Virgin Platytera accompanied

The work continuous at our Holy Sanctuary apse. Platytera looks marvellous in her traditional place, at the centre of the apse.  

On either side of Virgin Mary we have painted icons of our Patron Saints, the Great Martyrs Saint Panteleimon and Saint Paraskevi. They both look very beautiful.

Two exceptionally fine angelic figures are also painted on the top of the Platytera’s area, offering salutations to her.

The bright colours, the eyes of all Saints, the inscriptions on the icons, the names of the sponsors, are all so fascinating. A real revelation from above.

The Virgin Platytera, the Holy Angels and our Patron Saints have visited our Church in person. And they are here to stay!

Virgin Platytera of the Heavens

The iconographic work is continuing in our Holy Church. We are now privileged to have on the Sanctuary apse, above the altar, our Virgin Mary - “Platytera” of the Heavens!

The Platytera (Greek: Πλατυτέρα) is facing the congregation directly, depicted almost full length with her hands in the "orans" position, and with the image of Christ as a child in front of her chest, also facing the congregation directly.

Poetically, by containing the Creator of the Universe in her womb, Mary has become “Platytera ton ouranon”, which means: "More spacious than the heavens." This type is sometimes called the "Virgin of the Sign" or "Our Lady of the Sign," a reference to Isaiah 7:14: "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel."

The iconographer Theodoros Vogdanos welcomes everyone who would like to go up on the scaffolding and observe his work from very close.

Birthday & St. Spyridon

Yesterday it was a very special day. Our icon-painter Theodoros Vogdanos had celebrated his 60^th birthday at our Church and Community.

We offered him a small surprise party and it was quite an emotional moment, full of joy, happiness and smiles.

We wish him all the best, health, strength, inspiration and enlightenment. May he glorify our Holy God always with his sacred iconographic work. Many Years!

Apart from this little celebration the work continues and Theodoros is painting today the most beautiful icon of our Father among the Saints Spyridon of Trimythous the Wonderworker (in Greek: Σπυρίδων ca. 270-348).

Icon-painting begun

Today it is an historic day for our Church and Community. We started in the morning with prayers, for the painters and for their valuable and sacred work.

Then the new icons arrived and the senior icon-painter Theodoros Vogdanos, with his assistants Penelope Papademetriou and Stella Kelantonidou, have started the process of placing them on the Sanctuary apse.

The icons have been painted on canvas at the workshop in Thessaloniki and were brought here, ready to be stuck on the walls.

Our Church Committee had given the order to the famous icon-painter Theodoros Vogdanos, of the most beautiful city of Thessaloniki, and he has used all his talents and inspiration, as well as his prayerful faithfulness to our Holy Tradition, in order to produce these excellent results.

Over the next few weeks we shall get a unique experience from this extraordinary kind of work and all the feelings that would be generated will accompany us for ever.

Icon-painting preparations

Today we started the icon-painting preparations in our Church. The first part to be painted in the Holy Sanctuary.

The specialist icon-painter Mr. Theodoros Vogdanos came yesterday from Thessaloniki, bringing with him the icons he has painted on canvas for our Church.

At the moment we have preparations in the Holy Sanctuary, in order to get everything ready for the icon-painter and his two assistants to start their work on Monday 11^th May.

A scaffolding company is in our premises from early in the morning today, placing and securing the scaffolding in the right place within the Holy Sanctuary.

The Priest Fr. Anastasios, the Treasurer Mr. Soteris Constantinou and other members of the Church Committee overlooking the whole process and take care of all stages of the work.

Fr. George Zafeirakos, Dean of the All Saints Cathedral, Camden Town, also visited our Church in the morning to offer his support and prayers.