of the
Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida
The Rt. Rev. Leo Frade, Bishop
The Rt. Rev. Calvin O. Schofield, Jr.
S.T.D., Retired Bishop
“I am sure that you will
agree that we must be
prepared to be more
nimble in the ways we
serve as the Body of Christ
in this 21st Century.”
We are looking toward the future, not just to the
past and the present;
We desire the healthy and creative involvement
of our diocese in this process with a minimum of conflict;
We are concerned about the good stewardship
of people and money;
We are continuing to build a strong, informed,
and committed diocese;
We are looking for the profound questions for
our future, not the easy answers.
I have asked the Rev. Charles Fulton, III, to assist
me in organizing and implementing my dream of providing a more creative and effective means of doing
our common ministry.
In the first phase of Discovering Our Future,
which has already begun, I have established three
areas of inquiry into the way we do ministry, business
and planning: Structure, Finances and Demographics.
Each of these three groups is headed by a convener,
working together with lay and ordained leaders of our
diocese in a careful review of these areas that affect
our ministry.
Under Charles’ leadership each group will gather
insights and experiences from throughout the diocese.
Their interim progress reports will be made available
after each of their three scheduled meetings: March,
May and June. Their final report will be available the
end of June.
The second phase of the process will be the work
of the Clergy Conference in September. The third
phase will involve the whole diocese in a visioning
Letters to the Editor
The Net welcomes letters to the editor. All letters
must include the name, address, phone number, and if
available, email address, of the writer. Parish affiliation
is also requested, when applicable.
The Net reserves the right to refuse publication, and
to edit letters for length, spelling and grammar.
News & Information
The Rt. Rev. John L. Said
Retired Bishop Suffragan
Kathryn Blanton
Convener of Communications Ministry
Mary W. Cox
Editor
Catherine Kohn/PSPress.com
Layout Editor
John T. Cox
Proofreader
The Net invites news of parish ministries and activities, as well as commentary on church-related issues and
events. Whenever possible, all material should be submitted electronically or on a disk or CD. Documents
sent as attachments or on disk should be in Word, or in a
format that can be opened in Word. Printed material
should be an original document or a clean photocopy
that can be scanned — no faxes.
Please include with all material the name, address,
phone number and if available, email address, of the
contributor. Parish affiliation is also requested, when applicable. The Net reserves the right to refuse publication
and to edit all contributions. Photographs should be
high-resolution digital files or clear prints of film photo-
process. At Diocesan Convention in November we’ll
hear an interim report of all three phases. My hope is
that this will provide us the opportunity for further
prayer, discussion and reflection during convention in
preparation for gradual implementation in 2013 of the
systemic changes that will empower us to be more
nimble and effective in accomplishing God’s call to
our beloved diocese.
You know the old joke: The seven last words of
the Church are, “We’ve always done it that way.”
My sisters and brothers, we will not let those “last
words” become an obituary for our ministries! I still
believe, as I told you nearly a dozen years ago, that
we are called to share the Good News of the resurrected Jesus with all of our neighbors “from the
sharks to the alligators,” and indeed, throughout all
the world. We serve a God who is continually making
all things new, and trusting in his grace and guidance,
we will find new ways to follow his call.
I ask for your prayers and your active participation
in the exciting work that lies ahead.
+Leo Frade
graphs, preferably on glossy paper. Photographs sized
for a website are generally too small for print. Do not
send hard prints made from digital photographs.
All material — letters, articles or photos — should
be submitted electronically to: [email protected], or
by mail to: Mary W. Cox, Diocese of Southeast Florida,
525 NE 15 St., Miami, FL 33132-1411.
Net Deadline
The next Net deadline is May 15, 2012. If you have
an announcement or calendar item for events in late
June, July or August please have the information to The
Net by May 15. E-mail to EpiscoRat@ aol.com or mail
to Mary W. Cox, DoSEF, 525 NE 15th St., Miami, FL
33132-1411.
