Icon of the Theotokos The Healer
Commemorated on October 1
The icon depicts an episode of a miraculous healing that took place in 17th-century Moscow, offering solace and inspiration to those facing illness and infirmity. The story centres on a clergyman named Vikenty, whose precise rank remains unknown. Some accounts identify him as Vikenty Bulvinensky, a singer at Navarninskaya Church. Though the nature of his affliction is unclear, he was confined to his bed, growing weaker with each passing day, and hope for his recovery dwindled. Sensing death approaching, Vikenty turned to the Most Holy Theotokos. However, instead of directly pleading for healing, as many do in such dire circumstances, he addressed the Theotokos with gratitude. Every hour, every minute, he fervently repeated: “Rejoice, Virgin Mary, Lord be with you!” The familiar Gospel words sounded in his heart: “Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” (Luke 1: 26-28). The cleric recovered, whether through his heartfelt faith or to manifest the glory of the Theotokos among the people. As he lay on his deathbed, losing breath and preparing to meet the Lord, the Theotokos herself appeared to him. A radiant glow filled his room. Behind her stood a youth in white royal attire, holding a staff — Vikenty’s Guardian Angel. The angel implored the Theotokos to heal the pious clergyman, and his prayer was heard. She approached Vikenty’s bed and touched him with her staff. Instantly, he was healed, and the Healer, accompanied by the angel, vanished from the room. Joy, awe, and unwavering faith surged through the heart of the restored cleric. He swiftly returned to his service at the church, driven by a zeal reminiscent of Peter’s mother-in-law in the Gospel: “Now when Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them.” (Matthew 8: 14, 15). Just as she rose to serve after her miraculous healing, Vikenty, too, rushed to the Kliros, eager to resume his duties. The icon of the Theotokos The Healer was painted to commemorate this wondrous encounter with the Heavenly Mistress. The depiction of the sick man and the Theotokos was copied from an original icon housed in the Tsilkan Church in Kartali, a key historical region of Georgia, dating back to the time of Saint Nino in the fourth century.
Icon by the hand of Nadezhda Kyzina
