Founder's Icon of the Mother of God at Vatopedi Monastery
The Founder's Icon of the Mother of God (Greek: Κτιτόρισσα) is also called Altarnitsa (Altárnitsa) or Bematarissa (Bēmatárissa). There are also other icons known by the name of Altarnitsa or Bematarissa (Commemorated on January 21, and Tuesday of Bright Week at Vatopedi Monastery).
Emperor Theodosios the Great, after learning of the miraculous rescue of his son Arkadios from death in the sea, not only adorned and enriched Vatopedi Monastery, but he also donated an Icon of the Mother of God made of mastic to the Monastery. This Icon was named in remembrance of the fact that the Emperor was the founder of the Monastery. This Icon was placed in the katholikon (cathedral church) of the Annunciation in the altar in the High Place. The latter circumstance served as an explanation why the name of this Holy Icon is Altarnitsa.
When Arab pirates attacked the Holy Mountain in 862 they were not far from Vatopedi, the Monastery's ecclesiarch Hierodeacon Savva hid the Founder's Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, together with a cross donated by Saint Constantine the Great, in a well beneath the floor of the church, under a marble slab, and lit a candle (or lampada) before the shrine, and only then did he hasten to run away.
After 40 or 70 years, he was freed and returned to the devastated Monastery. When the monks lifted the slab at his behest, they found both the Icon of the Mother of God and the cross in the well. The candle was still burning before them.
An unsleeping candle (lampada) still burns before the Founder's Icon of the Mother of God on the right side: the monks make sure that it does not go out, passing it on from generation to generation so that it will continue to burn as long as the Monastery itself stands.
Since both relics were found on a Monday, from the time of their discovery, a solemn Moleben to the Mother of God is served in the katholikon of Vatopedi Monastery. On the following day, Tuesday, a solemn Liturgy is served in the same katholikon with the blessing of koliva, and offering of a part of the prosphoron in honor of the Mother of God.1 This celebration has been going on for nine centuries and testifies to the truth of the event, which is deeply imprinted in the traditions of Vatopedi Monastery. The special solemnity of this celebration is evident from the fact that the Liturgy on Tuesday is served in the katholikon, but according to the established rules, it is served in the katholika of the Holy Mountain only on Sundays and Feast Days, but on weekdays it is always served in the side altars, or chapels.
The Founder's Icon is now in the altar of the katholikon of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos in the High Place, while the Cross remains on the altar.
The original Bematarissa Icon of the Mother of God has a gold oklad from 1690 with an inscription: "Nicholas of Nikolita, goldsmith, 1690."
During Cross Processions at the Monastery, this Icon precedes all the others. A separate commemoration of this Icon of the Mother of God is takes place on Tuesday of Bright Week, when a Cross Procession goes around the Monastery in her honor.
1 This seems to refer to the prayers at Trapeza found in the Great Horologion (Brookline, Mass., 1997) pages 161-165).