"For each of us—perhaps once or twice only in the whole course of our lives—there have been sudden moments of discovery when we have seen disclosed the deepest being and truth of another, and we have experienced his or her inner life as if it were our own. And this encounter with the true personhood of another is, once more, a contact with the transcendent and timeless, with something stronger than death. To say to another, with all our heart, “I love you,” is to say, “You will never die.” At such moments of personal sharing we know, not through arguments but by immediate conviction, that there is life beyond death. So it is that in our relations with others, as in our experience of ourselves, we have moments of transcendence, pointing to something that lies beyond." ~ Kallistos Ware
I cherish the opportunity to meet and explore with you the unfolding possibilities for freedom and deep abiding joy that are available to each of us! Before we can see these wide open spaces we must also be willing to be seen and known— by ourselves and those around us. As such, it is my great joy and sacred privilege to extend the hand and heart of hospitality as a fellow pilgrim, or what the ancient Irish called Anam Cara — a “soul friend”— as we cross the little deserts of life together.
Bio:
Aidan is a grateful husband and proud father of two precious children, a retired Air Force veteran with experiences in small business, and an Orthodox Christian chaplain with formal clinical experiences and training related to topics such as: grief, shame, trauma, “moral injury”, spiritual enrichment, addiction, pastoral care, Christian theology, relationship cultivation and reconciliation, and many others. As a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy (B.S. in Behavioral Science), the University of Notre Dame (M.A. in Theology), and Holy Cross Theological Seminary (Certificate in Diaconate Formation), he is currently pursuing board certification (B.C.C.) as a chaplain under the accreditation of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE).
**Please note: chaplaincy care is characterized by an orientation toward integrated spiritual care. As such it does not involve clinical assessments, diagnoses, or interventions. Such cases would, for the necessary care and benefit of the client, be referred to an appropriate clinician. Furthermore, this orientation, by design, is committed to offering desired care to all without discrimination related to any client’s various demographic traits such as: age, gender, religious affiliation, or lack thereof.