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| Kris & Wayne Hatch and Gary Owen |
Every year, the Dean awards the Bishop Harold Robinson cross to members of the congregation who have made notable contributions to the community. The names of all the recipients can be seen on a plaque by the door into the narthex and awardees receive a handsome silver cross on a chain. Harold Robinson was rector of St Paul’s from the late 1940s to the mid 1960s, and was a driving force in erecting the current church on Bankers Hill. He also founded St Paul’s Senior Homes. He went on to become a Bishop in Buffalo, NY.
This year, Dean Penny chose three recipients for the cross. All three were celebrated for their devotion to the quiet ministries that can often go unnoticed.
Gary Owen regularly attends the 8.00 Sunday service and intentionally sits right by the pulpit steps, watchful and ready to intervene if someone interrupts the service. Most people probably don’t even notice, but it means a great deal to those at the altar. He serves as sacristan for the Saturday noon service. Gary is the longtime convener of the Exploring Sunday’s Lessons class and teaches Bible study at Merrill Gardens. He also serves as a mentor to people in recovery, attends various faith groups, building ecumenical relationships, is active in outreach ministries, and helps people in need obtain vital resources. Gary is also a regular attendee at the Dean’s Breakfast on Fridays. He pays attention to people easy to overlook; you might call him a Matthew 25 Christian.
Kris and Wayne Hatch are a couple who combine their ministries to great effect. Both serve on our Altar Guild, Kris as a team leader and Wayne as the scheduler. Both have served on Chapter, and Kris has been People’s Warden. Kris is an accomplished seamstress, knitter, and baker, and we benefit from her gifts with beautiful altar linens and gluten-free Communion wafers. She was on a dean search committee and co-chaired our Vision for Mission committee last year. Kris has also been active in youth ministry, founding the youth acolyte program and teaching Godly Play. In addition to his altar guild service, Wayne has offered his financial skills to the church, serving in various contexts as treasurer and on the diocesan audit committee. Together the Hatches hosted the Vision for Mission wrap-up celebration last month. They are a blessing to our community.
We congratulate Gary, Kris and Wayne on this well-deserved honor and thank them for their inspiring service to St Paul’s!
