WHEN Barbara Reynolds-Hutchinson was looking for a new parish community, she stumbled upon the Saturday 6pm Mass at St Stephen’s Cathedral.
That was 30 years ago.
Dr Reynolds-Hutchinson is now a well-known face around the cathedral, spotted at the head of guided tours or the cathedral doors.
She calls St Stephen’s her “spiritual home” and her journey home was one she never could have predicted.
“My parents were married at St Stephen’s, and I was confirmed here as well,” she said.
“And the community was so welcoming at the 6pm Saturday Mass.
“Before I knew it I was reading and then Eucharistic minister, and then they said, ‘Oh you can do the collections, oh you can be on the roster for Sacristan, then money counting’.
“All of a sudden it just went on and on, and then here we are now.”
Recently, Dr Reynolds-Hutchinson chaired the St Stephen’s Cathedral Guides and Welcomers for more than a decade, a role she has especially loved.
She said Pope Francis’ call to be missionary disciples had been a theme that resonated with her throughout her time at St Stephen’s.
Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge said Dr Reynolds-Hutchinson’s work as a guide and welcomer has made her one of the “faces of the Cathedral”.
“Barbara has worked her way into the hearts of so many people,” he said.
“You are often the first person people will see and the first voice that they hear.
“So in a sense, it was the voice and face of the Lord himself.”
Dr Reynolds-Hutchinson’s academic background is in both psychology and theology, and says understanding the religious themes of St Stephen’s is key to appreciating its beauty.
“Art embodies meaning,” she said.
“So you have to know the symbols and the history of the place, both the 19th century artwork and the more contemporary pieces.
“When training the guides I emphasise the theology of the place, you have got to know where we have come from.”
Dr Reynolds-Hutchinson has stepped back from her role at St Stephen’s this year, though hopes to return in some way in the future.
She said she is grateful for all the great memories of her time here.
Dr Reynolds-Hutchinson was awarded the Order of Australia medal for her service to the Cathedral Guides and Welcomers in 2021, something she says belongs to all of them.
Archbishop Mark Coleridge, Cathedral Dean Anthony Mellor and former dean Fr Peter Dillon all thanked Barbara for her contribution to the parish and precinct at a farewell in Francis Rush Centre.
