Acolytes Gather Sat. Sept 27 at Downtown St. Pete Cathedral for Festival & Thuri Bowl

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Sept. 26, 2014 - PRLog -- ST. PETERSBURG – Over 200 youth from 26 Episcopal churches across Southwest Florida will gather all day Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014 at St. Peter’s Episcopal Cathedral in downtown St. Petersburg for an Acolyte Festival and the presentation of the First Annual Thuri Bowl trophy. A main Holy Communion Service, to be held in the circa 1899 gothic cathedral with a full choir and organ, will include a procession, with church banners, of all the acolytes at 10 a.m., followed by food truck lunches and seminars.

While at the festival, a church will be presented a trophy for the First Annual Thuri Bowl, set for Friday, Sept. 26 at DaySpring Episcopal Center in nearby Ellenton. The name Thuri Bowl comes from a ball game the students play that imitates the long-chained incense holders (called a thurible) that are used in church rituals from antiquity to today.

A special guest is Larry Keller, the verger/master of ceremonies at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Keller will teach the youth how to properly light and swing incense with a chain, including a popular “figure 8” move that swings the lighted incense above the head, upside down, in a figure 8 pattern.

The Cathedral Church of St. Peter, erected in 1899, is the seat of the Diocese of Southwest Florida, which represents the 77 Episcopal churches in the Diocese of Southwest Florida.The Episcopal Cathedral Church of St. Peter is at 140 4th St N, St Petersburg, FL 33701.

Best Photo Opportunity: 10 a.m. sharp, when all of the 200 acolytes parade through the historic cathedral with banners and music.

Contact: Garland Pollard, Director of Communications, Diocese of Southwest Florida, 941-981-2320 or gpollard@episcopalswfl.org.