Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ, and welcome to my personal blog. I am known for my extensive experience, skill, and training in pastoral care for people of all ages especially in times of trauma or loss. In addition, I have experience working with family systems, addiction and recovery as well as Post Traumatic Stress. I have been active in child, youth and young adult ministries since 1992, and my duel Master’s thesis (MDiv and MS Criminal Justice) focused on how religiosity helps build resiliency in children and youth. It is truly a passion and joy for me to serve others and share my experience and skills with the community.
In my past, I have served as a youth missioner with Native youth in South Dakota, a hospital and hospice chaplain in Virginia, as well as a volunteer law enforcement chaplain for two Virginia agencies starting in 2008. I currently enjoy assisting the local Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program as Chair of their Public Advisory Group where, along with advising and assisting the program director and staff at his local hospital, I occasionally teach interns and resident chaplains about spiritual care for all ages. Graduates from CPE programs tend to go on to serve as pastors in multiple denominations including the ELCA or as professional or volunteer chaplains in varied settings. Reflecting my expertise in chaplaincy, I was awarded the prestigious National Sheriff’s Association Medal of Merit in 2018.
I began my journey into full-time Church ministry in 1994 as a volunteer with the internationally respected Ecumenical Community of Taizé in France and a Lay Missioner of the Sacred Heart at St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain, South Dakota. As a Minister of Word and Sacrament, I have served as Pastor at Messiah-Mechanicsville (11+ years) and as an Associate Pastor primarily caring for youth, evangelism, and outreach at Christ-Fredericksburg (nearly 7 years). I am currently serving at Grace & Glory Lutheran Church in Palmyra as their solo Pastor since May 2026. As part of the Virginia Synod of the ELCA, I have additionally been appointed as Dean of the Richmond Conference (approximately 2 years),Vice Pastor for Christ-Richmond, and as an acting Vice Pastor (in my role as Dean) at Lakeside-Littleton, NC. I have demonstrated skills in evangelism, congregational development, and community service.
Primarily thanks to my time with the Brothers of Taizé, I have long had 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. I have also served the Virginia Synod on its past Gun Task Force and its Tapestry Team helping to empower congregations to embrace diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. I previously helped EnCircle (formally Lutheran Family Services of Virginia) as a board member for nine years, and I have supported several committees assisting Virginia Special Olympics and L’Arche Metro-Richmond (serving people with intellectual disabilities and varied physical abilities as well as their families). I continue to treasure my time as a volunteer with the international Ecumenical Community of Taizé in France (several months in 1994-1995) which has profoundly influenced all my later ministry efforts and spiritual life.
In education, I earned a BA in English (with Distinction) from the Virginia Military Institute. While there, I was selected to participate in the Virginia Program at Oxford, a six week program where one studies English Renaissance History and Literature using the English system of daily tutorials and lectures at St. Anne’s College, Oxford University. I was awarded the Asa S. Dearing Medal for English, graduating first in my major, and as a Distinguished Army ROTC Graduate.
For graduate studies, I was awarded a Master of Divinity degree from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond and concurrently a Master of Science in Criminal Justice degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. With a heavy focus on pastoral care, as mentioned above, my graduate dual-thesis focused on fostering resiliency in children and adolescents. I also used my time at Union Presbyterian Seminary to develop my skills in urban ministry including taking classes at Virginia Union University, an historic black university in Richmond.
During a required Lutheran year at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, now part of United Lutheran Seminary, my classes focused on Lutheran studies, rural ministry, and mission development.
Once a pastor, I went on to earn the “Master” level credential for law enforcement chaplaincy through the International Conference of Police Chaplains in 2024. This represents a minimum of five years service and 350 hours of training in spiritual care issues, emergency response for citizens, and the ongoing care of first responders and their families.
Previously, I have served in the past with the City of Alexandria Police as a decorated law enforcement officer and an Alexandria Kiwanis Police Officer of the Year in 1994. I am a six-year veteran of the Army National Guard and Reserve where I primarily served as a tactical intelligence officer with the famous “Dandy Fifth,” the 175th Regiment, then of the 29th Infantry Division, located in Baltimore.
For fun, I enjoy travel, as well as attending regional theater, VCU basketball games, and minor league baseball games with my wife, Kristine. I enjoyed hosting a regionally popular theology on tap event and related podcast with friends called Three Priests Walk in a Bar, where we often explored unorthodox subjects as well as the daily life of being church. I have been a guest on other podcasts as well. I blog and read for both my professional development and pleasure. I find peace through silent prayer and meditation, walks with my beloved dog, or simple hikes at Virginia state or our national parks. I often spot Jesus on my way.
© 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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