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Iconography used as prayerful bridge

 

Extreme Humility icon written by Joan Weisenbeck, FSPA

by Laura Nettles

Editor’s note: Four FSPA members and associate Laura Nettles participated in the Renaissance of Iconography III in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, from Aug. 16–30. Philip Zimmerman, master iconographer and owner of St. John of Damacus Icon Studio in New Florence, Penn., led the workshop. This was the third such workshop held in Eastern Europe. The first was held in Hungary in 1999 and the second in Slovakia in 2000.

When others learned that I was going to Romania, the question they kept asking me is, “Why are you going to Romania to do an icon workshop? Why not just stay in the U.S.? What’s so important about going to Romania?”

I can honestly say I wasn’t sure myself. I just smiled and said, “I’ll tell you when I get back.” It wasn’t until I got there that I truly understood how significant and important it was to do an icon workshop in Romania.

Associate Laura Nettles, right, writing her icon

When we first arrived in Romania we were taken to the monastery of the Sisters of St. Basil, the Byzantine Catholic sisters with whom we stayed. We had the opportunity to meet the 20 or so sisters who would be participating in the workshop with us. I was surprised to find out that they were from different countries. Since the Sisters of St. Basil come from several different countries, they are definitely international. Sisters from Argentina, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and, of course, Romania took part in the workshop.

I was immediately struck by the fact that we did not speak the same language. Most of them didn’t speak English and many didn’t speak Romanian. Ukrainian was the predominant language. Yet despite all the language barriers and the ethnic differences, I found there was an instant connection. I felt really lucky they were all my same age.

I was excited about starting the painting process but my excitement was nothing compared to the passion and desire of the sisters. Through the course I really came to understand and realize just why this opportunity was so important to them.

Philip Zimmerman instructs Sisters of St. Basil.

Between the workshop classes we had the chance to travel the countryside and go to Greek Orthodox churches as well as Byzantine Catholic churches. Everywhere we went we saw icons—beautiful icons. I began to understand how important icons are to the Eastern European culture. Icons are actually religious articles to be venerated—they are glimpses of biblical stories as well as windows into heaven. The people and the culture venerate and revere icons. In some places in their early culture when people couldn’t read the Bible, they actually used icons to tell those stories. Just as we venerate the cross, they venerate icons. The highest thing that one could do is actually paint an icon or, as they call it, write an icon. To be able to write an icon was hugely significant to these sisters. Writing an icon was the ultimate prayer that they could give—not only to God but also to their fellow sisters and to their culture. When I realized this, it was quite humbling.

I also learned that Romania had been under Communist rule until 1990 and under that Communist rule the Byzantine Catholics were not allowed to worship openly. Catholics had to be secret, they actually had to hide in different places and hide their worship. The sisters still existed but they had to be secret sisters; their families didn’t even know they were sisters. They would gather once or twice a week in the woods or in somebody’s basement. They were absolutely not allowed to openly look at or venerate icons, let alone write them.

Bishop Florentin Crihalmeanu, Greek Catholic Bishop of Cluj-Gherla, Romania, blesses each icon. Photos courtesy of Laura Nettles.

With all of this in perspective, I knew it was important that we were there giving them the opportunity to reclaim their heritage. We were showing them how to write icons which are such a big part of their culture.

One of the more powerful experiences for me during this icon writing process came after we had been there about a week. We were writing the icon Extreme Humility which is of Jesus after the scourging. We were working on the face of Jesus—it had been a long process to get to the point where we could actually paint his face. I was following the strokes and doing what we had been instructed to do, then there was almost a magical moment when the icon ceased to be a painting and truly became Jesus. The face just popped out at me and Jesus was looking at me. This was truly a prayerful and spiritual moment. I was even more amazed when I looked across the table at one of the young sisters who obviously had the same type of experience. She was, with tears in her eyes, praying to this image of Jesus that she had just helped bring to life. Then I truly realized this was a gift to write icons and to be doing it in Romania with these sisters.

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