Clergy & Staff

Father Robert Ard, Rector

Father Robert was called to Holy Cross August of 2016.  Previously he was at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in St Louis.  His educational background is a Bachelor of Arts, Liberal Arts from St. John's College.  Master of Arts, Theology from Aquinas Institute of Theology.  Master of Divinity from Eden Theological Seminary. Master of Sacred Theology from The School of Theology at Sewannee.  He and his wife Sharol have a daughter Genevieve affectionally known to all as "Genna."

robert@holycrosstryon.org

 

Rev. Mollie Turner, Priest Associate

Mollie Douglas Turner’s priesthood is a product of ten years of attendance at Holy Cross, first as an eight-year-old sitting with her grandmother, and then as a member of the junior choir through high school. Her sense of calling developed early, but was impossible then.  Thirty years later, with teenagers of her own at home, she attended seminary at Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, commuting 90 miles each way.  She was awarded the M.Div. degree magna cum laude, was ordained in the Diocese of Atlanta in 1994, and served two years as Assistant Rector at Grace Church in Gainesville, Georgia; three and a half years as Vicar at St. James’s Church in Clayton, Georgia; and ten years as Associate Rector at Bruton Parish in Williamsburg, Virginia.  Following her retirement in 2010, she and her late husband Claude moved to Tryon in 2014 and found a warm welcome at Holy Cross.  Returning to the pastoral and liturgical work she loves in her home parish gives her great joy.

mollie@holycrosstryon.org

 

Brennan Szafron, Director of Music

Dr. Brennan Szafron joined the staff in November 2021. He is a native of Regina Saskatchewan Canada.  He holds organ performance degrees from the University of Alberta (B. Mus. with distinction), Yale University (Master of Music) and the University of Michigan (DMA).  Brennan’s non-musical passion is the great outdoors. He loves to hike and swim. He has visited all 47 state parks in South Carolina and is close to finishing visits to the 41 parks in the North Carolina State Park system.

bszafron@holycrosstryon.org

 

 

Lori Walter, Director of Administration & Finance

Lori joined the staff in November 2007 as the Financial Administrator.  In February 2017 she added the title of Parish Administrator.  Lori is a graduate of Wofford College and has both an MSW and MPA from the University of South Carolina.  Her husband, Todd, is a Family Physician in Landrum.  They are the parents of two daughters, Madison and Elizabeth and grandparents of Carter and Harlyn.


lwalter@holycrosstryon.org 




Jonathan Trebilco, Director of Programs & Communication

Jonathan began attending Holy Cross in 2022, and joined the staff in 2024. He has a B.A. in Biblical Studies, and an MDiv. from Cranmer Theological House, a seminary of the Reformed Episcopal Church. He has served in parishes in Houston and Dallas. He now makes his home in South Carolina with his wife Sommer and their daughter Gabrielle. Jonathan oversees all parish communications, and coordinates programming at the parish. 


jonathantrebilco@holycrosstryon.org

The Vestry of Holy Cross


Lynn Davis (Sr. Warden), Dr. Jack Rainer (Jr. Warden), Doug Arbogast, Dick Callaway, 
Litchfield Carpenter

Jenn Dean, Pagan Gilman, Billie McConnell, Mark Rounsely, Peter Franklin (Treasurer)