The Rev. Canon Lloyd S. Casson, clergyman and noted leader in the Episcopal Church, will be honored June 3 by the Wilmington, Delaware community and his parish as he officially retires after 43 years of ministry.
A native Delawarean, Casson has served for 10 years as the rector of the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew, a unique parish formed out of the union of two historic Episcopal churches in Wilmington, Delaware—one with a predominantly white membership and the other predominantly black—committed to being an instrument of reconciliation and diversity.
For more information, visit the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew web site at www.ssam.org.
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Casson was educated in Wilmington Public Schools, graduating from Howard High School in 1952. He entered the University of Delaware upon returning from active military service in 1957 and graduated in 1961. He also served in the Reserves of the United States Army. Upon receiving his Master in Divinity Degree from Virginia Theological Seminary in 1964, he was ordained a deacon followed by priesthood in 1965. He was honored with a Doctor in Divinity degree from Virginia Theological Seminary in 1988.
He served as deputy to the rector of New York’s Trinity Church, Wall Street, until 1976 and was subsequently appointed canon missioner of Washington National Cathedral, and assistant to the bishop for Community and Ecumenical Affairs in the Diocese of Washington, D.C. In 1982, he served as chaplain and instructor in Liturgy at the Bishops Training Program of the Anglican Provinces of Africa, in Limuru, Kenya, and in 1985 became the sub-dean of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, New York City, until 1988, when he returned to Trinity Church, Wall Street, to serve as its vicar. In 1993, he was appointed the Episcopal Church’s Social Justice Officer, and served as rector of St. Mark’s Church in the Bowery until his return to Wilmington in February 1997.
Casson is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Brotherhood Award of the National Conference of Christians and Jews.
He has traveled extensively throughout Europe, Africa, India, the Caribbean, Central and South America. Most recently, he participated in the “Towards Effective Anglican Mission” (TEAM) conference in Boksburg, South Africa.
A retirement banquet to celebrate Casson’s contributions throughout the church and community will be held on May 30, at the Chase Center on the Riverfront, in Delaware.
The congregation of the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew will also host a parish celebration on June 3, Casson’s last official day as the church rector.