The Acheiropoietos Icon of Our Lady Prodromitissa
At the Skete of the Holy Forerunner, also known as the Romanian Skete of Mount Athos, which is administratively appertained to the Monastery of Great Lavra, the holy icon of the Theotokos Prodromitissa is located. It is one of the miraculous icons of the Virgin Mary on Mount Athos.
The main characteristic of the icon is that it was not created by human hands, that means it is an Acheiropoieton icon, since the form of the Theotokos and Jesus Christ was miraculously imprinted on a piece of wood!
The Miracle of the creation
Around 1863 AD, the founders of the Romanian Skete, Fathers Niphon and Nektarios, wanted to place an icon of the Virgin Mary in the Skete, as is customary in all monasteries on Mount Athos.
So, they went to Iași in Romania and found a devout iconographer, Iordache Nicolau. They asked him to create an icon of the Theotokos followed by prayer and fasting. He accepted the request and began the process with great respect and dedication.
At the beginning of the iconography, Iordache tried to paint the garments of the Theotokos and Jesus Christ. Once he completed them, he continued with the holy faces but he was unable to achieve a satisfactory result.
Find here: Icon with the Theotokos Prodromitissa.
The appearance of the Holy Figures in a miraculous way
Disappointed with his work and believing he was unable to complete the task, he covered the iconography with a cloth and locked his workshop. Then, he went to his room to pray and repent.
The next day, fully determined, iconographer Iordache went to his workshop and removed the cloth from the icon to begin his work again.
As soon as he saw the icon, he was amazed, as it was completed and the divine faces were perfected! Until today, the Acheiropoieton icon of the Virgin Mary remains in the same form.
When is the Theotokos Prodromitissa honored
After the miraculous event of its creation, the fathers reverently transferred the icon to the Skete of the Holy Forerunner, its intended destination. According to Orthodox tradition, the Acheiropoietos icon of the Virgin Mary performed numerous miracles during its transportation.
Today, the icon is located in the Katholikon of the Skete with an oil-candle burning in front of it, on the left side, a short distance from the iconostasis, and continues to perform miracles. It is honored by our Church on July 12th.
