Kursk Root Icon to visit St. Tikhon’s Monastery for patronal feastday August 12-13
With the blessing of His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God will visit Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk Monastery here August 12 and 13, in conjunction with the celebration of the monastery’s patronal feastday.
Archpriest Serge Lukianov will accompany the icon.
“We invite everyone to come to pray before the miraculous 700+ year old icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, joining us on Friday for Vigil at 4:00 p.m. and on Saturday for the Divine Liturgy at 9:00 a.m.,” said the monastery’s Abbot Sergius. “A festive meal will follow the service for all pilgrims.”
The Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God was discovered on September 8, 1259, by a hunter outside the town of Kursk, Russia. He found the icon lying face down by the root of a tree. Lifting it up, he discovered that the icon was similar to the Novgorod “Znamenie” Icon. Simultaneously, as the hunter lifted up the holy icon from the earth, a spring of pure water gushed forth. Deciding not to leave the icon in the forest, the hunter placed it in a small, ancient chapel.
The icon was transferred to the city of Ryl’a and placed in a new church erected in honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos. But the icon soon disappeared and returned to the place in which it first appeared. The people of Ryl’a made several attempts to return the icon to their city, but it repeatedly returned to its former place. Everyone then realized that the Theotokos preferred the place of the icon’s appearance.
The special help granted by the Mother of God through this icon is associated with many important events in Russian history. Several copies of the icon were made, which also were glorified.
Abbot Sergius and the monastic brotherhood invite the faithful to join them, to worship with them at the Vigil and Liturgy, and to be inspired and blessed by the truly miraculous presence of the Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God.