THE NET (USPS 787-340) is published bi-monthly,
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POSTMASTER: Address changes to The Net,
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Points of View
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THE
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The Net, April 2012
11
Community: Being the Body of Christ
A Shrove Tuesday saga:
Memorial Stones
Pulling together to salvage the Pancake Supper
By Gregory Mansfield
hrove Tuesday at St.
Bernard de Clarivaux
was almost a disaster.
About 1 p.m. Mario Alberto called to say he had
the flu and wouldn’t be able to cook for
the Pancake Supper. Mario is a chef.
Last year he created amazing pancakes
from scratch—with cinnamon and
vanilla. He grated fresh orange rind
into the batter and poured in Grand
Marnier. He made amazing toppings
— he made a raspberry coulis, added
Chambord (a raspberry liqueur), set it
on fire and poured the flambé mixture
over the pancakes as we all “ooh-ed”
and “aah-ed”.
Within 30 minutes of Mario’s call,
Denise DeMore called to say that she
and her husband Rich spent last night
in the emergency room. Rich was fine,
but on pain medication and doctor’s orders for rest, so he and Denise would
not be there to help cook.
An hour later I learned that
Medardo Figueroa wasn’t feeling too
lively and he, too, probably wouldn’t
make it.
During the afternoon all eight members of the prep and cooking team for
the pancake supper pooped out. (One,
literally — she had diarrhea. TMI, I
thought!)
Then Isabel Flores and Blanca
Figueroa arrived to clean the kitchen
and set-up the tables. “But who is going
to cook?” I thought.
Willie Pierce, our sexton, called in
sick because his son needed to go to the
eye doctor.
Then we discovered that the switch
on Bingo machine that pops out the
numbers had a broken switch.
I called Pat Burgess and she said
she’d come over and help.
I was already starting to get a
headache when they told me that the
gas pilot on the oven wasn’t working
and no one knew how to light the oven.
By this time 40 or 50 people had already arrived.
Kim Walker offered to call and
order pizzas. Several others suggested
we just cancel the evening.
But then Nelva Duque managed to
light the stove. Carol Bigio said she
could make the pancakes, Penny Harding started cutting up fruit, and Yolanda
Bacon-Green joined her. Then Sheila
Morrison walked in and offered to do
whatever needed to be done and started
serving the hot pancakes as they came
off the griddle. Maggie Pierre-Louis
and her husband Eric Mackey took over
passing out the butter and syrup. Bob
S
Burgess set-up the milk and juice.
Martha Nwaobia made the coffee and
put out the creamer and sugar.
Eugene Dwyer got a basket and
started collecting money. Medardo
Figueroa came with his tools and ran to
buy a new switch and replaced the broken one on the Bingo machine. Joan
James’ grandson, Malik, and Kim and
Mike Walker’s son, Quinn, both offered
to help pass out pencils and Bingo
cards.
Then Maida Delmar blew in and
made everybody laugh, reminding us
that what was really important is that
we were all there together, and we were
going to have fun, because we were all
together and little problems were not
going to spoil our evening.
And just like a family at home when
problems arise, we as a church family
pulled together — people started laughing and cutting up fruit and making
pancakes and we pulled it off. Not one
person in the kitchen was on the original committee, but it all got done: By
7:15 we were serving pancakes!
At one point I marveled at this welloiled machine and I realized no one
was complaining — there was not one
negative comment, only laughter and
camaraderie. Oh, sure, it would have
been better organized if the original
crew of eight had all arrived at 4 p.m.
as planned; but I found myself surrounded by friends who all pitched in
and offered to do whatever was needed
and we all had a good time together. I
realized my headache was gone.
Then we all played Bingo (all except Pat Burgess who stayed in the
kitchen to wash all the pots and pans.)
In between calling out the numbers I
told dumb jokes, and people won
prizes: a bracelet from the Gift Shop, a
Samsung digital camera donated by
Brandsmart, a pewter keychain and the
$50 cash prize.
