The Venerable Vyshensk Copy of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God:

Commemorated on July 8

      The Venerable Vyshensk Copy of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God: At the time of the 1812 War, whilst fleeing the French, the Moscow nun Mironia Dankova set off to the Tambovsk Ascension monastery. She took with her a Kazan Icon – given her in parental blessing. Along the way the coachman intended to murder Mironia. Mironia turned to the Mother of God, and from the Icon resounded the Voice: "Fear not, I am thine Mediatrix". The coachman suddenly went blind and only after repenting did he regain his sight.
      Mironia kept the icon with her in her cell. Before her death she bequeathed it to the Vyshensk monastery, whither the icon was transported on 7 March 1827. Here many a miracle occurred from the holy icon. Sometimes by night they saw a wondrous light, coming from the icon. In 1841 by the intercession of the MostHoly Mother of God the city of Tambov was saved from cholera. In memory of this event the Vyshensk Icon annually was carried in Tambov in church procession.

© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.