Diocesan Council and Standing Committee

PARRISH - For the churches involved in the FEMA grant application process, on Thursday 3/30, a meeting was held with Diocese and DCMC partners to give an update on the application process and what to expect going forward. If you were not able to attend the information session, or if you attended and would like to review the information covered, you can view a recording of the call by following the link below.

View the Zoom Meeting 
https://vimeo.com/813288856/c2646cd33d

VENICE - Sermon Preached at the Annual Chrism Mass 2023, Diocese of Southwest Florida on April 4, 2023  at St. Mark’s, Venice by the Rt. Rev. Douglas F. Scharf, Bishop.

CLEARWATER - It is with great sadness that the diocese shares news of the death of Sybil Howard, wife of the Rev. Canon Norman Howard on March 28, 2023. She died shortly after the Rev. Canon Norman Howard died on September 16, 2022. They are survived by their two children John Howard and Elizbeth Howard. 

The Rev. Canon and Mrs. Howard were married in London on July 28, 1959.  They had two children, twins, John, and Elizabeth Howard. 

Fr. Howard served in the Royal Air Force during World War II before graduating from the University of London, Kings College in 1957, and Seminary at St. Boniface Warminster. He was ordained in St. Paul's Cathedral, London by the Bishop of London in 1959. Through the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, he and Mrs. Howard were called to Jamacia where Fr. Howard served as Rector of St. Matthew's Church, Claremont, and its five missions. He met Fr. Redfern of St. Wilfred's, Sarasota during a delegation visit, and in 1969 he received a call to be the Vicar of St. John the Divine. He was named Rector of St. John the Divine in 1973 before being called Rector of Good Samaritan in Clearwater (1975-1992) when he retired. During his retirement, her served as Interim Rector at St. Anne of Grace, Seminole, and served as a supply priest throughout the diocese.

Mrs. Howard proudly supported Fr. Howard and the congregations they served. She shared with Diocesan House a beautiful, handwritten obituary for Fr. Howard shortly before her death. See the obituary below. 

A memorial service for the Rev. Canon Norman  Howard and Mrs. Sybil Howard will be held on Saturday, April 22 at 1 p.m. at the Episcopal Church of Ascension, 701 Orange Ave, Clearwater, FL 33756. 

PARRISH - Bishop Doug Scharf announces the Water and the Word Conference happening this May 5 & 6 at DaySpring.  The conference will include keynote speakers Jerusalem Greer, John Roberto, and Bishop Scharf. A variety of expert-led workshops, panel discussions, activities, and prayerful reflection will round out the two-day event. 

SARASOTA  - Everyone is invited to Walk Your Faith this Holy Week by experiencing “The Way” or “Stations of the Cross” on April 7. Sarasota Mayor Kyle Scott Battie, County Commissioner Joe Neunder, and twenty-seven Ministers representing twenty-three congregations of fourteen Denominations will take part in this event including Bishop Doug Scharf who is speaking at the Fourteenth station. The three-quarters-of-a-mile procession will stop for worship and prayer at each of the 14 stations. The Stations of the Cross event offers an opportunity to reflect on the different moments of Christ’s passion journey. A service booklet sharing the acts of worship for each station will be distributed to all pilgrims.

Click here to watch a video of a previous pilgrimage by the Sarasota Observer: https://youtu.be/YW0JGFqUFpQ  

Now in its 22nd year, Church of The Redeemer Episcopal Church has organized the pilgrimage since 1996 and began collaborating with the Sarasota Ministerial Association in 2001, opening the event to the general public.