‘Invite Welcome Connect’ Spurs Shift in Cathedral’s 2025 Blessing of the Backpacks

This year’s Blessing of the Backpacks service at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando, held on Aug. 10, looked a little different than in years past. The Very Rev. Dr. Reggie Kidd, Cathedral dean, blessed students and their backpacks and offered a special blessing over local educators, first responders and elected officials.

“I think local officials are grateful to know that churches care about them and the work they do with the children of our communities,” he said.  “I was very pleased with the response.”

The Cathedral’s Invite Welcome Connect ministry, headed by the Rev. Canon Gordon Sims, deacon for pastoral care, headed up this year’s backpack event. “I was very pleased with the number of local officials who came to the Blessing of the Backpacks,” Sims said. “It shows that both the Cathedral and local officials are involved in our community.”

Also part of the ministry was Mr. Louis Lovestrand, ministry lead of the Invite endeavor. “We had recently attended training on the Invite, Welcome, Connect ministry, and this was the first ‘Invitable’ event on our calendar,” he said. “The civic leaders were my idea, but there was effort across the whole team.

“Grace Symmons [director of communications for the Cathedral] developed nice graphics that I submitted to our city commissioner,” he continued. “Edna and Dennis Ramsey were poised for me to hand off special guests and get them seated. I was in the parking lot greeting people and would hand them off to Edna and Dennis to bring inside and seat in a special section. Our ushers and the rest of the IWC ministry team were acting as ambassadors to spot them after the service and make them feel welcome. It was a team effort overall.”

Lovestrand also sent personalized emails to 600 area schoolteachers. “I invited more than those who came, but every person who committed to coming did show up,” he said. “I was worried that people would get busy or forget, but everyone who said they would show did. Even Spectrum News 13 showed up to film the blessing part and interview the dean afterward.”

Local leaders who received the blessing were: Interim Commissioner Shan Rose, Orlando District 5; Ms. Stephanie Vanos, member, Orange County School Board, District 6; Dr. Maria Vazquez, superintendent, Orange County Public Schools; Chief Charlie Salazar, Deputy Chief Shannon Keesey and Chaplain Lonnie Crawford, all of the Orlando Fire Department; and Lieutenant Ryan McConnell, Orlando Police Department.

Blessing recipients were grateful. “As an elected official, I was deeply honored and humbled to receive blessings for the new school year,” Rose said. “It’s a meaningful reminder of the trust and hopes that the community places in my leadership. These blessings inspire me to continue serving with integrity, compassion and dedication. I’m grateful for the support and spiritual encouragement as we enter a new chapter together.”

Fifty-nine children, youth, adults and backpacks received a blessing on the altar during the 10:15 a.m. service.

For Lovestrand, the lesson was “If you invite them, they will come.”

“I was hoping for a nice showing so I could report back to my team and the congregation that people would respond to a simple invitation,” he said. “And if they could respond to an invitation from a stranger, how many more people might respond to an invitation from a friend?”

Sims saw God at work through the event. “I think that the Holy Spirit is working at the Cathedral, as we are seeing more participation in our ministries,” he said. “Inasmuch as we are the bishop’s church, we need to show the Holy Spirit is working through us.”