Later, as I stood in the parking lot
watching the palm fronds burn to ashes
that I would smudge on foreheads at
next day’s liturgies, I was reminded
that ashes are a biblical sign and symbol of repentance and mortality. We
know how fragile life is. We’ve seen
how lives change in an instant. We are
all too aware that life is a precious,
fleeting gift.
On the night before the first day of
Lent, I remembered that we are called
to journey together, and I thanked God
that he called me to journey as part of
this wonderful community of people. Fr. Gregory Mansfield is the rector
of St. Bernard de Clairvaux, North
Miami Beach.
Photo by Lisa Barrowclough
Students and faculty at the Episcopal School of Jacksonville
painted 4,000 river rocks for distribution at the memorial service for
murdered school head Dale Regan. Regan was known to refer to her
own collection of such rocks as “stepping stones in life’s journey,” as
she shared their encouraging words with those who needed them. She
would also build them into cairns, to teach students about strong foundations in life.
‘This is what we do’
Finding grace and wholeness in the face of evil
By Lisa Barrowclough
t the end of a long Tuesday
marked by more complaining than I’d like to admit to
doing, I opened an email that would
immediately throw all things both awry
and into perspective at the same time.
The Episcopal School of Jacksonville’s
much-beloved head of school, Dale
Regan, had been shot and killed in her
own office, by a Spanish teacher who
had been dismissed just that morning.
He also took his own life.
My heart broke and my thoughts
and prayers turned first to her family
and his, and then to the students, families, faculty, and alumni, and especially
to my new friend, their senior chaplain.
What a senseless tragedy – and what an
incredible need for healing!
Within twenty-four hours, I was on
the interstate headed north.
“This is what we do,” I kept telling
people. In Episcopal schools we care
deeply for one another and, in love, do
whatever needs to be done for our
brothers and sisters who need us.
The next morning I was joined by
my friend and colleague from St. Andrew’s School in Boca Raton, the Rev.
David Taylor, and together we stepped
on to a campus that would never be the
same. I’m not sure what I expected, as I
am blessed to say I’ve not found myself in this situation before, but what I
experienced was as much a powerful
witness to the healing and wholeness
that we receive as a spiritual grace, as it
was a terribly sad example of our bro-
A
kenness in the face of an act of evil.
“God is in this place,” is all I felt I
needed to write home to St. Mark’s in a
simple email.
Throughout the day, David and I sat
in stillness or walked the campus with
countless souls touched, each in their
own ways, by the life and ministry of
Dale Regan, and by her tragic death. I
quickly found myself wishing I had
known this woman (beyond a casual
conference conversation 18 months
ago) as I heard beautiful stories of her
integrity, poise, courage, strength, and
encouraged her loyal students to honor
her legacy by living as faithfully as she
did.
Aboard an emotional roller coaster I
met grateful alumni who are now accomplished educators because of the
influence and impact of Dale’s teaching
many years ago, and then prayed with
faculty uncertain about how they will
ever be able to make children feel safe
again.
“Intense” hardly begins to describe
the experience! And yet, all day and in
every place, there was an overwhelming sense of the Spirit of God moving
over the campus, giving us the words
folks needed to hear and ultimately
placing words such as “hope” and
“peace” and even “forgiveness” on the
lips of students.
I smiled at the heavens … “a little
child shall lead them.” The Rev. Dr. Lisa Barrowclough is
the chaplain at St. Mark’s Episcopal
School in Palm Beach Gardens.
12
The Net, April 2012
THE
NET
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Our Diocese
Ordinations, receptions add six new diocesan clergy
ebruary and March saw six new clergy added to the
Diocese of Southeast Florida with the ordinations of
one priest and three transitional deacons and the reception of two priests from the Roman Catholic Church.
On Feb. 25 the Rev. Todd Hoover was ordained to the priesthood at St. Mary Magdalene, Coral Springs, where he serves as
an assistant rector, assisting with liturgy and preaching, as well
as pastoral care.
One of his specific ministries, which he began as a deacon, is
the establishment of a teenage LGBT suicide prevention group, a
collaborative effort with the nonprofit Broward Sun Serve Organization. The group meets weekly with a social worker at the
church.
