04/30/2026
St. Paul’s Parishioners Receive National Award for Work to Alleviate Poverty, Homelessness
Two parishioners at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Horseshoe Bay have received a prestigious national award in recognition of their charitable works in the community to help alleviate poverty and homelessness.
Horseshoe Bay residents Kathy and Larry Stahl received The Paulist Fathers’ Spirit of Hecker Award in ceremonies broadcast last week on Facebook and YouTube.
The program honors exemplary leaders and volunteers from the parishes, Catholic centers, and ministries the Paulist Fathers serve throughout the United States.
The Paulist order of Catholic priests, which is based in New York City, NY, have served as pastors of St. Paul’s in Horseshoe Bay since its founding in the 1970’s.
St. Paul’s Interim Administrator Fr. Don Andre, C.S.P., said the couple’s charitable works “[help] build bridges in the community that show Christ’s care for others.”
Fr. Don especially cited their volunteer work with the St. Vincent de Paul Society and with the “Getting Ahead in a Just Getting By World” program established to help people learn basic practical life skills.
But the couple’s charitable works don’t end there.
A trained nurse, Kathy also donates her time to the Christian-based Pregnancy Life Center in Marble Falls and Larry has also worked to support the Pregnancy Center.
A member of the St. Paul the Apostle Knights of Columbus council, he recently worked with the Knights chapter in Marble Falls and the Knights national headquarters to help fund two new ultrasound machines for the Center.
Kathy does ultrasound imaging for those who come to the Pregnancy Center for help. She also counsels with clients on matters ranging from health for mother and baby to child rearing, family management and even adoption procedures.
In addition, Kathy volunteers with the local Meals on Wheels program, delivering lunches to shut ins.
A retired corporate executive, Larry has worked to find ways to alleviate the cycle of poverty and its accompanying social ills—homelessness and joblessness among them.
He and Kathy have both been members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society for 25 years, first in North Carolina, then in the Houston area, and now in the Marble Falls/Horseshoe Bay area.
Larry calls his work with the society the “driving force behind my charitable activities.”
“It’s in the face-to-face home visits we pay to those who call for help that I learned we need to go out to find Christ in the people we serve,” he said.
“I also learned people trapped in poverty need more than just a handout. They need a hand up.”
Inspired by Dr. Ruby Payne’s book Bridges Out Of Poverty and working with the area Workforce network, five years ago he started the “Getting Ahead in a Just Getting By World” program in Marble Falls.
The program offers training in basic life skills—how to get and keep a job, resources in the community, work skills, personal finance and how to raise a family.
Taught in 16 weekly sessions, the program is offered twice a year. And now it also is being offered as an after-school program at Marble Falls High School.
Many of the program’s students are referred by other St. Vincent de Paul members who have met them during home visits.
Both Kathy and Larry speak of the rewards of their charitable works.
“It’s about giving. It’s about bringing hope to people,” Larry said.
“It’s a wonderful experience to help those in need. When you do, you grow spiritually.”
“We help people where they’re at,” Kathy added. “When we do this kind of work, we’re [actually] evangelizing by example.”
The Spirit of Hecker Awards are named for Isaac Hecker, founder of the Paulist Fathers. Fr. Hecker originally founded the order of Catholic priests in 1858 as the Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle.
