"Show me the icons that you venerate, that I may be able to understand your faith."
St. John of Damascus
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For over 100 years worship
for Milwaukee's Arabic Catholic immigrants has focused
around the icon of St. George brought
from Ain Bourdia, Lebanon in the 1890's. On Sunday April
28th, 1996 Wisconsin's only Melkite Catholic Church had a
special celebration to commemorate St. George's feast
day. During the Divine Liturgy the Ain Bourdia icon of St. George was carried through the church during the Little Entrance and placed on a table before the iconostatis. Following the service there was a grand procession of the entire parish lead by chief server, Joseph Schneider carrying the Cross, servers Andy Geiger and Aaron Davel carrying the Ripedia, concelebrants Fr. Greg Schissel and Fr. Steve Wiese incensing the way, and Fr. Philaret Littlefield carrying the beloved icon. The congregation was headed by Cantor Kevin Miller who lead the parishioners in singing the Troparian or St. George alternated by Christ Is Risen. The procession wound its way through the church, then out the front doors, down Seventeenth Street, back to State Street and the front of the church, and then into the church hall through the basement stairs. |
In what may have been another "cyber-first" for the Milwaukee congregation, Father Philaret Littlefield then incensed and blessed the electronic image. Using the ritual prayers normally reserved for the blessing of a traditional icon, Father Philaret commended the icon to the whole of the world - that all who see it will be called to St. George's example and Christ's message.
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Mary Herro, whose family
donated the Ain Bourday icon to the parish,
"unveiling" the electronic icon. Joseph Makhlouf introducing Emily Herro who explaining the history of the icon. |
When Father Phil was asked how is it possible to "bless" an image that does not exist in a solid form but only in the bits and bytes of cyberspace - the response came quickly
"the blessing is never really on the object,
but on all those who see the holy object and grow
from its meaning."
Before the conclusion of the program with yet another repetition of the Troparion of St. George, Father Philaret made a special presentation to Kathy Tomaz and Paul Stamm. Kathy has been the treasurer of the St. George parish for over twenty years and Paul has worked to publicize St. George of Milwaukee.