The Society of Our Lady of the Isles (SOLI) is a small

Anglican religious order Anglican religious orders are communities of men or women (or in some cases mixed communities of both men and women) in the Anglican Communion who live under a common rule of life. The members of religious orders take vows which often include ...

for women, founded in the late 20th century. It is located in

Shetland Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands and formerly Zetland, is a subarctic archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands and Norway. It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the no ...

, and is part of the

Scottish Episcopal Church The Scottish Episcopal Church ( gd, Eaglais Easbaigeach na h-Alba; sco, Scots Episcopal(ian) Kirk) is the ecclesiastical province of the Anglican Communion in Scotland. A continuation of the Church of Scotland as intended by King James VI, and ...

. It is arguably the most remote community (by location) within the

Anglican Communion The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and other ...

. The Rule of the community is a mixture of Franciscan and Cistercian, but with heavy Celtic influences.

History

The community dates its origin from 1984 when the Reverend Mother Mary Agnes arrived on the island of

Fetlar Fetlar ( sco, Fetlar) is one of the North Isles of Shetland, Scotland, with a usually resident population of 61 at the time of the 2011 census. Its main settlement is Houbie on the south coast, home to the Fetlar Interpretive Centre. Fetlar i ...

to live a contemplative and isolated life of prayer. She took over a simple cottage with a small barn suitable for conversion to a chapel. Others began to visit, or stay, and in 1988 the Society was named and came into existence as a group, rather than an individual. Mother Mary Agnes was formally recognised as Superior by the Church in 1993.

Community

Convent buildings were originally developed on Fetlar. The main convent house was a safe and secure modern building, and a new chapel was built on the convent site, dedicated to "Christ the Encompasser and all his Angels". A version of the community's Rule is followed by a number of 'external

oblates In Christianity (especially in the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and Methodist traditions), an oblate is a person who is specifically dedicated to God or to God's service. Oblates are individuals, either laypersons or clergy, normally liv ...

', who support the community, and live under simple promises, but not full monastic vows. In 2015, the community moved to the island of

Unst Unst (; sco, Unst; nrn, Ønst) is one of the North Isles of the Shetland Islands, Scotland. It is the northernmost of the inhabited British Isles and is the third-largest island in Shetland after Mainland and Yell. It has an area of . Unst ...

where more medical and social care is available than on Fetlar; one Sister now lives in sheltered care at

Uyeasound Uyeasound is a village on the Isle of Unst, the northernmost island of the Shetland Islands, Scotland. It takes its name from the neighbouring strait of the same name, which looks over to the Isle of Uyea. Uyeasound is home to Greenwell's Boot ...

. A new chapel and community house have been built at Westing on the Atlantic coast of Unst. The community's buildings on Fetlar have been sold.

Chapels

The Byre Chapel was the original place of worship developed from a barn. It was noteworthy for its simple and rustic style of construction and furnishing. The opposite end retained its traditional use, as the SOLI community goat lived there. The Chapel of Christ the Encompasser and All His Angels was of modern construction and part of the 'new' convent buildings on Fetlar. The daily office was prayed here, and there was a Sunday mass. The chapel afforded impressive sea views. The new buildings on Unst include the Chapel of Jesus the Good Shepherd.

References

External links

SOLI websiteInformation from the Anglican Communion office
{{coord, 60.734, -0.958, region:GB, display=title Anglican orders and communities Anglican religious orders established in the 20th century Buildings and structures in Shetland Nunneries in Scotland Fetlar Unst Scottish Episcopal Church