Pilgrimage happening soon! 12 May 2018

Christ is Risen!  This is the greeting that Orthodox Christians and others exchange with each other in the period after Pascha (Easter).  It is a great shout of joy, and usually accompanied by singing of the Paschal troparion (Easter hymn):

Christ is risen from the dead,

trampling down death by death,

and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!

We will be exchanging this greeting with each other at the ninth pilgrimage to the Saints of Barking, taking place in St Margaret’s Church and the Abbey grounds (weather permitting) on Saturday 12 May, 2018.  Events will begin at 10:30 with the Divine Liturgy (Mass), lunch together (bring your own!), a talk by Fr Melchisedec from the Monastery of St John the Baptist in Essex and concluding with Great Vespers (Evensong, or the evening service).  You would be very welcome!  You can confirm your attendance using the contact form below.

Christ is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed!

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A selected history of monasteries

This list shows the journey of monasticism from its birth in the wilderness of Egypt, across the seas to the British Isles and western Europe.  This list was begun by Father Alexander Haig from the Orthodox Parish of St Helen of Colchester, for one of the early Pilgrimages to Barking.  It has been expanded by Margaret Haig, but is not intended to be a comprehensive list of monastic foundations in the British Isles – this is a selection of foundations to show the development of monasticism.

Year	Monastery (& Dedication)	Founder	Notes
250	Thebes, Egypt	St Paul the Hermit (228-343)	“The first hermit”
306	St Anthony’s Monastery, Egypt	St Anthony the Great (251-356)	“The father of monks”
323	Nitra, Egypt	St Pachomius (292-348)
325	Nisibis, Mesopotamia	St Eugenius (Augin) (d 379)
344	Chirpan, Bulgaria	St Athanasius the Great (296-373)	Founded on St Athanasius being restored as Bishop of Sardica (Sofia)
360	Ligugé, France	St Martin (316-397)	First monastery in Gaul, Ligugé became St Martin
371	Marmoutiers, Tours, France	St Martin (316-397)	Founded on St Martin becoming Bishop of Tours
383	Mar Saba, Holy Land	St Saba
397	Whithorn, Galloway, Scotland (St Martin)	St Ninian (360-432)	First recorded Christian Church in Scotland. St Ninian was disciple of St Martin
410	Lerins, France	St Honoratus
412	Kilroot, Ireland	St Colman
415	Marseilles, France (St Victor)	St John Cassian
478	Llantwit-Major, Wales	St Illtyd
<480	Rossory, Ireland	St Fanchea
513	Bachannis, Wales	St Piro
<514	Kells, Ireland (St Mary)	St Macnise
<516	Bardsey, Wales (St Mary)
520	Clonard, Ireland (St Peter)	St Finnian
522	Llandaff, Wales	St Dubricius
529	Monte Cassino, Italy	St Benedict of Nursia	“The father of western monasticism”
563	Isle of Iona, Scotland	St Columba (d 597)
<577	Bledach, Isle of Tiree, Scotland	St Brendan the Navigator (484-577)
597	Canterbury, Kent, England (SS Peter & Paul, later St Augustine)	St Augustine of Canterbury (d 604)
6th C	Skellig Michael, Ireland	St Fionan
600	Cork	St Finbar
<612	Hoddam, Scotland	St Kentigern Mungo
616	Clynnog Fawr, Wales	St Beuno
620	Faremoutiers, east of Paris, France	St Fara (d 643)	St Ethelburga daughter of King Ana of the East Angles later abbess (d 664)
635	Isle of Lindisfarne, England	St Aidan (d 651)
635	Coldingham, Scotland (St Mary, St Ebba and St Cuthbert)	St Ebba (d 683)
635+	Melrose, Scotland (St Cuthbert)
640	Hartlepool, England	St Hieu	St Hilda later abbess in 649
642	Malmesbury, England (SS Peter & Paul)	St Maelduf (d 675)	Re-founded as Benedictine monastery by St Aldhelm (676)
649	Tadcaster, England	St Hieu (possible St Bee)
653+	Bradwell; Tilbury; Prittlewell; Lastingham, all England	St Cedd (d 664)	“The apostle of Essex”
654	Iken, England	St Botolph (d 680)
657	Whitby, England	St Hilda	St Hilda was simultaneously abbess of Hartlepool and Whitby. Council of Whitby held 664
658	Chelles, west of Faremoutiers, France	St Balthild, widow of King Clovis II	St Hildelith was nun until called to Barking, St Mildred of Minster trained at Chelles
661	Chertsey, England	St Erkenwald	St Erkenwald was later Bishop of London, “the light of London”
666	Barking, England (St Mary, later St Mary and St Ethelburga)	St Erkenwald for St Ethelburga	St Hildelith second abbess, re-founded 970 by St Edgar the Peaceable and St Dunstan of Canterbury
669	Lichfield, England (St Chad)	St Chad (d 672)	On site of present parish Church
665- 670?	Chich, England (SS Peter & Paul)	St Osyth (d 700)	Chich became St Osyth
670	Minster-in-Thanet, England (St Mary)	St Domneva/Ermenberga former Queen of Herefordshire	St Mildred later abbess
670	Minster-in-Sheppey, England (St Mary, later St Mary and St Sexburga)	St Sexburga former Queen of Kent
670	Exeter, England (St Mary and St Peter)		Re-founded 928/932 by King Athelstan, re-founded by St Dunstan of Canterbury 968
673	Applecross, Scotland (St Maelrubha)	St Maelrubha of Bangor
673	Ely, England (SS Peter & Paul, later St Peter and St Mary)	St Etheldreda (d 679)
674	Monk Wearmouth, England (SS Peter & Paul, later St Peter)	St Benedict Biscop
682	Jarrow, England (St Paul)	St Benedict Biscop	Founded as part of Wearmouth, Venerable Bede a monk here
686	Nursling, England
710	Restenneth, Scotland	Nechtan, King of the Picts
705	Wimborne, England (Queen of Virgins)	St Ina King of the West Saxons	St Cuthberga and St Cwenburga first and second abbesses trained at Barking
739	Crediton, England	Aethelheard King of the West Saxons
<747	St Andrew’s, Scotland (St Andrew)
<757	Axminster, England
810	Rossclogher, Ireland	St Tigenach	Founded for his mother, St Mella
830	Jedburgh, Scotland (St Mary)	Ecgred Bishop of Lindisfarne
<842	St Serf’s Inch, Scotland	Brude mac Ferat
<849	Dunkeld, Scotland	Kenneth mac Alpin
<856	Abergele, Wales
904?	Plympton, England
961+	Tavistock, England (St Mary and St Rumon)	Ordgar Earl of Devonshire
<975	Brechin, Scotland
1018	Buckfast, England		Benedictine, later Cistercian

