By LOIS KINDLE
Members of St. John the Divine Episcopal Church welcomed the Rev. Alex Andujar this week as their new rector, the priest who will now lead them.
“We believe he’s just what the greater Sun City Center area needs,” said 12-year parishioner Barbara Gentry, a member of St. John’s Vestry who also served on its search committee. “He’s younger, extremely interesting to talk with and he speaks perfect English and Spanish {and some French].
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The Rev. Andujar is seen here with his wife and sons. The family will continue to reside in St. Petersburg until the boys graduate from high school
“We believe he’s the right person at the right time for both our church and community,” she said.
Andujar, 45, served as rector of St. Vincent Episcopal Church in St. Petersburg from September 2016 until recently. Prior to that he was associate pastor of Christ Episcopal Church in Bradenton for two years, his first posting after earning a Master of Divinity degree from the University of the South School of Theology in Suwanee, Tenn. in 2014.
He also has degrees in international relations and political science from Florida State University, which he earned in 2001 and 2003, respectively.
Although his father was born in the Dominican Republic and mother in Puerto Rico, Andujar was born in Queens, New York, the first member of his family to be born on the U.S. mainland. He moved with his family to south Florida when he was 1 and grew up in Opa-Locka and Hollywood.
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The Rev. Andujar’s parents are from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. He was born in Queens, N.Y., and raised in south Florida. The priest speaks fluent Spanish, English and some French.
“Some of my dearest memories are visiting my grandmothers on each island and listening to them share stories about what life was like for them growing up,” he said.
His love for listening to stories of others followed him into his calling. He feels one of the best parts of being a priest is the privilege of listening to the stories of people he serves, which builds connection and relationship.
“I’ve learned the first thing you do when coming to a new parish as its rector is to listen and meet people, so I’ll be inviting every family to meet with me and share their story,” Andujar said. “You need to know people before you start rearranging the furniture.”
The Episcopalian priest and his wife of 19 years have two sons, ages 15 and 17. The boys are in high school, so the family will continue living in St. Petersburg until they graduate, and Andujar will commute back and forth until then.
“My own family gave me such an amazing upbringing and start in life, and I want to do the same for my sons,” he said.
“Family is everything to me,” Andujar told his parishioners. “God is the most important in my life, after that it’s my wife, children, parents, brother and extended family. I’m blessed to still have my parents around… I’m even more blessed to have a wife who loves me, keeps me on my toes and helps me laugh at myself.”
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The Rev. Alex Andujar’s first priority is getting to know his parishioners by inviting them to share their life stories with him as a means of connecting and establishing a relationship.
An animal lover and avid reader of theology, history, science, technology and more, he also enjoys watching documentaries.
His favorite historical periods are the 19th and 20th centuries.
“I believe that one of the most important traits we should cultivate in our society is curiosity,” he said. “We should be curious about the world around us and the people we meet every day.”
Andujar was attracted to his new parish’s desire for fellowship with each other and the community. His goals are to help build people’s spiritual lives, reignite a deep sense of fellowship among them, engage with the community and stoke the fire of faith.
The Episcopal Church traces its roots back to the Church of England, which broke away from the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century over political and theological issues. While observing some of the traditions of Catholicism, the Episcopal faith is more inclusive and less hierarchical.
Andujar likes the way power and community are organized in the church.
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The Rev. Alex Andujar, 45, is the new spiritual leader of St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, 1015 E Del Webb Blvd., Sun City Center. Its search committee found him to be the right person at the right time for both the church and community.
“People have voices, especially lay people (the non-ordained),” he said. “They elect vestry members who work directly with the priest, so it’s not just father knows best.”
Parishioners will also soon play an important role in the upcoming election of a new presiding bishop.
St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, 1015 E Del Webb Blvd., Sun City Center, is part of the Diocese of Southwest Florida, which includes 79 congregations from Marco Island to Brooksville.
For more information on the church or Rev. Andujar, visit www.stjohndivine.com or call 813-633-3970.