The Rev. Matt Marino of Trinity Episcopal Church in St. Augustine, Florida, is recovering in a Jacksonville hospital after he was stabbed in the chest October 23 during a regular breakfast stop.
Marino was stabbed just after 8 a.m. at Juniper Market, according to a report by Jake Stefan of Action News Jax. Reporter Khalil Maycock of News4Jax quoted the café owner as saying Marino is a frequent customer, and Maycock found that Marino says on the parish website that he “likes to drink coffee, talk about Jesus, and will shamelessly invite himself aboard your sailboat.”
By 9:07 a.m., the St. Augustine Police Department posted images on its Facebook page of a woman riding a bicycle, along with a small photo of her face. Police arrested Arieana Gibbs, 22, and Maycock reported that the arrest occurred two hours after the stabbing. Stefan reported that Gibbs was arrested on a charge of simple battery in August.
The police department announced in the afternoon that Gibbs has been charged with second-degree attempted homicide, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and felony simple battery. Multiple news reports said there is no indication that Marino and Gibbs know each other.
Trinity Church closed its parish office and school as a precaution after the stabbing.
Marino offered frequent supportive remarks about the Rev. Charlie Holt when the Diocese of Florida elected Holt twice as its next bishop. Holt did not receive enough consents from bishops and standing committees to become bishop.
Marino, a former area director for the evangelical ministry Young Life, became rector of Trinity in 2019. He began his ministry as an Episcopal priest in the Diocese of Arizona in 2008, and served at the Church of St. John the Divine in Houston before moving to St. Augustine.
Marino and his wife, Kari, are the parents of a son and daughter who are now adults.
Douglas LeBlanc is an Associate Editor and writes about Christianity and culture. He and his wife, Monica, attend St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Henrico, Virginia.
