All but Julie are traveling today. Nine of us made it safely to Edinburgh. We will do some sightseeing on Saturday and get ready to travel back to Minneapolis on Sunday.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Closing
Our Day started with the Holy Trinity group singing "Travel On" for the blessing preceding breakfast. The morning worship was a Leaving Service, and Julie was asked to play the prelude. The Abbey has a grand piano that is miked with speakers throughout the sanctuary.
All but Julie are traveling today. Nine of us made it safely to Edinburgh. We will do some sightseeing on Saturday and get ready to travel back to Minneapolis on Sunday.
All but Julie are traveling today. Nine of us made it safely to Edinburgh. We will do some sightseeing on Saturday and get ready to travel back to Minneapolis on Sunday.
From Julie
Watched the ferry whisk the rest of the HolyTrinity group off the island this morning. All day kept seeing folks in the distance and thinking - it's an HT person! I miss all my comrades!
Definitely delightful to be here on Iona outside the walls of the Abbey. The B&B is quaint and simple. A local fisherman gave me the day's weather report outside the pub (unsolicited). Climbed "Dun I" - highest spot on Iona - but quite overcast by noon so only partial views of the spectacular isles that dot the coastline. With every ferry comes more tourists, most of whom never seem to get much past the few shops in the harbor.
The highlight of my day was a long and "thin place" conversation with the spry little nun we admired at the Cailigh last week (terrific dancer). We met walking out on the road to the north beach. Sr. Mary John is Prioress of Saint Scholastic Priory, Philippines, and is past president of the college of the same name. The K thru masters level school (6500 students) has an extremely well developed Music curriculum, assertively teaching poor children to play and in essence saving their lives from a life of destitute poverty. In 1984 she instituted the Womens Studies Program there, funded by a former student of hers who is now CEO of a multinational corp. Was able to find land donated to them so they could add Environmental Masters level degree program.
Our conversation turned to my favorite topic of conversation, writings of Merton, and she told me that it was her Mother General (her supervisor) who was called in 1948 in Bangkok when Merton died there: as a physician she was the one to officially pronounce him dead.
This remarkable conversation with a remarkable Benedictine prioress will go down in my memory as a highlight of the time here. The vision of one woman and her community to educate the poor of the Philippines. And all because I stopped her to compliment her on her dancing!
All for now. Wonder if the HT folk are having as much fun.
Definitely delightful to be here on Iona outside the walls of the Abbey. The B&B is quaint and simple. A local fisherman gave me the day's weather report outside the pub (unsolicited). Climbed "Dun I" - highest spot on Iona - but quite overcast by noon so only partial views of the spectacular isles that dot the coastline. With every ferry comes more tourists, most of whom never seem to get much past the few shops in the harbor.
The highlight of my day was a long and "thin place" conversation with the spry little nun we admired at the Cailigh last week (terrific dancer). We met walking out on the road to the north beach. Sr. Mary John is Prioress of Saint Scholastic Priory, Philippines, and is past president of the college of the same name. The K thru masters level school (6500 students) has an extremely well developed Music curriculum, assertively teaching poor children to play and in essence saving their lives from a life of destitute poverty. In 1984 she instituted the Womens Studies Program there, funded by a former student of hers who is now CEO of a multinational corp. Was able to find land donated to them so they could add Environmental Masters level degree program.
Our conversation turned to my favorite topic of conversation, writings of Merton, and she told me that it was her Mother General (her supervisor) who was called in 1948 in Bangkok when Merton died there: as a physician she was the one to officially pronounce him dead.
This remarkable conversation with a remarkable Benedictine prioress will go down in my memory as a highlight of the time here. The vision of one woman and her community to educate the poor of the Philippines. And all because I stopped her to compliment her on her dancing!
All for now. Wonder if the HT folk are having as much fun.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Our last day
Our last day ended with a worship service of holy communion with Susan Masters presiding. We are all standing on the altar at the Abbey following the service. 
Boat trip to Staffa
Many of us chose to take a boat to the island of Staffa. We saw Fingal's Cave there (made famous by Mendelssohn), and we saw the puffins. I have video from the cave and can't post it on the blog. 
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Pilgrimage
Here are a few pictures from the 7-mile pilgrimage around the Isle of Iona. It was a great day. 
Monday, June 25, 2012
Stella's birthday
Today was the warmest day we've had--a beautiful day for walking around the island. At supper we celebrated Stella's birthday. 
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Our first day
We started with breakfast. Randy was assigned to morning kitchen duties. We all went to the 10:30 worship service in the Abbey. The craft room was open all afternoon so some of us worked on projects in the craft room. Sue and Jan made paper, and Joy brought her knitting. It didn't rain today!!!
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