Wonder-Working Icons of the Most Holy Theotokos
Wonder-Working Icons of the Most Holy Theotokos
Disclaimer and Endorsement:

The Icons posted on this web site are for spiritual inspiration only. There are no claims for ownership of the Icons listed. This Icon Directory is intended as an Orthodox Christian medium for Spiritual education.

If an Icon listed is an infringement of copywright, I will gladly remove it.

For those authors who kindly allow the spiritual, educational, and memorial display of their beautiful work, thank you for your blessed ministry.

Many Miracle-Working Icons can be found on the Orthodox Church in America web site.

For purchasing information please visit the web site of The Icon Studio of the Convent of St. Elizabeth which produce Icons in all sizes of Jesus, the Theotokos, traditional Saints and Festal Ocasions.

They are in strict Byzantine or traditional Russian style.

For full or partial Church Iconography, large Icons can be produced on canvas by the studio and permanently applied to Church walls and ceilings.

Their Icon studio has a well-known reputation for the beauty and refined artistic quality of its work, and has the lowest prices available.

They also provide Icon prints of all Icon productions.

It is a pleasure to list and give the appropiate credit for all authorship listed.

Gilbert-Joseph
GGallant2@Tampabay.rr.com

Synaxarion or Legend:

Icons of Mary holding her Son Jesus have been popular since the Council of Ephesus which in 431 solemnly declared Mary to be the Theotokos or Mother of God.

St. Luke was the first one who painted the "Theotokos", "Mother of God", while she was still alive. He is credited with three icons of the "Panagia", in one case using the wooden table where Mary and St. John ate their meals.

Throughout history, many Icons of the Most Holy Mother of God have had miracles attributed to them.

In addition, there are those Icons which may not have been miracle working, but still been venerated with the hope of intercession from the Mother of God.

Theotokos of Soufanieh  
 


Damascus, Syria Since November 22nd, 1982, a simple home of the Christian neighbourhood of Soufanieh in Damascus, is the scene of phenomenons which make its inhabitants relive the graces of the first Christians.

The first event started on November 22nd, 1982. Myrna was praying with other members of her family while visiting her ailing sister-in-law, when suddenly, she felt a strange and indescribable phenomenon: all her body was shivering as if some force was coming out from inside her (to quote her expression) Oil had just started to exude from her hands for the first time.

The second event to take place in the home of Myrna and Nicolas in Soufanieh, started on November 27th, 1982, coinciding with the anniversary date of the apparition of the Virgin Mary to Saint Catherine Labouré in 1830, at the rue du Bac in Paris, France. Oil started to exude from a small replica of the icon of the Virgin of Kazan (6 cm x 8 cm / 2.4 inches x 3.2 inches), bought by Nicolas in July 1980, at the Alexandre Nevsky Orthodox church in Sofia, Bulgaria.

This oozing of the Icon slowly followed the rythm of the liturgical cycle of the Christian feasts and lasted until November 26th, 1990. During these years, the oozing of oil was interrupted from November 27th, 1985 to November 25th, 1986, but the atmosphere of peace and prayers never stopped.

During this period, not one drop of oil exuded and no apparitions occured. This period explains part of Christs message on November 26th, 1985: and if My absence lasts, and the light disappears from you, do not fear, this will be for My glorification.

Oil exudes from Myrna during prayers or while speaking about the phenomenon or during extasy.

Oil flows on Myrnas hands, face, neck, eyes, stomach (3rd day of a TRIDUUM OF ABSOLUTE FASTING, NOVEMBER 26th - 29th, 1984), feet (once).

Oil flows from peoples hands outside the family and Syria but always in relation to the phenomenon of Our Lady of Soufanieh.

When the blue Icon (the distinction is based on the color of clothes of the Virgin) is transferred in triumph to the Byzantine Greek-Orthodox church of the Holy Cross (approx 500 meters/yards from their house) on Sunday, January 9th, 1983, it ceases to exude oil and it is replaced by the purple copy of the Icon starting January 17th, 1983. Oil flows on more than a thousand photographic reproductions of the icon. It gushes out of the ground of the terrace at the place where the Holy Virgin has appeared. It flows from a three dimensional painting of the Holy Virgin; a prayer book; the wall behind which a niche is placed, under key, the blue Icon; from the panes closing the 2 niches (the one in the entrance and the one in the hall); from the cotton inside a box destined to be distributed to invalids; a medal carried around the neck of Myrna, etc...

