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.