The Holy Monastery of the Honorable Forerunner hosts a unique community of Orthodox nuns from across the globe that have made the 500-year-old mountain monastery in Greece their home.

In this programme we are transported by the mesmerising Byzantine chanting of the sisters and the musical bells of mountain goats, to a world far removed from the frenzied pace of modern life. Rachel O’Connell has lived as part of this community for the last year, and she guides us through this unique and fascinating world.

We join this secluded community of tenacious and committed women as they work the land and serve God; their way of life a challenging and inspiring mix of intense faith, physical isolation, and frontier spirit. We will also share in their biggest feast of the year, Pasca, or Orthodox Easter.

(Photo: Orthodox nuns work the land at The Holy Monastery of the Honorable Forerunner, Mount Kissavos, Greece, with kind permission from the monastery)