Saint Aidan's Episcopal Church

Here follows an excerpt from the church's website:

St. Aidan's History
In the Beginning: Origin and Mission

Established in 1962, St. Aidan’s was founded as a mission of the Diocese of Virginia by seventeen families who were parishioners at St. Luke’s, a nearby Episcopal church. Under the leadership of the Reverend Embry Rucker (1963-1969), a traditional A-frame church building, a parish hall, and a two-story classroom building were built. The parish’s primary focus was to serve those in need on the Route 1 corridor. Rucker and the members of the parish were leaders in the quest for social justice in the middle 1960s. Parish members led a diocesan task force on open housing in northern Virginia. They also housed Poor People’s Campaign participants in the parish hall and became involved in the struggle for civil rights. “In visiting this church, I felt a real call. I just felt drawn to this church.” – Charles Jasper, parishioner.

Rebuilding: Church Burning and Life from the Ashes

On Wednesday, April 28, 1971, in the late afternoon, St. Aidan’s church building was destroyed by fire, presumably the result of an electrical storm. The following Sunday found the members of St. Aidan’s congregation holding outdoor services facing the ruins of the church building. For some, it was their first Sunday attending services at St. Aidan’s. “So we drove to the church, and lo and behold, people were setting up chairs outside on the lawn. We said, Oh! They are having an outdoor service!” Then we noticed the gaping, smoldering hole which was the church! So if that says something about us, I don’t know.” – John Schelling, parishioner. Under the leadership of St. Aidan’s second rector, The Reverend Arthur H. (Pat) Underwood (1969-1976), and after a year with no formal worship space, the parish hastened to rebuild and designed the present church to suit the parish priorities: the centrality of prayer and worship; the encouragement of full congregational participation in worship; an openness to various forms of worship; and a desire for the parish and the larger community to use the church building for a variety of functions.

Evolution from Mission to Parish

The Reverend Harold N. (Hal) White served as St. Aidan’s third rector (1977-1997). He remarked on the simplicity of the church building, “Unfinished, just like we are.” During his ministry, parishioners took an even more active role in outreach to the poor and the homeless. Under his leadership, St. Aidan’s became a spiritual resource for many unchurched or transient people in the community. And in 1981, St. Aidan’s asked for parish status and received approval. During Rev. White’s tenure, the rectory was sold, and the new parish hall was built.

Growth and Sustainability:
Welcoming the Community of Fellow Travelers on this Journey

With the arrival of St. Aidan’s fourth rector, The Reverend John M. Baker (1999-2020), St. Aidan’s continued to grow. The 30-year old church building was greatly in need of repair and refurbishment, which was accomplished by 2010. While the parish continued to be Eucharist and outreach-centered, it also became a place of welcoming people wherever they are on their faith journey.

Among us you will find a variety of faith stories and experiences and a diversity of beliefs. What we share in common is a trust that in community, in our worship, and in our caring for others we learn to love our neighbor better and deepen our awareness of God's presence.

“I have always said, whether my faith was in a strong period or a weak period, I just knew that we were led here. That first Sunday we came here and I was home.” – Jane Jones, parishioner

Seminarians:
St. Aidan’s benefits from its proximity to the Virginia Theological Seminary, especially as a popular field education site for seminarians. St. Aidan’s has welcomed at least one seminarian every year since the first one came in 1964, except during periods of transition. The seminarians work under the parish clergy, take part in Christian education and other parish activities, attend and participate in the Sunday liturgy, and preach on a regular basis. Seminarians have enriched our community immeasurably. Our Sunday evening Celtic Service, Godly Play program, Adult Ed forums, and Lenten Retreats are examples of the amazing gifts we have received from the seminarians who have come to us, learned about us, and shared their talents with us.

St. Aidan's Grounds:
St. Aidan's is located on eight acres of park-like woods and green spaces that include labyrinths, a community garden, and a memorial garden.

Labyrinths:
St. Aidan’s is home to two labyrinths: The labyrinth inside the church is an integral part of seasonal worship services and workshops. The outdoor labyrinth is adjacent to the memorial garden and modeled after the cathedral labyrinth in Chartres, France. Parishioners and visitors are welcome to walk the path to help center and quiet their minds.

Community Garden:
In this sheltered space adjacent to the church, it’s not unusual to see fellow parishioners catching up with each other and sharing seeds and news as they pause from tending their gardens and enjoy a quiet moment in the sun. Like so many other activities at St. Aidan’s, the garden brings us together and rewards us with a bountiful harvest. During the growing season, St. Aidan’s offers plots to parishioners and members of the community. Anyone can contact the church office to be added to a list for garden plots, which are assigned in the spring.

