The creation of St. Aidan’s filled a need for a mission in the area north of Stark Street and east of 162nd in Gresham. This dream was fulfilled with the help of then-Bishop James Carman and a small group of people in the area. After several meetings, the first service was held at North Rockwood School on 172nd. Forty-three people attended the service.

In 1961, after many months of conducting services in school gymnasiums, the church moved into a portable building on N. E. 172nd. Church members met at this location for 18 months until the building was uprooted and moved to the land where Murdock Hall now stands.

Pink dogwood is blooming in all its
glory near the Likowski building.

Any recorded history of St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church would be incomplete without mention of the major role Trinity Episcopal Church (Now Trinity Cathedral) played in the establishment and development of St. Aidan¹s. Dr. Lansing Kempton, rector of Trinity, saw St. Aidan’s as a "church in the woods", and his leadership was key in sponsoring the new church. The Trinity congregation purchased the land and paid for construction of the church building that sits on it. Trinity also bought all furnishings in the church, including the pews and the organ.

The Josefa May Rees Memorial Garden, located between Likowski and Murdock Halls, was established May 28, 1972. Jo Rees was the wife of Rev. William R. Rees, who served St. Aidan’s rector pro-tem until the arrival of the Rev. James B. Likowski. Jo Rees was an inspiration to all who knew her during long years of a debilitating illness. Since she passed away in 1972, many members of the congregation have interred the ashes of their loved ones in this lovely garden.

The clergymen who served St. Aidan’s included: Thomas Murdock, 1962-1970; James B. Likowski, 1970-1982; David A. Lounsbury, Interim, 1982-84; Lauriston H. McCagg, 1985-l987; Richard Welsh, 1987-1994, and Scott Dolph, Interim, 1994-96, who in 1996 became our present rector.

The Gospel first came to the northern English in 627, When King Edwin of Northumbria was converted by a mission from Canterbury led by Bishop Paulinus, who established his see at York. Edwin’s death in battle in 632 was followed by a severe pagan reaction. A year later, Edwin’s exiled nephew Oswald gained the kingdom, and proceeded at once to restore the Christian mission.

During his exile, Oswald had lived at Columba’s monastery of Iona, where he had been converted and baptized. Hence he sent to Iona (56:19 N 6:25 W), rather than to Canterbury, for missionaries. The first monk to preach was a man named Corman, who had no success, and returned to Iona to complain that the Northumbrians were a savage and unteachable race. A young monk named Aidan responded, "Perhaps you were too harsh with them, and they might have responded better to a gentler approach." At this, Aidan found himself appointed to lead a second expedition to Northumbria. He centered his work, not at York, but in imitation of his home monastery, on Lindisfarne, an island off the northeast coast of England, now often called Holy Isle (55:41 N 1:48 W).

With his fellow monks and the English youths whom he trained, Aidan restored Christianity in Northumbria, King Oswald often serving as his interpreter, and extended the mission through the midlands as far south as London.

Aidan died at the royal town of Bamborough, 31 August, 651. The historian Bede said of him: "He neither sought nor loved anything of this world, but delighted in distributing immediately to the poor whatever was given him by kings or rich men of the world. He traversed both town and country on foot, never on horseback, unless compelled by some urgent necessity. Wherever on his way he saw any, either rich or poor, he invited them, if pagans, to embrace the mystery of the faith; or if they were believers, he sought to strengthen them in their faith and stir them up by words and actions to alms and good works."

Church History Albums are available through the library.  They will be on file in the Library in Likowski Hall, but not to check out.  The first such album was a gift from the Murdocks when they departed for Coos Bay.  It was fast deteriorating due to the acidic materials (that we now know are not kind with the passage of time).  This has been remounted on clean pages, and should last much longer.  More recent albums II and III are nearly completely up-to-date, but photos and text may be added, if you have something you'd like to contribute.  Please use post-its to identify names, places and dates.  Helen Rees was the original historian for probably 30 years; Melba Netzel accepted the responsibility, but finding a finished album was not accomplished though there were boxes of bulletins, photos, etc.  Pat Rose has been the Historian for the last four years.