Episcopalians repair their cross

A large white cross floating through the air no doubt prompted a double-take or two from motorists on Regatta Way in Oak Harbor last Thursday morning.

Anyone thinking they were witnessing a miracle was disappointed when they noticed the cross was attached to cables which were in turn attached to the large crane. The cross was simply being put back in its rightful place after a refurbishing job.

The cross has long marked the parish hall, named Miller Hall in memory of Father Hugh Miller, the first rector of St. Stephens Episcopal Church. The building was built in 1962 as the church parish before the congregation outgrew it and moved into the new parish building in 1982.

According to long-time church secretary Diana Edwards, the cross was showing some wear after spending 40 years outdoors marking the church’s presence. “It needed painting and repairing. We felt it was a danger in the wind,” she said. Kings-Men Construction was hired to re-paint and repair the cross. It was gone from its accustomed spot for about a month before being returned last week.

St. Stephens is home to a congregation of more than 200 people. Its origins date back to 1952 when several “Navy couples” discovered there were a number of “churchless Episcopalians” in Oak Harbor, according to a church history. The new congregation’s first service was held Dec. 21, 1952. The next year the first small church building was constructed, with larger buildings added in 1962 and 1982. Today, the rector is The. Rev. Carol Lynn Harlacher.

For church information, call 679-3431.

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