Robert McConnell Hatch (July 6, 1910 – July 16, 2009) was a suffragan bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut (1951-1957) and fourth bishop of the

Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts The Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the five western counties of Massachusetts. Formed from a division of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, it was officia ...

(1957–1970).

Education

Hatch was born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

on July 6, 1910, the son of the Reverend William Henry Paine Hatch and Marion Louise Townsend. He was educated at St Mark's School in

Southboro, Massachusetts Southborough is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It incorporates the villages of Cordaville, Fayville, and Southville. Its name is often informally shortened to Southboro, a usage seen on many area signs and maps, though ...

and

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

. He also studied at Columbia University where he graduated with a master's in history in 1935. He also studied at the Episcopal Theological Seminary from where he earned his

Bachelor of Divinity In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity or Baccalaureate in Divinity (BD or BDiv; la, Baccalaureus Divinitatis) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology ...

in 1939.

Priest

Hatch was ordained deacon in 1939 and a priest in May 1940 by Bishop

Henry Knox Sherrill Henry Knox Sherrill (November 6, 1890 – May 11, 1980) was an Episcopal bishop. He was the 20th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church from 1947 to 1958, having previously served as Bishop of Massachusetts (1930-1947). Biography Henry Kno ...

of Massachusetts. He was appointed curate of Trinity Church, Boston where he remained until 1941 when he became rector of St John's Church in Arlington, Massachusetts. He transferred to

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington ( Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...

where he became Dean of the Cathedral of St John in 1945. In 1946 he was also deputy of the General Convention and between 1947 and 1948 he served as president of the standing committee of the Diocese of Delaware. In 1948 he became rector of St John's Church in Waterbury, Connecticut.

Bishop

For seven years, Hatch served as Suffragan Bishop of Connecticut. He was elected on January 30, 1951, at a special diocesan convention which took place in

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...

. He was consecrated by the Presiding Bishop

on April 17, 1951, in St John's Church in Waterbury, Connecticut. In 1957 he was elected Bishop of Western Massachusetts where he remained until 1970. After retirement he served as an Interim in

Berlin, New Hampshire Berlin ( ) is a city along the Androscoggin River in Coös County in northern New Hampshire, United States. It is the northernmost city in New Hampshire. The population was 9,425 at the 2020 census, down from 10,051 at the 2010 census. It ...

."Robert Hatch Consecrated", ''The Living Church'', New York, 29 April 1951.

Writings

Hatch is known for his writings on 'What is meant by Christian Marriage' and 'What is meant by Christian Burial'. He also wrote two books related to the American War for Independence.

Personal life

Hatch married Helen Crocker Addison in 1940 and together had two children.

Bibliography

References

External links

* * 1910 births 2009 deaths Episcopal Church in Connecticut Episcopal Church in Massachusetts Episcopal Divinity School alumni Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni Harvard College alumni 20th-century American Episcopalians Episcopal bishops of Western Massachusetts Episcopal bishops of Connecticut 20th-century American clergy {{US-Anglican-bishop-stub