'YEA, THOUGH I WALK': Veteran priest in Wainwright offers comfort, hope after deadly base fire

WAINWRIGHT — Wandering around Wainwright the day after a deadly fire killed four soldiers during a training exercise at the nearby base, the ever-present steeple of a church seemed to beckon stronger than usual.Driving past St. Thomas Anglican Church, something about the events of the previous day told me that perhaps I would benefit from going inside.I cautiously pushed against the wooden door and entered. Peering in, I saw two men sitting at a table solemnly looking at a phone that was placed on the table."I'm sorry, I'm a reporter, and I'm wondering if I could talk to the priest here about the incident that occurred at the base yesterday?""Of course, sit down; we're just watching the press conference."They introduced themselves as Fr. Fred Matthews and Rev. Gordon Hills. I later learned that, in addition to serving God, the two men had also served their country and were both veterans, making the impact of the incident all the more personal.It was at this point I realized that they were in the process of watching the press conference where Major-General L.W. Rutland announced the identities of the four Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) soldiers who had died at CFB Wainwright on Saturday..As I sat there with these two men who I had met just moments ago, I listened as Maj-Gen. Rutland read off the names of the four deceased soldiers.At the reading of each name I could see the facial features of each man twitch in horror.At the reading of the final name, Sgt. Morgan Wong, of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment (LER), Hills made an audible noise of discontent.I later realized this was likely because the LER is a reserve regiment, meaning that Sgt. Wong was a reservist, the only one of the four who died that wasn't a full-time member of the CAF.I also realized later that the LER was Matthews' former regiment.We watched the press conference in relative silence until Matthews' phone died.At this point I gave them a bit more information about who I was and if they would be willing to chat. Hills indicated that Matthews would be better placed to talk, as St. Thomas was his parish.Matthews stated that he was visiting a parishioner in Edmonton when he heard the news and decided that he had to come back to Wainwright to offer emotional and spiritual guidance to the community during this tragic time..He added how, in addition to being the priest at St. Thomas, he was "also the priest serving in at Saint Saviour's Anglican Church in Vermillion, Saint Mary Anglican Church in Edgerton, and the Church of the Holy Nativity in Frog Lake First Nation."I asked him about his previously mentioned military service; he stated that he served in the LER during "the late '80s" and that his service was "fairly uneventful."Of the people of Wainwright, he said that because of the high percentage of those who are either active or former serving members of the CAF, he expects "the community to come together. And obviously, from what I've been seeing and hearing, they're doing exactly what is to be expected.""As Canadians and as Albertans, we take care of each other, and I would be shocked if I didn't see people in the broader community reaching out to each other, regardless of, you know, the signs that we see on the sides of the roads.".I asked him what his advice would be to the family members of those four men who tragically died in the service of their country. His response was poignant."Dealing with death is never an easy situation, especially under these circumstances. But what I want to communicate to everyone is that, as dark and as disappointing and as awful as this disaster has been... they have a community that will rally around them and support them and care for them, and they're not alone.""The fact is that we have a Creator who didn't create us to hate us. He didn't create us to destroy us in some fiery cataclysm. Jesus died for us to be reconciled to God, not to be destroyed, and so there is hope."Matthews, throughout the questions I asked him, stressed the importance the community will have on recovery for those affected by this disaster, as well as the knowledge that families mourning their losses will be reunited with their loved ones one day..At this point I also asked Hills for his feelings on the situation. Hills, who served for over 40 years as a battalion commander in the reserves, stated that he hopes those in charge during the incident won't hold themselves responsible for a freak accident."I'm feeling for the guys that were in charge there, and I know how they're feeling. They get to be like your children. You care for every one of them, and you really feel for them and their families."I have to express how touching it was to be there with these two men, who obviously have such strong ties to the local community as well as the armed forces, during a moment as tragic as this.Being in an unfamiliar community during a time of tragedy is a bizarre experience, but I was never made to feel like an outsider during my time in Wainwright.Closing out my impromptu interview with these two men, I asked Fr. Matthews if there is a verse or a passage from the Bible that he is thinking about during these troubling times.He stated that Psalm 23:4 is one that he always thinks about when facing instances of death."Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."

'YEA, THOUGH I WALK': Veteran priest in Wainwright offers comfort, hope after deadly base fire

Related Stories

First fallen soldier from Wainwright identified

WATCH: Carney calls 'violent' Wainwright fire one of Canada's worst peacetime military tragedies

UPDATED: Seven reported killed, dozens wounded after disaster at CFB Wainwright

'FREE HOT POTATO EVENING': Nova Scotia church hosting MAiD event