Central Otago priest Greg Sim (Fr Michael Mary) has founded an order of monks on a tiny Scottish island. Lynda van Kempen explains how it came to be.
A new Catholic religious order set up in the Orkney Islands has close ties to Otago.
The Superior of the order, Greg Sim (Fr Michael Mary) was raised in Central Otago and says his home district's wild landscapes had a profound influence on him.
The new religious order was officially recognised by the Catholic Church this week and Fr Michael's parents, Ivan and Jo Sim, of Alexandra, said they were "very proud" of their son's achievements and calling.
They have visited the monastery on tiny Papa Stronsay island northeast of Scotland, where their son lives, several times.
The 74ha island, owned by the monastery, is home to 14 monks.
The new order is called the Congregation of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer, or the Transalpine Redemptorists. It is dedicated to the old Latin Mass and the traditional monastic life.
In an emailed statement this week, Fr Michael said as a young priest he felt called to stay with the old Mass, "although it would become a difficult road to follow".
"One unfortunate consequence of that commitment was a certain degree of separation from the mainstream church; this lasted 20 years."
In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI wrote a document allowing priests to celebrate the traditional Latin Mass freely.
"That was all we were waiting for; within a year we had visited Rome several times to resolve our situation and in June 2008 we returned to Full Communion within the church," Fr Michael said.
The full reintegration with the church was completed this week when the order was formally recognised as an institute within the church.
Fr Michael (59) recently celebrated 34 years as a priest.
He is the eldest of six children in his family and his parents said there was never any doubt about the path he would take.
"Greg always wanted to be a priest: even before he started school he would talk about it and dress up as a priest," Mrs Sim said.
"He loved serving as an altar boy and went into the monastery at 17, soon as he left high school.
"It wasn't something we'd suggested to him - he was devoted and decided it was his mission to be a priest.
"He's doing exactly what he always wanted."
Ivan Sim worked as a stock agent and the family lived in Winton before shifting to Ranfurly, where Fr Sim started his school days at St Joseph's School. A shift to Temuka then Gore followed before the family settled in Cromwell, where the future Fr Michael attended Cromwell District High School.
"All these places, especially Ranfurly and Cromwell, had a profound influence on me, especially their wilderness landscapes which, as it were, seemed to hold out to me an invitation to the solitude and silence of the monastic life," Fr Michael said.
He travelled overseas and in 1988 set up a monastery in England with several companions before moving to France.
"Finally we were led here to Orkney in 1999, where we bought an ancient monastic island called Papa Stronsay."
The island's name dates from Viking days and means Priest's Island of Stronsay. It is five minutes' boat ride to the "mainland"of Stronsay.
"Spiritually speaking, Papa Stronsay island is like a home away from home. As a young man I had a great desire to live the monastic life in Central Otago - places like Tarras, Bannockburn, the Nevis, or somewhere in the South Island high country.
"But for our foundation, God instead has given us an ancient monastic island where the monks of St Columba used to live. It's a wonderful continuity."
His parents spent almost a month with their son last time they visited him. The 25-cell monastery was "pretty self-sufficient", Mr Sim said.
"What they've done there, what they've built up, is just terrific."
He believed the order would "go ahead in leaps and bounds" now it had official recognition.
"It's been pretty hard at times for Greg, but his perseverance and dedication have paid off and it's good to see what's been achieved now."
Fr Michael said he was profoundly grateful for the support of his family and friends, especially during the past 20 years. At times, his supporters had borne "abundant criticism" of his choices because of their connection with him.
The new order had strong links with New Zealand as four of its foundation members were from this country.
It was based in Scotland "but its history is firmly rooted in New Zealand and our beloved South Island", Fr Michael said.