Hoover, who was a leader in outreach ministry as a layperson
at All Saints, Ft. Lauderdale, also now acts as a ‘bridge” between
St. Mary Magdalene and New River Regional Ministries, based
at All Saints.
Amanda Williams Lippe was ordained to the diaconate on
Feb. 26 in the church where she grew up serving as an acolyte,
St. Ambrose, Ft. Lauderdale. Lippe, a 2011 graduate of the
School of Theology at the University of the South (Sewanee),
currently serves as a chaplain at Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque, NM. She has been released by our diocese to seek a call
in another diocese.
On Mar. 25 Dr. Pierre Gabaud was ordained to the diaconate
at St. Paul et les Martyrs d’Haiti, Miami. Also a 2011 graduate of
Sewanee’s School of Theology, Gabaud served for six months as
a lay assistant at All Saints’, Jensen Beach, and since December
of last year has been assisting at St. Paul et les Martyrs d’Haiti.
By agreement between Bishop Leo Frade and Bishop Jean Zaché
Duracin of our companion Diocese of Haiti, Gabaud, who is also
a medical doctor, will return to his native country to serve as a
priest there.
Two Roman Catholic priests, Fr. Ronald Hayde and Fr.
Thomas Graf, were received last month as Episcopal priests,
Hayde on Mar. 21 and Graf on Mar. 27. Both men grew up in
New York, both attended the Cathedral College in Douglastown,
NY, were ordained to the priesthood in the Roman Catholic
Church, later became Episcopalians — and didn’t reconnect until
after they were both received.
“I looked at the name Ron Hayde,” Graf said, “and thought
— could that be? We were roommates our first year at the Cathedral College!”
Hayde continues to serve St. Mark the Evangelist, Ft. Lauderdale, in positions he has held for several years: director of
music for the church and chaplain to St. Mark’s Episcopal
School.
Graf assists at St. Faith’s, Cutler Bay, and is a chaplain with
Hospice Care of Southeast Florida.
Michael Picou, who was ordained to the diaconate at St.
Stephen’s, Miami, on Mar. 30, first became associated with the
Coconut Grove parish in 2006, when he was a priest of the Old
Catholic Church. Bishop Orlando Lima of the Independent Old
Catholic community in Miami had received permission from
Frade for his congregations to arrange with St. Stephen’s to hold
services there.
As Lima’s health failed, Picou found himself not only leading
the Old Catholic congregation, but also becoming involved in the
life of St. Stephen’s. Finally, in 2008, he obtained permission
from Lima to request to be received into the Episcopal Church
with the understanding that he would begin the process to become an Episcopal priest.
Some branches of the Old Catholic Church are in full communion with the Anglican Communion, but Picou’s congregation
was not one of those; he could not be received as a priest, but
needed to go through a more extensive process.
He has completed course work at the School of Theology at
Sewanee and is now working on his thesis for the S.T.M. degree
in Anglican Studies.
As a deacon, he has returned to assist at St. Stephen’s. F
Photo by Jack Gillis
Bishop Leo Frade prepares to ordain Todd Hoover to the priesthood as the congregation as
St. Mary Magdelene, Coral Springs, sings “Come, Holy Ghost.” Left to right are Fr. Mark Andrew
Jones; Fr. Rick Effinger; Hoover’s son, Justin Hoover (partially visible behind Effinger); Richard
Reed, a parishioner at All Saints, Ft. Lauderdale, who read the Gospel in French; and to the right
of the bishop, Dean Mark Sims, rector of St. Mary Magdalene.
Bishop Frade
presents Deacon
Amanda Lippe to the
congregation of St.
Ambrose, Ft.
Lauderdale, at her
ordination on Feb. 26.
Photo by Tom Haman
Our Diocese
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THE
NET
The Net, April 2012
13
New Deacon Pierre Gabaud, ordained
Mar. 25, reads the Gospel in French at
the Chrism Eucharist at Trinity
Cathedral on Tuesday in Holy Week. At
left Deacon Michael Picou, ordained
Mar. 31, waits to read the same
passage in English.
