Parish Icons

CHRIST–THE TRUE VINE ICON

In honor of Holy Apostles Mission’s 5th Anniversary, a family of our parish commissioned and donated this new ikon in thanksgiving for all that God has done for them. This is the first handwritten ikon of our patrons that the Mission has received, and it was blessed on Saturday, October 24, following Great Vespers.

The Ikon is patternEd after the “Christ the True Vine” style. Master iconographer Nikolai Tsai (www.nikolaitsai.us) chose to make the vine and branches theme more subdued to allow the Apostles surrounding our Lord to be as big as can be. In the Ikon our Lord is in his rightful place, centrally located with his Disciples and Apostles surrounding Him. The faithful of Holy Apostles sees this as a fitting description of our parish community with our many activities, liturgical, education, recreational, and social events all centered on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

This ikon will be enthroned in a prominent place of honor is our community, and we look forward to our worship being enhanced by this new addition. Glory to God for all things!

OUR PARISH RELIC-ICON: FOUR SAINTS IN ONE ICON

On Saturday, May 3, 2008, His Grace Bishop TIKHON of Philadelphia & Eastern Pennsylvania visIted our Mission and blessed a newly completed ikon for our parish.

In June of 2007, His Beatitude Metropolitan THEODOSIUS, the retired Primate of the Orthodox Church in America visited our Mission, and gave us four relics: St. Herman of Alaska, St. Alexis of Wilkes-Barre, St. Elizabeth the New Martyr, and St. Raphael of Brooklyn. The next day plans were made to have an ikon commissioned to enshrine these relics, and immediately a donor came forth with the funds to due so. Rdr. David Mastroberte, an accomplished iconographer from Western Pennsylvania (who has already done some ikon work for our Mission) was asked to create an ikon. After working with Father Timothy, he came up with a unique design for this special blessing for our parish.

By God’s grace, during Holy Week 2008, the ikon was completed and delivered to our Mission.

The ikon consists of the four saints gathered around the ikon of the Holy Theotokos, “She Who Is Quick to Hear”, a miraculous copy of the original ikon given to St. Tikhon’s Monastery at its founding from Mt. Athos. This is a special ikon to our Diocese as it rests at St. Tikhon’s Monastery in South Canaan, PA, a short ride up Route 81 (for more information see St. Tikhon’s Monastery website: www.sttikhonsmonastery.org)

A special aspect of this ikon is shown as St. Alexis holds a scroll with a verse from the 4th Ikos of the Akathist to the Theotokos which says: “Rejoice, never silent voice of the Apostles!” a reference to our parish’s heavenly patrons.

The relics of these saints, now enshrined in this holy ikon are now hung in the chapel for veneration. Plans to honor their feast days are being made, and a weekly singing of  their troparia has been instituted.

May God, through the prayers of the Holy Apostles, and of St. Herman of Alaska, St. Alexis of Wilkes-Barre, St. Raphael of Brooklyn, and St. Elizabeth the New Martyr, grant that our Mission continue to grow and prosper in proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ in an Orthodox manner. Amen.

Glory to God for all things!