As Miami’s oldest Episcopal church turns 100, it adds a new way to worship
It’s Sunday evening inside Miami’s oldest Episcopal cathedral, and though the congregants are seated quietly, the vibes are a bit different from your typical Sunday morning service.
Magenta-colored lights create an almost psychedelic ambiance up against the picturesque ceiling adorned with angels. Prayer stations are set up around the church, including behind the altar, and congregants are asked to interact with each one as they set out on a 15-minute walking meditation.
At one station, congregants pick up a scallop shell, a physical reminder of the pilgrimage through life, and dip it in water and grains of sand. At others, people light candles for loved ones who have passed and pick up small cards containing Scripture and poems. The cathedral smells strongly of myrrh oil from Jerusalem.
All of it has a deeper religious meaning, but is also intended to appeal to the secular and spiritual.
The unique Sunday night service — Vox Dei, which means the “voice of God” — takes the traditional agenda of a worship service and embellishes it with new elements. Even the music is a blending of the old and new. Musicians from the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music play alongside a master of an ancient instrument called the “oud,” who also chants psalms in Armenian.
The merging of the modern and traditional is an effort to help people find God in a new way, said Reverend Jason Roberson, the head priest at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, and to mark the church’s entry into a new century.
“It is the tradition of Holy Communion that we’ve been doing for 2000 years as Christians, but cast in a new light, seen in a new way,” said Roberson who is the Cathedral Provost at Trinity.
The new Sunday night worship experience will be a permanent addition to the church’s regular scheduling, and coincides with the 100th year anniversary of the historic building, which was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The entire inside of the cathedral is covered in mosaics from Florence, Italy depicting the stations of the cross and the life and ministry of Jesus.
Vox Dei depicts these 100-year old images in a new light — literally, which is a fitting way to celebrate the centennial of the building, Roberson said.
“Having that beauty of the ancient tradition, it is a way of seeing things differently. A way of find finding God in a new way that doesn’t feel like maybe your childhood, but still, you’re drawn to it. I think that’s a beautiful way to to move forward in our lives, for all of us.”
Welcoming believers and nonbelievers alike
The multisensory worship service is meant for both people who grew up in the church and for newcomers, said Kate Eaton, creator of Vox Dei and founder of Mishkhah, a business that consults with churches to create new worship services involving music, arts and movement.
“What people are getting when they come is a fresh, new, experimental, transformational experience,” Eaton said.
Eaton has been bringing unique worship experiences to a variety of churches since 2010. Often, she said, legacy churches like Trinity are looking for ways to attract younger crowds or a new population of people to make up for dwindling membership, which has been a trend in recent years for legacy churches. Trinity is no exception.
“Trinity has seen its ups and downs,” Roberson said. “Through hurricanes and that ripped the roof off the building ... the pandemic was really hard on Trinity as it was on on many, many churches, but it survived, and we’re growing again.”
The reaction to services like Vox Dei, according to Eaton, has been overwhelmingly positive. As for who it attracts, there’s be “a lot of surprise,” she said, adding that the experience draws in people who are not church goers.
Eaton grew up Episcopalian herself, reading Scripture and singing the traditional hymns, but said she never paid much attention to the lyrics. Eaton reconnected to her faith at 27, after her mother passed away, and joined a music group at her church in Denver.
Eaton, who sings and arranges the music for the service, said she wanted to inspire other people to explore the traditions of hymns and scripture in a more meaningful way.
“As I explored that, I realized, Oh, my goodness, it is so rich. It’s so layered. There’s so much mystery, there’s so much depth, and how might we help people access this?”
Eaton brings in a new kind of instrument each season — for Trinity’s service, the special sound people hear is from an oud, a lute-like instrument with Persian roots that might sound unfamiliar to Western ears. But “it immediately transports you,” Eaton said.
It’s not often that historic churches are willing to take the tradition of the liturgy — or the structure of a Christian worship service — and execute it in a new way, Roberson said.
But, that’s sort of the motto behind the Episcopal Church. The centuries-old religion blends both Protestant and Catholic beliefs and is often seen as one of the more inclusive denominations in the realm of Christianity. The church ordains women as priests, bishops and deacons, and will perform same-sex marriages.
“That’s the beauty of the Episcopal Church for us, is that we are open to seeing things differently and to realizing that the church has hurt people,” Roberson said. “The openness that we have at Trinity Cathedral is something that I’m really proud of.”
At Trinity, an LGBTQ banner hangs in the front window. Roberson, leader of the church since 2023, has also opened the doors of the Cathedral from Monday-Saturday for tours, prayers or anyone walking by who needs a quick respite from the Miami heat. The small changes are meant to let the community know that Trinity is alive and well, and open to anyone.
The ornate Cathedral on North Bayside Drive just north of the Venetian Causeway, stands out in a sea of cookie cutter hotels and condo buildings. The Mediterranean-inspired architecture dates back to 1925, but the congregation was established in the early 1890s. Julia Tuttle, often referred to as the “Mother of Miami” because of her role in developing the city, was an early member of Trinity and donated the land where the original wooden church was built on Northeast 2nd Ave before it moved to Bayside Drive.
After congregants walked around reflecting and connecting with the Cathedral, Roberson resumed services with familiar rituals —communion, peace offerings and prayers.
Aaron and Betty Kennedy, first-time visitors of the church, said they enjoyed the immersive experience.
“I think it’s impactful. It’s different, but it’s a good thing. It helps to engage you,” Aaron said after the service.
The Kennedys didn’t grow up in the Episcopal Church, but the couple said they are open to new religious experiences, and love to visit new churches in the area. Betty, who is in recovery from a serious medical diagnosis, said the service’s reflection held new meaning for her.
“I’m in a place of thanksgiving because I’m doing so much better,” she said “For me to go to a station and have time to be contemplative, it’s very personal and very meaningful.”
Vox Dei takes place every Sunday evening at 6:00 pm at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, 464 NE 16th Street, Miami, FL 33132. For more information, visit www.trinitymiami.org or call (305) 456-8851.
This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, including Khalid and Diana Mirza, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
This story was originally published September 10, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
