central florida episcopalian, august 2014

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CENTRALFLORIDAEPISCOPALIAN NEWS FOR THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA WWW.CFDIOCESE.ORG VOLUME 116, No. 6 AUGUST, 2014 MORE NEWS INSIDE: FROM BISHOP BREWER, P.3 LEADERSHIP NEWS, P. 21 REMEMBERING REVEREND AFRED DURRANCE SEE P. 9 THE REV. CANON TIMOTHY C. NUNEZ DIVES IN “Chief of Staff” to support the Bishop and his ministry THE CANON TO THE ORDINARY STORY ON P. 7 L ess than a month after his installation as Bishop Gregory Brewer’s Canon to the Ordinary, the Rev. Canon Tim Nunez had already tackled a moun- tain of challenges, from consulting with congregations in search processes or conflict; to captaining the Diocese of Central Florida’s strategic plan for growth and mission; to house selling and house hunting. Bishop Brewer said he is confident that Canon Nunez will handle all of his duties with grace and intelligence. “I first got to know Tim during the episcopal election process,” Bishop Greg said. “I was impressed with his thoughtfulness and his strong pastoral touch with everyone he met. That respect has only grown. I’m deeply grateful that he said ‘yes’ to this call. He already has gotten up to speed with his myriad responsibilities.” In accepting the assignment, Canon Tim told the diocese, “I look forward to helping this diocese grow and realize our mission and vision as communities in Christ.” The practical application of that help has already been wildly varied and nonstop. He expressed thanks to the Rev. Canon Ernie Bennett: “I’ve known Ernie for over 20 years and have worked with him in many ways. I thought I knew him pretty well. The two months I spent with him in preparation for this role were incredible. His patient teaching and counsel have helped me get off to a good start. His example of integrity and wisdom and the heart he has for The Lord, his church and its people has been an inspiration to see up close.” He also expressed thanks to St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Belleview: “St. Mary’s took a bit of a gamble with me 11 years ago. Although I had extensive pro- fessional and lay church experience, I was fresh out of seminary. They needed someone to help them heal from a prior conflict and follow The Lord’s lead. We had a very special time together. As the church grew and developed, they shaped my ministry and were a loving church home for our family. They supported and encouraged us at every turn, including my diocesan involvement, and helped me become the priest I am today. We carry those blessings with us.” Canon Nunez served as rector of St. Mary’s from 2003 until his appointment by Bishop Brewer this year. During his tenure, St. Mary’s nearly doubled in atten STORY ON P. 6

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CENTRALFLORIDAEPISCOPALIANNEWS FOR THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA WWW.CFDIOCESE.ORG VOLUME 116, No. 6 AUGUST, 2014

MORE NEWS INSIDE: fROM bIShOp bREWER, p.3 lEaDERShIp NEWS, p. 21

RemembeRing ReveRend AfRed duRRAnce

SEE p. 9

ThE REv. CANON TImOThy C. NuNEz DIvES IN

“Chief of Staff” to support the bishop and his ministry

THE CANON TO THE ORDINARY

STORY ON p. 7

Less than a month after his installation as Bishop Gregory Brewer’s Canon to the Ordinary, the Rev. Canon Tim Nunez had already tackled a moun-tain of challenges, from consulting with congregations in search processes or conflict; to captaining the Diocese of Central Florida’s strategic plan for growth and mission; to house selling and house hunting.

Bishop Brewer said he is confident that Canon Nunez will handle all of his duties with grace and intelligence.

“I first got to know Tim during the episcopal election process,” Bishop Greg said. “I was impressed with his thoughtfulness and his strong pastoral touch with everyone he met. That respect has only grown. I’m deeply grateful that he said ‘yes’ to this call. He already has gotten up to speed with his myriad responsibilities.”

In accepting the assignment, Canon Tim told the diocese, “I look forward to helping this diocese grow and realize our mission and vision as communities in Christ.” The practical application of that help has already been wildly varied and nonstop.

He expressed thanks to the Rev. Canon Ernie Bennett: “I’ve known Ernie for over 20 years and have worked with him in many ways. I thought I knew him pretty well. The two months I spent with him in preparation for this role were incredible. His patient teaching and counsel have helped me get off to a good start. His example of integrity and wisdom and the heart he has for The Lord, his church and its people has been an inspiration to see up close.”

He also expressed thanks to St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Belleview: “St. Mary’s took a bit of a gamble with me 11 years ago. Although I had extensive pro-fessional and lay church experience, I was fresh out of seminary. They needed someone to help them heal from a prior conflict and follow The Lord’s lead. We had a very special time together. As the church grew and developed, they shaped my ministry and were a loving church home for our family. They supported and encouraged us at every turn, including my diocesan involvement, and helped me become the priest I am today. We carry those blessings with us.”

Canon Nunez served as rector of St. Mary’s from 2003 until his appointment by Bishop Brewer this year. During his tenure, St. Mary’s nearly doubled in atten

STORY ON p. 6

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The Episcopal ChurchIN CENTRAL FLORIDA

Based in the 15-county heart of our booming, diverse Sunshine State.

Companion to the Diocese of Honduras.

IN THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION

A global community of 70 million Anglicans in 500 dioceses. Covers 164

countries in 38 member provinces.

Archbishob of Canterbury:

IN THE UNITED STATESA community of 2.5 million

members in 118 dioceses in the Americas & elsewhere. Established in

1789.

Presiding Bishop:

Bishop: The Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer

The Most Rev. Justin Welby

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori

Continuing The Palm Branch (1894), diocese (1971)

The Rt. Rev. Gregory BrewerBishop

The Rt. Rev. John W. HoweThe Rt. Rev. Dorsey F. Henderson

The Rt. Rev. Hugo Pina-LopezThe Rt. Rev. John Said

Retired Bishops

The Rev. Canon Timothy NunezCanon to the Ordinary

The Ven. Kristi AldayArchdeacon

Joe ThomaEditor & Communications Officer

Fina FlorezDesign Editor

Erick PerezSubscription Manager

Central Florida Episcopalian

The Central Florida Episcopalian is published monthly by the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida. Submissions are welcome, but are subject to editing and use at the discretion of

the Central Florida Episcopalian.

