Dear Friends of the Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More,

Over the past view decades the Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More in our State Capitol of Tallahassee has been the seed bed of many vocations to priesthood and religious life. As an alumnus of FSU, I still remember my years at St. Thomas More as a student never imagining that one day I would be returning as your bishop. My vocation and the vocations of many of our diocesan priests were nurtured at St. Thomas More. Those who nurtured them were the many priests who served as campus ministers and the Rectors who have supported the work of vocations in a multitude of ways. The Co-Cathedral has also been a training ground for many of our newly ordained priests who have learned about the special place which the Co-Cathedral plays in the life of our State Capitol and our Church of Northwest Florida.

I am grateful for the leadership of Monsignor Michael Tugwell who has served as Co-Cathedral Rector for many years. I have asked Monsignor Tugwell to accept a new assignment as the Pastor of Our Lady of Victory Parish in Crestview, Florida, effective July 1, 2013. Our Lady of Victory is a warm and growing Catholic community who I know will embrace Msgr. Tugwell as their new Pastor.

I know you will miss Msgr. Tugwell as Rector, but I am confident that you will also welcome Fr. John Cayer who I am assigning as your new Rector. He will need your support, help and encouragement as he accepts the challenges and opportunities that will be a part of his new assignment at the Co-Cathedral.