Iona is a northern landscape and on a sunny day like a peaceful dream -- wind and sheep in grassy fields, hilltops of weather-roughed stone, the cry of cormorants, pilgrim's prayers and a smell of ocean-salt. But this gentleness also cloaks, for St. Columba and his monks haven't left us a dream of themselves, but a sharp, bright patrimony they meant to be claimed. Their works are gone, but the grace they culled from heaven (which alone gives meaning to artifacts) still transfixes Iona's hills and fuels a fire by which we warm our souls.

There are other images: the wood-panelled library and tea room of Bishop's House; pilgrims gathered around Bishop Kallistos (the patriarch of our hall) who, from his deep armchair, threads words and thoughts and silences like cockle-shells on a pilgrim's tunic; three black seals ashore beyond the long windows, ready to join us until they remember their real purpose is play; a boisterous, cheerful meal of steaming haggis; the genial trek to Columba's stony bay. Pilgrim's talks and timeless liturgies draw us to the saint, to our Lord, and to each other, and we pass from shy strangers to a company.

We are Friends of Iona.

 

 

Jane Szepesi

Jane is a resident of Canada

 

 

An Orthodox pilgrimage to Donegal 2004

In "The Celtic Way", Ian Bradley writes of the central place which pilgrimage holds in Celtic spirituality: the image of life as a journey with many twists and turns, the parallel to the journeyings of the Children of Israel in the wilderness. The 2004 Pilgrimage journey started for me in Canada at 2.15 on a Sunday afternoon, when my friend Olga picked me up and drove me to the Ottawa bus station to catch the 3 pm bus to Montreal. Then I flew to Heathrow, arriving at about 7.30 am London time (2.30 am Ottawa time). This gave me plenty time to collect my luggage and make the trek from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1 for the 11 o’clock plane to Belfast.

On the bus from Belfast to Enniskillen I heard someone telling the woman beside her that she was going on a pilgrimage – so I turned and said, So am I! It was Photini from Oxford, and we spent some time on the bus getting acquainted. At Enniskillen where we had to change and get the bus to Ballyshannon we were so busy talking that we got on the next bus when it pulled in and only discovered after about half an hour that we were half way to Dublin (for all I knew Ballyshannon might have been a stop on the way to Dublin!)! We got off, and by the mercy of God, there was another bus going back to Enniskillen. One of the many small miracles was that someone lent Photini a cell phone so we could call Cowey and let him know we would be late. "Don’t worry, someone will meet you" was his comforting reply. (Cowey is a very comforting person).

Derek and Margaret friendly faces from a previous pilgrimage did indeed meet us and took us to La Verna the Franciscan Friary retreat centre at Rossnowlagh where we were to be based and where we were all warmly welcomed by the Guardian of the monastery Fr Adrian - are friars allowed to have such a twinkle in their eyes? From our bedroom window, perched high on a small hill, we could look out at the Donegal hills and Atlantic Ocean towards home.

The rest of the week passed in a blur of journeying to some of the wonderful holy places of County Donegal and County Fermanagh, services in the small chapel or the large Friary church (where we had to work around their busy schedule of services), excellent and abundant meals in the refectory and hospitality were provided by Siobhan, Amazing Grace, and all the kitchen team who could only be described as giving master classes in generosity and hospitality through all that they said and did. Even when arrived late for supper (which we did much too often) we seemed to be easily forgiven. Swimming in the sea could not be missed of course, and a couple of us took the opportunity both at Rossnowlagh strand and in the bay at Glencolumcille.

The fellowship on the pilgrimage was very much a part of the experience. We enjoyed two evenings of recitations, readings, and music, mainly in a Celtic vein. In our car, driven by the longsuffering Ciara from Dublin, Joan from California and I plotted the songs we would sing at the musical evening, including Harry Lauder and Burns! We sang as we drove along, Ciara joining in and suggesting others we had not thought of (“In Dublin’s Fair City ...”). Leslie had a somewhat pained expression as the journey progressed and our songs became more rowdy. In the event, there were indeed some fairly rowdy songs but also some very beautiful ones. Helena from Berlin sang in Scottish Gaelic a hymn to St Columba. Bishop Kallistos taught us again his famous mournful round, “Bedale’s Food is One Banana”. John from Portstewart astonished us with his deep bass Buddhist chant.

There were so many beautiful places, particularly Glencolumcille, and so many fascinating things to see, it is hard to find a particular focus when remembering the week in Donegal blessed as it was by a week of non-stop sunshine which I have been told is not entirely typical for North West Ireland... The veneration of the ancient holy places by the local people was evident and impressive, particularly at St Patrick’s Well and at Gartan. It was awesome to be at the site of Saint Columba’s birth, and to receive some of the Gartan clay and meet the family who felt so close to him and so assured of their descent from Columba’s mother.

