The Miraculous Myrrh-Streaming Icon of St. Anna

Last updated on: November 29, 2015 at 8:59 am by Kathy Schiffer

The Miraculous Myrrh-Streaming Icon of St. Anna 2015-11-29T08:59:57-05:00 Kathy Schiffer

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Photo: Donald Di Pace, Holy Trinity Orthodox Church (used with permission)

We’ve had an interesting visitor in my hometown of Detroit this week. An icon of St. Anna, the mother of the Holy Virgin Mary, was displayed on Saturday at historic Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in Detroit. The Icon, which is considered to have miraculous properties, is currently on a tour of religious centers in the region.

On Saturday, the Very Rev. Lev Kopistiansky, rector at Holy Trinity, and Archimandrite Athanasy, rector of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk Monastery in Pennsylvania, conducted a prayer service and anointed the faithful.

The image was commissioned by Father Athanasy in the 1990s, in the Mount of Olives Convent in Jerusalem. In 1998, when the Icon was completed, it was blessed at the Sepulcher of our Lord in the Jerusalem Church of the Resurrection, and brought to Philadelphia.

On Mothers Day in 2004 the Icon, which was then displayed at the Russian Orthodox Church of Our Lady of Joy of All Who Sorrow in Philadelphia, began to stream myrrh. On that Sunday one of the parishioners mentioned to Father Athanasy, the pastor, that the Icon of St. Anna seemed to be “perspiring.” Father Athanasy was able to confirm that there were visible liquid streams and droplets–first on the cuff on her left hand and on her left shoulder veil, then on other parts of the Icon. Since then, many have reported healings after being anointed with the substance.

According to the Detroit News:

“Many miracles have occurred from the anointing of this particular icon,” said the Very Rev. Lev Kopistiansky, longtime rector at Holy Trinity. “The healings that have occurred are varied, whether heart conditions, broken arms mended, tumors removed — all kinds of things have happened.”

…“It’s appealing especially to people who are sick because there have been miraculous healings,” said David Adrian, a reader in the church and parish council member. “It’s nothing you can prove scientifically, but that’s what people say. And that’s what I’m sure a lot of people who attend would be hoping for.”

Although the Icon is not currently weeping, it exudes a sweet fragrance. Since 2012, it has been permanently installed at St. Tikhon’s Monastery.

Very interesting: The image of the icon is covered with items left behind by the devout–rings, medals, even strings of pearls–“as a reminder and thanksgiving of the prayers of the righteous Anna.” It reminded me of similar expressions of piety, medallions and other gifts left at shrines in the city of Rome–a sign of gratitude for favors rendered and prayers answered.

Just last month, three Catholic churches in metropolitan Detroit were included in a tour of the remains of St. Maria Goretti, the youngest canonized saint in the Catholic Church.

Art

Faith

Icons

Previous Post

November 25, 2015

New Book Tells the Story of Mike Huckabee: A Man of the People

Next Post

December 2, 2015 Disgraced Priest Fr. Edward Belczak Sentenced to Prison

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category #Synod14 Abortion Abstinence Abuse Addiction Adoption Advent Adventure Advertising Aging Agnosticism All Saints Day All Souls Day Amish Anathema Angels Anglican Animals Annulment Annunciation Apocalypse Apologetics Apostles Apostleship of the Sea Apparitions Archangels Archbishop Cordileone Archbishop Dolan Archbishop Vigneron Archeology Architecture Art Art Buchwald Ash Wednesday Assisted Suicide Astronauts Atheism Athletes Babies Baptism Beatification Beauty Bible Biochemistry Bioethics Birds Bishop Lori Bishops Blasphemy Books Canon Law Canonization Capital Punishment Cardinal Burke Cardinal Dolan Cardinal George Caritas Catechesis Catechism of the Catholic Church Catholic Catholic Education Catholic Higher Education Catholic Social Teaching Celibacy Cemeteries Character Charity Chastity Cheapskate Christian Unity Christmas Churches Civil Rights Cloning Comedy Communion of Saints Community Kitchens Confession Confirmation Conscience Consequences Consistory Constitution Contraception Conversion Cooking Councils of the Church Creativity Criminal Justice Cristero War Crucifixion Crystal Cathedral Culture Death Death and Dying Death Penalty Department of Health and Human Services Diaconate Dictatorship of Relativism Dignity Disability Discrimination Dissidence Divorce Doctors of the Church Early Church Fathers Easter Economics Ecumenism Education Encyclicals Environmentalism Episcopal Church Eucharist Euthanasia Evangelism Evangelists Evangelization Evolution Excuses Facebook Faith Families Family Fashion Fasting Fatherhood Federal Government Feminism Fiction Film First Amendment First Communion For Greater Glory Forgiveness Free Speech Friends Friendship Gender Discrimination Germany Gnosticism Good Friday Government Grace Greed Gregorian Calendar Happiness Health Heaven Heresy History Holidays Holiness Hollywood Holy Land Holy Saturday Holy Spirit Holy Week Holy Year Home Sweet Home Homosexuality Hope Humanism Humility Humor Imagination Immaculate Conception Immigration Impulsivity In Vitro Fertilization Incarnation Indulgences Infallibility Internet Islam Italy Jerusalem Jesus Judaism Justice Kathleen Sebelius Labor Movement LCWR Lent Life Literature Liturgy Lourdes Love Magi Marketing Marriage Martyrdom Martyrs Mary Mass Media Medical Ethics Mexico Michigan Miracles Missionaries Modernism Modesty Monks Monothelitism Motherhood Movies Mushrooms Music Muslim Mystery Mysticism Mythology Nativity Natural Law Nature New Evangelization New Media New Year New Year's Resolutions Nostalgia Obscenity Occult Old Testament Origen Orthodox Orvieto Pallium Papacy Parenting Patience Patriarch Bartholomew Patriotism Peace Peace and Justice Penitence Pentecost People Persecution Philosophy Poetry Political activism Political Correctness Politics Polls Pop Culture Pope Benedict XVI Pope Francis Pope John Paul II Pope John XXIII Pope Paul VI Pope St. Pius X Pope Urban VII Population Prayer Preaching Prejudice Pride Priesthood Pro-Life Protestantism Psychology Purgatory Queenship of Mary Racism Rape Real Presence Reconciliation Reformation Relics Religious Religious Liberty Reliquary Renewal Reproductive Technology Resurrection Rights Romance Rome Royalty Sacraments Sacred Heart Saints Satanism Science Science Fiction Scripture Seal of Confession Secularism Seniors September 11 Seventy Times Seven Sexuality Sharks Sin Smoking Social Communications Social Justice Social Networking Social Sciences Space Exploration Spirituality Sports St. Luke St. Patrick's Day St. Paul St. Peter St. Teresa of Avila Stations of the Cross Steve Jobs Superstition Supreme Court Symbolism Synod Technology Teen Rebellion Television Terrorism Thankfulness Thanksgiving Theology Think This, Not That Tobit Toilets Toys Tradition Traditions Transplants Travel Trinity Twitter U.S. Air Force Uncategorized United Nations USCCB Valentine Vatican Vatican Archives Vatican Blogfest Virtue Vocations Where We Pray White Heart Women World Day of Social Communications World Meeting of Families World News World Youth Day Worship Writing Year of Consecrated Life Year of Faith Year of Mercy Youth

Select a Month December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which sea did God part for the Israelites to escape Egypt?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Jordan River Red Sea Dead Sea Sea of Galilee