Please submit notices two months before event to:

The Central Florida Episcopalian1017 E. Robinson StreetOrlando, FL 32801-2023

Tel.: (407) 423-3567, ext. 316Fax: (407) 872-0006

Email: [email protected]

www.cfdiocese.org

ContentsFRONT COVER:

The Rev. Cannon Timothy C. Nuñez Dives in - Story on p. 6

The Canon to the Ordinary - Story on p. 7

3 Bishop’s Column

9 Passing of the Rev. Alfred Durrance

10 The Witness of Al Durrance

12 A Day at the Circus That Turned Fatal

15 Diocesan Office Reorganization Goal

16 Saving Lives at Gaza Hospital

18 Honduras on Immigration Crisis

19 Yes to Female Bishops

21 Leadership News for August 2014

22 The Rev. Jerry De Jesus Being Ordained to the Priesthood

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THE RT. REV. GREGORY BREWER

On Aug. 7, 1974, French aerial artist Philippe Petit captured the world’s lasting imagination and awe by performing a high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Petit and his crew had planned and practiced the

illegal feat clandestinely for more than six years before “le coup,” as he called it. He performed it on a 200-foot steel cable between the towers, a quarter-mile above the ground.

Since then, Petit (now artist-in-residence at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Manhattan) has continued to fascinate all who hear the story. A 2008 documentary, “Man on Wire,” chronicles the saga, and a 3-D feature film is in the works.

If you or I, or even a well-trained circus performer, were to say we were planning a stunt like that, people would assume we had a death wish. But Petit was extraordinarily determined, and he and his team succeeded.

It must have taken Peter and his disciples at Caesarea Philippi at least that much imagination and daring, especially considering the location and time.

For Peter to have articulated that, in the heart of pagan worship, where the city had recently dedicated a huge temple for the public worship of Caesar, was death-defying.

Caesarea Philippi at the time was a place of religious syncretism – filled with shrines dedicated to Pan – as well as a center of established religious-po-litical power, a wealthy statement of Caesar as both god and ruler.

We, too, live in an age that has accepted both a sort of pagan syncretism – the thought that all religions lead to the same end – and a deification of reli-gious-political power, embodied in the institutional persecution of Christians in Iraq and elsewhere.

Here are Christians, going to their death, saying in the midst of something far more temporally powerful, that Jesus is the Messiah, the fulfillment of all of the promises of the Old Testament.

This is the thing on which with an equal level of hope, imagination and ingenuity, we, as Christians, literally eschew the mundane to do the daring, because we so profoundly believe that Jesus is the son of the living God. That is, a God who is acting, doing things in our world, manifesting himself in very clear, miraculous ways, is a life changer.

Is it possible for us to think creatively about how we can express this life-changing confession in a way that literally captures the imagination and awe of people, so that this confession also becomes the heart of who they are?■

The high-Wire Act

Bishop Brewer’s Full Homily from Aug. 7, at the Diocese of Central Florida.

View the VIDEO: http://www.cfdiocese.org/GB-08-04-14

Matthew 16:13-19 – Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his dis-ciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

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CONTINUED fROM ThE fRONT COVERdance, built a new sanctuary, and saw numerous ministries emerge and develop as lay members heard and followed The Lord’s call.

Canon Tim and his wife, Meg, are helping their daughter Eliza-beth, 14, adapt to a new church, school and city this fall. “We found a home between Casselberry and Winter Springs. Elizabeth will attend Lake Howell High School. She and Meg will find a parish home and youth group and I’ll enjoy worshipping with them when I’m not serving elsewhere. Thanks to Camp Wingmann, she already has many friends in the Orlando area,” Canon Nunez said. “Those relationships are important to her socially as well as in her walk with Christ.” Their sons Philip (a senior) and Sam (a freshman) will both attend UCF this fall. “We’re blessed to have kids who are actually happy that we are moving closer to their college lives. We plan for our house to be a gathering spot for them and their friends.” Eldest son Rob serves in the U.S. Army as a recruiter in Tampa, where he lives with his wife, a Coast Guard recruiter, and four children.

A native of this diocese, Canon Tim was baptized at Holy Trin-ity, Bartow, and confirmed at St. David’s, Lakeland. He was a Cer-tified Public Accountant in Lakeland for 12 years before answering the Lord’s call to ordained ministry. He served St. David’s as a Lay Eucharistic Minister, Assistant Treasurer, Junior Warden, Se-nior Warden, Search Committee member and as a Sunday school teacher for middle- and high-school students.

He is a graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy, the University of Florida (BA in Economics) and Sewanee, (Master of Divinity, Highest Honors.)

Tim has served the diocese in several capacities. He served on the Commission on Ministry from 2004 through 2011, the last seven as chairman. He served two years as Dean of the North-west Deanery and on Diocesan Board, on the Standing Committee 2010-2012, the last year as president, as chaplain at Camp Wing-mann each summer since 2004, on the camp’s board since 2008 and vice president since 2010, as an instructor at ICS since 2005 and as chaplain and presenter for New Beginnings and Emerge. He and Meg completed coed Cursillo #99 in 2004 and actively encourage our Cursillo community.■

bishop brewer presents the Nunezes: Meg, Canon Tim, granddaughter ariana, daughter Elizabeth and sons Rob, Sam and phil.

Canon Tim with Camp Wingmann counselors.

Canon Tim with brother Vic, father Charles and son, philip.Canon Tim and Meg Nunez.

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In January, the Diocese of Central Florida’s Annual Convention passed a resolution to set aside $50,000 in grant money for unaided congregations. Fourteen churches submitted requests, “and they were outstanding,” said the Rev. Rob Goodridge, Chairman of the Congregational Development Commission.

Paring the list down was a daunting task. The Congregational Development Commission presented their recommendations to the diocesan board meeting on July 17, and the board approved the following requests:

• $10,000 to Holy Trinity, Bartow, to seed a new contemporary Saturday evening service, with a professional worship leader, musical instruments, sanctuary implements, marketing, and promotion.

