A gift from the East
In November, Michaelston-y-Fedw church had the privilege and pleasure of welcoming Father Jacobus, who is Archimandrite and parish priest of the Greek Orthodox church in Cardiff, with some of his congregation. Bearing the traditional gifts of bread, wine, and oil, Fr Jacobus had come to present and dedicate an icon of St Michael, written in Athens and given to the church by Anton and Alexia Attard in gratitude for our prayers during Alexia’s serious illness.
Fr Jacobus conducted the impressive ceremony of presentation, consecration and dedication, witnessed by this union of Christian faiths who appreciated the beauty, mystery and richness of the ancient liturgy of Greek Orthodoxy.
Icons play an important role in the Orthodox church. Fr Jacobus said: “We worship God alone, but venerate an icon because it reminds us of Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, or a Saint.”
Our church is dedicated to St Michael, and we thank Anton and Alexia for this icon of our patron saint.
Denis Tarling
The Orthodox church and the use of icons in worship is one of the subjects covered in the first Module, Prayer and Spirituality, of Living Faith the new discipleship course.