Communion with Cuba

St. John's, like all the diocese of Florida, offers prayers each week for our companion diocese in Cuba. So it was a treat to have the Bishop Coadjutor present and assisting with us during our services yesterday. Rt. Rev. Griselda Delgado Del Carpio spoke through an interpreter during the announcements and offered a post-communion blessing to a parish that regularly sends a team of people each summer to do mission work with San Pedro Apostal in Zorilla, Cuba. She is a rarity in the Latin world; there only five women in priestly orders in the Episcopal Church of Cuba to the 26 men. The purpose of her visit was to strengthen ties between the church here and there. It was an honor to serve at the altar with her yesterday. And (check it out) our Mother Phoebe is back from Down Under. So the women were definitely visible during yesterday's services.
The additional plus was that the Tallahassee Democrat sent a reporter and a photographer to the 9am service; thus landing St. John's on the front page of the newspaper with some positive press for a change! Naturally, the knuckledraggers who post comments on the Democrat's website are all aghast at the idea of a woman bishop, women priests, women with brains, women in general. Good thing our guest of honor doesn't get the Democrat!