CENTRALFLORIDAEPISCOPALIAN NEWS FROM THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
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BISHOP GREG AND LAURA LEE BREWER VISIT
HISTORIC ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
MORE NEWS INSIDE:
BISHOP’S COLUMN p.3
VOLUME 116, No. 5
JULY 2014
CHILI CHAMPION’S CHALLENGE PAGE 30
MORE THANKS FROM CANON BENNETT p. 4
Rebecca, Matt, Roz, Jenn, Andrew and Ernie Bennett at Grove Park Inn, Asheville, Christmas 2011
CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, APOPKA EFM, p. 8
PAGE 17
HISTORY OF ST. MARY, p. 30
Scores of friends celebrate at the Rev. Canon Ernie Bennett retirement dinner M
ay 31 at the Winter Park Racquet Club was an especially joyous evening for friends of Canon Ernie Bennett’s who gathered to help celebrate his 46 years of ministry. Homages in song, video and testimonials rang out at the party, as old friends reminisced about their long association with Ernie.
Spring Hill farewell party, May, 1985
Baptism in Fort Pierce, with Sharon Britcher
Ernie’s remarks at the retirement dinner, May 31 at the Winter Park Racquet Club I do want to say a word. And here’s the word: “thank you”! I shared earlier, I didn’t even know that I knew this many people. Much less, being able to say that I had this many friends. And that’s just really touched me deeply. I am honored. I am humbled by your expressions. I can’t say anything, but “thank you”. But I’m going to say a few more words. Some people have asked me, “what is it like now to be retiring?” And I say that “I’ve actually always been retiring.” Some of you got that joke. Bishop Gregg mentioned some time ago was that one of the things he had done for me over these two years is to laugh at my jokes. So, I appreciate it when people actually do that. CONTINUED ON P. 10