Not Home. Come Home.
2025 Lenten Reflections
ANGLICANS ON THE STREETS
Illustration by Eunice Sunmie Derksen
ANGLICANS ON THE STREETS
Throughout Lent, we are highlighting Anglicans across North America who are doing the work of bringing HOME to those who need it most. At the Matthew 25 Initiative, we regularly tell the stories of these practitioners through a video series called "Anglicans on the Streets." If you would like to learn more about this series and how Anglicans are serving as Jesus' hands and feet among the vulnerable, you can watch it here.
Meet Vicky Hedelius
Vicky Hedelius knows that there is "more to the story."
If you just took a swift glance over her life so far, you would see it dotted with dark times: losing her husband in her 30s, mothering two young children on her own, navigating blended families, and grieving the loss of a parent.
But despite these seasons of loss and of feeling lost, Vicky knows that the Lord has never left her. “I know that the Lord is in control. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s just innate in me.” In other words: Christ has always been her HOME.
From Suffering to Sacred Service
Vicky’s ability to empathize and walk with people through dark times has led her to a life of service. “I started to learn about children in the womb, sanctity of life, death and dying, how our hospices and medical care systems work [in Canada],” she reflects, “And when I saw the injustices, I said, ‘OK Lord, what do I do with this?’”
This question eventually led her to become the National Director of Anglicans for Life Canada. She describes, “We are a Sanctity of Life ministry that aims to equip, empower, and encourage churches to live out the gospel by being Life-Affirming Communities... Many times, this ministry is seen only as ‘political’ which puts a barrier up and misses the heart of being life-affirming. But all ministry holds the tension between justice and injustice. Christ’s teaching and actions show His compassion for every human life and their environment.”
Life-Affirming Ministry Requires a Deeper Lens
In her work with the aged, ill, and dying, she knows that showing up to do something and seeing beyond the obvious are key parts of providing care. “If we dare see with the heart and eyes of Jesus,” she encourages, “we will see a person’s true being - a creation of God, made in His image."
To illustrate her point, she shares a story about an elderly woman in long-term care who recently passed away. “She had dementia, was non verbal, crunched over a walker, and she would roam around the corridors and into the rooms of the other residents. Staff would have to answer call-bells of the other residents and take her back to her own room or to the nurses’ station. No one really knew how much she recognized or what she thought, but after her death, Vicky learned that she had been born in Europe and immigrated to Canada. She served as a nurse for many years – including in World War II. She had a deep Christian faith and served her community. So, I wonder,” Vicky pauses, “Could her roaming around the ward, actually have been her memory of serving as a nurse and as a caregiver in her community? That she was, in her way, continuing to serve those around her?"
Vicky knows that each individual person is unique and designed with a loving-purpose. “When we know someone and their story, we look at them differently. This is part of life-affirming ministry.”
In addition to her own life’s story, Vicky’s 30 years as an Anglican Priest have provided a myriad of experiences in pastoral care for both the parish families and those out in the wider community. “What I have learned is that we all face difficult and complicated situations in our daily lives – be they physical, emotional or spiritual – and in those times, we are vulnerable, overwhelmed, afraid, and feel very isolated and alone.” Walking with people through end-of-life care, sicknesses, and death, while still seeing and valuing each individual's life, is a chance for Vicky to share the love of Jesus – and His welcoming call of HOME.
She concludes, “I have felt Christ’s compassionate care for me. I know that my life matters to Him and to others. He fills me with His Holy Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. I want to pass this on!”
Passing the Baton
After all these years of service, Vicky is preparing to pass the baton of leadership of Anglicans for Life Canada to the next generation and offer any mentoring needed to navigate the Canadian landscape of affirming life. She is looking for the next Anglican on the Street to become the National Director of AFLC. Perhaps it is you or someone you know? Learn more here.
Invest in Transformation
Vicky's participation in M25i's Reverb Leadership Coaching has enabled her to better communicate the vision for why she does what she does. Would you consider giving to the Matthew 25 Initiative? Your support means we can continue equpping and training other leaders like Vicky in the ACNA.