Shelter Island Association service at Union Chapel
Union Chapel in the Grove is happy to welcome back the Reverend Charles Read Heydt to preach on Sunday, September 4. He is Rector Emeritus of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Boca Grande, Florida. His sermon is titled “A Second Chance.”
The service is sponsored by the Shelter Island Association, an all-volunteer, non-partisan civic organization dedicated to preserving the quality of life on Shelter Island. The group brings together the 14 neighborhood associations, because the problems that affect any part of the Island affect all. Whether it be zoning, water, deer management or town budget, the association leaders believe that, working together, these problems can be solved.
Born and raised in Ohio, Reverend Heydt holds an A.B. degree from Dartmouth College (1959), a M.S. in journalism from Northwestern University (1968), and a M.Div. from Virginia Theological Seminary (1979).
Before entering seminary at the age of 39, Reverend Heydt worked on Wall Street in the trust department of the Bank of New York, and later in the credit department of the Northern Trust Company in Chicago. He left banking to pursue a graduate degree in journalism at the Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University. Fr. Heydt then joined U.S. Steel Corporation in public relations and left the corporate world in 1973 to open a real estate office in Tryon, N.C. At age, 37 Reverend Heydt was baptized and confirmed in the Episcopal Church; he soon entered Virginia Theological Seminary.
January of this year marked the 33rd anniversary of Reverend Heydt’s ordination. He has served parishes in Toledo and Cleveland, Ohio, and Naples, Jacksonville and Clearwater, Florida. In late 2005 he was elected vicar of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Boca Grande. Before retiring in 2012, he led the mission church to “parish” status in the diocese, and presided over the successful $3 million capital campaign that funded an extensive church renovation and building project.
Now living in Sarasota, Reverend Heydt currently serves the Church of the Redeemer as one of its “retired resident clergy.” Married to Diane Hazelwood, they each have two married sons.
The Island Folk will return to Union Chapel to provide music for the service. The group has been keeping the spirit of folk traditional music alive on Shelter Island for many years and has performed at the Union Chapel’s summer services numerous times. The program will feature all four musicians on vocals: Penny Kerr on mandolin, John Kerr on upright bass, Heather Reylek on tenor banjo and Peter Mikochik on guitar.
Submitted by Union Chapel
