The most venerated icon in the world Click to read Our Lady of Perpetual Help Annotation

At the outset of the transformative journey into iconography at Mount Angel Abbey, Director Christine Thum Schlesser welcomed participants with heartfelt opening remarks. "I hope that you find what you're seeking during this week," she expressed, setting the [Read More]

Descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost The Meaning of the Pentecost Icon and Signs & Symbols of the Holy Spirit Tongues of Fire - Flames or Rays In some icons, "tongues of fire" descend upon the Apostles signifying the [Read More]

A Different Good Friday Image The Lamentation Over the Dead Christ The image in this Good Friday message is a detail of a twelfth century fresco in the Church of St. Panteleimon, in Nerezi Skopje (Kosovo) photographed during our Sacred [Read More]

"Shine, Shine Jerusalem, your light will come, and the day and night (they) are not closed." Isaiah, Chapter 60, verses I, II Download the annotation of the scenes here. Click here to download a larger image of the icon. This [Read More]

14th Century Fresco of the Baptism of Christ, Visoko Dečani Monastery, Serbia Understanding Theophany Symbolism January 6 is known in the Eastern church as Theophany and in the Western church it is called Epiphany. Theophany originates from the Greek words Theos [Read More]

The Nativity, Andrei Rublev, 1410, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow Understanding the Meaning Through Symbolism in the Nativity Icon This icon not only tells the story of Christ’s birth, it also reveals the theological meaning of the feast. Since icons [Read More]

Kirillo Belozersky Iconostasis, 15th Century Russian This is most definitely an icon of Thanksgiving. The Presentation of the Most Holy Theotokos* to the Temple, recalls the events written in the Protoevangelium of James concerning the life of the Blessed Virgin [Read More]

Nativity of the Mother of God, 1314, Studenica, Serbia. Icons do not depict events in chronological or in accurate historic sequence.  In this icon we see the various states/events surrounding the birth of the Theotokos all at the same time, rather [Read More]

A total of 33 icons were written by those attending the Classical Iconography Institute's Summer Iconography Intensive Retreat at Mount Angel Abbey in Saint Benedict, Oregon this summer.  Students traveled from out of state and around Oregon to [Read More]