Five individuals were honored for their service to the Park City community during the Autumn Harvest Benefit held Oct. 8 at Saint Mary of the Assumption Parish. The event was hosted by Holy Cross Ministries to recognize individuals whose work reflects the organization's mission of serving underrepresented communities in Utah.
Holy Cross Ministries CEO Emmie Gardner stated that the honorees reflected the organization's motto of seeing what needs doing and doing it. Among those recognized was Sister Laura Tiburcio-Santos, a licensed clinical social worker and certified peer support specialist who serves as clinical director at Jacky’s Recovery Support Services. Gardner noted that Jacky’s Recovery Support Services has partnered with Holy Cross Ministries to expand mental health trauma-informed therapy and peer support services to assist the immigrant community.
Monsignor Robert Bussen, a retired priest known as Father Bob, was also recognized for his past work in the area. Bussen served as pastor of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish from 1994 to 2010. Local resident Tom Clyde noted that Bussen was a driving force behind the launch of the People’s Health Center and advocated for bilingual education and employee housing. Clyde stated that Bussen's legacy includes significant positive impacts on the local community.
Dr. Kristen Riese and Maggie Snyder were honored for their work responding to people living with HIV and AIDS while working at Holy Cross Hospital during the 1980s. Peter Christie, director of outreach and education at Ballet West, attended the event and credited the two women with saving his life in 1995. Additionally, teacher Anna Williams was honored by former students who credited her with encouraging Latino students to pursue college paths.
Holy Cross Ministries is a nonprofit organization that responds to the needs of underrepresented communities in Utah. The Autumn Harvest Benefit was held at Saint Mary of the Assumption Parish in Park City.
