Archbishop Atanasie of Great Britain and Northern Ireland elevated Father Seraphim Aldea, abbot of the Monastery of the “Dormition of the Mother of God and All Saints of the Isle of Iona,” to the rank of archimandrite. The monastery is the only Orthodox monastic brotherhood in Scotland.
Between January 28 and January 30, Archbishop Atanasie conducted a pastoral visit to the Orthodox monasteries on the islands of Iona and Mull, two important monastic centres for the presence and mission of Orthodoxy in Scotland and the wider English-speaking world.
The monastic communities are international in character, bringing together monks and nuns from Scotland, England, the United States, Canada, the Netherlands and Romania, reflecting the universality of Orthodoxy and its ability to gather people of different languages and cultures around Christ.
During the Divine Liturgy celebrated on Thursday at the church in Kilninian, Archbishop Atanasie ordained the monk Donnán of the Iona monastic community to the diaconate. At the same service, Abbot Seraphim Aldea was elevated to the rank of archimandrite in recognition of his sacrificial service, missionary work, and long-standing pastoral responsibilities.
Orthodox monastic community
The Orthodox monastic community on the islands of Iona and Mull was founded in 2010, when Father Seraphim Aldea assumed leadership of the historic Kilninian church, dedicated to Saints Ninian and Cuthbert, on the island of Mull.
Monastic life at Kilninian continues a tradition dating back to the late sixth century, centred on the spring known as St Ninian’s Well, a site traditionally associated with miraculous healings.
After monastic life was interrupted by Viking invasions, the site was abandoned for centuries and later became a Protestant parish. The present church building dates from 1755 and is a nationally protected heritage monument.
A permanent Orthodox presence on the island of Iona was established in the summer of 2022, following the purchase of the historic Iona Cottage building. The monastery was canonically recognised in March 2023 by the Metropolitan Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolis of Western and Southern Europe, under the patronage of the “Dormition of the Mother of God and All Saints of the Isle of Iona.”
Today, the monastic community comprises two monasteries: the convent on the island of Mull, where the nuns reside, and the monastery on Iona, which is home to the community of monks.
Photo: Archdiocese of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