• $10,000 to Shepherd Of The Hills, Lecanto, to add needed dental care to a thriving healthcare ministry for those in need in their local community.

• $8,000 to St. Sebastian’s, Melbourne Beach, to provide electronic signage to reach parents of the elementary school next door to the church, and to upgrade the sound equipment for a growing contemporary worship service featuring professional volunteer musicians.

• $10,000toSt.SimontheCyrenian,FtPierce,toupgradebathrooms,offices,andParishHall facilities in order to expand Outreach Programs focused on an impoverished neighborhood.

• $12,000 to St. Stephens, Lakeland, to create Youth Outdoor Outreach, making their campus the go-to place for outdoor youth activities, and to bring young families onto their campus.

“We look forward to seeing the fruit of these offerings and eagerly anticipate more exciting opportunities from next years applicants,” Fr. Goodridge said.

Congregational Development grants awarDeD

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“Fr. Al entered the glory of the Father at noon today,” said Fr. Jonathan French, rector at Grace Episcopal Church, Ocala, where Fr. Al was rector emeritus. “He held on much longer than anyone expected,” Fr. French said, adding, “but as his

daughter-in-law said, ‘of course he held on until Sunday! It’s his favorite day of the week!’ ”

Fr. Al was born in Jacksonville Florida on August 13th, 1927, a third gen-eration Floridian. He served in both the U.S. Army and Navy. He earned a Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering from Alabama Polytechnic Institute (Auburn University). He married his wife, Julia, December 19th, 1954 and was married for 52 years.

He earned a Bachelor degree from the Seminary of the Southwest, Aus-tin Texas. He was ordained to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church in 1958.

He served St. Luke’s and St. Peters - Saint Cloud, Good Shepherd - Mait-land, Grace Episcopal - Ocala and St. John’s, Wilmington North Carolina.

He earned a Masters of Theology from University of the South, Sewanee Tennessee.

“Father Al” was active in the healing ministry for over 56 years. He served as North American Warden of the Order of Saint Luke the Physician. He traveled all over the U.S. as well as overseas teaching about Christian healing. He also served as speaker for Camps Farthest Out. In retirement he was also active in many prayer groups and bible studies around Ocala. He also served as interim at several local churches and at Glennon House healing ministry in Winter Park.

He wrote two books, “Good Lord Deliver Us” and “Commissioned to Heal” and over 60 tracts on Christian Healing, most of which can be found at: www.durrance.com.

He is survived by his four sons and their spouses, and six grandchildren. His greatest legacy was the thousands of lives that were changed as they walked closer to God because Al was willing to let God work through him.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Grace Episcopal Church in memory of Father Alfred Lee Durrance.■

The Rev. Alfred Durrance, on to Life EverlastingFather Alfred Lee Durrance passed away Sunday, July 13, 2014

fr. al was known throughout The Episcopal Church for his trademark red socks.

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This is the witness of the Rev. Al Durrance. It was dictated to me, Rob Sanders, on June, 14, 2002. It is written in the first person and Rob typed it as Al narrated his thoughts.

Al’s Witness

The reason I went to seminary was to find out if there was any possibility of God being available to anyone in this cre-ation, for if it was left up to human beings, I wanted to get off the train. It seemed that the obvious place to go to find out about God would be to a seminary. One day, after I had been accepted as a postulant for holy orders in the

Episcopal Church, I was sitting on the side porch of my banker’s house, listening to his wife. [Virginia Lively] She told me how Jesus had been with her for three months, and he was still healing people. She saw him healing people, her father was one of them. This raised a lot of questions for me. Why don’t I hear about this in the church? So when I got to seminary, I in-tended to find out about it. When I got there, I realized that nobody wanted to deal with my questions.

The other thing that had happened to me, prior to seminary, was that I asked a friend of mine, who was a priest, what I could do to prepare to go to seminary. He said, “Why don’t you try reading the Bible.” So I did, and got to know what it said. The only way I know to find out about anything, given my chemical engineering background, was to develop an experiment and to try it out. What I found when I started trying it out was that Jesus Christ was real. He doesn’t do everything I asked him to do, but I never prayed for anybody that he didn’t touch. [Here Al is referring to prayer with the laying on of hands as did Jesus when he touched and healed people.]

In seminary, and in general, when people brush off healing and other matters and start arguing about it instead of trying it out, it didn’t meet my criteria for the scientific approach. As it was, there were two people in my class I could talk to, both had been in engineering before attending sem-inary. [Al and one of them were ranked equally at the top of the class at graduation from seminary.]

When I got ordained to the diaconate, I started a healing class, and when I was ordained to the priesthood, I started a healing service. During that first year, my organist came to me saying that she had ovarian cancer and was given six to nine months to live. “What should I do?” she asked. I told her to come on Tuesday and we will study and pray, and come on Wednesday for communion and anointing. In six weeks one tumor was completely gone, and the other had not grown. At the end of three months, she was totally clear of cancer. This gave impetus to my idea of trying out the commissions that Jesus gave his church. [Here Al is thinking of Jesus sending out his disciples to heal and cast out demons.] This happened while I was a priest at St. Cloud, Florida.

After that, I moved to Maitland with the proviso that we would have a healing service. The senior warden said that I was welcome to do so, but not to expect anyone to come. So we started one and had about seven families who were comfortable with it. We talked and prayed. After some months I went to Sewanee for continuing education. [Doctorate of Ministry] I left

each one of the persons who attended the service in charge of one session in my absence. When I got back they said, “Al, we’re glad to have you back, but we are not going to give up the service.” So we alternated, one priest led service and one lay led service. For the lay led service we had no commu-nion, but used a liturgy from the OSL [Order of St. Luke] chapter from the cathedral. That was our pattern. People started getting healed, and the wit-ness of that service attracted people from all over town. From time to time, my spiritual mother, Virginia Lively, would come and talk, and that would increase the numbers. We had so many people that we had to build a new church because the old one would not hold them all.

