“I Was a Stranger, and You Welcomed Me”

How the people of St. Aidan’s work to nurture brave space and continuous inclusion.

This quote from Scripture is carved into the front of the altar at St. Aidan’s. These words are instrumental in shaping the mission and vision of the people of St. Aidan’s which follows:

Our Mission

We follow God’s mission of love and justice, embracing community with compassion, inclusiveness, and commitment.

Our Vision

Nurture brave space, build relationships, share God’s love.

As part of the Corporation of Saint Aidan’s, Reverend Fran has been here for seven years. Claudia is a Warden, along with Marlene forming the three-member leadership team.

Having St. Aidan’s story shared is a wonderful opportunity as we are entering into our 75th year serving the community! We are thrilled to be part of this CDH initiative where we get to highlight our work being done.

In the beginning, St. Aidan’s early years was a place of worship for the Ortona Barracks. Mrs. Leona Billard whose been here in those years reminds us that her daughter was baptized here. When asked what would you like the people to know about St. Aidan’s she responded, “It has always been a welcoming church to the whole community, and it still is.”

The people of St. Aidan’s are small in numbers but large in commitment. We listen to the needs of the wider community and respond, not by helping from a distance, but by being part of what God is already doing. Moreover, the people of St. Aidan’s are open and inclusive to everyone. We love people. We create space for people to be heard, as sometimes listening matters most.

A few years ago, a hate crime was committed causing damage to the building. There was a tremendous negative impact of course, but what followed was an outpouring of support from the wider community. People we had never met reached out. Some shared how signs of inclusivity, such as the rainbow sticker on our building, mean something. We are proud of our weekly spiritual Sunday services and our monthly Friday Candlelight & Prayer with Songs of Taizé services. These are enhanced because of our phenomenal parish music program which we share at some of our special concert occasions including partnership with SOLO – Southern Ontario Lyric Opera.

We do however believe that St. Aidan’s is not about a building. We go beyond the

walls in various meaningful ways. We host events, meet people where they are, engage in weekly prayer walks, support the food bank, and engage and support other community initiatives. Our doors and grounds are open for our annual community BBQ which is free and brings a welcome visit from our local fire station.

With guidance from Heather Thompson of Community Development Halton, we started a free weekly get together, called Community Connections. Part of the focus for this was to combat isolation after COVID, especially for older adults. It’s simply a social space: no pressure, no agenda - just connection. We are grateful to Ron Shantz and the people of Front Line Outreach on Kerr Street, for their support of this weekly event.

We would love to see more people involved with these events and opportunities. While growth in number of persons may not look like people coming into the building, there’s a sense that with more people, we could do more. St. Aidan’s isn’t widely known as we’re not on a main street. This can make it hard to connect, but we believe in the work we’re doing. Even if it’s one person at a time, it matters.

There are many people who support what we do without being members. They contribute, attend events, and stand with us. That support became especially visible after the hate crime. We are deeply grateful to these persons for their support! In response to being asked, ‘what can CDH and the wider community offer’ is an easy one –SHARE. When there are opportunities to promote what we’re doing, sharing would always be helpful and welcomed. Getting the word out brings more people into connection. We’re grateful to Doug Sams of the Kerr Village BIA and to the persons of the West River Residents’ Association, for sharing news of St. Aidan’s events.

We would also love to see more children and families. We have an aging population, and there’s hope to see younger generations become part of the community again. In always contributing, our eldest member Mrs. Hazel Holbrook who turns 101 in May shares that “St. Aidan’s has always been very homy and a place where people always looked after one another because we

cared about one another. People are always welcome and greeted warmly”.

We have a very positive partnership with Positive Minds Daycare, located in the church building. With thanks to the Director for sharing, our pancake supper this year was the biggest in a long time. The support and enthusiasm sparked hope for what could grow again, such as a flourishing Sunday school.

We’re planning larger community events and continuing our commitment to climate justice. We host an annual e-waste event where electronics are collected, refurbished, and given to young people in need. We work to raise awareness of the climate crisis and seek ways of living that nurture and care for creation.

The church building of St. Aidan’s provides very usable space to the community – and the acoustics are excellent! The English Learners Club of Oakville, offering ESL conversations, hosts weekly classes; the Oakville Oasis Drawing Bee gathers every Monday morning; private music lessons are given 5 days a week; Romanian Orthodox Church worships here on Sunday afternoons; many one day or evening events are held by community persons, such as the upcoming Oakville High Rendition Jazz concert.

There is so much already happening, and with more support, even more would be possible for the community now and in the future.

We invite one and all to visit us in person at any of our events and/or on Facebook.

By Rev. Fran Wallace & Claudia Davis Ewan

Story curated by Phillip McAllister

_________________________________________________________________________

This post is part of a larger CDH Member Story Project. The intent is to share the depth of our non-profit sector, name how community can support and imagine together what is possible through the non-profit sector to ensure Halton is a health, inclusive and resilient place to live. Are you a CDH member and want to let your story to the project. You can get started HERE.