Photo by Mary W. Cox
Photo by Glenda Sanchez
Photo by Robin Lawrie
Above right: The Rev. Willie Allen-Faiella (right),
rector of St. Stephen’s, Miami, is happy to have Deacon
Michael Picou as part of the parish family again, now as
one of the clergy.
Above left: At the noon Eucharist on Mar. 27 at Trinity
Cathedral, where he was received as a priest, Fr. Tom
Graf, assisted by Dean Douglas McCaleb, celebrates
the Eucharist.
Left: Fr. Ron Hayde assists Bishop Leo Frade at the
altar at the Mar. 21 service at St. Mark’s School, Ft.
Lauderdale, in which Hayde, the school chaplain, was
received as an Episcopal priest.
Photo by Lily Hoyt
14
The Net, April 2012
THE
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Our Diocese
Honoring senior clergy
When Bishop Leo Frade visited St. Mary’s,
Stuart, on Palm Sunday for confirmation, he
also took part in a liturgy of thanksgiving for
five retired clergy who are part of the life and
ministry of the parish. Together they represent
nearly 200 years of ordained ministry. Left to
right, front row, are: Fr. John Coffey, Fr. David
Hopkins, Canon Richard Hardman, and Fr.
Steve Fregeau; on the back row with Frade
are the Rev. Peggy Sheldon and St. Mary’s
rector, Fr. Todd Cederberg.
Photo by Thomas Winter
Lenten series offered experience of ‘Church as an alternative community’
By Mary W. Cox, editor
“Church” began with small groups of persecuted
people, gathering secretly in homes to pray together
and share the presence of the Risen Christ in the
sacrament of bread and wine. This is still the experience of the Church in many parts of the world today.
During Lent this year, Fr. Charles Browning, associate rector at Holy Trinity, West Palm Beach, led a
group of young adults in a Lenten Worship Cavalcade, a pilgrimage through the experience of “the
Church as an alternative community,” recalling the
practice of the ancient Church and sharing solidarity
with today’s persecuted Christians.
“It [was] all about looking at the Church from a
different perspective,” Browning explained.
Every Thursday in Lent a small group — usually
fewer than 10 people — gathered in someone’s home
for snacks and wine, worship and study.
“Our liturgy was an intimate re-presentation of the
Prayer Book liturgy,” Browning said. “A coffee table
or dining room table served as our altar. Music has
been strummed on guitar and sung without accompaniment. Clay vessels and real bread were used. Emphasis was placed on listening to the words of the
Eucharistic Prayer, rather than reading along (Prayer
D was used, read from an iPad).
The aesthetics were built around the notion that
holiness can happen anywhere; vestments were a
stole worn over plain clothes.”
Sermons were a “conversation” among participants, he said.
The journey began with discussion of the Church
in its infancy, persecuted and ostracized, considering
reasons why people would still gather in spite of the
threat of violence. This led to reflection on the
Church as an alternative community, and what it
might mean to live out our citizenship in the Kingdom of God in today’s world.
“Maria O’Carroll, one of our participants, noted
Lenten worship
Keelan
O’Carroll’s
music sets the
tone for quiet
reflection at
one of Holy
Trinity’s
evening
gatherings in
the Lenten
Worship
Cavalcade, led
by Fr. Charles
Browning
(right).
ParishYouth
Director Sarah
Lidinsky is at
left.
Photo by Jeremy Froyen
that Americans tend to fight in order to remain comfortable,” Browning said, leading to discussion of
whether the Church is simply living for its own comfort now, instead of focusing on God’s new creation.
The group also discussed the Church at the height
of it secular power and influence after Constantine
established Christianity as the official religion of the
Roman Empire, and the effect of “Christendom” on
how Christians live their call to alternative citizenship.
The series concluded with the Maundy Thursday
liturgy with its call to humility and love.