At about that time, I got involved in deliverance and exorcism. Some-one came in my office and said, “Fr. Al, my psychiatrist says I have a de-mon. My priest agrees, but neither of them will do anything about it.” I got mad and said, “If they won’t do anything, I’ll find someone who will or do it myself.” This opened a ministry that wasn’t found in very many places. What we found was that not everything in the spiritual dimension is the same kind of spirit. Satan is there, as well as works of the flesh such as anger, fear, anxiety, vanity. [What the New Testament calls unclear spirits and not simply demons.] One day, when praying for someone, my discerner [the

THE WITNESS of Al DUrrANCE

“...One day, in my quiet time, it came to me, revealed to me, that the love I saw in Jesus is

Abba’s love.”

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person who prays with Al and discerns the spirits] said that the person being prayed for had a spirit of vanity. When that happened, the vain spirit spoke through the woman and said, “Oh don’t do that.” There are also spirits of humans [ghosts] not yet free in the Lord, hanging around and also entering people. These were absolved and sent to Jesus. In the end, everything was sent to Jesus so he could sort them out. Subsequently, I have encountered multiple personalities, and found that there are alters egos that cannot be cast out, but reintroduced into the host persons as part of their original personal-ity. Jesus does this, based on forgiveness. The other thing I’ve found is that sexual bondage occurs when two people have intercourse. The two become one flesh and they carry each other inside of themselves. That also can be removed through repentance and forgiveness. Jesus can take that. As this was happening, a lady came through Maitland who had narcolepsy, and in praying for her, we were told to case out a spirit of anger. We did, and she was healed of the narcolepsy. Until then we had no idea that she had a spirit of anger.

I also had a problem with abusive anger. I got mad once and threw one of my children against the wall. I though I had better do something about that, but could not find anyone to do an exorcism. So I went to a Franciscan

monastery, talked to a friend who was a friar, and asked him if he would cast out the spirit of anger. He did, and since that day I have never struck one of my children in anger, and never had a drink of hard liquor, both of which were a tremendous healing for me. [Al was an alcoholic by the time he was seventeen, and drank until the fifth year of his ministry.]

After that, I began to learn about inner healing or healing of memories. I learned that over a period of time from people like Agnes Sanford, Vir-ginia Lively, and Ruth Carter Stapleton, and find it very helpful in dealing with people who have past trauma, past bondage. I used to have trouble at diocesan convention when the people there would argue. One time, when they are arguing about something, I tried to say something and got so upset that I couldn’t talk, was incoherent, and ending up sobbing. I asked a friend in my parish, Lillian Updike to pray for my memory of living at home as a little boy, when the adults were fighting with one another. I literally saw Jesus come to the little boy, and he did not stop the argument, but he changed my perception of history, so that I was not torn up by the argument. After that, I could go to the diocese convention without reacting to the arguments on the floor. I had taught Lillian most of what she knew, and I had been prayed for by various notable healers, but Lillian, who was just getting started, was the key to my healing.

In the first ten years of my ministry my prayer life was not very disci-plined. I found someone who also wanted to improve their prayer time, and we decided we would meet every morning and do morning prayer and take time to listen to see what the Lord said to us. After doing this for several months, the Lord revealed to me that the love of Jesus is Abba’s love. The other thing he revealed to me was that when I listen to the Lord, it doesn’t do any good unless I do what he says. After that, I started making a list to check off that I had done what Jesus told me to do.

Not too many years ago, I got colon cancer and read a book that said to look back eighteen months to two years to see if there was a cause. I looked back and remembered a vestry retreat in which the vestry did their own long range planning instead of asking Jesus what he wanted us to do. At that point, the congregation was growing too fast for the building. I wanted to leave the parish but the bishop didn’t want to offer me anything else as the parish was his cash cow and he wanted to keep milking it. I had surgery, forgave the people I felt had rejected me, and have had no recurrence. I thought they had rejected me, but they hadn’t. It was not perception, not reality. I think if someone has cancer and they keep on doing the same things, it depresses the immune system and the cancer can reoccur.

In the middle of 1988, the Lord told him he wanted me to get out of the parish ministry, and work with Order of St. Luke and Camp Farthest Out. By the end of 1989, I was unexpectedly the North American warden of the OSL where I served for five years.

This adventure with God all began with checking out the Scriptures, walking with Jesus, trying to find out about him. As a child, I had grown up the common southern evangelical image of God as a ogre, a mean old man, just waiting to throw me into hell. When I found out about Jesus, I believed he loved me, so that my God was a schizophrenic. I could see God the Father making bad check marks and Jesus going along behind him with whiteout. Then one day, in my quiet time, it came to me, revealed to me, that the love I saw in Jesus is Abba’s love. This happened after I had starting praying each morning.■

This adventure with God all began with checking out

the Scriptures, walking with Jesus,

trying to find out about him.

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Pieces of yellowed newspapers fell to the floor as the Rev. Joan Verret carefully un-folded the pages and laid them on a coffee table recently inside her Lakeland home.

She rarely looks at them anymore, she said. The black and white photos and bold print head-lines depict a day she doesn’t like to remember.

It’s been 70 years, and she still tears up when she talks about it.

It was a warm Thursday afternoon in Hart-ford, Conn., on July 6, 1944. About 7,000 peo-ple, including Verret, her mother, Ida, 5-year-old brother, Fred Jr., and aunt, Myrtle Verret, had filed into seats on bleachers and folding chairs underneath the big top tent to watch the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

The lions and tigers were up first, followed by the Great Wallendas. But before the acro-bats could perform, a fire broke out. Within 10 minutes, the tent was gone. At least 168 people were killed and more than 500 injured. Most were burned or trampled as they scrambled to find a way out of the tent.

Newspaper articles published after the fire de-tailed a gruesome scene of bodies piled in front of exits and children wandering outside, unable to find parents. Many of those killed or injured were women and children, and six who died were never identified.

Verret’s mother and aunt were among those who died.

Reports say investigators first thought the fire might have started from a discarded cigarette. Years later, an Ohio man claimed he intentionally set the fire, but his confession eventually was re-canted, and investigators have yet to determine the fire’s true origin.

Historians and people who have studied the incident say it was one of the worst fire disasters in American history, and it prompted numerous fire code changes, including bans on smoking inside circus tents and a need to properly identify exits.

