Clergy

The Right Reverend Samuel Johnson Howard, a native of North Carolina, was elected bishop coadjutor 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. The Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop, though he travels nearly each week to other churches in the diocese. Bishop Howard served as vicar of Trinity Church Wall Street, New York, since December of 1997. Read more here.

The Very Rev. Kate Moorehead is the 10^th Dean of St. John’s Cathedral. Kate is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Vassar College, a Carpenter Scholar at Yale Divinity School and has a Masters in Divinity cum laude from Virginia Theological Seminary.

Kate is the author of seven books. The most recent are Angels of the Bible: Finding Grace, Beauty and Meaning and Healed: How Mary Magdalene Was Made Well. Her books can be purchased at the St. John’s Cathedral Bookstore or on Amazon.com.

Bob has served as Rector of some of the largest Episcopal Churches in the United States, including Christ Church Greeenville South Carolina and St. Michael and All Angels in Dallas. Bob has come to us to assist the Dean in the running of the staff and administration of this Cathedral and to be closer to his children and grandchildren. Bob is a native of northern Florida. Bob received his Master’s of Divinity from Virginia Theological Seminary, a Doctorate in Ministry at Drew University and a PhD at the Graduate Theological Union.

Father Raja is a native of Jordan who came to Jacksonville after serving as a priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Egypt. He is a graduate of the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo, Egypt. He was ordained a priest in 1993 in the Diocese of Jerusalem and the Middle East and served there until he began ministry in the Diocese of Egypt in 1998. He and his family moved to Jacksonville in 2013.

As chaplain to the Cathedral Residences, he provides pastoral care and leads Bible studies for the elderly who live in apartments near the Cathedral managed by Aging True. He also assists in services as needed at St. John’s Cathedral. He and his wife, Lily, have two sons, Fouad and Karim

A native of Montgomery, Alabama, Saundra grew up in the Baptist Church, later coming to Jacksonville and to the Episcopal Church through the influence of her husband, Bob Kidd. The Kidds have been long-time active members of St. Mark’s Church, Ortega, and it was by their sponsorship that Saundra sought ordained diaconal ministry. After her ordination four years ago, she served at St. Mark’s until June 1, 2020.

In addition to her degrees from Huntington College, Montgomery, and the University of Alabama, Saundra has also completed significant theological education in preparation for ordination. Following her masters program in Math, Saundra worked for Prudential/AETNA for 27 years, retiring as the Director of Small Business Operations.

Saundra has a wide breadth of experience in both lay and ordained ministry, serving primarily in outreach, formation and pastoral care. She also has participated at the Diocesan level, currently serving on the Commission on Ministry. Saundra’s areas of focus at St. John’s will continue to be the same.

She and Bob have two adult children, Tiffany and Andy, and two grandchildren, Maggie and Emily.