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The spirit of Columba the loving shepherd of his monks and the Iona Community and man of creativity and prayer is everywhere on Iona but nowhere more tangible than in his shrine - the tiny little chapel to the left of the entrance to the Abbey Church. Pilgrims leave tokens for Columba including the reed cross of St. Brigid his countrywoman C photo in museum of shadow of cross touching Columba's shrine Statue of Columba releasing the crane he healed Contemporary cross with im

Trying to capture the actions of pilgrims can be a bit of a challenge as they dont stand still for long. We were thrilled that our third pilgrim Lee was able to join us in Glasgow for the Iona to Ireland leg of the trip. Josie and Lee at Martyrs Bay Angela catching the sun after Sunday Service at Iona Abbey in the Cloisters Candles lit in Iona Abbey for the prayer intentions of our Hearth Gatherings Community and all supporters including St. Theodore's Parishioners

Dear Hearth Gathering followers please accept my sincere apologies for a week of silence. Not a word about Lindisfarne Holy Island or St. Columba's Iona where we have been for three days. Perhaps I can blame it on the fine weather which disappeared with the wind and rain today! No excuses for not writing while retreating to the warmth of the Hotel Argyll. Yesterday I had one of those totally unplanned experiences that differentiates a pilgrim from a tourist. It was a fine su

You might remember my otter Cuthbert. He has been busy looking for references of his otter forefathers and mothers and he wants to share some of these from Durham Cathedral with you. Image from early manuscript shows two otters with Cuthbert and the salmon the eagle brought to Cuthbert which Cuthbert shared with the eagle. Cuthbert pays his respects at Cuthbert's Shrine

Actually that was a day from 10 am to 6.30 pm spent solely in the Durham Cathedral. We had morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea at the Undercroft Cafe and in between we visited the Museum and Treasures of Cuthbert, Cuthbert's Shrine, the Nine Altars with their stunning embroidery and the Quire for Evening Prayer. The Durham Cathedral has begun work to establish the Cuthbert Centre for Pilgrimage and Prayer which will open in September this year. We met Reverend James Shelton