After the incident, officials arrested several Ringling Bros. executives on involuntary man-slaughter charges.

During World War II, resources in the U.S. were spread thin, and Ringling Bros. wasn’t able to have the tent properly fireproofed. And inves-tigators said the technique used to waterproof the canvas — kerosene and paraffin wax — helped the fire spread even faster.

The charges against the circus executives even-tually were dropped when they agreed to accept full financial responsibility for the incident, paying nearly $5 million to victims and their families.

But money couldn’t change what happened that day.

A day Verret said she’ll never forget.

A DAY AT THE CIRCUSVerret was 8 years old and had recently moved

to Hartford to live with her family. Her father, Fred, mother and younger brother had been living in the city for a few months while Joan finished out the school year in Pennsylvania.

For the Fourth of July holiday, Verret’s aunt, Myrtle Verret, flew to Hartford from Pittsburgh to visit the family.

The circus was also in town that week, and Verret’s uncle, who worked for Ringling Bros., gave the family four tickets to the July 6 show.

That afternoon, Verret, her mother, her aunt and 5-year-old Fred Jr. sat underneath the big top tent laughing at clowns and awaiting the start of the circus.

About 30 minutes in, just as the Great Wal-lendas were about to start, Verret said her mother stood up and pointed.

Verret said she remembers looking across the tent to see a tiny flame, as if someone had just struck a match.

And then the panic started.Verret said she heard her mother tell her aunt,

“I’ll take Freddy, you take Joan,” and then they

started making their way to the exits. People were pushing and bodies were smashed together.

That was the last thing she’d hear her mother say.

Verret said she remembers holding her aunt’s hand, until all of a sudden she wasn’t anymore. She said she turned around and a man was push-ing her. She told him to calm down.

Deacon Recounts Day at the Circus That Turned Fatal

By Stephanie Allen, THE LEDGER / Photo by Scott Wheeler, THE LEDGER

Joan Verret, 78, holds up the front page of The hartford Courant from the day a fire broke out at the Ringling Bros.

and barnum & bailey Circus. both her mother and aunt died; she and her brother survived.

“It was awful. It was quick

and it made a change”

“It was one of the worst fires in our history.”

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Being a small child, Verret said, she eventually found a way to weave in and out, under people and through legs, until she reached one of the exits.

She said she remembers crawling over the animal cages, which were block-ing most people from getting out.

As she stepped outside the tent, a semicircle of people were staring back at her. Nervous and unsure of what to do, she said, she started moving backward toward the fire, then a man came and grabbed her.

When she finally turned around, the tent was gone.She said the man took her to a police car, where she waited for someone

to find her.“I saw my mother so many times coming for me. Of course, it wasn’t her.”Ida Verret and Myrtle Verret never made it out of the tent.Joan said she remembers searching for several days after her father picked

her up before they finally found the women’s bodies.

It took them another day of searching local hospitals before finding Fred Jr. He was alive with burns covering about 80 percent of his body.

Fred Verret Jr., now 75, doesn’t talk about the fire much, but said he re-members his sister coming to visit him in the hospital every day after school for about a year while he recovered.

The pair stuck together growing up and remained close after both moved to Lakeland several decades ago.

Joan Verret said she’s visited the site of the fire, and she tells people her story whenever they ask. It’s a day she said she doesn’t like to recount, but it’s one she hopes people will never forget.

“It was awful. It was quick and it made a change,” she said. “It was one of the worst fires in our history.”■

[ Stephanie Allen can be reached at [email protected] or 863-802-7550. ]

It takes a congregation, a diocese and a region to address the underreported crisis of domes-tic abuse, so a local shelter is teaming up with faith groups including the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida to get the word out.“Eighty percent of incidents of abuse occur in

secret, with no one but those involved ever dis-covering what happened,” said Manny Ayala, faith advocate and prevention coordinator with Orange County-based Harbor House.

Harbor House is calling on clergy and lay mem-bers of the diocese to help raise awareness of the plague of abuse on the weekend of Oct. 5.

“The first step in building a stronger communi-ty, in creating healthier children, is to have a com-mon definition of what a healthy relationship looks like and what someone should expect in their rela-tionships,” Mr. Ayala said.

Bev Paulk, a member of Church of the Resur-rection, Longwood, who is a Harbor House board

member and sits on the Diocesan Finance Commis-sion, is helping to promote the weekend in the di-ocese, with an initial emphasis on describing what constitutes a healthy, positive relationship.

“This is the perfect way to address domestic abuse,” Mrs. Paulk said. “To talk about what a pos-itive relationship looks like.”

“Our goal is to alert the clergy and people of the diocese to the weekend event.

“October is national Domestic Abuse month, so this discussion begins the month in a positive way,” Mr. Ayala said. “All faith organizations are invited to participate the weekend of October 3rd through 5th in whatever ways are appropriate for them.”

How does “Preach-In” work? Register your place of worship on the Harbor House website: www.harborhousefl.com/preachin. Harbor House will provide a link to your website, where people can find out more about your church.■

Domestic abuse coming in october

‘Preach In’

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SaintEdward's

Mitford Tea

St. Edward’s Episcopal Church, Mount Dorainvites you to attend the

Fourth Annual Mitford TeaSaturday October 4th at 2 p.m.

Based on the series of novels by Jan Karon, about the life of an Episcopal priest in the quaint fictional mountain village of Mitford, North Carolina.

We will be featuring many of the Homemade Recipes and sharing stories about the colorful characters in the series

Hats and gloves are encouraged. We will judge hats by several categories. Many surprises are planned.

Tickets are $15 per person, paid in advance. Sorry, no tickets will be sold at the door. Seating is limited, so make your reservation early.

St. Edward's Episcopal Church460 N. Grandview St.

Mount Dora, FL 32757

RSVPJean MacGeorge407-579-8265

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For any organization, stamping out brush fires is necessary at times, but as a standard business model, the practice is not conducive to long-range planning and implementation of overall vision and mission.

That was the conclusion of management consultant Peter Giersch, whom the Diocese of Central Florida contracted in June and July for a makeover of the diocesan staff, its function and configuration.