Browning sees the community formed during the
Lenten series as a way to begin building a young
adult group in the parish. Most of the people who participated were people associated with Holy Trinity, he
said, but some of them were “people associated with
me,” people he described as “de-churched — people
who probably grew up in a church but have fallen
away, people who haven’t found a way to plug in.”
“It’s been pretty cool to have this eclectic group
— borderline ‘cradle Episcopalians’ engaging these
people who are new to it.”
“The Lenten Worship Cavalcade has been an incredible blessing,” he said. CORRECTION
The name of Fr. Denrick Rolle, rector-elect of
Historic St. Agnes, Miami, was incorrectly
spelled as “Dendrick” in the February 2012
issue of The Net. The correct spelling is
“Denrick.”
Youth
www.diosef.org
Diocesan graduates to be honored on
Trinity Sunday at Trinity Cathedral
On Trinity Sunday, June 3, high school graduates of
the Class of 2012 from around the diocese will be honored
at a High School Graduation Recognition service at Trinity Cathedral, Miami.
This new event is sponsored by the Broward and South
Dade Deaneries and diocesan Young Adult Ministry.
Following the 10 a.m. service there will be a reception,
after which members of the diocesan Young Adult Ministry will join the graduates for lunch and a mini-conference to help them prepare for the transition to work,
college and the responsibilities of adult life. Workshop
topics will include: maintaining Christian values in the
dorm; staying connected to your church family; moving
from youth to young adult ministry; and connecting with
campus ministry and local Episcopal parishes near your
college. There will also be a workshop for parents.
For more information or to register for this event,
email the graduate’s name, current school, future plans
(job, college, military service, et. al.) and the number attending to [email protected].
Youth Convention will be Aug. 4
Diocesan Youth Convention, which has traditionally
been an overnight event, is scheduled this year for one
full day (9:30 a.m.-7 p.m.), Aug. 4, at Trinity Cathedral,
Miami.
The annual event offers youth of the diocese an opportunity for fellowship, worship, learning and discussion of the work of the diocese, as well as the election of
officers for the Youth Commission. The day will also include workshops and a community service project.
Each congregation is encouraged to send up to 10
youth, two of whom will be voting delegates. The cost is
$20 per participant.
A registration notice and additional information will
be sent to congregations and posted online. PYE focus on justice and reconciliation
The Province IV Youth Event 2012 (PYE) will build
on the themes of justice and reconciliation that were at
the heart of PYE 2010, “Freedom Ride.”
Reflecting the scripture verse “Jesus himself came
and walked along with them” (Luke 24:15), the theme
for PYE 2012 will be “A Journey of Personal Reconciliation and Transformation.”
Each of the 20 dioceses in Province IV is encouraged
to send five high school young people and accompanying adults to the gathering, June 24-30 at “The Summit,”
Haw River State Park, Brown Summit, N.C.
The young people will explore the past and confront
the injustices within our society and the church. Through
interviews and dialogue with those who have paved the
path of reconciliation, through reflection on the radical
hospitality of Jesus Christ, and through service to others,
PYE participants will be encouraged to confront their
own prejudices and fears, while also developing resources to empower other youth throughout Province IV
to confront these issues in their communities.
Diocesan Youth Commission President Nora Vinas
of Holy Cross, Miami, serves on the PYE design team.
“I’m extremely excited, because we will be tackling
some of the racial issues we encounter and will be embarking on a reconciliation journey,” she said. “For our
community outreach project we will be out in the fields,
[working] as migrant workers do, helping them and
hopefully giving a picnic-style dinner for them and their
families.”
For information on participating in PYE, contact
diocesan Administrative Assistant for Youth Ministry
Mary Cobiella, [email protected]. THE
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The Net, April 2012
15
Nora Vinas will represent Prov. IV youth at GC
Carrying on a tradition unbroken for the past
three consecutive General Conventions, diocesan
Youth Commission President Nora Vinas, a member of Holy Cross, Miami, has been chosen as one
of two representatives
from Province IV to
attend the General
Convention of the
Episcopal Church this
summer as a member
of the Official Youth
Presence.
