Bishops Justin Holcomb (L), Megan Traquair (C) and Lloyd Allen (R) | Photo: BISHOP JUSTIN HOLCOMB

Since 1974, the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida and the Episcopal Diocese of Honduras have enjoyed a strong Companion Diocese relationship that has only grown stronger in recent months. The Rt. Rev. Dr. Justin S. Holcomb of Central Florida and the Rt. Rev. Lloyd Allen of Honduras are celebrating this relationship and the work God is doing to advance the gospel in both dioceses.

“I was delighted to receive Bishop Allen’s invitation to present a workshop at the Diocese of Honduras’ annual convention, and even more delighted to connect on a personal level with so many leaders there,” Holcomb said.

Bishops Holcomb (front, R) and Traquair (front, L) at the 2025 Diocesan Convention in Honduras with Bishop Allen (front, C), clergy from Alabama and Northern California, Mrs. Irais Murphy (in green) and traditional dancers. | Photo: CANON CONNIE SANCHEZ

“Bishop Justin being here for our Diocesan Convention on Feb. 21-22 was a great success,” Allen said. “As a convention, it was grandiose. I am very happy with the outcome. From Central Florida, we had Bishop Justin and Mrs. Irais Murphy [member of the Executive Committee of the Diocesan Board from St. John’s, Kissimmee], who translated for him. We also had with us the Rt. Rev. Megan Traquair, the bishop of the Diocese of Northern California, with about six people from her diocese; as well as representatives from the Diocese of Alabama, with whom we have a new Companion Diocese relationship. I think Bishop Holcomb enjoyed himself here, and his workshop was very well attended.”

Long History

Allen’s memories of the Companion Diocese partnership stretch back to the days when he served as an acolyte and lay reader at Espirito Santo (Holy Spirit) Episcopal Church in Tela and the late Rt. Rev. William Folwell, second bishop of the Diocese of Central Florida, would visit Honduras. Allen also remembers multiple visits from the late Rev. Ronald Brokaw, longtime priest in the Diocese of Central Florida and a strong supporter of the Diocese of Honduras, especially the Our Little Roses Orphanage in San Pedro Sula.

“I don’t recall that Bishop Howe [the Rt. Rev. John Howe, third bishop of the Diocese of Central Florida] ever came to Honduras, at least during my episcopacy, but he was very open to our relationship, and he would always issue an invitation to come to the Diocesan Convention,” Allen said. “I got very much involved with the Diocese of Central Florida then, and more so during Bishop Brewer’s time [the Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer, fourth bishop of the Diocese of Central Florida, who served the diocese from 2012-2023]. He took that relationship to another level, coming to Honduras and learning about the culture and all that was going on.

“Beyond that, it was Father Comforted Keen,” he said. “By that time, there was a Honduras Commission, and Father Comforted, chair of the commission, was very outgoing with the relationship: knocking on doors and letting people know that we were here in Honduras. But it was not only Father Comforted who helped our relationship with the Diocese of Central Florida. It was also the Rev. Wes Dubic, who followed after Father Comforted as chair of the Honduras Commission.”

Safe Church

Mrs. Irais Murphy translates for Bishop Holcomb. | Photo: CANON CONNIE SANCHEZ

Holcomb’s 90-minute workshop, repeated twice, at the Diocesan Convention of the Diocese of Honduras focused on practical steps for creating a safe church environment. Allen first learned of the Central Florida bishop’s longtime safe church expertise when he attended Holcomb’s June 2023 consecration as one of the consecrating bishops.

“After his consecration, he gave me a couple of books he had written with his wife on the subject of safe church,” Allen said. “When I came home, I started flipping through those books. Then, as I traveled again through the Diocese of Honduras, one of the things that especially broke my heart when I went out into the rural areas is that I would see kids having kids, and no one would say anything about it. I would even go to the clergy and say, ‘You know, I’ve noticed this. What’s going on?’ No one would want to say anything.”

Holcomb’s books fascinated the Honduran bishop, who was familiar with the safe church initiative but had little experience in terms of applying it at either the church or the diocesan level. “Safe church is now a mandate within The Episcopal Church at every institution,” Allen said. “Schools, churches, everyone must do a workshop on safe church for the staff, and everybody should be involved. That’s why I invited Bishop Justin to come and do the workshop, and people were interested. We’re starting to see change, and people are taking interest. We have a Safe Church Committee now in the diocese, and so this is a byproduct.”

