Church could help soldiers recover from horrors of war, clergyman says

Great to know some of them are finally getting the message!

STEPHEN MACGILLIVRAY PHOTO

HOME SUPPORT FOR SOLDIERS: Canon Jon Lownds, rector of St. Margaret’s Anglican Church, stands in the sanctuary recently.

Church could help soldiers recover from horrors of war, clergyman says
Published Monday September 15th, 2008
By MICHAEL STAPLES
staples.michael@dailygleaner.com

A breakdown in communities and extended family units mean soldiers aren't as able to face problems when they return from overseas deployments, says a veteran member of the Fredericton clergy.

Canon Jon Lownds, rector of St. Margaret's Anglican Church, said when soldiers came back from the Second World War, they returned to a community. He said that included an extended family and a church family - where people had a role and a place.

"People were cherished, they were loved, they were accepted," Lownds said in an interview. "They came back into communities where they were cared for, where they were loved, where they were accepted, where they had a place and were encouraged. It's my opinion, and I have not read any studies about this, that those things are missing today."

Earlier this month, an Oromocto clinical psychologist said at least 80 per cent of her military clientele are being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a mental affliction that haunts soldiers returning from combat duty.

A recent media report also suggested that incidents of PTSD, acting itself out in domestic violence, could be as high as 50 per cent.

Lownds said the community and the role of the church in the community has changed.

"They (soldiers) really come back without a whole lot to really hold on to," said the long-serving clergyman. "The military provides some counselling and support, but there are not a lot of the supports here now that, I think, were here at the end of the Second World War."
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