Joe Bachner of Gloucester has a special connection to Riverside Walter Reed Hospital, particularly the hospital’s chapel, and that connection has only grown deeper this Christmas season.
Bachner’s father, Syl, was commissioned by Grace Bible Church in 1991 to build benches for the chapel, and the church donated the benches as a gift to the hospital. His father also made the chapel’s altar table.
Now Bachner has included his own addition to the chapel: a four-foot-tall Celtic cross made of mahogany, which is now displayed over his father’s altar. His idea to add a cross to the chapel came from noticing a need for one in the space on one of his occasional visits.
He began making Celtic crosses several years ago to give as Christmas presents for family and friends. He then began selling them online and has had a good bit of success.
“I like old, traditional things,” said Bachner about his decision to start making Celtic crosses.
In addition to his father, his mother, Dorothy, also had a s...