Breakaway Texas Diocese Wins Court Battle Over Church Property Claimed by Episcopal Church
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Thursday, June 11, 2015 | Coronavirus →
Breakaway Texas Diocese Wins Court Battle Over Church Property Claimed by Episcopal Church
Breakaway Texas Diocese Wins Court Battle Over Church Property Claimed by Episcopal Church
Rt. Rev. Jack Leo Iker, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas of the Anglican Church in North America. | (Photo: Diocese of Fort Worth)
A judge has ruled that a diocese in Texas which broke away from The Episcopal Church over theological differences is the rightful owner of its church property.
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In the eyes of his family, North Park resident Homero Zapata was a success in every way a loving husband, father and grandfather and a hard-working, self-reliant businessman who never let anyone else pick up the check. But after he died from COVID-19 on Feb. 6, the Zapata family created a GoFundMe page in his memory.
The family’s humble fundraising goal was just $1,000 because daughters Brenda and Lizette Zapata say raising donations was never the primary reason for launching the page. Like many grieving local families, the Zapatas are using their page, titled “In great honor of our father Homero Zapata,” to share photos, stories, memories and eulogies of their loved one during a time when the pandemic has prohibited large funeral gatherings.
It’s a pandemic shift no one saw coming at the start of 2020.
Faith communities began the year expecting members to attend worship in person at least somewhat regularly. Perhaps they’d come to a potluck lunch now and then toting a covered dish.
Now, as churches have moved online, people can belong, officially or informally, without ever darkening a church door.
Some congregants enjoy the flexibility to watch services in their bathrobes. Others welcome the opportunity to find a church that feels like a good fit, regardless of geography.
For Hanne Peterson, virtual worship meant the opportunity to return to a beloved church after moving halfway around the world. She had been missing All Saints Episcopal Church in Bellevue, Washington, ever since she returned to her native country in 2016. Having felt disoriented and not warmly welcomed at churches in Denmark, she seized the chance to be active again at All Saints.
Itâs a pandemic shift no one saw coming at the start of 2020.
Faith communities began the year expecting members to attend worship in person at least somewhat regularly. Perhaps theyâd come to a potluck lunch now and then toting a covered dish.
Why We Wrote This
As churches have had to go online to hold services during the pandemic, they have learned something surprising: Practicing religion in cyberspace works. Many have attracted faraway followers and rejuvenated congregations.
Now, as churches have moved online, people can belong, officially or informally, without ever darkening a church door.
Some congregants enjoy the flexibility to watch services in their bathrobes. Others welcome the opportunity to find a church that feels like a good fit, regardless of geography.
Elizabeth "Liz" DeMier Follis of Miami, Oklahoma passed away on January 3, 2021 in Tulsa, Oklahoma from the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s. She was 79.Born June 21, 1941 in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, Liz was the daughter of Fred DeMier and Martha K. DeMier.Liz began her formal education in Miami, Oklahoma before moving to Tulsa to begin the eighth grade at Tulsa Edison Jr High School. She graduated from Tulsa Edison Sr High School with the class of 1959. She then attended the