Русская Версия

May 17, 2010
Mayfield, PA: The Hawaiian Myrrh-Streaming Iveron Icon of the Mother of God will visit St. John the Baptist Cathedral

With the blessing of His Grace, Bishop George, rector of the cathedral, Archpriest John Sorochka, dean of the cathedral, announced that on Sunday evening, May 30, the miraculous Iveron Icon of the Mother of God of Hawaii will visit Saint John the Baptist Cathedral. A moleben or service of intercession will be held at 6:00 PM, which will be streamed live online.

This myrrh-streaming icon depicts the Mother of God holding the Christ child. The myrrh that flows from this icon is an oil-like substance possessing the fragrance of roses. It is considered a great blessing from the Mother of God and many healings, both spiritual and physical, have been attributed to it. The icon is a replica of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God of Montreal. The original icon of the Iveron Mother of God is still housed in the ancient Iveron Monastery on the monastic peninsula of Mount Athos, Greece.

The Hawaiian Iveron Mother of God has a unique history; the icon is a mounted replica of the Montreal Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, made by the Sofrino Church Supply Company in Russia. It was given as a gift to an Orthodox believer in Hawaii by the parish rector in the summer of 2007. It was in October 2007 that the believer, Reader Nectarios, smelled a strong fragrance of roses coming from the area in which the icon was placed in his home. As he approached the area searching for the source of the strong aroma, he noticed that the icon of the Mother of God that he had received as a gift was completely saturated with the fragrant myrrh. After notifying the parish priest, the icon was brought to the church and completely wiped dry. A service of intercession was held before the icon and, by the end of the service, the icon was again streaming myrrh and the church was filled with the fragrance of roses.

To this very day, many people of all ethnic and religious backgrounds come to venerate the icon of the Mother of God and ask for Her assistance with their troubles and maladies, as well as their physical ailments and spiritual needs.

In June 2008, the Holy myrrh-streaming Hawaiian-Iveron Icon was officially recognized by Archbishop Kyrill, ROCOR’s Archbishop of San Francisco and Western America, as miraculous and genuine. The icon and its bearer have been given the blessing to travel to the various churches and monasteries of Orthodox Church.

The holy icon of the Mother of God continues to stream its fragrant myrrh to this day.

Media Office of the Eastern American Diocese  

See Also

October 9, 2009
Mayfield, PA: The Miraculous Icon of the Mother of God the “Softener of Evil Hearts” visited St. John the Baptist Cathedral