The Church сelebrates the Feast of Kazan Icon of the Mother of God

Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. Photo: open sources

On November 4 (October 22 according to the Julian calendar), Orthodox Christians celebrate the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God – one of the most venerated holy icons in the Orthodox world.

The icon was discovered in Kazan on July 8, 1579, under miraculous circumstances. After a terrible fire that destroyed part of the city, the Most Holy Theotokos appeared three times in a dream to a nine-year-old girl named Matrona, telling her where Her icon lay buried beneath the ruins of a burned house. When people began to dig at the indicated spot, they found the icon of the Mother of God wrapped in an old cloth. The image was perfectly preserved, and its colors were as bright as if it had just been painted.

Immediately after its discovery, miracles and healings began to occur through the icon. The first to be healed were two blind men – Joseph and Nikita – who received their sight. News of the wonderworking image quickly spread throughout Rus’.

On this day, Orthodox churches hold festive liturgies and processions. The faithful pray before the miraculous copies of the Kazan Icon, asking for the intercession of the Mother of God, for healing from illnesses, for help in various life circumstances, for the preservation of their families, and for support in times of trial.

Copies of the wonderworking icon are preserved in many churches and monasteries, and the Kazan image of the Mother of God remains one of the most widespread icons in Orthodox homes.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Zoria called the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God an “FSB attribute.”

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