Since 1956

St. Ambrose Episcopal Church is located within the Riverland Village area of Fort Lauderdale. The church was built in 1956, and serves the surrounding communities of Riverland Village, Lauderdale Isles, Chula Vista, and Riverland Woods.

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We began as a mission church, formed by All Saints Episcopal Church of Fort Lauderdale, Florida in June 1956. At the time, the only paved road in the area was Riverland Road. A dirt road, called at the time Fairmont Road, ran along the western boundary of the property.

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The first services, performed in a storefront on West Broward Boulevard, were held on September 9, 1956. Father Liebenow, an assistant Rector at All Saints, was the first Vicar. He became the full time resident Rector at Saint Ambrose on January 1, 1,1957. The growth of the mission was extremely rapid and the congregation was admitted as a Parish, assuming full self-support and responsibility in the Diocese of South Florida, within two years.

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Bishop Moses attended the groundbreaking ceremony, in January of 1957, for the present Sanctuary. He placed his shovel into the ground where our main Altar stands today. The first service to take place in the new Church building was on July 14, 1957. The first four classrooms were also built at this time. By September of that year, more than 250 children were enrolled in Sunday school. Bishop Loutitt dedicated the Church in October of 1957.

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