He was last seen wearing a white robe.<\/p>\n
Inspector David Hall said extensive inquiries were ongoing to trace the missing monk, and concerns were growing as time passed. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe are working with partner agencies, and extensive searches are being carried out in the island area.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am now appealing for anyone may have visited the island and have any information on Justin or his whereabouts to contact us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Justin Evans was last seen in a white robe at Golgotha Monastery before disappearing. Photo \/ Insula Papey Minor<\/p>\n
Photos posted to the monastery\u2019s Facebook page have offered a glimpse into Evans\u2019 monastic lifestyle. <\/p>\n
Called Insula Papey Minor (the island\u2019s Latinised name), the channel documents life for its resident congregation, which family and friends can follow online from afar.<\/p>\n
Evans was most recently pictured reading scripture during a service marking the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, known colloquially as Candlemas, at the beginning of February.<\/p>\n
He also partook in a traditional blessing ceremony during the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6, with footage seen by the Herald capturing the New Zealander singing and waving a bell in unison with fellow monks.<\/p>\n
Golgotha Monastery was established by the traditionalist Catholic order Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer. <\/p>\n
The order, which was founded in the late 1980s, has New Zealand links.<\/p>\n
Recently its members were told to leave the Diocese of Christchurch in July 2024, following an investigation at the Vatican\u2019s request, according to the Catholic Herald. <\/p>\n
The Press reported in 2023 that the investigation concerned alleged abuse and unauthorised exorcisms. <\/p>\n
The order appealed the ban, but in August last year Bishop Michael Gielen of the Diocese of Christchurch said it had been rejected, the Catholic Herald reported. <\/p>\n
The order, also known as Transalpine Redemptorists, was founded to maintain the practice of celebrating the liturgy in Latin at a time when the Roman Catholic Church was encouraging priests to use local languages, the BBC reported. <\/p>\n
A group of the order\u2019s monks banded together to purchase Papa Stronsay after its founder, Father Michael Mary, and some of the priests and brothers visited Orkney on holiday, according to the outlet.<\/p>\n