The Heart of the Grove

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Coconut Grove, Florida celebrates its Centennial by telling its unique and colorful history. With more than 170 photos, The Heart of the Grove captures the evolution of both St. Stephen's and The Grove from a tropical jungle village on the shores of Biscayne Bay to the hardships of the Great Depression and World War II. "The Little Church in the Wildwood" could never accommodate everyone who wanted to worship inside. In the sixties and seventies, The Grove played host to Miami's counterculture, surrounding St. Stephen's. Through all the ups and downs, parishioners stayed true to their faith and have provided significant missions and outreach to the homeless, the needy and those with AIDS. This sense of service is why parishioners have not replaced St. Stephen's hands after they have been removed by vandals several times. Parishioners believe they are the hands of St. Stephen's.