Then there was the Service of the Lesser Blessing of the Waters at St Patrick's well outside Belcoo where Bishop Kallistos abundantly sprinkled us with the newly blessed water from which is reputed to be the coldest in all of Ireland's holy wells. We visited the monastic site of Devenish founded by St Molaise and reputed to be where the prophet Jeremiah reposed in the Lord! Having the entire island to ourselves apart from the cows mooing in the next field, we sang the Trisagion Hymns and said the 6th hour in the little ruined chapel before having a picnic lunch.

There was also the joy of celebrating the Divine Liturgy early on the Sunday morning at 7.30 so as to finish in time before the first RC Mass of Sunday and again during the week on the Feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God and Bishop Kallistos took the Feasts of the Mother of God as his theme during our times of teaching. Some of the pilgrims had brought newly painted icons and several of these were blessed and the communion rail was exactly the right height for us to use as an iconostasis.

The Turas at Glencolumcille, so ancient and yet still followed, made us realize the courage and perseverance of those who have kept the faith in Ireland over the centuries, and who have preserved the holy places so that we pilgrims from far away in time and place may yet be blessed with something of the grace which Columba and his brother missionaries brought to the Celtic lands. We had come from Canada, America, Ireland, England, France, Wales, Northern Ireland, Germany and France to stand together in the monastic settlement founded by the Saint himself at a time when our Orthodox churches of the East were in full communion with the Church of the West and the worship of the All-Holy Trinity was one from east to west.

And when we left we did so knowing that just as St Columba would pine for Ireland from his self-imposed exile in Iona, so close and yet so far away; there would be a little bit of us that would also pine to return once more to walk in the places that he walked in Donegal.

Fr Deacon James and Shambassy Corinne Elliott

 

Deacon James and Corinne joined us for the first time in 2004.  Fr James ministers as a Deacon in Tennessee in the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America

 

Friends of Iona Pilgrimage 2004

After more than a decade working in a dental office, there are certain facts that continually prove true. One of these is that it doesn’t matter how many times people drive past the sign in front of our business declaring that ours is a dental office; they will pick up the phone to discuss a first time appointment usually only after they have talked to someone who has personal experience with the office.

For the past several years we have made an enjoyable pursuit researching and studying the ancient pre-schism saints of the British Isles. On two prior trips we have endeavoured to go to some of these places where some of these saints lived and prayed. This year we once again pondered which area to go and see. A young couple from Alabama, who both attended school at Washington University around the time one of our sons was there, moved to Durham England and graciously let us stay with them on one of our trips. They encouraged us to meet the Friends of Iona, a British group of Orthodox who gather annually for a pilgrimage to honour and study St Columba, enlightener to Scotland. Just like in our dental practice, we needed this personal endorsement to reach out and establish contact with this group that we had read about for several years. Via the internet and their website we “met” the organizer for this year’s pilgrimage which was taking place in September at sites where St Columba began his life and his monastic calling, in County Donegal, Ireland.

The pilgrimage was one week long, led by BP KALLISTOS Ware. It was held at the Franciscan Monastery retreat centre at Rossnowlagh, in the Republic of Ireland. We were all warmly welcomed by the Abbot, or Guardian of the monastery and housed and fed by Grace, who could only be described as being gracious in all the hospitality that exuded from what she said and did. From our bedroom window, perched high on a hill, we could look out at the Donegal hills and Atlantic Ocean.

The liturgies and morning and evening prayers were led by BP KALLISTOS. He also presented two lectures on the Mother of God and a talk on the explanation of the Vigil (Vespers and Matins) service. Dn James served as his deacon for the week. The days were occupied with field trips to sites associated with St Columba, who was born in 521. We also visited a spring associated with St Patrick. In the evenings we had fun together! Prior to coming we had been given “home work” assignments. We were to bring Celtic poetry and Celtic music that we particularly liked. One evening we had Celtic readings and another was devoted to Celtic music. The evening of song included favorite tapes and CD’s as well as live performances. As well as English, the Irish Gaelic and Scottish Gaelic were read and sung.

Most of the thirty of us present were Welsh, Irish, Northern Irish, Scots or English. There were also a smattering of Americans, French and German. Most were converts or seekers exploring the Orthodox faith. Great Britain and Ireland have a treasure of ancient saints to draw inspiration from. It was a joy to be united with these people who love God and share common roots with so many of us Orthodox in America. We would highly recommend others to consider going on one of these annual pilgrimages.

                                                                                                                        

Kindle in our hearts, O God The flame of that love Which never ceases,

That it may burn in us, Giving light to others.                                      

May we shine forever In Thy holy temple.                                               

Set on fire    

With Thy eternal light,                                                                                 

 Even thy Son,                                                                                      

Jesus Christ,                                                                                          

Our saviour and redeemer.

A Prayer of St Columba

 

 

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