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The '''St. Columba of Iona Orthodox Monastery ''' located in Southbridge, Massachusetts, is under the [[Omophorion ]] of [[Nicolae (Condrea) of Chicago]] of the [[Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America and Canada]]. The Monastery is under the leadership of [[Hieromonk ]] Peter (Preble). The Monastery is Pan-Orthodox and dual Ritual (both Eastern and Western rite) and also has been given a blessing from His Eminence Metropolitan Philip (Saliba) of the [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America]] for the [[Antiochian Western Rite Vicariate]].

The [[stavropegial]] Monastery is co-located with the [http://www.stmichaelorth.org St. Michael Orthodox Christian Church] and exists to make visible the Kingdom of God to the world; is dedicated to a life of prayer, worship, work and service of others; committed to support local Orthodox Parishes in their evangelistic and missionary outreach to the broader community; is set apart as a place of prayer, contemplation, spiritual direction, formation and renewal; a holy place firmly rooted in the sacramental life of the Church.[[Image:Churchfront.jpg‎|left|thumb|250px|St. Michael Orthodox Christian Church]]

In 2009, two Orthodox Priests, V. Rev. Fr. Peter-Michael Preble from [http://www.stmichaelorth.org St. Michael Orthodox Christian Church ] in Southbridge, Massachusetts and [http://www.emmanuelorthodox.org/about-fr-ken/ The Rev. Fr. Kenneth M. DeVoie ] from [http://www.emmanuelorthodox.org Emmanuel Orthodox Catholic Church] (a parish of the [[Antiochian Western Rite Vicariate]]) in Warren, Massachusetts met to share a common vision to establish a Pan-Orthodox Monastic community in the heart of Central Massachusetts (New England). The vision took flight. Fr. Peter petitioned and received permission from Archbishop Nicolae to proceed; he was soon tonsured as a monk at [[St. Dumitru Retreat and Monastic Center (Middletown, New York)]] by Archbishop Nicolae . Simultaneously, Fr. Ken petitioned Metropolitan Philip of the Antiochian Archdiocese, who also granted him permission to proceed.

He was born to Fedhlimidh and Eithne of the Ui Neill clan in Gartan, near Lough Gartan, Donegal. On his father's side he was great-great-grandson of Niall of the Nine Hostages, an Irish king of the fourth century. He became a [[monasticism|monk]] and soon rose in the church hierarchy to the rank of [[priest]]. Tradition asserts that, sometime around 560, he became involved in a copyright wrangle with St. [[Finnian of Moville]] over a [[psalter]]. The dispute eventually led to the pitched Battle of Cul Dremhe in 561, during which many men were killed. (Columba's copy of the psalter has been traditionally associated with the [[Cathach of St. Columba]].) As [[penance ]] for these deaths, Columba was ordered to make the same number of new [[convert]]s as had been killed. He was also ordered to leave Ireland and move such that he could not see his native country.