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Iona Prayer Service

Iona Prayer: a quiet, contemplative service in the Iona tradition – Celtic-inspired worship shaped by pilgrimage, scripture, silence, and music. Held at Yorkminster Park every first Sunday evening.

Featuring the beautiful Celtic music of Iona Passage with Sharlene Wallace on harp, Anne Lindsay on violin, Eric Robertson on the piano and R.H. Thomson as an occasional reader.

During the service we also light votive candles and offer prayers for those who are facing various challenges and troubles. If you are unable to be with us but would like us to light a candle and say a prayer for someone whose name is on your heart, please email the name to jpholmes@yorkminsterpark.com prior to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Iona Prayer draws on the centuries-old Christian tradition of the island of Iona (off Scotland's west coast) and the modern Iona Community's approach to worship: simple, poetic language; deep attention to creation and justice; and a balance of ancient symbols, music, and contemplative silence. These services are shaped around themes of pilgrimage, reconciliation, and care for the earth - they invite all people to pause, reflect, and be renewed.

At Yorkminster Park our Iona Prayer service is intentionally accessible and unhurried. Expect reflective music, short readings, moments of silence, the lighting of candles and congregational responses that use plain, inclusive language. The tone is meditative rather than formal – suitable for people new to worship and for those who want a deeper, quieter spiritual rhythm at the end of the weekend.

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