IONA INTERNATIONAL ONLINE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

Over the past few years, the online community of St Gregory’s worshippers has significantly grown and expanded. When Father Andrew kindly invited me to gently steer the international online outreach from my home in England, I realised that it was a great privilege and a considerable responsibility. The various services that are broadcast, from Morning Prayer on weekday mornings to the much bigger services on Sundays and at other times, are greatly appreciated by those who tune in, especially because members can engage and greet one another and offer topics for prayer by using the comments section of Facebook Live, the platform we use.

Last week I suggested to Father Andrew that we might take things one stage further and give the online community a greater identity by giving it a name. I have always been an enthusiastic user of acronyms, so after a little thought I came up with IONA, which, in addition to being a rather lovely name, would stand for International Online Neighborhood Association. As some will already know, Iona is a quiet island in Scotland where a monastery was built by Columba, a monk, and is often visited by pilgrims – and I was delighted when Father Andrew said that he and Anita had visited it! Christians go there to study the Bible and pray, which invariably leads to their spiritual growth, so it seemed an entirely appropriate name for our online worshipping community.

Father Andrew invited me to attend this week’s staff meeting, in order to pitch my suggestion, and I was delighted when it received enthusiastic support from everyone present. The team accepted it without hesitation and so it is with great pleasure that I am able to report that St Gregory’s now has its own IONA community, which everyone is invited to join.

At this time, when for many people, the world is a very challenging place in which to live, a sense of belonging has never been more important. IONA is there for everyone, wherever in the world they live, to provide comfort and support through prayer and fellowship, in a virtual international neighbourhood, where, as in St Gregory’s in-person community, everyone matters and is loved, regardless of race, creed, color, orientation or culture.

If you haven’t already found IONA, come and join us: you will be very welcome.

-Paul Cheater