Saint Pelagia of Tinos Greek Orthodox Icon
High quality byzantine Orthodox handmade icons. Made in Greece and constructed in the traditional Orthodox manner.
Iconographer: Holy Monastery Dormition of Theotokos, Parnitha
Commemorates on: July 23
St. Pelagia, an eighty year-old nun, had several
dreams in June of 1822 in which the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to her. St.
Pelagia was living in the women’s monastery of the Dormition on Mt.
Kechrovounios, about an hour’s journey from the village. She had lived there
from a young age, and was known for her great virtue and piety. The
Theotokos appeared to her in a dream and ordered her to go to Stamatelos
Kangades (a prominent man of the village), and tell him to uncover the church
of St. John the Baptist in the field of Anthony Doxaras. Terrified by
the vision, Pelagia attributed the dream to her imagination, and she began to
pray. She was afraid to tell anyone about her dream, but the following week,
the Theotokos appeared to her again, reminding her of her instructions.
Still,
the nun remained silent and told no one of her vision. The Theotokos appeared a
third time, this time with a severe manner. She chastised the nun for her
unbelief, saying, “Go and do as I told you. Be obedient.” St. Pelagia woke up in fear. As she
opened her eyes, she saw the same mysterious woman she had seen while asleep.
With great effort she asked, “Who are you, Lady? Why are you angry with me, and
why do you order me to do these things?” The woman raised her hand and said,
“Proclaim, O earth, glad tidings of great joy.” Understanding at last, the aged
nun joyfully exclaimed, “Praise, O heavens, the glory of God.” At once, she
informed the Abbess of her visions, and she also told Stamatelos Kangades. Mr. Kangades, who had been designated by the
Theotokos to carry out the excavation of the church, informed Bishop Gabriel of
these events. The bishop had already heard of the dream of Michael Polyzoes,
and realized that the account of the nun Pelagia agreed with his vision. Bishop
Gabriel wrote to all the churches on the island of Tinos, urging them to
cooperate in finding the church and the icon.
Excavations
began in September of 1822 under the supervision of Mr. Kangades. The
foundations of the church of St. John, destroyed by Muslims in 1200, were
uncovered. An old well was found near the church, but not the holy icon. The
funding for the excavation eventually ran out, so the effort was abandoned. Once
again the Mother of God appeared to St. Pelagia, urging that the excavations
continue. Bishop Gabriel sent out an appeal for donations to build a new church
on the foundations of the old church of St. John the Baptist. The new church
was built, and was dedicated to St. John and to the Life-Giving Fountain.
On January 30, 1823, workers were leveling the
ground inside the church in preparation for laying a new stone floor. Around
noon, one of the workers, Emmanuel Matsos, struck a piece of wood with his
pickax, splitting it down the middle. He looked at one piece of the board and
saw that it was burned on one side, while the other side showed traces of
paint. As he brushed off the dirt with his hands, he saw that it was an icon.
Joining the two pieces of wood together, he crossed himself and venerated the
icon. He called the other workers, who also came and
venerated the icon. When the icon was cleaned, it was shown to be an icon of
the Annunciation. The split was in the middle of the icon, between the
Theotokos and the Archangel Gabriel. Neither figure was damaged, and this was
regarded as a miracle.
That same day, the icon was given to Bishop
Gabriel, who kissed it and cried out, “Great art Thou, O Lord, and wondrous are
Thy works.” After the finding of the
icon, the inhabitants of Tinos were filled with zeal to build a magnificent
church in honor of the Theotokos. People offered their money and their own
labor to help build the Church of the Evangelistria. The new church was
completed in 1823, and was consecrated by Bishop Gabriel. St. Pelagia of Tinos
fell asleep in the Lord on April 28, 1834.
The
icon reproductions are created by iconographer monks of various Greek Orthodox
monasteries in Greece and all images are approved replications by the Greek
Orthodox Church. As icons are considered to be the Gospel in image,
these images are accurate and true Orthodox renderings, not second-hand
interpretations. The icon images are mounted on solid wood and protected
from tarnish with a varnish finish that seals in colors and creates a shiny
luster.
Icons ship direct to you from Greece. Please allow 10-20 days for delivery.