Memorial Garden:
From the earliest Christian times, Church history and tradition supports the interment of ashes as a logical completion of the natural cycle of life, blessed and celebrated in the religious observances of the Church.

Located next to the outdoor labyrinth on the church grounds, the St. Aidan’s Memorial Garden offers a sanctified and peaceful resting place where ashes can be interred and where benches, trees, and flowering bushes create a welcoming setting for meditation, reflection, and conversation. Those whose ashes are interred in the garden are remembered on a bronze plaque within the garden, and more information about the life of the departed can be included in the church’s Memorial Book. Gifts to the Memorial Garden Perpetual Care Fund and gifts in memory of the deceased to the St. Aidan’s general fund are welcome. To learn more, please contact the Parish Office.

Nature Trail:
St Aidan’s has a nature trail through the woods that leads to two outdoor areas with tree stumps for sitting and reflecting on the beauty of our wooded area.

Along the paths are signs with inspiring quotes that capture the many wonders of nature as you follow the trails. The signs were created by Kevin Coneway and the Nature Trail was an Eagle Scout project led by Silas Wright.

Please take time to visit this wooded area and immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and smells of the forest. Feel the breeze through the trees, listen for sounds of birds and other forest creatures, and smell the fragrance of the plants around you. These observations help us be more aware of the many blessings of the world so often overlooked in our rush to get from one place to another. Take time to thank God for the good gifts of the Earth and renew your commitment to care for them.

Aidan of Lindisfarne:
St. Aidan of Lindisfarne (Irish: Naomh Aodhán; died 31 August 651) was an Irish monk and missionary credited with converting the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity in Northumbria. He founded a monastic cathedral on the island of Lindisfarne, known as Lindisfarne Priory, served as its first bishop, and travelled ceaselessly throughout the countryside, spreading the gospel to both the Anglo-Saxon nobility and the socially disenfranchised (including children and slaves).

He is known as the Apostle of Northumbria and is recognized as a saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion and others.

St. Aidan lived in a time of conflict in the British Isles. There was conflict between Christianity and the pagan religions of the Anglo-Saxons and also conflict between the Christianity of the Celts and that of the Romans.

In 633, King Oswald of Northumbria determined to bring Christianity to the pagans of his kingdom. From his fortress of Bamburgh, he sent messages to Iona asking for missionary monks to come and minister to his people.

He arrived in Northumbria around AD 635 accompanied by 12 other monks and was established as Bishop of the area. King Oswald gave him the island of Lindisfarne, (now known as the Holy Island) for his Bishopric. It was eminently suitable for him since the island was cut off from the mainland except, twice a day during the periods of low tide, when a land bridge was uncovered. It provided both solitude and a base for missionary work. Here St. Aidan established an Irish-type monastery of wooden buildings…a small church, small, circular dwelling huts, perhaps one larger building for communal purposes and workshops as needed. There the monks spent time in prayer and studious preparation before venturing out into the community to spread the gospel.

Aidan lived a frugal life and encouraged the laity to fast and study the scriptures. He himself fasted on Wednesdays and Fridays, and seldom ate at the royal table. St. Aidan tirelessly engaged in preaching and pastoral work. He traveled mainly by foot and visited all he came across.

Despite mass conversions, attacks and rebellions continued. One day, Aidan was praying in his monastery when a pagan army invaded the nearby royal town of Bamburgh and set the city walls ablaze. From his cell, Aidan saw the fire and smelled the smoke. At once, he began to pray for the town and all who dwelt inside. Suddenly, the wind abruptly changed and sent the flames and smoke away from the city. His prayers had saved lives. For this reason, Aidan is known as the patron saint of firefighters. And, for his faithful obedience to his call, care for the poor, and shining example of service, he also bears the title “Beacon of the North.”

One story has St. Aidan saving the life of a stag by making it invisible to the hunters. Even though, this miracle has also been attributed to St. Aidan of Ferns, the stag is one of heraldic symbols associated with St. Aidan since the stag symbolizes solitude, piety, and prayer. St. Aidan's crest is a torch, a light shining in the darkness, since 'Aidan' is Gaelic for 'fire'. We may also see St. Aidan portrayed with a tent reminding us of his death.

St. Aidan’s feast day is on August 31st.