One of our favorite places on the island is the ruins of this Augustinian nunnery. It was founded about 1200 and functioned until the Reformation. Unlike the Abbey, it has not been restored. J. Philip Newell, a member of the Iona Community and author about Celtic Christianity, says that it is his favorite place on the island to pray. He writes: The nunnery is a ruin that reflects the brokenness of our lives and the world, as well as the failure of our religious institutions...The nunnery sits open to creation.  One is aware of the elements, the connection between spirit and matter, the ancient bond between the wild and the sacred..The nunnery is a place of relationship, of intentional community, and of devotion to Christ. It has been a place where people have scrubbed potatoes together, shed tears at the news of births and deaths, and sung communal songs of the soul to the One who is beyond names but who is known as Love.  Jerry, Rose, and I know what he means.  This has been a special place to walk and sit and think and pray.