Thanksgiving Offering Provides Opportunity to Complete Church, Change Lives Construction

When the Rt. Rev. Lloyd Allen, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Honduras, looks at his far-ranging diocese, encompassing the entire country, he sees great need – and great hope. That hope lies behind his choice of the parish of San Antonio de Masaguera as the recipient – for the third year in a row – of funds collected in the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida’s Thanksgiving Offering. The Rt. Rev. Dr. Justin S. Holcomb joins his Honduran counterpart in asking that churches and individuals pray about their part in assisting this parish, where the Very Rev. Canon Connie Sanchez, who also serves as canon to the ordinary and dean of the Lenca Deanery, is priest-in-charge.

“I selected San Antonio again this year because we’re trying to finish up the building,” said Bishop Allen. “We’ve almost finished the roofing, and all the walls are up, and we’ll begin to place doors, windows and wiring for electricity. So it’s coming along, but we have more work to do.”

“With God’s help, we hope to see funds come in that enable our Honduran brothers and sisters to finish this project,” said Bishop Holcomb. “Having a church building in San Antonio de Masaguera will mean much more than bricks and mortar. It will allow the church to extend its life-changing ministry both now and in years to come.”

Living Hope

San Antonio de Masaguera may seem like an unlikely place for hope. Because of its remote location and surrounding rugged terrain, Bishop Allen can only reach the parish in a four-wheel-drive vehicle. “I take my time on the bumpy roads, but once you get there, the love and faith of the people make all the difference,” he said.

With a population that consists largely of agricultural workers, San Antonio is like many other rural communities in Honduras and is losing its young people to more urban areas that can offer more. “When you visit there, you see small children and their grandparents – very few young people,” the bishop said. He also cites a “growing plague of alcoholism” in the community. “There’s nothing much there for young people,” he said.

Yet amid these seeming negatives in the parish, “The church is there,” Bishop Allen said. “The church is very strong, and the people we have there are engaged and committed to being there and evangelizing the community and going out and sharing the gospel.”

One of those committed people, whose life stands as an expression of hope, is María José Benítez Benítez, 17. Benítez was selected to attend Evento de Jóvenes Episcopales 2026, a youth gathering held July 13-16 in Rionegro, Colombia, and patterned after the Episcopal Youth Event, a triennial gathering for young people held in the U.S.

“I can joyfully say that this gathering made a lasting impact on my life and strengthened my relationship with God in a truly special way,” Benítez wrote in a summary paper about her opportunity. “EYE was much more than a trip to another country or an event where we met new people. For me, it was an opportunity to pause for a moment and listen more clearly to God’s voice. Through the activities, worship, prayers, reflections and fellowship with other young people, I came to understand that God is always present, guiding our steps and reminding us how deeply He loves us.

The gathering also left her with a desire to spread gospel-based hope to others. “Having experienced this gathering, I am committed to continuing to serve in my church with greater enthusiasm,” she wrote. “I want to participate more willingly in my congregation’s activities, offer my support whenever needed and serve as an example to other young people through my Christian witness. I also want to strengthen my prayer life, read God’s Word more consistently and continue growing spiritually so that my faith does not depend solely on special moments like this one but becomes an integral part of my everyday life.

“Furthermore, I am committed to sharing with other young people what I learned at EYE, encouraging them to draw closer to the Lord and trust that God has a purpose for each one of us,” Benítez continued. “I do not want this experience to remain merely a beautiful memory or a collection of photographs. Rather, I want it to bring about real changes in the way I live, think and serve.

Sacrificial Giving

San Antonio parishioners – including the man who was then the village mayor – meet as a house church but saved money for over 10 years to qualify for a loan that allowed them to purchase land for a church building. Funds provided by Central Florida’s two previous Thanksgiving offerings have allowed them to lay a foundation and begin work on the church building.

In addition to financial resources, Bishop Allen has another hope: bringing a small (six to eight people) mission team from Central Florida to help finalize the construction. It is also possible that teams of skilled workers could come earlier to help save some of the labor costs in the original budget.

Bishop Holcomb and the Honduras Commission are encouraging individuals and churches to consider adopting individual line items from the budget, a few of which are given below, that are especially meaningful to them or their congregation. For example, a church known for its beautiful doors may want to pay for the wooden doors and installation, and one with beautiful stained glass may want to assume the cost of the windows. A church that has several skilled workers may want to send a team to assist with the labor for one or more areas (general construction, painting, plumbing and electrical work will all be needed).

• Church Tower: $3,800
• Wooden doors: $5,000
• Windows: $3,000

“What better way is there than this for our diocese to both spread the gospel and be the hands and feet of Jesus in Honduras?” said the Rev. Wesny Dubic, priest assistant for youth and family ministry at St. James, Ormond Beach, and chair of the Honduras Commission. “Participating in the Thanksgiving Offering shows that we are doing exactly what we are called to do. A need such as this will require creative thinking and sacrificial giving, but our diocese has a long-term history of support for our Companion Diocese relationship. I look forward to seeing what God does through his people.”

Thanksgiving Offering Donation Options

You may give online through our website with the following steps:

• Go to the main menu at CFDiocese.org (top right) and select “Donate.”
• Click the “Select a fund” dropdown menu.
• Select “Thanksgiving Offering.”
• Fill in the amount and your email address.
• Then click the “Continue” button and follow the prompts.

Checks payable to the Diocese of Central Florida with “2026 Thanksgiving Offering” in the memo may be mailed to the diocesan office at the following address:

Diocese of Central Florida
1017 E. Robinson St.
Orlando, FL 32801

If God leads you to sponsor one of the line items mentioned earlier in the article, please call the diocesan office at 407-423-3567 and ask for Irene Safier.