This Is Us!
May 27, 2026
Why Juneteenth?
June 9, 2026
Dear Cathedral,
It is my joy to welcome Catherine Nicols as our Intern this summer. Catherine just finished her sophomore year at Smith College, where she is double-majoring in Politics and Religion. Catherine will focus on research and advocacy for the homeless here in Jacksonville. She will be working here and at St. Mary’s Church in Springfield.
I will let her introduce herself in her own eloquent words.
“I hope to combine my love for Jacksonville, academic interests, and nonprofit experience to help St. John’s and St. Mary’s better understand the needs of our homeless neighbors.”
Catherine Nichols
Hello, Cathedral Family,
I am thrilled to intern at St. John’s this summer. I was born and raised in Jacksonville and in the Episcopal Church, and I have seen firsthand just how impactful the Cathedral is on the local community in Jacksonville. As a student of politics and religion, I focus my academic studies on how the two intersect—both in people’s everyday lives and in the systems and institutions that shape our world. Outside of school, I am also an avid reader, and I love to spend time painting and kayaking on the beautiful St. John’s River.
This summer, I hope to combine my love for the city of Jacksonville, my academic interests, and my background in political nonprofit work to help St. John’s and St. Mary’s better understand the needs of Jacksonville’s homeless community, especially as city and state laws continue to change. As a parish located in the heart of downtown, St. John’s makes the needs of our homeless neighbors a priority, and the church has become increasingly aware of how evolving political landscapes are making once-straightforward processes, such as acquiring a state-issued ID, next to impossible. One of my projects as an intern will involve researching this problem not only from a technical policy perspective, but through talking to and interviewing community members, nonprofit leaders, governmental figures, and others at the heart of the issue in order to better understand why certain laws have been put into place and what the best next steps might be. As my work evolves, I’ll be sharing progress updates and helpful information about problems facing the homeless community and what role St John’s and its parishioners can play in beginning to solve them.
It is truly an honor to be here, and I am very excited to get to know this community more as I work with St. John’s and St. Mary’s to learn about and address major issues facing our homeless neighbors in the city of Jacksonville. I’ll be at St. John’s on Tuesdays and Sunday mornings—if you see me around, please introduce yourself and say hello!
~Catherine
