With
the resounding call of a conch shell horn and the skirling of bagpipes,
a grand procession, including acolytes, choir, church and community
leaders, visiting clergy and bishops, wound out of the church grounds
and around the block to Mile Marker 0, where the bishops and archdeacons
paused, representing the church’s presence at the point marking
the beginning and the end of U.S. Route 1. Then the procession continued
back to Duval Street and down the block to St. Paul’s.
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The
conch shell horn and the bagpipe tune up for the procession.
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Archdeacons
Paul Rasmus and Bryan Hobbs, Bishop Onell Soto (retired assistant
bishop of Alabama, now living in Miami), Presiding Bishop
Frank T. Griswold, Bishop Leo Frade and Assistant Bishop James
Ottley show that the road begins and ends in the Diocese of
Southeast Florida. |
In
his sermon, Bishop Griswold reflected on the conversion of St.
Paul, telling the congregation that, like Paul, "we must
each undergo conversion…that lays claim to everything." Like
"the reluctant apostle Ananias", who ministered to Paul,
we are "instruments of salvation for each other."
"Each
one of you, by your baptism, is called to be a minister of reconciliation,"
he said.
St.
Paul’s welcomed the presiding bishop by presenting him with a
conch shell horn, which, according to vestry member Jim Richardson,
"symbolizes our oneness with the land, and with the sea around
us". After a demonstration of conch horn technique by young
Norman Alexander, who sounded the horn for the procession, Griswold
managed to make a sound with the shell, much to the delight of
the congregation. Laughing, he thanked the parish for the unique
gift, saying, "I can truly say I don’t have one!"
Richardson
read a proclamation from the City of Key West, recounting the
history of the parish and naming the day as a festival to be celebrated
by the community in honor of the 170th anniversary
of St. Paul’s
Bishop
Frade congratulated St. Paul’s on its anniversary, saying, "We
talk a lot about missions and evangelism. Well, this is what happens
when a church is planted—and grows…"
Smiling,
he added, "I’m glad the City Council way back then [1831]
had such good taste as to petition the Diocese of New York
to send a priest to start an Episcopal Church!"
The
presiding bishop was celebrant for the service, with Bishops Frade,
Ottley and Soto concelebrating. Deacon Hap Lewis was deacon of
the mass.
The
service was also the occasion of the formal induction of the Ven.
Dr. Bryan Hobbs and the Ven. Paul Rasmus as archdeacons for the
diocese. For both archdeacons, having this service at St. Paul’s
had particular significance: Archdeacon Rasmus was rector of St.
Paul’s for eight years before taking his new position on the diocesan
staff in December of last year, and Archdeacon Hobbs, who comes
to his new ministry from 24 years as rector of Holy Sacrament,
Pembroke Pines, began his ministry in the diocese in Key West.
Newly
installed Archdeacons Bryan Hobbs (left) and Paul Rasmus (right)
process out of the sanctuary.
After
the service, the day’s festivities continued with food and entertainment
on the church grounds.
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Archdeacon
Rasmus enjoys a reunion with two of his former parishioners,
Anna Symington (in period costume) and John Gish, both of
whom organized publicity for the day's events.
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Near
life-size "rock star" puppets perform on the church
grounds as a young guest joins in the dancing.
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Additional
coverage of this event will be included in the February issue
of The Net, the bi-monthly newspaper of the Diocese of
Southeast Florida. If you would like to be added to the mailing
list for The Net, email your name and address (and your
parish, if you are a member of a congregation in the diocese)
to data@usdps.com,
with the message, "Please add to The Net mailing list".
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