Cathedral Clergy

Cathedral clergy, from left: Deacon Louise Hardman, Deacon Ben Clance, Dean Kate Moorehead, Fr. Bob Askren and Fr. Perry Smith

Bishop Samuel Johnson Howard

The Right Reverend Samuel Johnson Howard, a native of North Carolina, was elected bishop Coadjucator
of the Episcopal Diocese of Florida on May 16, 2003 and was consecrated at St. John’s Cathedral, Jacksonville, November 1, 2003. He was instituted as 8th bishop of the Diocese of Florida on January 29th, 2004.

Bishop Howard served as vicar of Trinity Church Wall Street, New York, since December of 1997.

Prior to moving to New York, Bishop Howard was rector of St. James’ Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Before that he was Assistant to the Rector of Holy Comforter in Charlotte, North Carolina. Bishop Howard graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary and was ordained in 1989. He practiced law in Raleigh, North Carolina from 1976 through 1986, serving as Assistant United States Attorney and Lead Attorney for the Federal Drug Enforcement Task Force for the Eastern District of North Carolina. In that role, he established and directed the Federal Public Defender office in that state. He also served as an attorney on the staff of the United States Senate Commerce Committee.

In addition to being an alumnus of Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia, he is a graduate of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts and of the Law School of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Bishop Howard and his wife Marie have two sons, Augustus and Charles. Click here to email Bishop Howard.

The Very Rev. Kate Moorehead, Dean

The Very Reverend Katherine B. (Kate) Moorehead is the 10th Dean of St. John’s Cathedral and Dean of the Diocese of Florida.  Kate came to us in 2009 from Wichita, Kansas, where she served as the rector of St. James Episcopal Church for eight years.  Prior to serving St. James, she was rector of St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Bolling Springs, SC.

Kate graduated Phi Beta Kappa  from Vassar College, receiving The Sara Caitlin Award for Religious Leadership and graduated Cum laude with a Master of Divinity degree from Virginia Theological Seminary, receiving the Harris Award for Academic Excellence and Leadership Ability.  The dean is author of three books, Organic God (2006), Between Two Worlds (2004) and Get Over Yourself: God’s here (2009).  Kate and her husband James (J.D.) have three young sons–Luke, Jake, and Max. Click here to email Kate.

The Rev. Canon J. Perry Smith

The Reverend J. Perry Smith, our Canon for Pastoral Care, joined the cathedral staff in November, 2009. Bishop Howard named Perry Vicar of St. Cyprian’s in June 2007, after he moved to St. Augustine from Baltimore, Md., where he had served as a deacon and priest since 1993. Perry was a major force in rebuilding St. Cyprian’s into a vital mission, increasing average Sunday attendance, plate offerings and growing for outreach.

Ordained a vocational deacon in 1988 in the Diocese of the Rio Grande, Perry was then a FBI agent working in El Paso, Texas. He was heavily engaged in church building, particularly among Hispanics. Transferred to Minneapolis, he became the diocesan cathedral deacon, where he served liturgically and as the principal homebound visitor, and the coordinator for the soup kitchen volunteers.

In 1993, again transferred, Perry was named cathedral deacon in the Diocese of Maryland and served there liturgically to both the English and Spanish speaking congregations, and he was pastor to the sick and homebound until he retired from the FBI in 2001. Raised-up by the community and supported by the Bishop of Maryland, Perry attended The Protestant Theological Seminary in Virginia, graduating in 2003 with a Masters in Theological Studies.

Ordained priest on May 25, 2002, Perry served as assistant rector at Emmanuel Church in Baltimore for two years. His duties included preaching, pastoral care and visitation to 22 homebound parishioners; and celebrant/administrator for the Wednesday mid-day Eucharist and concert series. He conducted training for lay Eucharistic ministers, lay readers and acolyte. He was also a member of the diocesan Commission on Ministry. His last cure in the Diocese of Maryland was chaplain to the Episcopal Congregation at Ft. Meade, Maryland.

Perry’s special interests and skills include writing for publication and tennis.  His first book The Unlikely Priest was released in October 2011. He lived in Spain
and Latin America for many years and is a fluent Spanish speaker. Click here to email Fr. Perry.

The Rev. Dr. Robert Askren

The Rev. Dr. Robert “Bob” Askren has served as a priest and teacher for more than 40 years. He came St. John’s Cathedral as a priest associate in 2006 after his retirement from full-time parish ministry. He currently serves as director of the Institute for Christian Studies at the Cathedral.

Bob previously served as interim rector at Trinity Parish in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and as interim rector at Trinity Parish in St. Augustine. He was associate rector of Church of Our Savior in Jacksonville from 1996-2002.

Bob graduated from the University of Florida and The Virginia Theological Seminary. He is licensed by the House of Bishops  in pastoral care, and is board certified  by the Association of Professional Chaplains. He is the founder and first president of Marion County Hospice.

Bob taught philosophy for six years at South Florida Community College and taught college writing at Indiana-Purdue University. In addition to his duties at the cathedral, he is a substitute teacher in English and foreign language for The Bolles School of Jacksonville. Click here to email Fr. Bob.

The Rev. Ben Clance

The Rev. Ben Clance, Deacon for Prison Ministries, was ordained at St. John’s Cathedral on May 23, 2010.  He has served as a volunteer chaplain in maximum security prisons for more than 10 years. Ben has baptized hundreds of prisoners. He also serves prisoners about to be executed, washing their feet, and offering them the opportunity to confess their sins and experience the love of God.  He celebrates cell-to-cell communion and also counseling, and provides confirmation studies to prisoners. Ben and his wife, Pat, have been married 58 years.

The Rev. Louise Hardman

The Rev. Louise O. Hardman, deacon, was ordained on May 23, 2010. She has been a member of St. John’s Cathedral since 1995.

Louise was a founding member of the Center for Prayer & Spirituality in 2003 and has served as director since 2008. She prepares programs for the Center that offer the experience of contemplative prayer, including Sunday morning contemplative prayer, Quiet Garden Days, Quiet Day retreats and Services of Hope in Advent and Lent, Wednesday Night Study, the Friday contemplative eucharist and meditation, diocesan-wide presentations on prayer and the Almost Weekly eWord. Under her leadership, the Center established the Institute for Prayer & Spirituality, an ecumenical advisory council whose mission is to share resources to cultivate contemplative practices. Additionally, she serves on the board of the Institute for Christian Studies and is chaplain to the vestry.

Louise retired in 2006 after 18 years as Director of Development, Baptist Health Foundation in Jacksonville. Her community involvement in Jacksonville includes founding President of brAIDS (Building Resources for AIDS Education, Prevention and Awareness); a Twelve Who Care recipient in 1997; and a Community Connections Women of Distinction selection in 2005. In the mid-1990s she was appointed by the mayor to the Health Services Planning Council for HIV/AIDS and served for three years.

Louise is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has two adult children, John and O’Kelley. Click here to email Louise.