Happy news! This year is the 10th Orthodox Pilgrimage to the Saints of Barking, and to mark the occasion we have a whole weekend of events for you to join!
More information will be posted in due course, but put the dates in your diary and register to come along!
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!
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 |
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.
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!
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
