Community
Our Neighbourhood
Within 10 blocks of St. Albans you can find most of the homeless shelters in Ottawa, many national embassies, and the University of Ottawa. It is a diverse and complex neighbourhood facing complex challenges and amazing opportunities.
Some of our parishioners live in Sandy Hill, others live in adjacent neighbourhoods, and still others come from all over the National Capital Region. We all believe in the importance of Sandy Hill, and St. Albans as a Christian presence in it. We fully believe that our work and partnerships in Sandy Hill will lead to the restoration of the streets where all can thrive.
Neighbourhood Leadership
We believe that the restoration of the streets of Sandy Hill for all to thrive will require efforts larger than that possible by St. Albans alone, as a result we participate in the Sandy Hill Community Liasion Committee which made up of housed and homeless, business owners, front line workers, and is co-chaired by Rev. Michael.
The Sandy Hill Beatitudes
Blessed are those who have nowhere to sit but the sidewalk, for they will be advocated for.
Blessed are those who are use drugs, for they will one day be free.
Blessed are the newly sober, for they will one day find the cravings go away.
Blessed are those who are afraid to leave their house, for they will find their streets restored
Blessed are those who have to choose between physical hunger and the hunger to learn, for they will find both hungers met.
Blessed are those who are exploited and abused by others, for a day of justice will come.
Blessed are those who have no home, for they will one day have adequate shelter.
Blessed are those who carry Naloxone, for they will be the restorers of life.
Blessed are those who stop and ask if someone is ok, for they will understand themselves as beloved of God.
Blessed are the people who have not been corrupted by this world – who can still see beauty and whose hearts incline toward that which is right, loving and good – for God will be revealed to them.
Blessed are those who work for the reconciliation and restoration of the neighbourhood – who do not give up hope in the face of insurmountable challenges – for their work will not be in vain.
The original Beatitudes can be found in Matthew 5:3-12 and suggest how humans should live. We rewrote them for our neighbourhood of Sandy Hill
Belong Ottawa
At Centre 454
At St. Albans, we take seriously God’s call to do justice, love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8). God calls each of us to care for the neighbourhoods in which we live, work and play. One of the ways in which the community of St. Albans does this is through our partnership with Centre 454.
St. Albans Church is a ministry partner with Centre 454. The Centre, a Community Ministry of our Diocese, provides practical services, social recreation activities, supportive counselling and welcoming hospitality for those in our community who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and living in poverty.
The Centre is located in the lower level of St. Albans Church. Whether your interest is volunteering at the Centre, providing baked goods and snacks, gathering needed supplies, supporting the Centre financially, or offering spiritual support, your involvement will be welcomed and appreciated. Being a part of the Centre 454 community will make a difference and will change lives … yours included!
Care Team
Our welcome and care extends to those who attend regularly, those who are “just visiting”, the curious, the skeptical as well as those who are just looking for a cup of coffee, a washroom, or a friendly ear. If you hear a bit of noise at the back of the church during the service, we may just be helping someone who has come in off the street and needs a bit of love. We also pay attention to those outside our building who are in distress. We may be able to care for them where they are, we may invite them into the church so that we can help them, or we may reach out to our colleagues at Centre 454 to help them.
Our care team are trained to use Naloxone, and respond to various crisis situations as they arise. The work of our care team got written up in the Globe & Mail. Check out the article below.
Keys, Phone, Naloxone.
"That morning a man burst through the doors of St. Albans Church in downtown Ottawa, like a bolt of lightning through an otherwise quite Sunday service, shouting 'Someone's overdosing!'"
Find Us
- We Gather Sundays at 10:00am
- 454 King Edward Ave, Ottawa, ON
- On the traditional, unceded territories of the Algonquin nation