A changing Ireland 

I was born in the countryside of Ireland, Castlejordan/Ballinabrackey Co. Meath, where the influence of the Catholic Church was pervasive. My upbringing was deeply intertwined with the church, which played a significant role in the community. Growing up, I witnessed the decline of the church’s influence over the years, but during my childhood, it was still a central part of daily life. My experiences with the church were largely positive, and it fostered a sense of community where everyone was involved in each other’s lives.  

Service was a core value in our community, something I only fully appreciated later when I discovered the Bahá’í Faith. My father worked in local peat production, while my mother was a housewife. I was the youngest of five siblings, with a 14-year gap between me and my eldest brother. We were three boys and two girls living in an Ireland that was very different from the prosperous Celtic Tiger years that followed. Despite the economic challenges of the 1980s and 1990s, poverty didn’t feel like a pressing issue because everyone helped each other. 

My family was very religious. We prayed the Angelus twice a day, and church attendance was important on Sundays and religious festivals. From a young age, I believed in God and the afterlife. It helped to give me an understanding of death and the tools to deal with grief. My beliefs were a huge asset to me when I lost my father at the tender age of 10. My mum was very active in the local church, it was inevitable that I would be an altar boy from age seven to twelve, which meant attending mass six days a week during summer holidays (on the days I didn’t pretend to be asleep).  

Move to London 

After finishing university, I graduated into one of the biggest recessions in decades. It was 2008, and finding work was nearly impossible. I bounced around from job to job, doing everything from making windows to working briefly at KPMG for six months. It was a very random and unstable period. Eventually, a couple of my friends moved to London. They encouraged me to join them, so I decided to give it a try for six or twelve months. 

When I moved to Ealing Broadway, I got a job and moved into a flat with five other friends. We all shared a two-bedroom flat, paying £200 a month each in rent. It was a classic “new Irish in London” scenario—exploring the city, socialising, and me immersing myself in the Irish community. I joined a Gaelic football team and spent most of my social time with fellow Irish people. 

Over the first two years, our group began to dwindle as people moved on. Eventually, four of us moved into a three-bedroom flat near Southall, which we shared with a couple. We started to settle into London, making it our new home. Despite all these changes, I continued to attend church every Sunday

Epiphany 

About two years into my time in London, I began to feel differently. I attended a church in Hanwell, West London, and found myself in a quiet, almost empty church. I started to question why I was there. The sermons felt like they were just another person telling us what to do.  

At this point, I realised I was attending church out of tradition rather than genuine spiritual need. I began to question my role as a Catholic. Why was I dedicating all these hours to something that didn’t fulfil me spiritually? 

My initial encounter with the Faith 

Around this time, when I was about 27, I met my first Bahá’í in London. 

A friend from my gym, who was from Tipperary, had a girlfriend from Holland who organised a surprise birthday party. It was a Saturday night, and I found myself chatting with random people at the party. Two of them lived in Ealing, and we struck up a comfortable conversation. They were two young girls and genuinely nice people. Over the next couple of months, through various gatherings and get-togethers, I kept running into them. 

During one of these encounters, the topic of religion came up. I was the one who initiated it, which is unusual since most Bahá’ís often wait for the opportunity to discuss their faith. One of the girls mentioned she was a Bahá’í, a term I had never heard before. Intrigued, I went home and Googled it. The first paragraph on Wikipedia about the Bahá’í Faith struck me profoundly. It resonated as a truth that made complete sense to me.  

Following that initial curiosity, I started asking more questions and having deeper conversations with the Bahá’í I had met. I learned about the local Bahá’í community and the history of the Faith.  

The most powerful part of this journey was the contrast between the fast-paced life of London and the sense of community I found within the Bahá’í gatherings. I was invited to various activities, from Unity Feasts and devotionals to study circles. These were often held in homes with families, where there was a sense of warmth and belonging I hadn’t felt since leaving Ireland.  

I had always been open-minded, interested in things like meditation, Reiki, and acupuncture, which was unusual for someone from rural Ireland born in the 1980s. But this openness made me more receptive to the Bahá’í teachings and community life. It was a community that mirrored the close-knit environment I grew up with in Ireland, and it was incredibly powerful to find that again in such a bustling city. 

Passive admiration 

When I first met the Bahá’í community, I wasn’t seriously contemplating joining the Faith. It was more about enjoying the company of friendly, positive people. The warmth and the genuine hospitality of the people I met made a strong impression on me. I found myself drawn to their positivity and the focus on helping others and building community. 

