Clergy

Fr. Stephen Crawford, Rector

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Originally from Zachary, Louisiana, Fr. Stephen came to be the rector of St. Mary's Church in 2015.  He and his wife Amanda are both cradle Episcopalians. They met each other at the state's Episcopal summer camp, Camp Hardtner, when they were eleven.  Now they have four lovely kids: Clare, Warren, Mary Louise, and Patrick.

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Stephen+ studied philosophy at LSU, and it was during those years, after a time of spiritual wandering, that he came back to the Church and became convinced about Jesus.  Not long after, he discerned a call to the priesthood and was sponsored for ordination by his home parish, St. Patrick's Church.  At that time he was helping with the student ministry at St. Alban's Chapel on LSU's, and he and Amanda shipped out for North Carolina.  He attended Duke Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina, and during those years he and Amanda both missed Louisiana dearly.  They returned to Baton Rouge, where Stephen+ was ordained a priest at Trinity Church.  After a yearlong curacy, he and his family moved here to Franklin, a place to which the Lord has knit their hearts.  He enjoys playing soccer in New Iberia and pickin' the guitar on his back porch. 

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Fr. Stephen believes that your Heavenly Father is crazy about you, that Jesus is the beginning and end of all things, that the Holy Spirit can do more than you can even imagine, and that praying the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer will save your life.