Bishop Stuart Robinson conferred the honour on Mrs Young, 73, at a service at St Saviour's cathedral, Goulburn, during the church's synod last month.

Mrs Young - who was born in Casino, started school in Lightning Ridge and moved to Eden from Port Macquarie in the 1970s - has taught religious education at Eden Public School over a span of 20 years.

She also celebrated 20 years as a member of the organising committee for the annual combined churches debutante ball earlier this year.

In 1995 Mrs Young was instrumental is setting up emergency welfare out of St John’s hall; it flourished, and two years later moved from the hall into a shopfront opportunity shop and welfare office.

Today, the Anglicare recycling op shop is known as Sapphire Surprises, and it occupies even larger premises in Imlay Street, where Mrs Young still helps out at least one day a week.

She has also served in leadership positions on the parish council, and has been part of the Cursillo team which runs Christian short courses on weekends.

Mrs Young said her four decade-long association with St John's began virtually from the first day she arrived in Eden.

"I went to a service at St John's the first Sunday I was in town," she said.

But the humble recipient of the honour said she could not have achieved so much for the parish without the help of Helen Cowgill, Enid Whiter and Pam Inwood.

Mrs Young's family from Eden and Wagga Wagga, including her six-day-old great-granddaughter, Alayah, made the trip to Goulburn to witness the ceremony.

She was one of three people to be made honorary lay canons; James Hamilton from Wagga Wagga and Rod Sutherland of Canberra were also bestowed with the honour for their work in the diocese.  

Her citation read: "We have been and continue to be blessed through her diverse efforts.”