Correspondence

An interesting thing about the invasion of Britain by the Angles and Saxons was that the Angles gave their language and title to the partnership that became England, but National Leadership was established by the Saxons of Wessex. The formative power was Alfred, The Saxon, the greatest King in Western Europe after Charlemagne. He, with his grandson, Athelstan, united the whole land into one powerful kingdom.

Christianity played a crucial two-pronged part in the creation, arriving in or about, AD 600 - AD 640 in almost simultaneous incursions. One was the Papal Mission to Canterbury which in AD 627 moved North to York; the other was Columba's Irish Mission to Iona and thence to Lindisfarne in AD 635. As we know, the twin movement clashed at the Synod of Whitby in AD 664. The story is well known in Mayo Abbey. The point at issue was the method of choosing the date of Easter, but behind it was the issue of Authority. The Irish lost this debate, and their Abbot-Bishop, Colman, withdrew the community of monks. A remarkable display of affectionate loyalty was that they were accompanied by 30 English monks who stayed with them. It was these that Colman brought to MaghEó and settled under St Gerald, whom it is now known was already there, an English exile.

The Synod of Whitby was therefore tragic for the Irish mission but dynamic for the Northumbrian Church which went on firstly under the saintly, Irish trained, Cuthbert, whose reputation for sanctity lives on unbroken in his land. He gave and gives incomparable prestige to the great Bishopric of Durham. Jarrow, the home of Bede, was essentially a Roman creation deriving its strength from Gaul and Rome: the first stone monastic buildings with a massive cultural investment. It was a contemporary growth with the initial development of the academic and teaching establishment at Mayo, and we now understand their simultaneous influences were parallel and could have been mutually supportive. We hope the historical research now underway will throw some light on this. Alcuin played a part. So the academic and spiritual interchange was a two-way traffic between Mayo and the burgeoning young Kingdom of Northumbria.

The Anglican Church in the area, the Church of England today, is formed into the two dioceses of Durham and York with several suffragan Bishops, notably Hexham, Jarrow and Whitby amongst others. The Catholic Bishops governing the same territory were reestablished in 1850 by Pope Pius IX, and are the Dioceses of Hexham and Newcastle based on the latter, and Middlesbrough based on the Tees and continuing South to the Humber.

It is from Middlesbrough on Tees, the centre point of Northumbria, that I write these notes. The Tees was the dividing line between the two halves of Northumbria, known as Deira and Bernicia. An Anglican Monastery was built here and it later became a Benedictine house. The original structure is considered (not with historical certainty) to have been consecrated by St. Cuthbert. It would be nice if it were so. The great Victorian industrial and urban complex of Middlesbrough covers the site today, but we know where it is.

If we can conjure up the reality of the bonds that united the efforts of Aidan, Colman and Cuthbert, MaghEó somehow symbolises what unites us. The need for us all to grow closer in our own love of Christ is a duty for us all and a harbinger of much good. Stones are only symbols. The pioneers, the link men, were St Gerald and St Colman. If you in Mayo can research them and rediscover them for us, we may be creating a unifying factor that our two great nations desperately need.

God chooses His moments. Maybe He has chosen this one. We can only hope so.

Bernie Connelly
Alcuin Pilgrimage Group
18 The Avenue
Middlesbrough
October 1995

Across The Sea Of Time

Iona Abbey Ltd. is the management company of the Iona Cathedral Trust who own and have sole responsibility for the preservation, on-going conservation and interpretation of the historic fabric of the Abbey, Reilig Odhrain (Royal Burial Ground), Nunnery and all associated ancient historic Early Christian sites and monuments on the Isle of Iona. I have the privilege of being the Chief Executive of Iona Abbey Ltd. and have responsibility not only for the management, care and conservation of these ancient sites and buildings, but also for looking after one hundred and twenty thousand day visitors from all parts of the world, who make the difficult journey each year to Iona, which is two islands away from mainland Scotland.

In the words of a geologist friend "Sea is only land covered by water", and maybe that is why I felt so much "at home" when I visited Ireland and Mayo Abbey for the first time earlier this year. I attended the very successful international workshop of "Mayo of the Saxons" and the longer I stayed in Mayo the more I felt that the sea did not separate us. The strong feeling of renewing ancient links between us was so real and is still growing.

The beginning of the reconnection of these ancient ties between Mayo Abbey and Iona began in December, 1994, during the dramatic visit to Iona by a party from County Mayo. I'm sure that Paddy Gibbons and Geraldine Joyce and the rest of the party will never forget the dramatic journey through the giant Atlantic rollers in the Sound of Iona and the power of the deserted Abbey in the roaring of that south westerly gale. The reaching out and clasping hands with other, rediscovering the ancient and vast common reservoir of knowledge and understanding is steadily becoming firmer. It is so important as the world seems to be seeking a new meaning of Christianity through the understanding of the Celtic culture and the Celtic Church. The initiative now taking place at Mayo Abbey is truly exciting and I hope that Iona Abbey and myself can have the privilege of playing a part in, and contributing to, this very important project.

Crichton Lang

Chief Executive, Iona Abbey Ltd. November 1995