Giersch specializes in helping nonprofits move their focus from main-tenance to mission. He is a Managing Director with Cathedral Consulting Group LLC, Milwaukee, a management consulting firm that specializes in counseling small enterprises. Cathedral has offices in the Midwest, the East Coast and Europe.

“Peter did an extraordinary job of helping us rethink everything from job descriptions to who reports to whom, in a way that would allow us to take more initiatives and, in essence, lead by example,” said the Rt. Rev. Gregory Brewer, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida.

Diocesan job descriptions and lines of reporting have been vague, Gi-ersch said. Although that informality lends itself to ad-hoc collaboration, it hinders active planning and implementation of programs.

As defined by Bishop Brewer’s 2013 address to the Diocesan Convention, our vision for the Diocese of Central Florida are to:

• Commitment to strengthening relationships with one another in the diocese.

• Commitment to raise up new leaders for the clergy and laity.• Commitment to address the missionary challenge in our neighbors

and neighborhoods. • Commitment to revitalize children’s and youth ministry.• Commitment to take our place within the councils of the Episcopal

Church as far as possible.

“Peter’s observation -- I think is the key piece -- is, ‘If your prime focus is maintenance, then what that staff does primarily is react to problems.’ In oth-er words, a place like that is not a place of innovation.” Bishop Brewer said.

“And, yet, the report of the strategic plan that came out two years ago, as well as the kind of missionary vision that I laid out at Diocesan Convention last year, is that we don’t need primarily a reactive staff,” he said. “We need a diocese, including the staff, that is more active. In other words, a staff that is a catalyst for mission, not merely a maintainer of what is.”

The Plan:• Bishop Greg will work with his Administrator, Cindy Muldoon, to

maximize initiative and flexibility in his schedule, while guiding the

staff in fulfilling the diocesan priorities. Bishop Greg: “Looking at our job descriptions, we will say, in light of the missionary vision, how can we move forward, and what does that look like in terms of how we spend our time?”

• The Rev. Canon Tim Nunez, the new Canon to the Ordinary, has assumed a very clear role as Chief of Staff, reducing the demands on Bishop Greg’s time and attention in day-to-day administrative matters. Canon Nunez: “Our goal is to help Bishop Brewer and the leadership of this diocese and its churches succeed in answering Christ’s call. I’m here to support that mission and vision any and every way I can.”

• Marilyn Lang will supervise most support staff.• Archdeacon Kristi Alday and Canon Justin Holcomb, the key staff

members for training prospective clergy and for leadership develop-ment, will report directly to Bishop Brewer.

• Communications Director Joe Thoma and Chief Financial Officer/Diocesan Administrator Earl Pickett will report directly to Canon Nunez, who formerly had a successful career as a Certified Public Accountant. Canon Nunez’s ongoing involvement in communica-tions and finance throughout the year will help the diocese craft an annual budget and communications program that clearly support the mission priorities.

“Canon Nunez is a terrific addition to our staff and I look forward to working with him to implement our strategic plan and missionary vision.” said Earl Pickett.

“I am delighted to have Canon Tim to work with on our mission prior-ities,” Joe Thoma said. Canon Nunez also has a bachelor’s degree in eco-nomics from the University of Florida. Thoma has an academic and business background in public policy and social services (master’s degree from Duke University). That combination of experience and expertise will help the dio-ceses focus on measurable results, by individuals, committees, commissions, and congregations.

“Measurement of social impact can be a daunting challenge for all non-profits, so it is largely overlooked or misapplied,” Thoma said. “But it is an absolute imperative to benchmark and track performance if you want to im-plement your team’s goals.”

Also in the reorganization, the staff will embrace a culture of continuous professional training, and will participate in regular “mutual-ministry” reviews.

“We have a great staff,” Bishop Greg told the Diocesan Board at its July meeting. “I’m very excited about what we can do together. I’m extraordinarily grateful for Peter and his assistant, Virginia, and the good work that they are doing, and I hope you, over the course of the next year especially, feel a pos-itive difference in how we operate.”■

AROUND THE DIOCESE

Diocesan Office Reorganization Goal: ACTIvE MISSIOn

By ?

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Bishop Gregory Brewer, Diocese of Central Florida, is urging Central Florida Episcopalians to support the Diocese of Jerusalem’s emer-gency appeal for the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza, to continue its crucial health services to those injured by the recent conflict.

In response to rocket attacks from Gaza, Israel launched Operation Pro-tective Edge in July, with air strikes. On July 18, Israel launched a ground of-fensive, sending troops and tanks into Gaza.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28439404Israeli leaders say they are targeting militants, weaponry and militant facil-

ities controlled by Hamas, a Palestinian Islamic organization in the Palestinian

Emergency Appeal to Save Lives at Gaza Hospital

By Anglican Communion News Service and CFE Staff

hospital Director Suhaila Tarazi photo Credit: Diocese of Jerusalem

The Diocese of Central Florida is fully supporting the Gaza-relief effort, Bishop Gregory Brewer said.

If you would like to contribute, make your check payable to the “Diocese of Central Florida” and in the memo blank write “Gaza Relief.” Please send your check to the address below. An annual statement, detail-ing all of your 2014 charitable contributions for this and other donations, will be sent to you next January for tax purposes.

Bishop Brewer has been in contact with bishops in the affected areas and will send appropriate contribu-tions to the local bishops for use and distribution as the local bishops think most beneficial.

Periodically, a report of contributions will be given to Bishop Brewer. If any of you, or your parishes, en-gage in other relief efforts, please let me know so Bishop Brewer can be fully advised of all the relief efforts being provided by the Diocese of Central Florida.

If we can be of any assistance, or if you have any questions, please let us know.

The Rev. John MotisRelief Coordinator

Diocese of Central Florida1017 East Robinson Street

Orlando, Florida 32801-3567Phone 407-423-3567 / 800-299-3567

Fax 407-872-0006Website http://www.cfdiocese.org

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territories and elsewhere in the Middle East. Since 2007, Hamas has governed the Gaza Strip, after it won a majority of seats in the Palestinian Parliament in the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections.

During the three weeks since air strikes against Hamas in Gaza began, more than 800 people have been killed on both sides. The UN says the vast majority of Palestinian deaths are civilian.

