There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.
Ecclesiastes 3:1
The Reverend Dr. Patty Kogut, former associate pastor of Newton Highlands Congregational Church, UCC (NHCC), is retiring, and her ministry will be celebrated on Sunday, March 8, at 2:30 p.m., at Second Congregational Church, UCC, 50 Park Street, Attleboro, MA.
Congratulatory cards may be sent to Southern New England Conference, C/O Liz Garrigan-Byerly, 1 Badger Rd., Framingham, MA 01702.
The deadline to R.s.v.p. for the celebration is March 1.
During her time at NHCC the Reverend Dr. Kogut worked in a Christian education role before becoming associate pastor.
Recollections
Patty ran the youth group when I was in high school, culminating in the big Mission Trip to San Juan del Sur in 1995. Sadly I did not go on that trip, which I’ve always regretted. After graduating high school, a few years later I went on my first (of many) mission trips with the youth group in a leadership capacity, helping Patty out however I could. We went to West Virginia (1997), downtown Boston (1998), and then to Puerto Rico (1999), which I believe was Patty’s final one with NHCC, unless I’m mistaken.
While these trips were very special, and undoubtedly highlights for all youth group members (and chaperones!) who were able to participate — special mention should be made of the Talent Auctions that Patty organized to fund the mission trips. These were important events in the church’s calendar year, with all manner of items and services up for bid, and many youth group members offering up leaf raking or snow shoveling etc. A particularly sought-after item was Christine Fletcher’s offer of one night of overnight babysitting, which always prompted hotly contested bidding from the younger families.
At their highest moments, the Talent Auctions were remarkable cross-generational events for the congregation. One year’s entertainment included a “Fashion Show” put on by the Highland Walkers, with Charlie Thompson narrating descriptions of ridiculous visual pun outfits worn by the senior ladies. I have a vague memory of Barbara Kamar sauntering around Founders’ Hall festooned with colorful shower loofas. I’m sure it made sense at the time. It was remarkable for us high school kids to see the congregation’s senior members acting so very silly together. It was a lot of fun.
As testament to Patty’s charisma and energy, she served as both emcee and auctioneer for the Talent Auctions. When she moved on to Middleboro and organized their first talent auction, she asked me to come along to help with the bookkeeping (by that time I was a veteran of these events, having figured out a system in “trial by fire” fashion over the years). I was amused to find that she had misled her congregation into thinking that she was bringing in an outside auctioneer for the event, only to claim that he was a late cancellation so on short notice she was going to have to run the auction instead. It was wonderful to see her new congregation’s delight as Patty surprised them all with her comfort in the role. Plus, that was the time I was able to get a winning bid for one allotment of her wife Lynn’s legendary Christmas cookies — it was maybe twelve separate batches of completely different cookies, truly an amazing feat of baking. I remember her saying that as a tradition it just grew over time, with her judiciously adding and replacing recipes from year to year.
Lynn came with us on the Puerto Rico trip, bringing young Lucy and toddler Nathaniel along, both of whom charmed all of the kids. We got to see them up close as a young family, with Patty and Lynn showing us all what a loving couple could be. It was meaningful to all of us. Lynn had a measured calm and patience that was a wonderful counterpoint to Patty’s exuberance. Just thinking about them together makes me smile.
Patty did officiate my wedding, and kicked the whole thing off with some very pointed teasing about how long my (now) wife and I had been engaged before finally getting married. She had everyone laughing, ready to celebrate. The next week I remember my coworkers who had been at my wedding all agreeing how great she was, which was no surprise to me.
Thinking back on all of this it’s easy to appreciate how special Patty has always been. I feel very fortunate that I was able to spend so much time with her during such a formative time in my life.
Bill Harper
Patty was loved at NHCC. She began as a Seminarian from Andover Newton, sometime in the early 1990s. I would guess she started in 1992 or 1993, as I recall that John Hudson, whom she succeeded, led the Youth Group when our son John was in high school, graduating in 1992. I believe that when Patty graduated from Andover Newton, she became an assistant pastor at NHCC.
Patty made a big impression on kids in the Youth Group. Our son Bill went on a couple of Youth Group mission trips she led. In 2008 Bill had her officiate at his wedding. Three years later, John tried to have her conduct his wedding, but she was unavailable. John videotaped her to be on Survivor in about 2003, but nothing came of it.
One memorable children’s message involved plastic packing peanuts. I’ve forgotten the point of the lesson, but kids were kids and somehow the plastic peanuts ended up all over the Chancel.
Patty was raised a Baptist, but that denomination’s hostility to gays led her to the UCC.
Jim Harper
Patty led several mission trips with the the Youth Group, including the initial mission trip to San Juan del Sur, where the youth (including our son Robby) built drains for the first shelter for what is now the Free High School. Patty was our first gay pastor, and she and Lynn Dahlborg gave birth to Lucy. They led the way to becoming an “0pen and Affirming” congregation.
Kitty Rieske
I was Patty’s mentor when she first started her internship at NHCC. She very quickly became a Pied Piper and assumed the leadership role as Youth Minister and led a very highly successful Youth Group. Deane McCraith and I co-chaired the Teaching Parish Committee, giving us frequent opportunities to realize her considerable promise in her ministry. Patty then, and ever since, displayed a youthful, bouncy, child-like quality, but she also was capable of delivering earnest and compassionate care whenever it was called for.
Annie and I, and our son Carter and his wife-to-be, thought so highly of Patty that we asked her to perform their wedding ceremony at NHCC. Needless to say, she was spectacular.
We have been in occasional, but infrequent, contact with Patty, and we weathered together the challenges of the looming demise of her life partner. She was always a source of strength whenever our family faced challenges as well.
We are grateful that she was a part of our lives back then, and savor her ongoing successes. We are all proud of being but a small part of her considerable trajectory to highly effective ministry.
Steve Wright
1995 NHCC directory
