Our worship space is filled with the color and shapes of both contemporary and traditional religious art. The artist Geoffrey P. Moran, a former parishioner, left us the gift of many Orthodox icons on display.
Icons — seeing into the heart of God
Icons have been described as “Theology written in images and colour.” Icons are not just pictures — they are sacred images, which convey spiritual truth in picture form, and are sometimes described as windows to heaven.
The Nativity
This festal icon is in the Greek and Russian tradition and includes the typical presentation of Angels and animals at Christ’s birth. A concerned St. Joseph is often shown grappling with the mystery of the virgin birth.
St Julian of Norwich
This original icon, in the tradition of dormition icons, depicts Julian’s death-bed vision of a sorrowful and dying Christ. Its Western medieval architecture reflects the time and setting of Julian’s life in her cloister.
St Nicholas
While in the Russian tradition, this icon adds a degree of naturalism often missing in depictions of St Nicholas. This is one of the 2 or 3 most popular household icons in orthodox homes..
Lord of the Universe (Pantocrator) (original)
In the Greek/Russian tradition, Christ is often depicted as a compassionate teacher, with open Gospel, or sometimes with a stern and judgmental image. Showing authority over the universe this icon is often placed in large size in the dome of an orthodox church.
St George
This depiction is in the Ethiopian tradition, inspired by the original painted on cloth by modern iconographer, Qes Adamu Tesfaw. Here St George slays the dragon and saves Princess Birutawit, a figure rarely if ever depicted in Western versions of this common icon.
Madonna and Child
This work seems to be modeled in the Italian tradition of Berlinghiero, an Italian artist of 13th century.
St Michael
In this militaristic Serbian depiction, St Michael brandishes a sword and holds the universe in his hand. His head-band is the symbol of an official courier in the Byzantine world.