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His vision Hopeful Archbishop of America by the image of Paradise on earth in St. Nicholas Church in New York, has undertaken to paint, one of the most important modern hagiographers, the Hieromonk Loukas from the Xenophon Monastery on Mount Athos.
After studying mathematics, the monk, whose work is internationally recognized, recently moved to New York, where he visited the Church of St. Nicholas, together with Bishop Amissos Joachim, who specializes in the history of Byzantine art. “Although in difficult conditions, due to a crown, I had to get closer, to see the work in the Temple again” It says in the “First Issue” that he also created the Autocephaly Volume of the Ukrainian Church.
“Comfort and hope”
Continuing with the centuries-old tradition of the Monastery Hagiographic Laboratory, Fr. Loukas wants to transmit as he says “In the icy atmosphere of iron and glass, the presence of Saint Nicholas is a consolation and hope that the Saint protects us as he knows with his infinite miracles.”
For this reason, it was chosen to be painted on the walls of the Sacred Temple. performances of his life and the miracles of Agios Nikolaos, to give people hope.
Transferring the rich artistic and spiritual tradition of Mount Athos to New York, Father Lucas reveals the paintings he paints for the Temple at “ground zero”, saying that “With the celebrations of the Annunciation, the Nativity of Christ, until his Ascension and Pentecost, the message of the Orthodox Faith is given on the events that played a decisive role in the salvation of the human race.”
The dome of the holy church of Agios Nikolaos is hagiographed
Fr Loukas with the church completion team
The memory of September 11
«What I expect “ says the hagiographer of the fraternity of the Xenophon monastery, which has a strong artistic activity on Mount Athos, It is making the effort to combine the timelessness of these performances with the tragic memory of the point. The victims of that sparkling day do not go unnoticed as the sacrifice of many to rescue the trapped.
Larissa’s priest describes the meeting he had with me the architect of the Church of Santiago Calatrava, who visited him on Mount Athos and it was decided to paint the Temple of the temple and cover the entire Temple saying that “Mount Athos from the depths of its tranquility is present in culture but also in common faith.”
The monk who rarely leaves his brushes and his hagiographies travel from Mount Athos to New York to decorate the Church under construction of Agios Nikolaos reveals the images he has in mind: “The Almighty Lord at the top of the radial dome oversees all creation. The Prophets around him bear witness to his undeniable incarnation. And the Mother of the Lord and mediator of the entire human race between heaven and earth in the niche of the Sanctuary covers the entire city and the whole world with its Makhorio.Under the Virgin Mary is the Divine Communion of the Apostles who approach the Lord to receive his Body and Blood, the life-giving and saving guarantees of the Kingdom of Heaven. Below, the great Hierarchs participate in the realization of the Divine Liturgy where the whole Church is supported, militant and triumphant ”.
Transmitting us with the power of image, he describes his plans by saying that “El Paso Santo is separated from the main Temple by a marble Temple with icons of Jesus Christ, the Virgin of the Precursor and Saint Nicholas. The pulpits are decorated as usual with the Annunciation and the north and south doors by the Archangels Michael and Gabriel” .
St. Nicholas Church at Ground Zero, New York
“Unsurpassed beauty”
THE Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew speaking at an exhibition of hagiography of the monk Luke that took place last year in Constantinople emphasized that the “The exhibition is of special importance because it is related to the Orthodox image and its theological truth, its spiritual content and its incomparable beauty. The Orthodox image is completely connected to the core of our Orthodox identity.”.
The official reopening ceremony for St. Nicholas Church at Zero Point in lower Manhattan, New York, took place in early August. Presence of K.New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and members of the Greek Diaspora, America’s Archbishop Hopeful He performed sanctification to bless the beginning of the great work of finishing the temple. The reconstruction has been carried out by a new non-profit organization by the name “The friends of Agios Nikolaos” with Dennis Mill as president and Michalis Psaros as vice president.
Its objective is to achieve the completion of the temple in 2021 and the opening of the doors that will take place on September 11 of the same year, 20 years after the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers. “Although we have been humiliated both as an Archdiocese and as a Nation, we have not lost hope, we have not lost faith, we have not lost our firm resolve to build this church.” promises Archbishop Elpidoforos. Because it ensures that “It will no longer be just a Greek Orthodox church, but it will become a national holy pilgrimage for all Orthodox, for Hellenism and a pilgrimage for all the American people.”
