Howe Consecrated In Central Florida
Episcopal News Service. April 27, 1989 [89082]
WINTER PARK, Fla. (DPS, Apr. 27) -- On April 15, more than 4,000 people filled Calvary Assembly's worship center with song and prayer for the consecration of the Rt. Rev. John Wadsworth Howe as bishop coadjutor of the Diocese of Central Florida.
Presiding Bishop Edmond L. Browning was principal consecrator. Browning and 15 other bishops laid their hands on Howe, the former rector of Truro Episcopal Church in Fairfax, Virginia. Howe will succeed Central Florida's diocesan bishop, the Rt. Rev. William H. Folwell, when Folwell retires at the end of 1989.
Music played an important part in the consecration liturgy. A choir of 450 voices was drawn from 80 parishes of the Diocese of Central Florida. The Truro Singers, a folk group, were among the many visitors from Virginia who participated in the liturgy.
The Rt. Rev. Peter Lee, diocesan of Virginia, preached the sermon.
Because of the large number of people who wished to be part of Howe's consecration ceremony, more space was needed than the Cathedral Church of St. Luke in Orlando could provide. Therefore, the cathedral altar was moved to Calvary Assembly in suburban Winter Park, where up to 5,000 participants and guests could be accommodated.
Howe, who is 46 years old, became rector of Truro 13 years ago. Membership stood at about 600 people. At the time of his election in Central Florida, Truro's membership had grown to about 3,000 people.
The 15-county Diocese of Central Florida was formed when the Diocese of South Florida was partitioned in 1969. There are now about 40,000 Episcopalians in Central Florida.
Co-consecrators were the Rt. Rev. Adrian D. Caceres, Bishop of Ecuador; Bishop Folwell, diocesan of Central Florida; the Rt. Rev. William C. Frey, Bishop of Colorado; and the Rt. Rev. Alden Moinet Hathaway, Bishop of Pittsburgh.