The Heart of the Grove, and Reaching Beyond
| |
The Heart of the Grove, and Reaching Beyond
|
 Line rendering of old chapel circa 1910 by artist & parishioner, Jeffery Passage |
History Amidst the mosquitoes and swamp-lands of 1886, Miss Flora McFarlane came to Coconut Grove, Florida from London, England and is credited with the establishment of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. In 1906, she invited the local Episcopal women to an organizational meeting and St. Stephen's Church was established as a mission in 1910. The first few years were spent in raising funds to build a church, and in May 1912, work on the first St. Stephen's Church began - the building that now houses the “Heart of the Grove Art Gallery and Gift Shop.” The cornerstone of which was laid June 11, 1912. The Rev. C. P. Jackson became priest-in-charge and in 1919 the Church was enlarged and the cloister added. During World War II, thousands of soldiers and sailors descended upon South Florida for training, and Coconut Grove stopped being an isolated vacation community. Services were soon overflowing. The current Sanctuary was completed in 1956, and the Day School was founded in 1958. Today it is one of the foremost elementary schools in the Miami area. Today, we take pride in our diversity. We are uniquely located in the center of the ever-changing business district of Coconut Grove. The parish runs “Heart of the Grove Art Gallery and Gift Shop,” the St. Stephen’s Arts & Crafts Festival (one of the top ten in the nation!), and the parking concession. The congregation at St. Stephen's contributes regularly to outreach: El Hogar (a school for boys in Honduras), the Homeless Assistance Center in Miami, the Coconut Grove Food Pantry at Christ Church, and Trinity Cathedral's "Feed My Sheep" program, the Lotus House, among others. Charter members included: Mrs. Ralph Munroe, Miss Flora and Miss Lizzie McFarlane, Miss Scott, Mrs. Dearborn and Miss Harris. Rectors Rev. C. P. Jackson, D., D., Priest in Charge 1910- 1914 (resigned) Rev. William Benjamin Soper 1/1/1915 - August 1941 (died) Rev. Rex Wilkes 3/1942 - 12/1948 (called to Grace & St. Peter's Church in Baltimore, MD) Rev. William O. Hanner January 1949 - August 1956 Rev. Don Copeland 1956 - 1963 Rev. Samuel C. W. Fleming 1963 - 1965 Rev. Paul Reeves 1966 - 1968 (became Bishop of Georgia) Rev. Allen R. Hingston October 1969 - January 1, 1988 (retired) Rev. Richard N. Walkley, Interim Rector from Jan 1988 - August 1989 Rev. Robert McCloskey October 1989 - 1999 (retired) Rev. Wilifred Allen-Faiella - August 2001 - Present |
|
