You are probably aware that the Epsicopalian Church is still in an enormous uproar. For some reason, it seems to have stronger resonances here in Florida--perhaps because the Episcopalians had asked the use of the Catholic Cathedral in St. Augustine for the ordination of their bishop. Such permission had been granted until Frank Griswold, presiding bishop of the Episcopalian Church announced that he would officiate. The Cathedral in St. Augustine withdrew its permission--largely making the point that while we can recognize something Christian in the Anglican Communion, the presiding bishop's actions have put him outside the Christian flock. A Letter from Cardinal Ratzinger and a conversation between Rowan Williams and the Pope have consistently reiterated this theme.
The crisis affects all of us. Most particularly, those who are presently part of the war-torn Episcopalian Church need our prayers that they may find safe harbor. Please see this and read the last several entries for an "insider's" view of what is happening. This is not a tempest in a teapot, but a great convulsion in the body of Christ that may lead on to a great restoration of the body or may lead to multiple fragmentation. Whatever happens, we need to pray that all who are directly touched by this crisis are blessed by it and come closer to God as a result.
The ordination was not going to be held in the Cathedral in St. Augustine but in a parish church named St. Joseph here in Jacksonville. St. Josephs is a very large church and probably holds more than the Cathedral.
It is sad to see the rip in the Episcopalian Church, but hopefully good will come out of it instead of even more divisions in the body of Christ.
Dear Jeff,
Thanks for the clarification--all of the news reports consistently reported St. Augustine--but perhaps they meant Diocese; however, given the distance between the two and the size of Jacksonville, I would have thought it to be a diocese of its own. Is it part of St. Augustine Diocese?
shalom,
Steven
The Diocese of St. Augustine does cover a large area that includes Jacksonville and Gainesville. But Jax isn't that far since I can drive down to the Cathedral in only forty minutes obeying the speed limit.
With the historic nature of the City of St. Augustine I am certainly glad that Jacksonville isn't in a diocese of it's own.
Dear Jeff,
If you're driving from Orlando to Virginia that stretch between St. Augustine and Jacksonville seems interminable. As you well know they have eternoroadwork going on there (has been for the ten years I've been in Orlando at least) and there's no end in site.
Of course it's a bit better than the stretch between St. Augustine and I-4 that we always hit in the dark coming back--that seems to take years.
Anyway, thanks for the info.
shalom,
Steven