For a couple of years, I participated in various activities and events. I remember attending firesides and devotionals, where I met even more welcoming people. It was refreshing and reminiscent of the close-knit community I had left behind in Ireland. I enjoyed the gatherings, the sense of unity, and the discussions about spirituality and service. But at that point, I wasn’t seriously considering becoming a Bahá’í. I just appreciated being part of a supportive community. 

I attended a youth conference in Warwick in 2013, which was incredible. The scale and spirit of the gathering were beyond anything I had experienced. It set a high standard for what I thought Bahá’í events were like, though I later realised it was a particularly special event. 

I had decided in my mind that I wouldn’t become a Bahá’í. My main concern was my family, especially my mother, who had no exposure to different faiths. I worried about how my family would react, thinking they wouldn’t understand my interest in a different faith. 

I remained involved in Bahá’í activities. I participated in junior youth groups and study circles, engaging deeply with the teachings and the community without making any formal commitment.  

Admirer to Adherent  

Over Christmas 2014 I read Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era in just two days, which profoundly impacted me and led me to the conclusion that the Bahá’í Faith was the truth I had been seeking. 

This newfound conviction led me to attend a Bahá’í winter school in Newgrange, County Meath. Despite knowing very few Bahá’ís in Ireland, I felt a compelling need to connect with the community there. I made the trip despite the snowy weather. 

The community’s warmth and acceptance were immediate and profound. I engaged in numerous conversations that helped answer my lingering questions and solidified my sense of belonging.  

I still felt the need for more clarity and sought further counsel upon my return to London. I reached out to individuals like Ronnie Bindra, who patiently answered my questions about Bahá’í laws and principles. 

Despite gaining more understanding, I was still hesitant to make a formal declaration. The turning point came on January 3, 2015. It was the anniversary of my father’s passing, and as I was on my way to a rugby match, I felt an overwhelming sense of resolution. At a red traffic light, I decided to declare my faith and immediately sent an email to the National Spiritual Assembly. This impulsive yet deeply felt action felt right, and I knew it was guided by a higher force, possibly my father’s spirit. 

Unsurprisingly, I encountered no significant resistance from my family or friends, which was amazing. It took me about a month or two before I shared with my sister, but everyone was incredibly supportive. My sister had some exposure to the Faith through her time in New Zealand, where she knew some Bahá’ís.  

Subsequent Activities 

In 2015 I moved to Bermondsey after declaring in Ealing. It was an amazing community, so welcoming and supportive. I feel very lucky to have been a part of it, and I still visit them with when I can. Bermondsey was also a vibrant neighbourhood with many people involved in full-time service and various activities. I feel blessed to have experienced such intensity and learning there, and I still use many of the things I learned from that community today. 

I lived with some friends in a house that became a central hub for activities. I also had the opportunity to serve on the Local Spiritual Assembly in Bermondsey for three and a half years, learning a lot from the experience. 

The Spiritual Assembly of Southwark in 2019

It was during this time that I met my wife, Carmelia. She had moved to Bermondsey from Scotland to study, and we spent a lot of time together deepening our understanding of the Faith and participating in various activities. We decided to get married, and we tied the knot on May 6, 2018 in her hometown of Dumfries.  

After getting married, we lived in Bermondsey for a year before deciding to move to Scotland to be closer to Carmelia’s family. In September 2019, we were blessed with our first child, and we’ve been living in Scotland ever since. We currently reside in Newton Mearns, a suburb of Glasgow, where there is a thriving community of Bahá’ís with young families. We’re actively involved in children’s classes and other community activities, trying to contribute and grow the Bahá’í community here. Both of our children, Cece and Toren, regularly attend the children’s classes, something that fills our heart with such joy.  

Over the years, there have been many people who have played a huge part in my journey, way too many to name. But I would love to thank the Bahá’í communities of Ealing, Richmond, Kensington, Bermondsey, and Lewisham for playing a huge part in showing me love, kindness, and patience. Also, a note about my dear mother-in-law Venus Alae Carew, who left us for the Abhá Kingdom in January 2023. A lady who demonstrated to everyone how to teach the Baha’i Faith, with a life of selfless service. Something that she passed on to her daughter, that made her very proud.  

Aaron and Carmelia on a three day visit to Haifa in 2019

Aaron Conlan 

Declaration of the Báb, 2024 

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