The Holy Napkin on the top of the Sanctuary apse

It is up there. And looks fantastic. The Holy Napkin, painted by Theodoros Vogdanos, on the top of our Sanctuary apse, accompanied by two exceptionally beautiful angels. [Photos by Panayiotis Christou].

The story of the Holy Napkin is as follows:

When the fame of our Lord Jesus Christ came to Abgar, the ruler of Edessa, who was suffering from leprosy, Abgar sent a messenger named Ananias, through him asking the Savior to heal him of his disease, while bidding Ananias bring back a depiction of Him.

When Ananias came to Jerusalem, and was unable to capture the likeness of our Lord, He, the Knower of hearts, asked for water, and having washed His immaculate and divine face, wiped it dry with a certain cloth, which He gave to Ananias to take to Abgar; the form of the Lord's face had been wondrously printed upon the cloth.

As soon as Abgar received the cloth, which is called the Holy Napkin (Mandylion in Greek), he reverenced it with joy, and was healed of his leprosy; only his forehead remained afflicted.

After the Lord's Death, Resurrection, and Ascension, the Apostle Thaddaeus came to Edessa, and when he had baptized Abgar and all his men, Abgar's remaining leprosy also was healed.

Abgar had the holy image of our Savior fixed to a board and placed at the city gate, commanding that all who entered the city reverence it as they passed through.

The Holy Napkin remained in Edessa, even after the Arabs conquered it, until the year 944, when it was brought with honor and triumph to Constantinople in the reign of Romanus I, when Theophylact was Ecumenical Patriarch.

The Holy Napkin was enshrined in the Church of the most holy Theotokos called the Pharos.