Hello from a very unofficial member of the
office staff at the Diocese of Southeast Florida!

Church Mice have long been a familiar part of Anglican tradition, recognized as the faithful (if a trifle threadbare) companions of sextons, sacristans, altar guilds, eager young curates and faithful (if a trifle threadbare) aging vicars.

Our diocese has added a new rodent to this honored tradition: hungrier than an acolyte after the 8:00 am Eucharist; busier than the parish secretary on Friday afternoon; more tenacious than a stewardship chairperson on the trail of a pledge; not a pest, not exactly a paid employee--it's EpiscoRat!

EpiscoRat made his first appearance in the Diocesan Office in the early 1990s during the episcopate of retired Bishop Calvin O. Schofield, Jr. He quickly became part of Communications Ministry as the unofficial Assistant for Levity (taking ourselves lightly is essential to our work), and a great supporter of the staff’s ministry of hospitality. A frequent contributor to the hospitable atmosphere of the office kitchen, he makes certain that no leftovers go to waste. In order to sustain himself through his lengthy workday, he has also been known to drink vast quantities of office coffee.

After Bishop Frade was elected, EpiscoRat was gratified to hear that he intends to spread the Good News “from the sharks to the alligators”, because that sort of welcome would certainly not exclude a rat!

When the office began to use the Internet, EpiscoRat was one of the first to boldly go (yes, that’s a split infinitive, but if it’s good enough for Captain Kirk, it’s good enough for this rat) where no rat had ventured before—online, with his own modest and unofficial website. Now he continues his efforts in Communications Ministry in the 21st century with this upgraded and redesigned site.

(Note: Although EpiscoRat does appear in a clerical collar, we have been unable to verify that he is indeed a deacon; we have on occasion heard a bishop described as a rat, but we haven't yet known of any bishop who claimed to have ordained one!)

(c)Mary W. Cox, 2008

To email the EpiscoRat kindly click here.