History
Our first "Parish House" Chapel was created when Bishop G. U. Luxton was dean and rector from earlier days when the Diocesan Synod Office and the office of the Bishop of Huron occupied space in our Parish Hall. The Synod Office (one Archdeacon and one elderly secretary) was just inside the Cronyn Hall doorway in what we now call "Bishops' Corridor" because of the array of bishops lining the walls.
Bishop Luxton was a great devotee of the Celtic tradition in Anglicanism and the decor of the chapel (and its name) reflected that. Aidan was the revered abbott and bishop of Lindisfarne whose island in Northubria is still a focus of pilgrimage and spirituality.
The Chapel was later moved to its present location near the Chancel of the Cathedral, and its rich series of tapestries tell the story of the life of this saintly monk, St. Aidan, whose ministry to the poor and personal holiness has assured his place in the roster of British saints who helped shape our tradition. St. Aidan's Chapel is the setting for our Wednesday mid-week Eucharist. The Chapel is always open for private devotion and meditation. It's quiet and worshipful atmosphere has made it a favourite place for many of our people.
For Anglican people it is a continuing memorial to British Christianity which shaped our spirituality and enriched the whole Christian Community.
The Collect for his day (August 31) speaks of "Aidan, a wanderer among the English", and asks that we, after his example, "may walk so faithfully along the pathways of this life, that in all our converse with others, we may commend the saving gospel of Jesus Christ".
(Source: October, 2001 Chimes)