(Top L-R) Francis W. Eppes and his home, where settlers gathered for lay-led morning and evening prayer (Bottom L-R) The original wood church building and the current Cathedral Church of St. Luke | Photos: Courtesy of the Cathedral Church of St. Luke

The year 2024 is an exciting time in the history of the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando. The church is celebrating its establishment as the first worshipping Episcopal parish in Orlando and welcoming others to celebrate as well.

This is the 150th year since Frances W. Eppes, grandson of Thomas Jefferson, established the first Episcopal church in what was then the town of Orlando. Because there was no Episcopal church to attend, Eppes, an ardent Episcopal churchman and lay reader, gathered area settlers to his home for lay-led prayers and offices. This marked the birth of the Cathedral Church of St. Luke.

Beginning in September, the church will highlight and honor the fact that St. Luke’s was started by the laity (non-clergy). The season of celebration kicked off on Sept. 8 and runs through Nov. 10. Each Sunday, the Dean’s Hour, from 9-10 a.m., will include a short presentation called “Cathedral 101,” presenting the various ministries still performed by the laypeople of the church.

In October, concurrent with the church’s annual patron Saint’s Day observance, the congregation will gather to celebrate the church’s first-ever service with a churchwide family picnic on the grounds of the original home of Francis W. Eppes. This will be held on Saturday, Oct. 19, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. A catered barbecue lunch will be served, accompanied by St. Luke’s traditional dessert competition, children’s games, proclamations and more.

On Oct. 27 at 12:30 p.m., Jonathan Rich and Phil Eschbach, authors of Spires in the Sun: The Carpenter Gothic Episcopal Churches in Florida (Frederic C. Bell, 2023), will present their passion for and love of these treasured Carpenter Gothic churches. Noting that “we only preserve what we love and only love what we understand,” they look forward to sharing fascinating insights and hope all who come will be imbued with fresh inspiration for the Cathedral and its architecture.

In the month of November, the church will exhibit various vestments in the Great Hall. The exhibits will include altar frontals and banners used in its services during the various seasons of the church calendar.  These displays will run on two consecutive Sundays, Nov. 10 and Nov. 17, and can be viewed from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. and again between 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.

Even as the people of the Cathedral cherish its rich heritage and celebrate the opportunity to worship in such a beautiful, sacred space, they are simultaneously conscious of the responsibility to carry forward its rich legacy.

“St. Luke, the Beloved Physician, worked alongside the apostle Paul, the apostle to the nations, to help people do what Paul called ‘the work of the ministry’: building a house for God,” said the Very Rev. Dr. Reggie Kidd, Cathedral dean. “In that same spirit, the Cathedral Church of St. Luke has emerged over the course of the past 150 years – beginning with the vision of the Episcopal lay reader Francis Eppes along with the Shine, Summerlin, Westcott and Gresham families. It is an honor, in our day, to celebrate and dedicate ourselves to continuing their vision to bring God’s good news of healing, beauty and love in Jesus Christ to Central Florida.”