Iona Crosses

There is a small island off the west coast of Scotland that is famous for its Christian heritage. St. Columba founded a monastery there 1,400 years ago. He left Ireland for Scotland and arrived in Iona in 563 AD not as missionary, but as an act of self-imposed penance for a terrible mess he had caused at home. He had upset the king of Ireland by refusing to hand over a copy of the Gospels he had illegally copied, this led to a pitched battle in which Columba's warrior family prevailed. Full of remorse for his actions and the deaths he had ultimately caused he fled, finally setting on Iona as the first place he found from where he couldn't see his native Ireland. One of the features on the island is even called "The Hill with its back to Ireland". Iona became the greatest centre of learning in Dark Age Europe.

For just under 400 years the settlement lay in ruins until, in 1938, the Iona Community, an Ecumenical Christian group, was founded there by the Rev George MacLeod. Today it is a centre of pilgrimage for many Christians who find the beauty and simplicity of the place awe inspiring.
I have given one of these Iona Crosses to the Vicar who is now there on holiday and enjoying the peace and tranquility away from hectic Parish Life. The crosses are made working with two threads DMC 30 and Coats 40, and the pattern - well it’s a clever, brilliant and beautiful pattern that Jane gave me, a sisters perk!!!