PLACES

OIL HAS EXUDED FROM MYRNA DURING HER VISITS TO THE FOLLOWING TOWNS AND PLACES: (NON-EXHAUSTIVE LIST)

SYRIA (varia)
DAMASCUS, HOMS, HASSAKÉ, KHABAB, BACIR,

KRAYA, LATTAKIÉ, ALEPPO, SAFITA, MARMARITA, KASSAB, SEDNAYA, BAB-AL-MOUSSALLA, JARAMANA, RABLEH, KHRAB, ZABADANI, BOSRA, HINA, DOUWELA

LEBANON (varia)
BEIRUT, ZAHLÉ, JOURET AL BALLOUT, MA'AD, HARISSA, FEYTROUN, JBEIL, BYBLOS, JABBOULÉ TYR, MAGHDOUCHÉ, MANSOURIEH, MIÉ-MIÉ, HARET-SAKHR, AIN-ELB, JOUNIEH, RAYAK, BIKFAYA

JORDAN
AMMAN, MAADABA

CYPRUS (1995)
LARNACA

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (1988, 1989, 1995, 1996, 1997)
LOS ANGELES, SAN JOSÉ, MODESTO, SAN DIEGO, BAKER'S FIELD, SAN FRANCISCO, SAN RAPHAEL, SAN BRUNO, DETROIT, NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, CLEVELAND, YOUNGSTOWN, AKRON, STOCKTON, MIAMI, BOSTON, YONKERS, FREMONT, METHUEN, WEST PATTERSON, BROOKLYN, GLENDALE, GLEN RIDGE, BOARDMAN
CANADA (1993, 1996, 1997)
MONTREAL, QUÉBEC, OTTAWA

GERMANY (1991)
MÜNSTER, SCHLANGEN, DISSEN, ALTENBERG, MUNICH, GELMER, ALTENBEKEN

FRANCE (1991, 1993, 1996, 1997)
PARIS, BESANÇON, ARS, VILLERS-SUR-COUDUN, ABBAYE DE BONNEVAL (ESPALION), DIJON, LA FERTE GAUCHER, VAUMOISE, LISIEUX, LOURDES, NEVERS, VEZELAY

HOLLAND (1991, 1998)
MAASTRICHT

AUSTRALIA (1993)
MELBOURNE, SYDNEY, BRISBANE, NEW SOUTH WALES, ADELAIDE

BELGIUM (1990, 1991, 1998)
BRAASSCHAATT, BANNEUX, EINDHOVEN, ANTWERP

EGYPT (1990, 1991, 1992,1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997)
CAIRO

SPAIN (1998) near SAN SEBASTIAN

PORTUGAL(1998)

COIMBRA (near Fatima)

OIL HAS EXUDED FROM REPRODUCTIONS OF THE ICON: (NON-EXHAUSTIVE LIST)

In Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Irak, Beit Sahour (Palestine), Venezuela, Switzerland, United States of America, Canada, France, Holland, Germany, Belgium, Australia, Haiti and other Arabic Countries.

C I R C U M S T A N C E S
- during prayer (before or after) but not every time that Myrna or other persons pray,
- during ecstasies (for Myrna), . during a conversation on the Holy Virgin, but not always. . From the replica of the icon or its photographic reproductions outside of all prayer, in Christian and sometimes Muslim houses.

G R A C E S
Some bone-related illness recoveries or the like, a case of cancer, a case of pregnancy with the presence of an important quantity of fibromas have been certified by several physicians. (see reports of doctors Peter Salam and Jamil Marji).
In answer to the oil phenomenon, a dense spiritual phenomenon imposes itself through prayer. People pray in an atmosphere of peace not only in Our Ladys house in Soufanieh, but also in the homes where oil has manifested itself, thus bringing back communal family prayer.
As for spiritual healing, one cannot fail but notice their fruits everyday, and they are wonderful.

ANALYSIS OF THE OIL
Six scientific analyses have been conducted on this double source of oil (the one from the replica of the icon and the one from Myrna's body): two in Syria, two in Germany, one in Paris, France and one in Rome, Italy. The results are identical: IT IS 100% PURE OLIVE OIL.

All apparitions have taken place at night, on the terrace. Only Myrna saw the Holy Virgin. An intense atmosphere of prayer and peace around her and throughout the house prevails during the apparitions.

The apparition manifests itself on the horizontal branch of an eucalyptus tree situated at the edge of the river about fifteen yards (meters) to the south of the house. A globe of light appears first, then opens, enabling the sight of a blue crescent high above that disappears once the Holy Virgin appears. The Holy Virgin is first sitting on the branch, then She stands up and walks towards the terrace of the house, leaving behind Her a wake of light. She crosses the iron railing and stops on the terrace. The passage of the Holy Virgin through the iron railing has raised a problem to Myrna: How can a human body cross an iron railing ?

She is dressed in white, with a blue belt, covered with a sort of hood forming part of the dress and wearing on her right shoulder, a blue shawl). She holds in Her right hand between the index and the annular a rosary of crystal color. The right arm is folded at the height of the chest, the left arm down by Her side. Her feet are invisible.

The Holy Virgin delivers Her message to Myrna and what She says is inaudible to the persons present. Myrna repeats slowly the message just heard. At the end of the vision, the Holy Virgin returns to the eucalyptus, moving backwards. Once on the branch, She disappears first, then the globe.

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