Icons from Places

This unique icon of the Presentation of Christ is from the 10th century Bamberg Psalter. It is a glorious depiction from St. Luke's Gospel (2:22-40) where the Theotokos and St. Joseph the Betrothed present the 40-day old Christ in the temple in...

According to Church tradition, after the bodily death of Mary the Theotokos, she was buried by the Apostles. But Thomas was delayed, and he desired to look upon her face one last time. When the tomb was opened, her body was gone (for Christ had already...

Then I saw a great white throne and the one who sat on it; the earth and the heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also another book was...

In this fresco from Decani Monastery, we see our Lord's miraculous work for the ten lepers, as recorded in Luke 17. Under the Jewish law, the men were unclean and had to live apart from the community to protect others from suffering a similar fate. When...

Saint Gregory was from Caesarea. He served the king of Armenia until he was discovered to be a Christian, and for this he was tortured. He was cast into a pit of snakes and left to die, but God preserved him and he later went free. He converted many...

Saint Sisoes lived in the fourth century, and he was a contemporary of Saint Anthony the Great. When Saint Anthony died, Sisoes went to live in his cave. His ascetic labor carried him to the heights of spiritual purity, and he was given the gift of...

  Saint Sophronius was from Damascus. While living as a monk in Palestine, he met John Moschus. They became close friends and traveled throughout the Middle East seeking spiritual instruction for many years. After John's death, Sophronius returned...

Saint Abercius (or Averky) was bishop of Hierapolis and was known for his God-given ability of wonderworking. During a festival of Apollo, he destroyed the idols in the temple, to the horror of the pagans. He cried out that the gods had become drunk...

This historic Byzantine icon features Saint Kyriakos (or Cyriacus) the Hermit. Living in the 5th-6th centuries, he embraced ascetical living at an early age in the lived in the deserts in and near the Holy Land. He blessed fellow monks and visitors with...

Saint Theodore was born out of wedlock in Sykeon of Galatia. When he was a child, his mother gave him a soldier's belt, and told him he would be a soldier. The Great Martyr George then appeared to her and told her that God had a different plan for her...

This unique icon of the Washing of the Feet is from the 10th century Bamberg Psalter. It is a glorious depiction from St. John's Gospel (13:1-17) of Christ washing the feet of his disciples on the night of the Last Supper and his imminent betrayal...

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit,...

Saint Peter was archbishop of Alexandria for 12 years at the beginning of the 4th century. He it was who excommunicated the priest Arius for his heresy. Saint Peter was arrested and imprisoned at the command of Emperor Maximinus in 312. While in...

"So the cohort and the tribune and the servants of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him, and led him away to Annas first. For he was Caiaphas’ father in law, who was chief priest that year. It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that...

This beautiful fresco is from the Coemeterium Maius catacombs and dates to the mid-4th century. The blessed Virgin holds Christ in her lap and raises her hands in the "Orans" posture of prayer, which is very common in catacomb iconography. In...

When Jesus was a youth 12 years of age, he went with his Mother and Saint Joseph to the Temple. They left him behind by mistake, and three days later, they found him in the midst of the elders. This event is recorded at the end of Luke chapter 2, and it...

Saint Gregory was born in Neocaesarea, and traveled throughout the Mediterranean region during his education. He was instructed in the faith by Origin. In the year 240 he became bishop of his home city, where only 17 Christians were living. By the time...

This beautiful 12th century mosaic is from the Xenophontos Monastery on Mount Athos. It depicts Saint George raising his hands in prayer to Christ, who gives a blessing from heaven. Saint George was born in the province of Cappadocia, Asia Minor...

Saint Sylvester served as the 32nd bishop of Rome after the death of the Apostles. He was not able to attend the First Ecumenical Council in 325 due to illness, but he sent representatives. He reposed later that year. His feast is celebrated on...

This unique icon of the Arrest of Christ is from the 10th century Bamberg Psalter. It is a glorious depiction from the Gospels' accounts of Christ being greeted by Judas Iscariot with a kiss and then being arrested by guards. The anonymous iconographer...

Saint Clement was a monk, and later became bishop of Ancyra in Galatia. He suffered persecution for some 30 years until he was martyred under the reign of Diocletian and Maximian in 296. His feast is celebrated on January 23.

"I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is; you hold fast my name and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells." — Revelation 2:13 (RSV) Saint Antipas...

Saint Metrophanes was raised by pagan parents but became a Christian at a young age. He became bishop of Byzantium in the year 315, and during his episcopacy Saint Constantine made Byzantium the capital of the Roman Empire, naming it New Rome. He was...

Saint Cosmas was a native of Jerusalem. He was the foster brother of Saint John of Damascus, having been adopted by his parents. The brothers entered the monastery of Saint Sabbas, where Cosmas achieved the heights of grace through his ascetic labor...

Saint Meletius (or Meletios or Melitius) was an Armenian. He became bishop of Sebaste in 357, but was later banished and he went to Syria. After the deposition of the Arian bishop of Antioch, the Orthodox and the Arian factions debated over who to...

Saint Hierotheus was the first bishop of Athens. He was a member of the Aeropagus (Mars Hill), and with Saint Dionysius, he was converted by Saint Paul. Together with the Apostles, he was present at the funeral of the Theotokos. He reposed in the first...

Saint Mocius was a priest in Amphipolis of Thrace. One day, Mocius entered the temple of Dionysius and overturned the altar while the proconsul was offering a sacrifice. He was subjected to torture and finally beheaded in Byzantium in the year 288. He...

Saint Eleutherius was still a young man when he became bishop of Illyricum, but he was renowned for his virtue. He was arrested during the persecution of the Emperor Hadrian, tortured, and martyred in the year 126. His mother was also beheaded...

Saint Hypatius attended the First Ecumenical Council, where he boldly defended the Faith against the Novatian heresy, the false doctrine that a person could not be forgiven of sins committed after baptism. He was captured by their sect and martyred in...

Saint Dionysius of Korissos Kastoria (also called Dionysios Mikroathonitis) was the founder of the Dionysiou Monastery on Mount Athos in the 14th century. He reposed in 1388, and his feast is celebrated on June 25.

Saint Gregory was from Agrigentum in Sicily. After being ordained as a reader, at age 18 he made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, where he was ordained a deacon by the patriarch. After more travels, he returned to Agrigentum where he was consecrated as...