About Us
Christ Church meets at the corner of Main and Center Streets in Hornell, NY. Christ Church was incorporated in 1854, and the church building, in the early English gothic style, has housed worship since Christmas Day in 1860.
We are a church that puts our faith into action through prayer and service. We worship together on Sunday mornings at 9 am, along with a smaller service of Holy Eucharist and Healing Prayer that gathers in our chapel on Tuesdays at 9:30 am. Our chapter of Daughters of the King is dedicated to prayer and service, our food pantry offers food to the hungry, and our thrift store provides clothes and household items at a low-cost that seeks to make goods available to everyone.
We are a church that enjoys being together. We are a chatty bunch and enjoy the fellowship of coffee hour after church, evening potlucks, and the occasional movie out.
We are a church that aims to be welcoming, from greeters who make sure that everyone has what they need for Sunday morning worship, to welcome bags given to newcomers, stuffed animals that have soaked up prayers by sitting in the pews, and invitations to head downstairs after worship for food and fellowship in the parish hall. We would love to welcome you!
We are an Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Rochester, and our prayer unites us with followers of Christ locally and all around the world.
Sunday Service videos are posted weekly at https://www.youtube.com/@christchurchhornellny2084/streams
On June 1, 2023, our new rector, The Rev'd Shanna Hawks, began her ministry with Christ Church, Hornell, NY, and The Church of the Good Shepherd, Savona, NY.
Here, in her own words, Shanna introduces herself to us.
HI,
I'm looking forward to joining you soon as your next rector. I'm delighted to have this chance to begin to introduce myself before I arrive.
My first name can be tricky sometimes. Despite how it looks, it's pronounced Shayna (the first a is long), but I'm pretty patient when it takes awhile to get it right. And it's perhaps not a surprise that I value learning other people's names and saying them correctly.
I'll be joining you from Washington state, where I am finishing up my time as a priest in the Diocese of Spokane. I'm a Washington native; I was born in Ellensburg, a small town in the center of the state, and I've spent the last four years in Richland. Richland was the bedroom community for the Hanford branch of the Manhattan project, and I've enjoyed getting to know more about that history and legacy. I really have spent most of my life in Washington, as I studied history, Latin and Greek at Western Washington University, though my Masters in Divinity comes from Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, CA.
At the church that I've served for the last four years, my ministry has focused some on leading and coordinating pastoral care ministries and working with youth. I fell in love with youth ministry while in seminary, when I spent a summer on staff at the Diocesan camp on Lake Coeur d'Alene in Idaho. In addition, I have experience with adult formation and I've served on diocesan bodies focused on youth, formation, congregational development and oversight of the diocese; and while my first call had some particular focuses, it also included what I sometimes summarize as "a little bit of everything."
Outside of church, my passions include reading and singing, and while I haven't acted since high school, I still enjoy attending live theater. And though both my Latin and my Greek are rusty, I still enjoy the occasional brush with both languages. My cat is making the move with me; Lennon is a domestic short hair who is nearly all black (he has a few stray white hairs) who will be two in May. He's named after John Lennon - the Beatles are my favorite band.
More than anything else, I hope you'll hold onto this last piece: I'm excited to be heading to NY soon and looking forward to meeting and ministering both with and among you all!
In peace,
Shanna+