Staff at the Al-Ahli hospital, an Anglican ministry in Gaza City, have main-tained around-the-clock care since the beginning of the crisis. They are now call-ing for help to provide urgent medical services and critical care to those injured, displaced and traumatized in the conflict. Please see below for details on how you can support their work.

Medical supplies, food aid, electrical generators and vital medical equipment are some of the most urgent needs to enable the hospital to continue providing essential care.

The Diocese of Jerusalem has issued an appeal to Anglicans worldwide to join together in support of those suffering in the region. In a letter sent to the Anglican family on 14th July 2014, Bishop Suheil S. Dawani outlined the extent of the conflict and called for emergency funds to support the work of Al-Ahli hospital. He said:

“Currently, and since the beginning of the crisis, Al-Alhi staff have maintained around-the-clock presence in the hospital, receiving wounded people and pro-viding them with the critical medical care that they need. In the last two days, the impact of the airstrikes has caused structural damage to the hospital, including its ventilation system in the operating theatre and the emergency room.”

Hospital Director Suhaila Tarazi described the many wounded filling the hos-pital’s emergency rooms and wards – including many children, some who have lost their entire families. She appealed to the global community to do all it can to end the conflict and to support care for those affected by the violence.

How you can helpAnglican and Episcopal agencies around the Anglican Communion have long

supported the work of Al-Ahli Hospital and have responded already to the current crisis.

And please remember the Al-Ahli hospital, the staff, those affected by the conflict and those working for peace in your daily prayers.

Bishop Dawani and the Diocese of Jerusalem greatly appreciate your help to meet these urgent needs.■

presiding bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and anglican bishop in Jerusalem Suheil Dawani lis-ten to a Muslim woman talk about the importance of al ahli arab hospital on Jan. 2. ENS photo/

lynette Wilson 2013

Here is how your financial support will help:

Estimated budget $511,000

This will cover urgent needs, including the conflict and rehabilitation period. Please see the itemized list following.

• Fuel $60,000

• Medical supplies for 300 injured and treatment of 5000 women and children affected by the on-going offensive $95,000

• New generation of antibiotics for the injured $5,000

• Orthopaedic supplies $30,000

• Psychosocial support for approximately 2000 women and children $100,000

• Food - for patients, their families, staff, people coming from the street and seeking food) $10,000

• Food parcels for the poor $85,000

• Hiring additional staff to meet the new challenges $30,000

• Post war treatment $50,000

• Repair of the ventilation system, broken glass of the windows, as well as doors $10,000

• New developing x-ray machine $18,000

Medical equipment/tools for post injury rehabilita-tion and treatment in the physical therapy department:

1. Two continuous passing movement (CPM) at USD ($2500 each) $5,000

2. Electrical stimulation $2,500

3. Vacuum $2,500

4. Short wave $8,000

Specific Needs

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Children and young mothers are fleeing Hon-duras because they have no hope for a life there that would offer anything more than violence, poverty, hunger and illness.

“These past few weeks have seen significant and appropriate attention being directed toward the plight of vulnerable migrants crossing the U.S. border,” said a dispatch from El Hogar, the Epis-copal home and school in Honduras. “We are seeing unaccompanied children and young moth-ers fleeing to the U.S. at an unprecedented pace.”

The Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida has close ties to El Hogar, and has been companion diocese with the Episcopal Diocese of Honduras for more than 30 years.

The U.S. government is considering allow-ing Honduran children to apply for admission to the United States as refugees or on humani-tarian grounds while still in their native country, according to the Los Angeles Times. (http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-kids-border-presidents-20140724-story.html)

But the root problems go far deeper than the recent surge of people from Latin America to the United States, say Episcopalians most closely in-volved with Honduras.

Drug cartels, gang violence and political un-rest have plagued Honduras for decades, said the Rt. Rev. Hugo Pina-Lopez, retired Assistant Bish-op of Central Florida. In 1978, Bishop Hugo was consecrated the first Bishop of the Episcopal Dio-cese of Honduras.

“It is a complicated situation, and there are some elements there who are intentionally using this crisis to try to destabilize Honduras and the United States,” Bishop Hugo said.

The Rev. Comforted Keen, of the Diocese of Central Florida’s Honduras Commission, said the combination of helplessness in Honduras and the

enduring prospect of hope in the United States will be hard to overcome.

Fr. Keen advised that those wanting to help should look to Anglican Honduras Hope, a U.S. based non-profit created to support the efforts of the Diocese of Honduras’ mission of developing Honduras spiritually, socially and economically. (www.anglicanhondurashope.org)

Episcopal contacts in Honduras are urging friends in Central Florida and elsewhere to put the safety of refugees first.

“We continue to be so blessed by the Dio-cese of Central Florida’s care and compassion for the people of Honduras,” said the Rev. Lura M. Kaval, missionary Canon of Development for the Diocese of Honduras. “Now it is time for all of us to do our part in this emergency. Jesus said a lot of stuff about widows and orphans.”

Sam McDonald, Director of Mission at Epis-copal Church Center, said that Episcopalians are looking to the Church to take action.

“A lot of people have asked me my opinion about the current humanitarian crisis on the bor-der and what they can do about it,” Mr. McDon-ald said.

So the church’s mission advocacy staff drafted a letter urging help for refugees and asylum seek-ers, to send to political leaders.

“I have sent it to my president, senators and congress person,” Mr. McDonald said. “I certainly feel strongly about this issue as my life has been changed forever and made better by family who struggled and dealt with immigration issues. How-ever, I hope and believe I would still see this as the right response.”

The letter: http://advocacy.episcopalchurch.org/app/write-a-letter?0&engagementId=53943■

“We continue to be so blessed by the Diocese

of Central Florida’s care

and compassion for the people of

Honduras.”

hONDuRAS PARTNERS uRgE ACTION ON

ImmIgRATION CRISISBy Joe Thoma

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Women can now become bishops following a his-toric vote by the Church of England’s General Synod on July 14. Following a day of debate at the General Synod meeting in York on the issue of women in the

episcopate, at least two thirds majority of each house - laity, clergy and bishops - voted in favor of the measure1 to pass.

