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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.

In 2009, two Orthodox Priests, V. Rev. Fr. Peter-Michael Preble from [http://www.stmichaelorth.org St. Michael Orthodox Christian Church ] in Southbridge, MA 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, MA 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.

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