Mt Athos Pilgrimage

In January, after the International Orthodox Theological Association (IOTA) meeting, a friend (and student) Calum and I paid a brief visit to Mt Athos - the historical centre of Byzantine Orthodox monasticism. Monasticism is unfamiliar to many, and perhaps not attractive. I admire the devotion of the monks we met at the Vatopaedou Monastery - and their warm hospitality. We were given spiritual advice, spent hours with monks in church, and were fed with wonderful food much of which was produced at the monastery. I’ve put together some photos here that tell a bit of the story of our visit