Mission Statement:
"St. Mark's seeks to spread the Gospel and to reflect God's love by our words and actions in service to all."
"St. Mark's seeks to spread the Gospel and to reflect God's love by our words and actions in service to all."
Our Deacons
Deacon Felicity Peck Honored with Mary Catherine Strobel Award
“Felicity, thank you for loving my children."
Those words, from a mother who was unsuccessful in regaining custody of her three children, characterize Felicity Peck’s dedication to the children she serves and explain why she was honored with the 2014 Mary Catherine Strobel Award in the Direct Service Category. Although the mother desperately wanted to have her children with her, Felicity determined their best place was with their father with increased visitation with their mother. The mother, realizing the decision was in the children’s best interest, thanked her. Deacon Felicity has been a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for more than 14 years.
CASA serves vulnerable children from birth to age 18 who have a case pending in Juvenile Court. The CASA volunteer gets to know the child, researches the case, and submits a fact-based written report recommending the services the child needs and the safest placement. The CASA volunteer is the only person on the case with the sole priority of the child’s best interest. The Court relies on the information provided by these volunteers to make more fully informed decisions that will affect the children for the rest of their lives.
The Awards honor the spirit of service demonstrated by Mary Catherine Strobel, a beloved community volunteer known for her compassion and generosity, Mrs. Strobel led many charitable efforts in Nashville and worked each day to serve homeless, impoverished, and sick individuals. She died tragically in 1986, and the awards were created to celebrate her life of service.
“Felicity is a direct proponent and embodiment of the mission of CASA,” said CASA’s Volunteer Coordinator Julieanna Huddle. “She works to find an environment where emotional and personal growth is possible, and then takes the extra step to jump-start that growth rather than assuming that it will happen without external effort. . . Felicity has advocated in the best interest of 36 abused and neglected children, impacting a total of 16 family groups.
While no CASA volunteers are required to travel outside their home county, Julieanna reports that Felicity has literally traveled from one end of the state to the other, visiting on a regular basis children who have been placed in far-ranging cities, including Memphis and Chattanooga.”
Ordained in 2001 and becoming St. Mark’s Deacon in February 2011, Felicity is sure her ministry in the Episcopal Church as a vocational deacon parallels with CASA’s mission to ensure abused and neglected children have a voice and find a safe and permanent home. Julieanna stated, “She is particularly effective in serving on cases with multiple children. The dynamics of a sibling group allow for a variety of different obstacles and responsibilities.” She cited a case with seven special needs siblings that required an incredible amount of time. “In the absence of parents,” she continued, “Felicity appropriately acts as a safe caring adult in the lives of children who may not know one otherwise.”
Reluctant to admit her efforts have an impact on her community, Felicity does allow that her clerical collar sometimes attracts the attention of people in the courthouse who ask about her church and CASA. “So,” she says, “I guess I am evangelizing for both! For years a magistrate thought I was a nun! I wear my collar as an indication that this is the church and CASA at work, not me, the individual person.”
The award was announced at the Annual Awards Luncheon on April 22 at the Franklin Marriott Hotel - Cool Springs Conference Center.
Presenting: The Reverend Donna Floyd, Deacon
On Saturday, June 4, 2016, Bishop John Bauerschmidt ordained Donna S. Floyd and three others as Deacons in the Episcopal Church. Donna’s parents, Don and Betty Rose, joined Fr. Battle Beasley, Deacon Felicity Peck, and Gayle Happel in the procession to the altar at Christ Church Cathedral. This culminated a two-year, intensive study and a lifelong quest for discerning God’s will in her life.
The new Deacons: Roger Saterstrom, Amanda Stephenson, Holly Rankin Zaher, and Donna. Roger and Donna were ordained as Vocational Deacons, while Amanda and Holly became Transitional Deacons.
Donna is a Daughter of the King in the St. Mark’s chapter. Before St. Mark’s, she attended St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church. She did not grow up in the Episcopal Church, but in the Baptist Church and later in the Methodist. Her careers have been just as varied. She grew up in east Tennessee, graduated from the University of Tennessee Medical Units in Memphis in Dental Hygiene, and later returned to college to become an accountant. She is now a retired CPA, and serves as Vice President on the DOK Diocesan Board and Treasurer to the DOK Province IV Executive Committee. Donna’s son Lee Floyd and his wife Alana are expecting Donna’s first grandson any day now.
