Welcome from the Rector 

Welcome to the website for St. Richard’s Episcopal Church in Winter Park. We are a church on a mission to discover God’s grace and change our lives and change the world. We do that in many different ways. One way to discover God’s grace is to get to know you. What is your life like? What are you looking for in a faith community? One visit to St. Richard’s will help you get to know us. Our church is comfortable, our worship is both recognizable and refreshing all at the same time, our music is uplifting and professional and the people will welcome you with open arms.

Our mission to discover God’s grace includes many opportunities for Fellowship and Outreach. Education is a focus of almost every Sunday during the program year and is intended to be engaging for all ages. If we don’t have what you are looking for at St. Richard’s, we’ll start it. Because the church is the only organization on earth that exists for those who are not yet members, please know that we exist for you.

Feel free to visit anytime. The office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday - Friday. Sunday worship is at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. and Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. for Healing and Holy Eucharist II. Feel free to call anytime and speak to me, office 407-671-4211 or on my cell phone 407-341-5969. Or send me an email with any questions you might have, prayer requests you need to make, anything that is on your heart, rector@strichards.org.

God’s Peace to you!

History of St. Richards's Episcopal Church 

In 1956, the Reverend Paul Reeves, Rector of All Saint's Church, Winter Park, Florida, embarked on the project of establishing a parochial mission.  Members of All Saint's whose homes were generally north and east of downtown Winter Park were invited to participate.  On October 14, 1956, Father Frank M. Brunton, priest in charge, conducted the first service of the new mission in the auditorium of Lakemont Elementary School.  There were 39 persons present.  By June 30, 1957 we had installed the Reverend Christopher B. Young as Vicar.

Construction began in the spring of 1958 and services were held in the new building by the end of the summer.  At the Diocesan Convention in May, 1960, the Mission of St. Richard's was granted parish status with Fr. Chris Young as its first rector.

St. Richard's is recognized as first in many areas:  Florence Biller was the first woman ordained to the perpetual diaconate in our Diocese; Rebecca Wilson was the first woman to serve on a vestry in 1967 and Peggy Gordon held the position of Senior Warden for the first time in the Diocese of Central Florida.  Marion Thulberry joined the staff when she was a seminary student and was ordained the first transitional diaconate and the priesthood, becoming the first woman priest ordained in this diocese.

In March, 1967 plans were begun to build the new church, which is the current building.  The first service was held on Ash Wednesday, February 24, 1971.  The Lady Chapel was placed in the northeastern corner of the sanctuary in 1993.  

St. Richard's Episcopal Church is truly the legacy of many dedicated Christians who had a vision for a new mission in Winter Park.  The mission continues today.