On the occasion of the Sunday of Orthodoxy, our parish gathered for a special and moving service that became a witness to living faith and deep love for the Church. On this day, the Church commemorates the triumph of the veneration of holy icons, definitively affirmed at the Second Council of Nicaea in 787, when it was proclaimed that the honor given to an icon passes to its Prototype.
Parishioners brought their family icons to the church—both newly written ones and those handed down from generation to generation. Within these icons live the stories of families, the prayers of parents and grandparents, tears shed in difficult times, and enduring hope.
After the Divine Liturgy, Fr. Roman blessed the icons.
Following the blessing, a solemn procession took place around the church. Holding their icons in their hands, the faithful sang hymns and prayers of praise. This procession became a living sign that, like the Christians of the first centuries, we openly and courageously profess our faith in the Incarnate God who became visible for our sake.
The veneration of icons is not merely a tradition or cultural heritage. It is a confession of our faith in the mystery of the Incarnation: God became man, and therefore He can be depicted. As we gaze upon an icon, we lift our minds and hearts to heaven – to the One who is the Source of life and light.