Friends of Orthodoxy on Iona
IONA AND MULL 2014
Message from Columba Bruce Clark,
FOI secretary
The Friends of Orthodoxy on Iona, an informal group of Orthodox Christians who honour Saint Columba and the other saints of the Celtic lands, plan
God willing to make a pilgrimage to the islands of Mull and Iona between August 2 and August 9. The pilgrimage will be led by the chairman of FOI, HE Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia, with Father John Musther from Cumbria acting as chaplain. Iona is a tiny island of exceptional beauty where Saint Columba founded a famous monastery - one of the most important Christian centres in western Europe - in the mid-sixth century.
The pilgrimage will follow a pattern that has worked well on two previous occasions. We hope to celebrate the Divine Liturgy on Iona on August 3 and again on August 6, the (new-calendar) feast of the Transfiguration. We expect that most pilgrims will stay in Fionnphort - across the strait from Iona. The Creich community hall in Fionnphort will be at our disposal for simple acts of worship, dormitory accommodation and basic evening meals.
However most pilgrimage activities (walks, talks, guided reflection) will take place during the day on Iona, within the hours that ferry timetables allow - ie between about 9 am and 6 pm. All pilgrims will have the chance, weather permitting, to go on boat trips to places like Staffa, Fingal's Cave, Inchkenneth and the Treshnish Islands.
The dormitory accommodation is simple but perfectly adequate: up to six places for women and six for men. They are intended mainly but not exclusively for young people. Pilgrims looking for something more comfortable are encouraged to make their own arrangements by choosing from a list of excellent local guest-houses which can be supplied on demand. As well as budgeting for transport and accommodation, pilgrims are
encouraged to make a contribution to communal expenses of £70 each if they can manage it. For further details, email: [email protected]
FOI secretary
The Friends of Orthodoxy on Iona, an informal group of Orthodox Christians who honour Saint Columba and the other saints of the Celtic lands, plan
God willing to make a pilgrimage to the islands of Mull and Iona between August 2 and August 9. The pilgrimage will be led by the chairman of FOI, HE Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia, with Father John Musther from Cumbria acting as chaplain. Iona is a tiny island of exceptional beauty where Saint Columba founded a famous monastery - one of the most important Christian centres in western Europe - in the mid-sixth century.
The pilgrimage will follow a pattern that has worked well on two previous occasions. We hope to celebrate the Divine Liturgy on Iona on August 3 and again on August 6, the (new-calendar) feast of the Transfiguration. We expect that most pilgrims will stay in Fionnphort - across the strait from Iona. The Creich community hall in Fionnphort will be at our disposal for simple acts of worship, dormitory accommodation and basic evening meals.
However most pilgrimage activities (walks, talks, guided reflection) will take place during the day on Iona, within the hours that ferry timetables allow - ie between about 9 am and 6 pm. All pilgrims will have the chance, weather permitting, to go on boat trips to places like Staffa, Fingal's Cave, Inchkenneth and the Treshnish Islands.
The dormitory accommodation is simple but perfectly adequate: up to six places for women and six for men. They are intended mainly but not exclusively for young people. Pilgrims looking for something more comfortable are encouraged to make their own arrangements by choosing from a list of excellent local guest-houses which can be supplied on demand. As well as budgeting for transport and accommodation, pilgrims are
encouraged to make a contribution to communal expenses of £70 each if they can manage it. For further details, email: [email protected]