Two youth from
each of the nine
provinces of the
church have seat and
voice in the House of
Vinas
Deputies.
The other youth representative from Province
IV will be Ben Cowgill from the Diocese of North
Carolina.
At each of the past three General Conventions
our diocesan Youth Commission President has
been one of the youth representatives from our
province: In 2003, our representative was Erin Ferguson of St. George’s, Riviera Beach; in 2006,
David Pringle of Trinity Cathedral, Miami, and in
2009, Michael Sahdev of St. Benedict’s, Plantation. Each of these young men was also chosen to
make a youth presentation to the House of Bishops.
Vinas admits that she does not yet know much
about General Convention or about exactly what
her role will be, and looks forward to learning
more at a training in mid-April in Indianapolis, IN,
where General Convention will be held. New Beginnings, Happening weekends
deepen faith of youth
Happening and New Beginnings, two programs
that offer spiritual weekends led by youth for
youth, are an important component of diocesan
Youth Ministry, which schedules one New Beginnings weekend (for middle school youth) and two
Happening weekends (for high school youth) each
year.
This year’s New Beginnings weekend was held
Feb. 17-19 at St. Benedict’s, Plantation. Approximately 50 youth representing four deaneries participated in the weekend. Personal testimonies given
by team members led into discussions on Christian
relationships, including such topics as bullying,
living in blended and single-parent families, relationships with parents and siblings, life at school,
fitting in and self esteem. Members of the diocesan
Young Adult ministry assisted with the weekend as
chaperones and leaders.
Eva Ortez of Holy Cross, Miami, served as Junior Weekend Advisor. “It was a weekend full of
love, fun and God,” she said. “I am glad that we
have these events in our diocese. It really does
change lives.”
New Beginnings is led by Broward Deanery
Youth Coordinator Pamela Sahdev, with Fr. Lee
Davis of St. Andrew’s, Hollywood, as Spiritual Director. The next New Beginnings in our diocese is
scheduled for May 17-19, 2013.
Happening #30 was held Mar. 23-25 at St.
Joseph’s, Boynton Beach.
The theme was “OHANA, Nobody Gets Left
Behind.” (Ohana is a Hawaiian word for family
that can be used to describe a family of choice or
adoption.)
The weekend rector was Stefania Copeland of
St. Stephen’s, Miami; other team members included Cat Klemke of St. Gregory’s, Boca Raton;
Eva Ortez of Holy Cross, Miami, and Nayomi
Braaf of St. Benedict’s, Plantation.
Diocesan Young Adults assisted, as they did at
New Beginnings, mentoring the team by helping to
prepare talks and teach skits, as well as assisting
the adult leaders.
Many comments from participants included the
word “amazing” — “Amazing, new-found joy and
love for others;” “Amazing being able to meet new
people excited about their faith;” “Amazing.
Words cannot explain what I experienced here.”
The youth spoke of learning more about prayer,
feeling closer to God and finding “insight into myself.”
Several said they would like to serve on a Happening team.
The next Happening weekend is scheduled for
Oct. 19-21 at St. Stephen’s, Miami. Diocesan Youth Calendar 2012-2013
April 28, 2012,
Acolyte Festival
Trinity Cathedral, Miami
Cost: $15.00
December 15, 2012,
Christmas Ball
All Souls, Miami Beach
Cost: $15.00
August 4, 2012,
Youth Convention
Trinity Cathedral, Miami
Cost: $20.00
April 20, 2013,
Acolyte Festival
Trinity Cathedral
Cost: $15.00
October 19-21, 2012,
Happening #31
St. Stephen’s, Coconut Grove
Cost: $60.00
May 17-19, 2013,
New Beginnings
Location: T/B/A
Cost: $35.00
16
THE
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The Net, April 2012
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Committed to Mission
Jump rope
Kim Hodges (left) and
Jeanne Bailey from St.
John’s, Hollywood, turn the
jump rope for new friends at
Our Little Roses.
