The Seraphimo-Ponetaevsk Znamenie-Sign Icon of the Mother of God
Commemorated on November 27
The
Seraphimo-Ponetaevsk Znamenie-Sign Icon of the Mother of God was written in
the year 1879 by the nuns of the Seraphimo-Ponetaevsk women's monastery,
situated not far from Arzamasa, near the village of Ponetaevka. The monastery
was named after the Monk Seraphim of Sarov by the founderess of the monastery
– a sister of the Diveevsk community.
Six years after its
writing, the icon became for its numerous miracles and became the chief holy
item of the monastery. During the time of Divine-services the sisters praying
discerned distinct changes in the countenance of the Mother of God: Her All-Pure
face became bright and literally alive. Numerous pilgrims thronged to the icon,
and many were healed from blindness and crippling. In all about 70 instances of
healing were taken note of.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.