IN 562 two monks with their little groups of followers travelled across the sea from Ireland to bring Christianity to the west of Scotland. Following an ancient sea route they sailed north along the coast.
Legend has it that there was a rivalry as to who would succeed in claiming the mission to Lismore; Moluag won and the other guy had to be content with Iona. After landing at the little bay which now bears his name, he moved a little way inland and founded a monastery where monks could be trained. Moluag later moved on to other islands, planting churches, and on to the mainland where he set up two more monasteries and several more churches.
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Little remains of the original monastery here, but in the 13th and 14th centuries a new church was built on the same site and the island became the head of the Diocese of Argyll, with the Bishop’s palace at Achinduin in the south. Over the years the church building decayed and was largely rebuilt, but it wasn’t until the late 19th century that the church lost all its mainland responsibility. Quite a feat for such a small place.
The little white-washed church is a prominent landmark in the centre of the island and crucial to the community for weddings, funerals and baptisms with a faithful congregation still worshipping there Sunday by Sunday. Visitors come to the beautiful wild-flower-filled old graveyard to look for information about their ancestors and understand where they came from.
On March 22, the minister being unavailable, the congregation was intending to hold its own Mothering Sunday service. The hymns and readings had been chosen and the spring posies to be given out organised. A few days before, the sad decision was taken to cancel the service, but the posies were were still delivered – just in the nick of time – to older residents and families with young children.
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The ideas of delivering palm crosses instead of the Palm Sunday service and taking bags of little Easter eggs to the island children, instead of the Easter egg hunt and Easter service, were reluctantly abandoned. The church might not have been available inside, but flower arrangements and a placard were set up at the bottom of the steps to proclaim the Easter message to those who passed by.
Long weeks passed, the message on the placard changed a few times and the flowers were continually replaced. On the last Sunday in July a circle of chairs was set up in the car park in front of the church, an electric organ plugged in on an extension
cable and a service held. The organising elder asked the older elders if they knew if such a thing as an open-air service had been held before. They shook their heads. I felt that Moluag would have been proud that after almost 1500 years the Cathedral Church of St Moluag was still proclaiming the same message from the same spot.
Open for private prayer but still no indoor services and without a minister now, the church held another service at the end of August with around 20 in the “spaced out” congregation. Afterwards socially distanced tea and scones was greatly enjoyed in the garden of the wee manse opposite. A true garden party. The situation for indoor gatherings remains uncertain but the current plan for the end of September is a drive-in service with a PA system and the service relayed from the top of the church steps. I understand the visiting minister responsible is not very enthusiastic, but these are not normal times requiring more than normal solutions.
Last Christmas there was an amazing Christmas Tree Festival – a first for the island – which was enthusiastically supported by community groups and filled the church with light and colour. A tree more than 15 foot tall was donated by a local farmer and ingeniously and hilariously erected and decorated outside. Lit by strings of battery-operated lights on timers, it brought cheer to the gloom of the turn of the year. Of this Christmas? Who knows? But I am sure we will think of something.
Rosemary Barry
Lismore
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