Like Holcomb, Allen recognizes that the safe church initiative extends beyond a committee or workshop. “This has to go on until the people of Honduras are educated … at least until Episcopalians are educated,” he said. “That’s because we run schools, we run orphanages and we run social projects. Everybody needs to be involved. Everybody needs to come on board.”

Bishop Holcomb presents Canon Connie Sanchez with the gift of a handwritten icon, “Our Lady Protector Mary,” as Bishop Allen looks on. | Photo: IRAIS MURPHY

Relational Blessings

Holcomb’s time in Honduras was not solely devoted to safe church issues, however. On the first day of the Diocesan Convention, he presented Allen and his canon to the ordinary, the Rev. Canon Connie Sanchez, with icons written by the Rev. Marcia Allison, deacon at St. James, Ormond Beach, and wife of the parish’s rector, the Rev. Roy Allison. The icon presented to Allen was “The Good Shepherd,” in honor of the Diocese of Honduras’ cathedral, El Buen Pastor. Sanchez’s icon was “Our Lady Protector Mary,” in honor of her ministry to women, especially with regard to Saving With Education (a smart-finances ministry mentioned by Allen in his address to Central Florida’s 2025 Diocesan Convention) and the Altar Linen Project.

During his stay in Honduras, Holcomb also carried out Allen’s request that he “gather with the people there and get to know them,” which he did wholeheartedly. He and Murphy both joined in cultural dances showcased at the Convention and interacted with Spanish-speakers throughout his stay.

“It was wonderful that he brought Irais along to do the translating,” Allen said. “I would say he had a good time just having the opportunity to meet and talk with the people. We had some traditional dancers there from both the African and the Latin cultures in Honduras; they all had something to contribute. Having representatives from these three dioceses [Central Florida, Northern California and Alabama] there contributed even more to the richness of our convention.”

Bishops Holcomb and Traquair join the traditional Honduran dancers. | Photo: IRAIS MURPHY

“When the music started, I joined in the dancing,” said Holcomb. “How could I not? It was a celebration of gospel partnership and friendship that spans generations, languages and cultures.”

Holcomb’s interaction with the representatives from the other three dioceses also blessed Allen. “They were all staying at the same hotel, so Bishop Holcomb had the opportunity to share with all these people and to mingle with them,” he said. “With the Diocese of Alabama, they talked about what a companion relationship is and what the Honduras Commission is because they’re new in it. … Northern California is also very enthusiastic.

“Having the Diocese of Central Florida out there at the forefront with their relationship with us and explaining what it was all about, and then having the opportunity for the bishop personally to address issues with the other dioceses was wonderful,” Allen said. “We’re looking forward to great things.”

Diaconal Formation

At the 2025 Diocesan Convention of the Diocese of Central Florida, Allen asked for and received a commitment from Holcomb to partner with Honduras in two more key initiatives: clergy formation and Christian education in churches.

“Even before the Diocesan Convention, Bishop Justin had spoken with me about the fact that Bishop Allen was interested in the formation of his deacons, and the two bishops had talked about the program we have in Central Florida,” said the Ven. Julie Altenbach, archdeacon for the Diocese of Central Florida who has worked with her fellow archdeacon, the Ven. John Motis, to revamp the diocese’s Institute for Christian Studies, its vehicle for leadership training and Christian education. “On Friday evening of the convention, I was able to speak briefly with Bishop Allen, and he was telling me a little bit about what they were hoping to do.

“Their priest formation is really well developed, but there’s a need for deacons to be in the field – both to help priests but also to help in ways more specific to deacons,” she explained. “They’re the bridge between the church and the community, really helping take care of those in need. This topic came up again when Bishop Justin was in Honduras, and I met with Irais Murphy afterward, asking for more detail on some of the areas that have been causing them difficulty. In this diocese of 114 churches spread across the entire nation, geographic location is definitely a factor.

“Our next step is to set up a Zoom meeting with Irais Murphy; Archdeacon John Motis; Bishop Allen; the Very Rev. Rosa Angelia Gamez, dean of theological education in Honduras; and me,” Altenbach said. “We’re working on that right now. One of the things I know we’re going to want to do is have their students go through our program with the Thirdmill Foundation because it’s all offered in Spanish, and then the foundation course in particular covers scripture and theology. That really lays the groundwork for what someone in the diaconate process might be looking for, no matter where they are.

