The Reverend Bobbie Girardin serves as Deacon at Church of the Ascension. She focuses our congregation on outreach issues and opportunities to serve the world, especially the needy and the poor. Her role in the liturgy reflects this focus. On appropriate liturgical occasions, Deacon Bobbie will preach. She is directly supervised by Father Harlan to work as part of this collaborative team of clergy.

Deacon Bobbie tells us about herself:
I was born in Oakland, California but grew up in Pasadena, California. I was twelve when I came to Denver to live with my aunt and family after my parents died. My family was attending Christ Church so I started going and was baptized and confirmed there.

After three years in Denver I moved to Alaska with my brother and graduated from Sheldon Jackson High School in Sitka. I was married after graduation and three years later my daughter Tanya was born. We moved to Seattle and while there I went to college and earned a degree as a veterinary technician. Unfortunately my marriage didn’t last and after the divorce I returned to Denver, to be close to family, where I have been ever since.

I met Kerry in 1976 and we were married in February of 1977. I had worked as a vet tech for quite awhile then started working as a distributor of electronic components. In 1993 Kerry and I started attending St. James Episcopal Church in Wheat Ridge. We loved the congregation and were both active within the parish. One Sunday a woman asked me if I had ever thought about the ministry. She said I had a real presence on the altar. I laughed and said no, it had never occurred to me. I did talk to my priest though and he said we ought to pray about it. I started the process to be ordained a vocational deacon in 1996 and was ordained in November 1999. My ministry has mostly been at a battered women’s shelter where I started working in July 1999. Within the church I serve at the altar, read the Gospel and co-ordinate the Lay Eucharistic Ministry program among other things.

Beginning October 1, 2002, with the Bishop’s approval, I have taken a leave of absence from St. James. Since that time Kerry and I have moved from Arvada to Aurora. We have tried other churches in this area, but really liked the feeling we got at Ascension. I had known Fr. James previously, as he was a teacher of church history while I was in the Diaconal Formation Process, and it was nice to renew our acquaintance.