Sponsored by the Diocese of Missouri, the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Cathedral, the event celebrates the blessings of nature's abundance and beauty and our responsibility as stewards of the earth. see Flower Festival '08

The Flower Festival traces its roots to 1890. Missouri Botanical Garden founder Henry Shaw stipulated in his will that after his death an annual sermon be preached "on the wisdom and goodness of God as shown in the growth of flowers, fruits and other products of the vegetable kingdom."

That sermon blossomed into an accompanying street festival. During Flower Festival, the Cathedral's medieval splendor is transformed by the hundreds of flowers from the Garden. There's good music, good food and good fun for children and adults. For information, call (314) 231-3454.

Our Keynote Speaker, Bonnie Anderson is from the Diocese of Michigan. As a five-time lay deputy, she served on the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance for four terms and served as President for two terms. In that capacity, she worked to create the concept of a "mission-driven" budget. She is also a advocate for youth, having previously served as a member of the National Youth Ministry Development Team. As a deputy to the 71st General Convention, she authored a resolution that granted seat and voice to the official youth presence at General Convention. In the southeast Michigan community where she lives, Anderson designed, coordinated and implemented a citizen-sponsored river clean-up involving 22 local governments and over 2,000 volunteers. Michigan's governor appointed her to the state's Environmental Review Board. She has been an adjunct lecturer at the University of Michigan in the School of Natural Resources and the Women's Studies Department. Among her published works is "Spirituality and the Earth; Exploring Connections" and "A Citizen's Guidebook to the Great Lakes Ecosystem."