Spotlight on Henry, St. James Cathedral Sexton

Henry has been with Rush Hour Concerts since the beginning. As Sexton of St. James Cathedral, he has been maintaining the grounds and buildings of the Cathedral and the Chicago Diocesan Center for 13 years. For RH, Henry prepares the stage for the artists, sets up the tables for the reception, helps clean up afterwards, monitors the crowd for security purposes during the reception, and makes sure that the Cathedral is clean and in good running order. He remembers that when RH first started, it was only scheduled for one month. The reaction was so great that the following summer RH expanded to two months, and by the third season RH was taking place every week from June through August. Henry would definitely still attend the concerts even he did not work for the Cathedral -- he enjoys the music, the atmosphere, and the attention that RH brings to the church.

When he's not busy at work or helping out at RH, Henry enjoys spending time with his family. He has five kids: three daughters, all of whom attend college, and two sons aged 12 and 14. He enjoys video games (like Medal of Honor) and also spends a lot of time writing poetry -- just a few months ago, he was preparing a portfolio with all of his work to send to a publisher, but unfortunately his bag was stolen and he lost it all. He's kept writing, however, and has even been featured on poetry.com. His poems typically focus on social issues and faith for perseverance. Next time you see Henry (pictured above from Bon Appetit), say "Hi" and thank him for all his hard work over the years!