Historic 700 Year-Old Icon Visits Calgary

The Orthodox community in Calgary was recently privileged to host one of the most ancient and famous icons of the Russian Church.  The Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God dates from the 13th century.  According to tradition, a hunter found the icon lying on a root of a tree facing downwards near the city of Kursk in September 1259.  The hunter and his friends rebuilt an old small chapel to house the newly found icon.  Those that came to venerate the icon soon began reporting miraculous healings.

Since then the Kursk Icon of Our Lady of the Sign has been associated with many significant events in Russian history and countless miraculous stories.  Because of political turmoil  in the region, the icon was moved many times during the following centuries, eventually  taking up residence in New York City.  Since then, the Kursk Icon has visited many Russian diaspora churches in North America.

At the end of May, the Kursk Root Icon visited the Church of St. John Chrysostom.   Located at the foot of the St. Mary's University College campus, the Church of St. John Chrysostom occupies the space that what was once the original church building of St. Patrick's Catholic parish in Midnapore.  The famous missionary priest, Fr. Lacombe, served as the first parish priest.  The church building dates back to 1904 and served the Catholic community until 1983 when a new parish church was built.  Although it is the oldest existing Catholic church building in Calgary, efforts to raise funds for its restoration were largely unsuccessful. The diocese applied to demolish the building in 2001, but provincial designation of the structure as a historic site saved it from destruction.  In addition, facing the ravages of time and the graffiti of vandals, the building narrowly escaped burning down at the hands of arsonists more than once.

In 2012, a small Russian community received permission to restore the building and convert it into an Orthodox place of worship.  A dedicated group of volunteers have carefully cleaned and restored the building. The original bell has been restored and once again sounds the call to worship.  As the photos taken during the visit of the Kursk Root Icon show, the interior space has been totally transformed to meet the liturgical needs of the Russian Orthodox community that now occupies this historic site.

Fall Workshops on Stained Glass Making and Gregorian Chant

St. Mary's University College will be offering two workshops this fall as part of its Sacred Arts Program.

Malcolm Edwards and Jean-Loius Beau will be offering a weekend workshop on Gregorian Chant on September 27, 28, and 29.  The workshop will end with a public performance on the Sunday afternoon.

Jody Martin will be offering a workshop on Stained Glass Making for Beginners in October 18th and 26th.  There is only one space left in the Stained Class workshop, so register now if you are interested!

Check out stmu.ca/sacredarts/  for details regarding course fees and registration.

Highlights From St. Mary's Iconography Workshop with Aidan Hart

Aidan Hart traveled from England to offer the first iconography workshop under St. Mary's new Sacred Arts program.  The class painted an icon of the Archangel Michael.  This was Aidan's first visit to Canada.  Here are a few photos from the workshop:

Highlights From the St. Mary's Calligraphy Workshops

This spring Renate Worthington offered three short workshops at St. Mary's University College on calligraphy related to the St. John's Bible.  Here are a few photos from the workshop.

Highlights From Martinho Correira's Workshop 

Martinho Correira led off the St. Mary's University College Sacred Art's Program with a workshop on oil painting in the Old Master's tradition.  Each student selected a masterpiece and worked on creating a copy using the traditional oil painting techniques used by the Old Masters.  Here are a few photos from the class:

New Sacred Arts Program at St. Mary's University College

In September 2012, St. Mary's University College in Calgary became the home of Western Canada's only fine art reproduction of the St. John's Bible, the first handwritten and illuminated Bible commissioned by Benedictine monks in more than 500 years.  The creators of the Saint John's Bible employed the same techniques used in the creation of the ancient illuminated manuscripts.  In doing so, they created a masterpiece of art that speaks to our own time.

To celebrate the arrival of the Saint John's Bible, St. Mary's University College launched a series of workshops and courses focusing on the Sacred Arts.  Courses in the program cover a wide range of topics including oil painting, iconography, calligraphy, manuscript illumination, stained glass making, and Gregorian chant.

The intent of the program is to enable students to enhance their understanding of the principles, practices, and methods of Sacred Art and its role in both public worship and personal devotion.  These courses combine hands-on instruction with a theoretical understanding of the theological and aesthetic principles that underlie the development of excellence in the various fields of Sacred Art.  For more information go to: Study Sacred Arts at St. Mary's University College