Our Lady Protection and Intercession
Protection of the Virgin Mary , Church Slavonic Покровъ Pokrow , Greek Σκέπη Sképē , is a festival of the Orthodox and Byzantine churches. It commemorates the Blessed Mother as patron saint and advocate . The festival is celebrated on October 1st , where the church follows the Julian calendar , on October 14th of the Gregorian calendar .
Legend
According to legend, in the middle of the 10th century, Blessed Andrew of Constantinople , who was sold as a slave to Constantinople (now Istanbul ), appeared to Mary. The city was besieged by the Turks at the time. In the suburban church of St. Mary of Blachernae (to which the feast of the laying down of the vestments of the Mother of God refers) the Blessed Mary saw long kneeling in prayer, accompanied by angels and saints, and then spreading her veil (or cloak) over the assembled believers. Andreas and his servant (pupil, also teacher) Epiphanius reported about it, and the Turks are said to have broken off the siege.
Worship and iconography
The festival has been celebrated in Russia since around the 12th century, where it is considered one of the twelve high festivals . It is also an important festival day in Ukraine .
The iconography shows Mary in the halo , in her hand or with a veil or cloak , surrounded on the left and right by many angels and saints, and below her Blessed Andrew, pointing to her and turning to Epiphanius, mostly also surrounded by believers and also donor figures.
To the patronage :
- Church of the Protection and Intercession of the Virgin Mary
- Convent of the Protection and Intercession of the Virgin Mary
See also
- Protective coat festival (Roman rite, May 24th)
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ ( Page no longer available , search in web archives: Maria Schutz and Intercession. ) Serbian Patriarchate of Lucerne.
- ↑ Maria - Mariae Protection and Intercession. , heiligenlexikon.de.