The new deacons were assigned to various positions throughout the Diocese of Tennessee. Donna did not know where she might be assigned, but was looking forward to her new service. There was great rejoicing when she reported she has been assigned to St. Mark’s.
Donna in her new clerical collar.
“Felicity, thank you for loving my children."
Those words, from a mother who was unsuccessful in regaining custody of her three children, characterize Felicity Peck’s dedication to the children she serves and explain why she was honored with the 2014 Mary Catherine Strobel Award in the Direct Service Category. Although the mother desperately wanted to have her children with her, Felicity determined their best place was with their father with increased visitation with their mother. The mother, realizing the decision was in the children’s best interest, thanked her. Deacon Felicity has been a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for more than 14 years.
CASA serves vulnerable children from birth to age 18 who have a case pending in Juvenile Court. The CASA volunteer gets to know the child, researches the case, and submits a fact-based written report recommending the services the child needs and the safest placement. The CASA volunteer is the only person on the case with the sole priority of the child’s best interest. The Court relies on the information provided by these volunteers to make more fully informed decisions that will affect the children for the rest of their lives.
The Awards honor the spirit of service demonstrated by Mary Catherine Strobel, a beloved community volunteer known for her compassion and generosity, Mrs. Strobel led many charitable efforts in Nashville and worked each day to serve homeless, impoverished, and sick individuals. She died tragically in 1986, and the awards were created to celebrate her life of service.
“Felicity is a direct proponent and embodiment of the mission of CASA,” said CASA’s Volunteer Coordinator Julieanna Huddle. “She works to find an environment where emotional and personal growth is possible, and then takes the extra step to jump-start that growth rather than assuming that it will happen without external effort. . . Felicity has advocated in the best interest of 36 abused and neglected children, impacting a total of 16 family groups.
While no CASA volunteers are required to travel outside their home county, Julieanna reports that Felicity has literally traveled from one end of the state to the other, visiting on a regular basis children who have been placed in far-ranging cities, including Memphis and Chattanooga.”
Ordained in 2001 and becoming St. Mark’s Deacon in February 2011, Felicity is sure her ministry in the Episcopal Church as a vocational deacon parallels with CASA’s mission to ensure abused and neglected children have a voice and find a safe and permanent home. Julieanna stated, “She is particularly effective in serving on cases with multiple children. The dynamics of a sibling group allow for a variety of different obstacles and responsibilities.” She cited a case with seven special needs siblings that required an incredible amount of time. “In the absence of parents,” she continued, “Felicity appropriately acts as a safe caring adult in the lives of children who may not know one otherwise.”
Reluctant to admit her efforts have an impact on her community, Felicity does allow that her clerical collar sometimes attracts the attention of people in the courthouse who ask about her church and CASA. “So,” she says, “I guess I am evangelizing for both! For years a magistrate thought I was a nun! I wear my collar as an indication that this is the church and CASA at work, not me, the individual person.”
The award was announced at the Annual Awards Luncheon on April 22 at the Franklin Marriott Hotel - Cool Springs Conference Center.
Presenting: The Reverend Donna Floyd, Deacon
On Saturday, June 4, 2016, Bishop John Bauerschmidt ordained Donna S. Floyd and three others as Deacons in the Episcopal Church. Donna’s parents, Don and Betty Rose, joined Fr. Battle Beasley, Deacon Felicity Peck, and Gayle Happel in the procession to the altar at Christ Church Cathedral. This culminated a two-year, intensive study and a lifelong quest for discerning God’s will in her life.
The new Deacons: Roger Saterstrom, Amanda Stephenson, Holly Rankin Zaher, and Donna. Roger and Donna were ordained as Vocational Deacons, while Amanda and Holly became Transitional Deacons.
Donna is a Daughter of the King in the St. Mark’s chapter. Before St. Mark’s, she attended St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church. She did not grow up in the Episcopal Church, but in the Baptist Church and later in the Methodist. Her careers have been just as varied. She grew up in east Tennessee, graduated from the University of Tennessee Medical Units in Memphis in Dental Hygiene, and later returned to college to become an accountant. She is now a retired CPA, and serves as Vice President on the DOK Diocesan Board and Treasurer to the DOK Province IV Executive Committee. Donna’s son Lee Floyd and his wife Alana are expecting Donna’s first grandson any day now.
The new deacons were assigned to various positions throughout the Diocese of Tennessee. Donna did not know where she might be assigned, but was looking forward to her new service. There was great rejoicing when she reported she has been assigned to St. Mark’s.
Donna in her new clerical collar.