Church Leadership
Clergy
The Rev. Laura Cochran became St. Aidan’s Rector in January 2022 after serving as Associate Rector at St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Reston, VA for nine years. An Arlington, Virginia native and lifelong Episcopalian, she graduated cum laude with a BBA in Music Business from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.
Laura came to the priesthood after a 10-year career in the music industry working for a trade organization that supports and promotes the creative and financial vitality of the major music companies. During seminary Laura served as seminarian at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church, Woodbridge, interned at St. John's Episcopal Church, McLean, and completed her Clinical Pastoral Education at Sibley Memorial Hospital, Washington, DC. She graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary in May 2012 with a Master in Divinity.
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Laura was ordained to the priesthood in the Diocese of Virginia in 2012, and is passionate about intergenerational formation, discipleship, liturgy, the dialogue between theology and the arts, and discovering and sharing stories of God's transforming love in the world.
Staff
Our Parish Administrator, Eileen Byrne-Myers, has kept the front office at St. Aidan's running smoothly since January 2013. She manages the office, schedules building use, creates bulletins and newsletters, coordinates many of our volunteers and provides support for seasonal community events like Oktoberfest and the annual tree sale. Eileen can be reached by emailing St. Aidan's or by phone during regular office hours.
In addition to her role on staff, Eileen and her family are members of the parish.
Pat Petteway has been involved in the local music community as a performer and teacher for many years. In addition to being an accomplished pianist and guitar, music and voice teacher, she is our organist, pianist and sometimes guitarist for morning services. She leads our choir for the morning services and also organizes the children's choir. When we couldn’t worship in person, she became a multi-media director, orchestrating online worship, virtual choir recordings, video links and sound engineering. Her ability to keep us in community through music is a constant blessing.
Rebecca Troutman is our Youth Education Coordinator and Pastoral Assistant.
Rebecca joined the staff in January of 2020 to work with the youth of St. Aidan’s and to oversee the formation program with the Godly Play group and the middle school class. Rebecca takes an active role in worship, behind the scenes in planning and up front as a reader, Lay Eucharistic Minister, and preacher. Rebecca has a Masters of Divinity degree and she has experience in children’s ministry, preaching, and outreach in the Episcopal Church. She sensed a call to ministry while in the Navy and is participating in the discernment process with the Diocese of Southern Virginia. She is especially grateful to those who contributed to the growth and development of her own faith as a youth and hopes to encourage that same spirit of service at St. Aidan’s.
Vestry
Vestry members are elected to serve a three year term. They support the clergy in providing spiritual leadership, serve as liaisons to various ministry areas of the church, establish the budget and oversee all financial and property concerns as well. Our Vestry members are:
Nancy Hammer
Senior Warden
2022-2025
Brian Dilley
Junior Warden
2022-2025
Jesse Forbes
Clerk
2021-2024
Meagan Consedine
2023-2026
Rose DuPont
2023-2026
Chris Fafard
2023-2026
Mary Jane Guffey
2022-2025
Lianne LaFleur
Day School Board Representative
2021-2024
Christina Mazzanti
Parish Life
2021-2024
Jody Preston
2023-2026
Sheila Walsh
2022-2025
Manley Williams
Parish Life
2021-2024
Tom Madison
Treasurer
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 priest, 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.