Photos by Cheryl Faulstich
St. John’s missioners share games, dinners and smiles at Our Little Roses
By Jeanne Bailey
rom the moment I heard Cheryl Faulstich describe her experiences at Nuestras Pequenas
Rosas (Our Little Roses) home for abused
and abandoned girls in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, I
knew I had to go and be a part of these girls’ lives.
Four members of St. John’s, Hollywood, joined
Cheryl and her husband, our rector, Fr. Matt Faulstich,
on our first parish mission to Our Little Roses, Feb.
14-17. The group included Bob Anderson, Michelle
Ogilvie, Kim Hodges and me. Based on Cheryl’s previous experiences, we headed to Honduras with baggage that included jacks, jump ropes, coloring
supplies, homemade pasta sauce and cookies.
F
We were greeted on the first day by timid but curious girls of all ages who were eager to play. They
taught us how to play jacks, and we taught them a fun
jump-rope song in English. In the evening there were
piggyback rides, a welcoming dinner in the courtyard
and more games after dinner, as we all became better
acquainted.
Other days were filled with a visit to the Retreat
Center, swimming, and a church service led by Fr.
Matt. He told the story of Jacob’s Ladder, with Spanish translation by one of the older girls, Tania, who
has been at OLR since she was five years old. Every
day offered new opportunities to bond with the girls.
It seemed we were always smiling — Cheryl joked
that our faces were sore from smiling.
On the last evening, we served an Italian dinner to
the girls and were amazed when some of them came
back for three and four servings. Bob stated that when
he served as a first cook in the military, he never saw
men eat this much food. After dinner, we enjoyed a
farewell celebration with dancing. The girls presented
an award to St. John’s, which was accepted by Bob on
behalf of the Father Schilling Men’s Club, which
sponsors one of the girls. The girls surprised Fr. Matt
with a colorful stole that several of them had made.
When it was time to leave Honduras and the girls
of Nuestras Pequenas Rosas, Kim reflected, “We’re
taking back so much more than what we brought.” All
of St. John’s missioners look forward to visiting OLR
again. Lunch-bag ministry meets need on the streets of Miami
hurch of the Resurrection is
located in the small, suburban
Village of Biscayne Park, but
the church has a tradition of outreach to
the homeless on the streets of downtown
Miami.
For some time, Deacon Ruby Cruz
and parishioners Gerry Sweeting and
Charlotte Floyd would take hot meals
downtown to distribute to people living
on the street, but they realized that more
cooks would be needed to offer meals as
frequently as they intended. Besides, the
home-cooked dinners provided at best
only one meal for recipients, who had no
way to keep leftovers.
Recently the feeding ministry has
been reorganized as a monthly distribution of lunch bags containing sandwiches, hard-boiled eggs, fruit and other
items with a shelf life of several days
without refrigeration.
Although only a few parishioners actually go to distribute the food, almost
everyone in both the English and Spanish
congregations is involved either donating
food or preparing the lunch bags.
Everyone is encouraged to help, said
Rudy Esteva, the feeding ministry’s current leader, even if someone can donate
C
only one or two items.
‘And you gave me food’
Knowing that past efforts by
churches to distribute food on the street
have run afoul of city ordinances, Esteva checked with the City of Miami
Police Department before the lunch bag
distribution began. He learned that as
long as the food distribution was free,
was not obstructing traffic and was not
taking place in a park, the ministry
would be operating legally.
“The location is chosen based on
need,” Esteva explains. “When you
drive through that part of town, there are
streets where those less fortunate are
just sleeping on the streets... we brainstorm where we have seen groups of
hungry people.”
The group hands out the lunch bags
to anyone who shows up — and according to Resurrection’s priest-in-charge,
Fr. Albert Cutié, they usually run out of
lunches in 15-20 minutes.
Esteva hopes to expand the feeding
ministry. “When [it] works the way I
planned, it is something that we can do
every two weeks — or maybe every
Photo by provided by Rudy Esteva
week if we have rotating leaders. As we
Members of Church of the Resurrection, Biscayne Park, offer lunch to a man
master the execution, we will increase
in downtown Miami.
frequency and number of lunches.”