Remarks by John Lougheed at the 36th Mayors Dinner
Published June 2025
One of my mentors in ministry was the late Father Bernie Hayes, of the local Roman Catholic community. I remember him saying in a wedding homily: “You know I’ve never been married…” and amidst the gales of laughter, with his great sense of timing, Bernie added: “But, I hear it is hard work…and worth the effort!” This remarkable gathering tonight reminds us all that building community is hard – and at times, fun! – work together, and is always worth the effort.
Simply, thank you for this humbling invitation, shared with family, friends like family, colleagues and neighbours. Gathered and remembered.
Of the eight communities across Canada in which I have lived and served in a career of forty years, so far, Waterloo Region has been home the longest. Partly because it has always reminded me of a quilt of communities and agencies, sewn together with faith-based values, including the remarkable Working Centre which we celebrate tonight, as well as the Coalition of Muslim Women of K-W, led so ably by Fauzia, among other local partners and leaders.
Another Roman Catholic religious, the late Saint Mother Teresa, is remembered for saying: “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” And it is to those ‘small things’ – of seeing beauty and inclusion with some consistent awareness and effort – that I want to turn briefly to now.
It was dawn, and a parent had died, leaving a teen aged son at the Hospital. An ‘old soul’ of a son, who was receptive to the on-call Chaplain. And as the son was ready to leave, he asked for one of my business cards, which I didn’t have handy. “Not to worry” he told me “I’ll just put your contacts in my phone. And I noticed he spelled Chaplain ‘CHAPL – I – N’ to which I said “Oh, you’re thinking of Charlie Chaplin.” To which he replied: “WHO is that?!” We both smiled. And when I asked if there was anyone else I could call on his behalf, he said: “Please call Mrs. Seiling in Guidance at KCI. She’ll know what to do.” And he left in a cab, to join his younger brother at home.
Kathy Seiling, told with her permission this night, and known for her rapport with high school students, their families, and her colleagues, among others, over many years serving the community. Another measure of that local ‘quilt of caring’ which also includes both School Boards, local Universities and Colleges, faith communities and several counselling agencies, among others. We need them – among other leaders – all the more in these liminal times for our community of Waterloo Region, our Province of Ontario, our beloved country of Canada, and the wider world.
As I have discussed with Fauzia … when a Muslim family was facing the tragedy of an ‘unwitnessed’ motor cycle crash, that had claimed the life of a young man, his family and friends were pressing to take his body for burial by the next day, in their tradition. A local faith leader joined us in the Sanctuary, encouraged them to meet with the Police and Doctor to understand what caused the accident, and reassured them that the burial could wait. When I asked this group of family and friends what else they needed, they replied: “we would like to remain in the building to await the meeting” (of course) and, “to order a pizza… halal if possible.” It was delivered, and we waited together.
Waiting together is an aspect of ‘working together’ towards the common good that gathered so many of us tonight – in leadership, sponsorship, staff or voluntary roles.
And there is so much we are working – and waiting for – often with some common denominators including: diversity, equity, and inclusion; housing, food, harm-reduction, recovery; and support of various kinds. It is notable that the three Mayors who host this annual Dinner, all lead their own City Councils, as well as being members of Waterloo Regional Council. And along with their elected and staff colleagues, and partner agencies – as well as other levels of Government – have a high calling of doing what St. Mother Teresa calls ‘great things’ … though, partly achieved through doing ‘small things with great love’.
One morning, I was washing dishes at St. John’s Kitchen with a 19 year old, who was on a placement with his Police Foundations program at Conestoga College. He and his family had arrived in Canada as refugees from Syria, and he aspired to be a local Police Officer. The student asked me if I could suggest a staff member who he could talk to about their work. As Providence had it, I noticed that Nick the Outreach Worker was on duty that day – I call him St. Nick! – and with Nick’s permission, I relate this brief conversation. The student asked Nick: “in a few words, how would you describe what you do?” (Great question!) And the answer came: “Grace and patience”. I think Jesus would smile.
Many years ago the legendary Psychiatrist Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross was invited to give a public lecture, in the auditorium at what was then known as ‘KnW’ or Grand River Hospital. And among the things she is remembered for saying is: “People are like stained-glass windows (image at top right). They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.”
Mindful that stained-glass – without religious symbols – is a sacred art form shared among many faith traditions, this window was recently donated to what is now known as the Waterloo Regional Health Network or WRHN at Midtown, formerly ‘KnW’, in honour of almost fifty years of 24/7 on-call Spiritual Care provision, by a team of mostly volunteers. Just before COVID, the Team was necessarily disbanded owing to the demands of sixty 12 hour shifts each month. Today, some paid on-call coverage continues at the local WRHN Hospitals, along with a roster of on-call Roman Catholic priests, and many other local faith community leaders.
After COVID, my employers at Erb & Good Family Funeral Home hosted a breakfast for the Spiritual Care on-call ‘alumni’ (and some supportive spouses!) to express appreciation to these ‘last responders’ on behalf of so many patients, families, staff, physicians, volunteers, Police, Fire Rescue, EMS, Victim Services and Funeral Service colleagues, among others. Another measure of the ‘local quilt’ of faith-based values and agencies. At the Breakfast, we held a ritual whereby each on-call team member was invited to choose a piece of stained glass and speak briefly about thanksgiving for and lament at the ending of the on-call Spiritual Care program. A local artist then fashioned the pieces into this stained-glass window that now hangs in the 2C Atrium of the WRHN – at Midtown, with a dedication to be hosted by the Hospital Foundation in the coming days.
In these liminal times – all around the world, loved by the Holy One of Many Names – with some familiar things ending, and new opportunities emerging, may this stained-glass window help to celebrate the high value of ‘small things done with great love’, in our community.
And we can trust that the light from within, will continue to illuminate this window, and all of us.