 

Who are the Saints of Barking?

Here are the main saints associated with the monastery, some of whom feature in the icon below (in bold).  Various spellings of the names of the Saints are in use.

The monastery at Barking was founded in 666 AD and dedicated to the Mother of God. 

St Erkenwald “the Light of London”, Abbot of Chertsey, Founder of Barking, later Bishop of London (+693, feast: 30 April)
St Ethelburga, his sister, first Abbess of Barking (+675, feast: 11 October)
St Hildelith, Spiritual Mother of St Ethelburga, second Abbess of Barking (+ 712, feast: 24 March)
St Theogirtha, first Novice Mistress of Barking (+681, feast: 26 January)
St Cuthberga, Queen of Northumbria, Nun of Barking, first Abbess of Wimborne (+725, feast: 31 August)
St Cwenburga, Nun of Barking, second Abbess of Wimborne (+735, feast: 31 August)
St Ethelburga, Queen of Wessex, Nun of Barking (+740, feast: 6 February)

In 870 Barking was sacked by the Danes

The Nuns of Barking martyred by the Danes (+870, December, no feast)

Possibly the Holy Monastery was then deserted.  In 970 it was re-founded as the Monastery of the Mother of God and St Ethelburga.

St Edgar the Peaceable, King of England, Re-founder of Barking (+975, feast: 8 July)
St Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury, Re-founder of Barking, (+988, feast: 19 May)
St Wulfhild, first Abbess of Barking after the re-foundation (+1000, feast: 9 September)

The Abbey of Barking then lasted until its dissolution in 1539.

The Synaxis of the Saints of Barking is celebrated on the Saturday on or after 11 October.

Icon of the Saints of Barking by the hand of Dimitrios Hakim

The Journey Begins

This is a new website to provide information on the Saints of Barking and to give information and updates on the annual Pilgrimage and any other events of interest.  Thanks for joining me!

Our next pilgrimage will be on Saturday 12 May 2018, 10:30 – 16:00 at the Abbey of the Mother of God and Saint Ethelburga in Barking, and the Church of Saint Margaret of Antioch next door.  More information is in the poster below.  Please join us if you can!

Pilgrimage poster 2018

Heaven rejoiceth exceedingly, and the lands of the English exult with jubilation, for the saints of Barking stand at the throne of God, interceding unceasingly for those who honour them. – Ode 3, Canon to the Saints of Barking