This past June 14 pilgrims
gathered in Glasgow Scotland to begin a Centre sponsored,
two-week pilgrimage focused on Celtic Christianity.
Visiting three islands (Iona, The Holy Island of Lindisfarne
and Cumbrae) we explored ancient ruins, worshipped in a variety
of settings and traditions, and were guided in a retreat focused
on Celtic Christianity by Philip Newell, noted Celtic scholar
and author.
Our first stop was the Island of Iona, on the west coast of
Scotland, where Columba began his effort to bring the Celtic
tradition of Christianity to Great Britain in 563. We spent four
days exploring the Island, worshipping in the restored 15
th
century Abbey, and just experiencing this remarkable "thin
place" where the boundary between the spiritual and material is
especially transparent.
In the mid-seventh century, Aidan, a monk from Iona, was
selected to carry the Celtic Christian message to the east coast
of Scotland. He located on the island of Lindisfarne and it was
there that the celebrated, illuminated Lindisfarne Gospels were
created in the eighth century. While on the Holy Island of
Lindisfarne we explored the ruins of the Priory constructed in
the 11
th
century and worshipped in the local Church of England parish
church (built in the 12th
and 13th
centuries).
On the Island of Cumbrae Philip Newell led us in a three-day
retreat focused on Celtic Christianity. For many this was the
highlight of the journey. While there we worshipped in The
Cathedral of the Isles (Scottish Anglican Church), the smallest
cathedral in the British Isles.
To spend time in these sacred places where faith has been
lived for centuries left many with a strong sense of the Holy.
In the words of two of the pilgrims:
"The Pilgrimage was a real high point of our travel
experiences. Our time with Philip Newell was the high point of
an outstanding event." ~ John Haas
"To worship in so many various ways, to walk in ancient
places, and to do these two things in an atmosphere of spiritual
enrichment with other fellow pilgrims, what could be more
rewarding?!?" ~ Marianne Olfrey
~ Jim Von Riesen, travel coordinator and fellow pilgrim
