[flowersnewacq]

[Please feel free to circulate this widely]

In 2009, there will be a temporary Orthodox retreat house on the
island of Iona for three weeks in September: see -

http://www.iona-orthodox-retreats.org.uk

The weeks in question are:
September 12 - 19
September 19 - 26
September 26 - October 3

Guests are invited to come for one (or more!) of the weeks, and to
make a donation to cover the running costs, meals, etc.

This temporary Orthodox presence on the historic isle of Iona is
organised by Reader Ignatios Bacon (of the Highland Orthodox Community
in Scotland), who can be contacted at ionaorthodox@googlemail.com

[ButKnillinoi]

To God be the Glory! How wonderful! I spent a couple of incredible weekends on Iona in 1987-8. I pray it works out and becomes a regular event, an opportunity for Iona to return to it's true roots!

Herman

[Plulpangepler]

There's certainly a need for an Orthodox presence on Iona. Three years ago, my wife and I spent a weekend there with two fathers from the Holy Trinity St Sergius Lavra and we encountered the service held in the church on Sunday morning. It was the worst possible Protestant nonsense. One of the fathers, watching the people emerge from the church at the end, shook his head and said, 'poor people: they don't know how to pray'.

[flowersnewacq]

To God be the Glory! How wonderful! I spent a couple of incredible weekends on Iona in 1987-8. I pray it works out and becomes a regular event, an opportunity for Iona to return to it's true roots!

Herman

Many thanks for your encouraging words! In fact, this vision belongs to Reader Ignatios Bacon, who has longed for an Orthodox presence on Iona for many years. He was one of the original founders of the group "Friends of Orthodoxy on Iona", which organises an annual pilgrimage to ancient Celtic Christian sites in Britain and Ireland: this pilgrimage is on Iona every second year (see http://www.orthodox-iona.co.uk ).

I am merely assisting Reader Ignatios by putting up the website and publicising it around the Internet.

The cooking will be done by an Orthodox friend of Reader Ignatios, possibly assisted by his wife. The programme is largely undefined as yet, but there will certainly be Orthodox worship each day (though no Liturgy, unless perhaps a priest comes to stay). Otherwise, the programme is very much up to each guest. It's the first time this kind of thing has been done, so it's all a little experimental at the moment.

Yours

Ninian

[Kiliunjubl]

One of the fathers, watching the people emerge from the church at the end, shook his head and said, 'poor people: they don't know how to pray'.

Can you elaborate more on this? Did you see the service? Was it the people or the officiating priest who was in error? Not that I know how to pray. I just have never heard of an Orthodox service not done "correctly'. Especially if they had visiting monks present.

[Plulpangepler]

Can you elaborate more on this? Did you see the service? Was it the people or the officiating priest who was in error? Not that I know how to pray. I just have never heard of an Orthodox service not done "correctly'. Especially if they had visiting monks present. No, this wasn't an Orthodox service. It was some sort of Protestant gathering. I don't know whether it was the normal Sunday service or a one-off. We wanted to look inside the church but couldn't whilst the service was going on. I loitered at the doorway a couple of times. There was no priest or even minister. The service was being led by a woman who, characteristically I imagine for such gatherings, talked to the people in a sing-song voice like a kindergarten teacher. 'Now everyone - we're all going to sing hymn number 182'. 'Oh no we're not', I growled to myself, and walked away. As the people left we went inside. 'Holy Communion' had been art-crafty wooden bowls full of chunks of wholemeal bread: 'there's plenty left - help yourself'.

[cxddfrxc]

Can you elaborate more on this? Did you see the service? Was it the people or the officiating priest who was in error? Not that I know how to pray. I just have never heard of an Orthodox service not done "correctly'. Especially if they had visiting monks present.

I suspect Andreas is talking about the Ecumenical Community’s worship which is the thing that’s put me off Iona for years, see http://www.iona.org.uk/ I would as soon be the Orthodox ‘observer’ at Findhorn’s annual dryad hug as attempt to participate in that so I am very grateful to Reader Ignatios for all his work in creating an Orthodox presence even if (for now!) a temporary one.

Regards
Margaret
in Edinburgh

[flowersnewacq]

I suspect Andreas is talking about the Ecumenical Community’s worship which is the thing that’s put me off Iona for years, see http://www.iona.org.uk/ I would as soon be the Orthodox ‘observer’ at Findhorn’s annual dryad hug as attempt to participate in that so I am very grateful to Reader Ignatios for all his work in creating an Orthodox presence even if (for now!) a temporary one.

Regards
Margaret
in Edinburgh

Indeed yes, that would be the worship service of the "Iona Community", which is very far removed from Orthodox worship. They hold services in the Abbey church for themselves and for the many visitors who come to spend a week or more at various courses and programmes over the summer (see http://www.iona.org.uk/abbey_home.php). They enjoy being experimental. On the other hand, the Iona Community have a laudable commitment to peace and justice work, and to solidarity with the underprivileged. It's just that it would be hard to think of a style of worship that is further removed from Orthodox worship!

regards

Ninian

[Piemonedmow]

Is there any provision for camping on Iona?

[gusecrync]

When I was there in '77, dear in Christ Reader Michael, I stayed in a friend's home on the Island of Mull and took the ferry over to Iona. While I was there, I didn't do any "tours" of the place or meet anyone, though I am sure the "Iona Community" were there somewhere...I just stayed there and prayed, and I found that it was an excellent place to go to make up my mind about whether to go forward with becoming Orthodox. It's what people call a "thin place", where the veil between heaven and earth seems to open...I don't know how to explain that.

Mary Emily
who sat for a long time in the ruins of the old Benedictine convent on Iona.

P.S. It was August when I was there, and it was quite chilly, especially if you walk out into the sea and then come back onto the land.

[flowersnewacq]

Is there any provision for camping on Iona?

No, camping is not permitted on Iona (it's a National Trust property, I believe). But there's a hostel/bunkhouse to the north of the island.

[textarchive]

Hi,.I was wondering where Iona is exactly? I looked on the homepage, but there really in no specific evidence of where this place is. Is it a monastery?

To God be the Glory! How wonderful! I spent a couple of incredible weekends on Iona in 1987-8. I pray it works out and becomes a regular event, an opportunity for Iona to return to it's true roots!

Herman

[ButKnillinoi]

It is a rather small island to the west of the Island of Mull, off the west coast of Scotland. It is under the Presbyterian Church. The Iona Society is an affiliation of lay persons that follow a common prayer rule and specific financial support but do not take monastic vows. There is a 14th century abbey and some remains of the old monastic cells, but the Protestant Presbyterians do not quite appreciate monasticism so that aspect is merely part of the "history".

[flowersnewacq]

Please see the notice I've just posted up in a separate thread about the 2010 version of the Iona Orthodox retreat, which this year will take place in April (apologies for the short notice - this was not my fault).