Welcome sign for the three visiting dioceses | Photo: IRAIS MURPHY

“The Thirdmill videos are really well produced and feature different experts in the field teaching and offering their expertise, including our own Dean Kidd [the Very Rev. Dr. Reggie Kidd, dean of the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando],” she continued. “The videos lend themselves to anyone, regardless of their prior experience, and they’re really captivating. There are also lots of other resources that go along with them too.”

During the second week of March, Allen held a program with 37 candidates for the permanent diaconate (his term for those who believe God is calling them to the diaconate but not the priesthood) as well as 12 postulants whom he expects to become candidates for the transitional diaconate (those who will transition from the diaconate to the priesthood, most likely within the year). With Altenbach’s input, he looks forward to receiving assistance in training these deacons from the Diocese of Central Florida.

“I’ve already received information from Archdeacon Julie on what the process is in Central Florida, and how we will go about sharing resources,” he said. “I think we will probably look at the program and not present it just the way it is but adapt it to our needs and to the culture.”

“We want to just have a conversation in this Zoom meeting where we’re all in the same room,” Altenbach said. “It will just be a brainstorming session where we can ask, ‘What are your hopes for this? What are the areas where you’ve had challenges?’ And then we can respond in kind to what we think we might be able to do to help them in that process.

“I have some ideas of things we tried here that I think will work for them, and then some things that I want to implement,” she said. “I think having some mentoring is definitely something that would benefit them. At first, it might be priests mentoring the deacons, but then later, it could be deacons mentoring deacons.”

StoryMakers

The Diocese of Central Florida is also helping introduce resources to its companion partner in another area of need and opportunity: Christian education for children and teens. StoryMakers, a set of resources designed to bring the Bible to life by sparking curiosity, hope and faith, is making its way into the Honduran diocese’s culture.

StoryMakers NYC is a not-for-profit creative studio with the core desire that kids, teens and grownups know that God is with them, for them and actively redeeming them. The studio produces formational curriculum for children and teens that follows the liturgical calendar and allows them to engage with scripture and church tradition in creative, interactive ways.

“Our partnership with the Diocese of Central Florida will assist me in getting StoryMakers into every one of my congregations, especially those that have Christian education associated with them,” Allen said.

Jackie Jones, director of strategic partnerships for StoryMakers NYC, said the company is committed to sharing imaginative gospel resources with communities worldwide.

“We are thrilled about our budding partnership with the Episcopal Diocese of Honduras, a collaboration that will support the next generation of children and families in new and meaningful ways,” she said. “As we expand our international reach, we remain dedicated to equipping churches and ministries with imaginative tools that spark faith, wonder and spiritual formation across cultures.”

Gratitude and Hopes for the Future

The bishop of Honduras also expressed continuing gratitude for the annual Thanksgiving offerings from the Diocese of Central Florida, which continue to minister to his diocese.

“In 2023, we received some resources to help at San Patricio (Saint Patrick’s) Church in El Progreso, and we have new clergy there. I celebrated the evening of Ash Wednesday in that congregation, and things are beginning to change. … I hope to share photos with you all so you can see the improvement being done on the church with the resources we received from the Diocese of Central Florida. They’re being put to good use, and that Thanksgiving Offering always makes a big difference in the congregation where I assign it, depending on what the needs are.

“This year, we’re investing the funds from the 2024 Thanksgiving Offering into a new church building for the parish in San Antonio de Masaguara, where the Very Rev. Canon Connie Sanchez is dean of that deanery,” he said. “I want to express our gratitude on behalf of these congregations, clergy and Canon Connie, who has been in and out of Central Florida and is also very grateful for all you do for us.”

“I would say between safe church, deacon formation and StoryMakers, we’ll be doing a lot in companionship with the Diocese of Central Florida,” Allen said. “Beyond that, we also have an exchange program and short-term mission programs. I have St. Barnabas in Deland bringing a team in April, and they’re partnering with one of our local schools. So that’s another part of this relationship. But I think things are off to a good start with Bishop Justin and his involvement.”

“We are entering the latest chapter in a long and joyful partnership between the Diocese of Central Florida and the Diocese of Honduras,” Holcomb said. “It was an honor to lead safe church sessions at their annual Diocesan Convention and to see the beginning stages of diaconal formation planning. I’m especially grateful for the warmth and faithfulness of our sisters and brothers in Honduras and for Bishop Allen’s leadership and friendship through the years.

“I look forward to seeing how God will use the partnership between our dioceses to advance his kingdom, providing even more ways for people to hear and respond to the gospel of Christ.”