ABOUT US

HISTORY

In 1959, 36 people from Church of the Redeemer in downtown Sarasota signed a petition for a mission church in the southeastern part of the county. Three acres on Wilkinson Road was given in memory of Dr. Roderick MacEachen by his niece, Helen Marris. Additional acreage at the same site was a gift from Mrs. A. Werk Cook. In April of that year, The Rev. Charles Ricker, founding vicar, held a groundbreaking service. In 1962, the present church building was erected. It was called St. Wilfred after a bishop in England who worked to evangelize the German people.

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Also on the 8.5-acre campus are a former rectory, which serves as the church office, and a Ministry Center, composed of two church halls, a kitchen, and our Preschool—accredited by the National Association of the Education of Young Children. Eight rectors have served God at St. Wilfred. The most recent being priests-in-charge The Rev. Virginia Herring, and the current priest, The Rev. Joyce Woolever Holmes. We have been blessed by priests, deacons, and laypeople whom God has called to carry forward our mission of welcoming all, transforming lives, and growing the church. In October of 2024, we celebrated our 65th anniversary.