The St. Piran’s Cross Award - March 2011

This year Bishop Tim decided to create an award for the hundreds of devoted people who work diligently for the church and though they are much appreciated by the congregation never receive wider recognition.

He decided to award the Cross of St.Piran and asked each Deanery to come up with a name. The Deanery recommended our Reader Gloria Street.

In 1975 in her home town of Liskeard thanks to the urging of the Rev. Mark Kennaway, Gloria became the first woman Reader in Cornwall. She attended the Diocesan Readers’ meetings and then served on their Committee.

Gloria is devoted to the cause of lay ministry and this led her to train as a teacher. Having achieved a BA (Hons) Degree in Theology she taught Religious Education in Plymouth and then Launceston until her retirement.

Meanwhile she served on the Diocesan Readers’ Committee and at the National level, she served on the Editorial Committee of ‘The Reader’ magazine and the Selwyn Committee which organised the annual Readers’ Summer School at Cambridge. In 1985 she was elected to the Central Readers Council and in 1995 she was elected the Vice-Chair serving first under the Bishop of Manchester and then the Bishop of Carlisle,

On her retirement in 2000 Bishop Bill appointed her to a five-year term as Warden of Readers. Meanwhile she took Evensong at Kilkhampton during the interregnum before Rev John Harvey came to Kilkhampton and then Rev Brian Dorrington asked her to come to Kilkhampton and Morwenstow permanently.

There were twenty two people honoured with the award at St.Piran’s Church, Perranzabuloe on Sunday 6th March including Sue Dickenson, Week St. Mary for her work with co-ordinating the training and work of lay Pastoral Ministers and Jackie Adams for her tireless work with young people.

Presenting the awards, Bishop Tim mentioned how humbling it had been for him as he received the names of the nominees and details of their length of service for the good of others and the extent to which they had made a difference to so many lives.`They have all been doing things in their own ways for God's purpose.` he said.`The recipients come in different shapes and sizes,` he added, `But they each share one important gift - the gift of imagination. We all need to pray for the gift of imagination in our lives today and to be inspired by the examples of St Piran and the recipients of this award.`

This photo shows Bishop Tim with Gloria on his right and Sue Dickenson on his left with the other recipients at the awards ceremony.

Each Cross of St Piran was hand made from Cornish silver by Martha Edwards from Sennen, based on a design by the Revd Ann Butcher.