Along with being a Lutheran pastor, I have also served as a volunteer law enforcement chaplain since 2008, being awarded the National Sheriff’s Association Medal of Merit in 2018. I enjoy assisting the local Clinical Pastoral Education program as Chair of their Public Advisory Group where, along with advising the program director and staff, I occasionally teach intern and resident chaplains. You might have also heard about me as a member of “The Clerical Errors” (aka “The 3 Priests”) a popular, regional theology on tap program held live in the Richmond area and also a podcast. You can learn more about this through our Facebook group: Three Priests Walk in a Bar.
This blog is just another chance for me to offer my two cents about faith and the world for those interested. Hopefully, it will serve to honor God and help others here and there along their way. If you are interested in first responder health and wellness, I invite you to visit my blog and podcast, Midnights LEO (LEO stands for Law Enforcement Officer).
Please note that while some past posts from this blog were turned into a podcast on Spotify and remain available, I have discontinued this practice for the time being. The content for Midnights LEO will be added to as I have time.
Last but not least, please always remember this is my personal blog. No opinions expressed necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of those of any other organization, agency, business or person. I am solely responsible for the blog’s content.
Your brother in Christ,
Pastor Lou
Biographical Information:
Pastor Lou Florio is a former police officer, missionary to Native youth, and hospice chaplain. He previously served the Church as Pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church (Mechanicsville, VA), Vice-Pastor at Christ Lutheran Church (Richmond, VA), Acting Vice-Pastor at Lakeside Lutheran Church (Littleton, NC), and represented the Virginia Synod Bishop’s Office as Dean of the Richmond Conference of ELCA Congregations. He most recently served as Associate Pastor of Christ Lutheran (Fredericksburg, VA). He has a heart for ecumenical and interfaith relationships, serving as a representative of the Virginia Synod (ELCA) on the Virginia LARCUM (Lutheran-Anglican-Roman Catholic-United Methodist) Committee and Virginia Lutheran-Episcopal Committee since 2020. He previously served as a volunteer with the Ecumenical Community of Taizé in France for several months (1994-1995) which profoundly influenced all his later ministry efforts and his life. It still does.
Regarding his education, Pastor Florio graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (English) degree with Distinction from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in 1986. Awarded a four year US Army ROTC Scholarship, he was named a Distinguished Military Graduate of the United State Army (ROTC) and presented VMI’s Asa S. Dearing Medal for graduating top in his academic department. He was later awarded a Master of Science in Criminal Justice degree from Virginia Commonwealth University (December 2004) and a Master of Divinity degree from Union Presbyterian Seminary (May 2005). He completed additional studies for ordination at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (now part of United Lutheran Seminary).
As for additional awards, Pastor Florio was named the City of Alexandria Kiwanis Police Officer of the Year alongside his patrol partner in 1994 for their crime interdiction and community policing efforts. He also received the Criminal Justice Outstanding Leadership Award from VCU and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Academic Honor Society in 2004. As noted above, he was presented the National Sheriff’s Association Medal of Merit in 2018, and he earned the “Master” level credential for law enforcement chaplaincy through the International Conference of Police Chaplains in 2024.
© 2025 The Rev. Louis Florio. All text and images not held under copyright by Word Press or another entity may not be used without permission of the author.
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