Before the vote, the Archbishop of York John Sentamu asked for the result to be met “with restraint and sensitivity” but when it was announced there was a flurry of cheers.

The vote comes 18 months after the proposal was last voted upon in November 2012 when the proposal failed to achieve the required two thirds majority in the House of Laity.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said:“Today is the completion of what was begun over 20 years

with the ordination of women as priests. I am delighted with to-day’s result. Today marks the start of a great adventure of seeking mutual flourishing while still, in some cases disagreeing.

The challenge for us will be for the church to model good disagreement and to continue to demonstrate love for those who disagree on theological grounds. Very few institutions achieve this, but if we manage this we will be living our more fully the call of Jesus Christ to love one another. As delighted as I am for the out-come of this vote I am also mindful of those within the Church for whom the result will be difficult and a cause of sorrow.

My aim, and I believe the aim of the whole church, should be to be able to offer a place of welcome and growth for all. Today is a time of blessing and gift from God and thus of generosity. It is not winner take all, but in love a time for the family to move on together.”■ archbishop Justin Welby

ChuRCh OF ENgLAND SAyS

Yes Female BishopsTO

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It is appropriate, before the ordination takes place, for the bishop to give the ordinand a charge. Jerry, I’m prepared. You’ve set, in fact, a very high standard for yourself with the

choosing of these lessons, to be one who responds to the call of God’s compassion, reach out to the lost, to the lonely and the broken, can in so doing be willing to receive from God the kind of compas-sion that in fact breaks your heart. For the sake of those to whom God sends you and a willingness to actually craft your life in such a way that you be-come, by God’s mercy, a channel for that compas-sion to be expressed.

That’s the reason for the Philippians test. It’s about whatever is lovely and pure, think on these things. It’s a parameter that you choose to set for your life, so that the compassion of God can flow through you freely. Because that’s the case, there

will be things that you will not do. Not because it is wrong, per se, but because it blocks the compassion that God has put in your heart, the compassion that God has called you to accept and to express. Be-cause that’s the case you will wrestle. Compassion and the reality of our broken world inevitably takes us to wrestling with God. Otherwise, we’re blinding ourselves one way or the other.

You, by the very choice of this passage, is not merely an expression of who you have been but also a call of what you are to become. As one who lives, and will, in a recession, in intellectual struggle, in prayer, wrestle with God. Not because you might hold something against him, but so that he might break your heart further. Because more often than not, wrestling, like the wind, results in breakage, breakage for the sake of God’s compassion, that it might flow freely through you.

Gerrardo, please stand. You ask a lot of God in these lessons, but God is not one who is not gen-erous. Instead he is one who freely gives. I say to you step up to the God you are asking for this kind of compassion and grace. Do not be afraid to walk in great faith, and to take risks. To speak truth even though it may divide, if what it does is so that it actually touches with God’s compassion one who is on the outside. Be free to be who God desires, to express. Craft your life. Be careful where you say yes, where you say no.

A servant is no greater than his master. You will wash feet. But in so doing, those, especially on the periphery, will come to know the joy of the salvation that is ours in Christ, and in so doing you will rejoice even in the breaking of your heart, because you will know that God is using you as his instrument, and nothing, nothing, matters more than that. Amen.■

The Rev. Jerry De Jesus Charged by Bishop Greg Brewer to Being Ordained to the Priesthood

July 20, 2014, Orlando

AROUND THE DIOCESE

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The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is faith formation for children ages 3 to 12 years old. It is based upon the belief that young children already have a relationship with God. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd’s work is done in an Atrium, an environment created to nurture children’s prayer and spirituality by proclaiming the Gospel through the parable method, prayer, singing, si-lence, and exploring liturgical events. Hands-on materials are used to help chil-dren and adults reflect together upon the great mysteries of the Christian faith.

Those who work in the Catechesis believe:• That God and the child have a unique relationship with one anoth-

er, particularly before the age of 6.• That the growth of this relationship is assisted by the adult but is

directed by the Holy Spirit.• That a child needs his or her own place to foster the growth of that

relationship.• That the child’s spiritual growth is best served through tangible but

indirect means.A room, or Atrium, for children’s formation can be compared to a re-

treat house facilitating recollection and silence. Here the adult and child alike come to be with God, to listen to the Word of God in Scripture, and to pray. The Atrium is a place where community and worship occur.

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd was developed in 1954 under the guidance of Dr. Sofia Cavalletti, Hebrew and Scripture Scholar. Today, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd exists in Episcopal, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Baptist churches worldwide.

Course Description: Based on the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for children, the Level I course is the foundation for the work of the Atrium. Upon completion of the Level I Course, participants will receive the entire catechetical work for 3 to 6 year olds as well as certification from the Nation-al Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.

Course Structure: The 90 hour Level I course will be offered over three four-day periods at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection. All sessions will include album page work, practice with material, and material making.

The aims of the course are:• To explore the methodolgy and guiding principles of the Catechesis

of the Good Shepherd.• To explore the religious nature and the most vital religious needs of

the 3 to 6 year old child.• To meditate on the Biblical and liturgical themes presented to the

3 to 6 year old child.• To further develop the participant’s ability to observe and learn

from children, to listen with children to the scripture, and to enjoy the presence of God in a very rich way.

• To offer guidelines and assistance to participants in preparing an Atrium environment, and in creating the participant’s lesson album.

Formation Leader:Judy Hamm ([email protected])• Trained in all three levels of CGS• Catechist since 1989 with experiencein working with children at all

three levels• Formation Leader for Level I since 2000• National Association Of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd –

active member and a representative on the national membership committee

• Attended multiple conferences including the Assisi International Conference 1998

• Active Catechist in atria at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Tampa, FL.■

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CENTRAL FLORIDA

EPISCOPALIAN

1017 E. Robinson Street, Orlando, fl 32801-2023

Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. POSTAGE PAID

pERMIT NO. 4111OR laNDO, flORIDa

CENTRALFLORIDAEPISCOPALIAN

NEWS FROM THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

AUGUST 2014VOLUME 116, No. 6

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