Search for missing Kiwi monk on Scottish island called off

The Diocese of Aberdeen believes the New Zealand monk who is missing on a remote Scottish island is dead.

By Mary Argue and Melanie Earley of RNZ

Police Scotland are appealing for information about Justin Evans who went missing shortly before midnight from Papa Stronsay, Orkney on April 11.

Papa Stronsay is home to a handful of monks of the Catholic order Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer.

Evans – a 24-year-old originally from Christchurch – was last seen within the Golgotha Monastery, where he had lived for about two years.

He was described by Police Scotland as being six-foot-tall with short hair and a dark beard. He spoke with a New Zealand accent and was last seen wearing a white robe, police said.

A police spokesperson told RNZ on Wednesday evening the search for Evans was ongoing and continued overnight (NZT).

However, the Diocese of Aberdeen in Scotland, put out a statement saying the search for Evans, who they called Brother Ignatius, had been called off.

"The Diocese has learned with deep sadness of the disappearance and presumed death of Justin Evans, also know as Brother Ignatius, aged 24, a member of the Redemptorist community on the island of Papa Stronsay.

"It is believed he came to harm in conditions involving the sea," the statement said.

It said local police and coastguard services had now called off searches.

"Brother Ignatius was known for his humility and charity, and our prayers are with his community and family at this difficult time."

Evans had once been a student at Christchurch's St Bede's College, and the rector Jon McDowall, said he remembered him as a young man who was a "charismatic leader" within the College.

"We are deeply saddened to hear of Justin's disappearance, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this incredibly difficult time."

McDowall said Evans had been well respected across the religious community.

His hope was that Evans would be found safe and well he said, and his family be given the time and space they needed.

Earlier, a resident on the island of Stronsay – a short boat ride from Papa Stronsay – said everyone was doing their best to find Evans.

He felt the situation "must be a terrible worry" from the distance of New Zealand and wanted to reassure Evans' loved ones that the community was looking for him.

He said the couple of hundred residents were keeping their ears to the ground and would continue to do so.

"Everybody is doing their best here and that's how small communities are.

"We saw people were out looking for the lad and we'll just keep looking. Let's keep him in our prayers."

James Geluk, a New Zealander who had lived on the mainland, Orkney, for several years told RNZ, Papa Stronsay was a tiny island a short distance away from Stronsay, which was a similar size to Waiheke Island.

Geluk said during low tide it would be possible to wade across between the two islands but both were still quite isolated communities.

Stronsay had about 30 or so families living on the island who were mostly farmers, whereas on Papa Stronsay, the monks were the only inhabitants on the island.

He said The Sons of the Holy Redeemer had bought the island near the year 2000 and at the time it had a ruined monastery on it which they had since re-done.

The order was very reclusive, Geluk said, but he did see the monks about at the shops in Orkney when they came over to do shopping.

Geluk lived near the main harbour in Kirkwall where the Coastguard and police staged everything over the weekend.

"It's not ridiculously uncommon for sea rescues and operations to go on... but don't typically hear anything from the monks, from the monastery.

"It's very difficult to imagine somebody being able to get off there [the island] without needing people on Stronsay itself."

Father Michael Mary – the founder of the traditionalist Catholic order which owns the monastery – said the situation was "utterly tragic" and suspected Evans had been suffering from long-term hypothermia before his disappearance.

"We are a close community and this has hit us all very hard and is deeply hurting. We hope to find him and hope that the sea will give him up soon."