The Christian Heritage Centre

The Christian Heritage Centre

Theodore House

Menu
EVENTS

Author: stefan

Categories
Clergy Events Retreats

The Fatherhood of the Priest

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (Spanish, 1617 - 1682 ), The Return of the Prodigal Son, 1667/1670, oil on canvas, Gift of the Avalon Foundation 1948.12.1

Clergy retreat

The Fatherhood of the Priest

Monday 28th April - Friday 2nd May [2025]

BOOK NOW

“I became your father in Christ Jesus through the Gospel”

Preached by Fr Jose Granados, Superior General of the Disciples of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary and Vice-President emeritus of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies in Marriage and Family Life

What does it mean for a man to become a father? And how does Christian fatherhood inform the priesthood?

The priesthood today faces a duplicate challenge: that of the priest’s identity before a secular world, and that of adequately understanding masculinity in a post-modern society.

In this retreat, Fr Jose Granados, dcmj, will first offer a theological reflection on the nature of fatherhood, before moving to the novelty of the Christian fatherhood inaugurated by Christ, in order to finally consider the priesthood as a Sacrament of the Father.

Fr Granados is a widely respected sacramental theologian, a consultor to multiple Vatican dicasteries, author of numerous articles and volumes, as well as an experienced pastor and formator.

BOOK NOW
  • Secular and religious clergy, deacons and seminarians welcome
  • The retreat will be preached, with opportunities for confession.
  • Clergy are welcome to celebrate Mass individually at their own time or to concelebrate, using both Theodore House Oratory and St Peter’s Church.
  • Daily Holy Hour and Compline.

Rev. José Granados, dcjm, is the Superior General of the Disciples of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary and co-founder and president of The Veritas Amoris Project. 

Fr. Granados earned a Doctorate of Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome (2004, Bellarmine Award). He also holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from the Pontifical University of Comillas (ICAI), Madrid. He teaches theology of marriage at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary (Denver, CO) and at the Séminaire International d’Ars (France).

From 2004 to 2009 Fr. Granados taught dogmatic theology at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at The Catholic University of America. From 2010 to 2019 Fr. Granados was the Vice President and Professor of Dogmatic Theology at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute, Central See (Rome). He is a member of the scientific council of the journals Revista española de teología and Gregorianum. 

He has been a consultor for the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith (2013-2020), to the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life (2018-2023), and to the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops (2015-2020).

He has authored several publications including; “An Introduction to Sacramental Theology. Signs of Christ in the Flesh”, CUA Press, Washington, DC 2021; “Una sola carne en un solo Espíritu. Teología del matrimonio,” Palabra, Madrid 2014; “La carne si fa amore. Il corpo, cardine della storia della salvezza,” Cantagalli, Siena 2010. Rev. Granados is co-author, with Carl Anderson, of “Called to Love: Approaching John Paul II’s Theology of the Body.”

Theodore House offers a wonderful venue for any retreat. The tranquil and beautiful surroundings of the Stonyhurst estate offer a peaceful setting and endless opportunities for walks.

All accommodation is en-suite, with comfortable facilities and a beautifully lanscaped garden.

For more information about Theodore House, please click here.

Arrivals are welcome on the Monday from 1pm for a 3pm start.

Departures on Friday are from 3pm.

Cost:

£440 (includes single, en-suite room and full board)

If you require assistance in meeting the costs of the retreat, please contact [email protected]

Please register below (£50 deposit payment required):

 
Venue & Getting to us:

If you are reliant on public transport, please consider traveling by train to Preston train station. From there, we aim to co-ordinate minicab shares or lifts amongst participants of any given event. If you require further advice or assistance, email us: [email protected]

Categories
Articles

Between Cross and Resurrection

Before his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ grants salvation to souls by the Harrowing of Hell. Fresco, by Fra Angelico, c. 1430s

30th March 2024

This article was originally published at the Catholic Herald

Between Cross and Resurrection: The Harrowing of Hell,
according to J.R.R. Tolkien

Stefan Kaminski
Andúril, The Sword of Aragorn - render by Morvos, published under CC Attribution-NonCommercial licence - https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/the-sword-of-aragorn-anduril-high-poly-1bfbdb13c6cb4d29988ceae4a1965589

Easter time seems to get me reflecting on Tolkien’s Catholic imagination. I have previously written about how the dynamic of grace was portrayed in the experiences of the hobbit-protagonists of Tolkien’s Middle Earth sagas.

A key facilitator to this dynamic is, of course, the wizard Gandalf and the various ways in which he plays a Christ-like role, or otherwise serves to at least indicate the Divine action in some way. Gandalf offers spiritual and moral guidance to the hobbits and often speaks for, or of, what we might call Divine Providence. In fact, the word that most aptly captures Gandalf’s role is that of prophet. He speaks the truth: about the individual, about the worldly situation and about the cosmic order.

However, if one bears in mind Tolkien’s aversion to obvious analogy – and which is why too many people miss the foundational role of Catholicism in his writings, or try to undermine it – it is also unsurprising to find that one cannot pin-point a completely Christ-like figure either on Gandalf or any other single character in the Middle-Earth saga. Such a refraction of the roles that Christ fulfils into different characters within the saga is a rather more elegant solution, and decidedly more theologically-eloquent, than mere analogy.

Similarly, the events of Holy Saturday, tied up as they are with the nature of Christ’s kingship, find reflection in The Return of the King, the third book of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The Paths of the Dead, by Darrell Sweet. This work is copyrighted and owned by Darrell Sweet's estate. It is believed that the use of this image on our website qualifies as fair use under copyright law in the United States of America

Whilst Frodo is approaching Mordor and the final stage of his quest to Mount Doom, Aragorn – the mysterious ranger – is to be found on what is considered by everyone else to be a suicidal mission. He decides to brave the Paths of the Dead, a subterranean mountain path, and home to a lost army of men, now dead, yet trapped by a curse that resulted from their own disobedience long ago. This army, if it can be made to obey, is crucial to countering the extra weight of Mordor’s allies, who are about to throw themselves against the human citadel of Minas Tirith, the seat of the Kingdom of Gondor.

The nub of the question, of course, is that of authority over this terrifying army. No living man could pass through and survive: the dead do not obey the living. Only one exception exists; and this takes us back to the origin of these men’s story. The curse that this army brought upon themselves was a result of their breaking oath to aid the Kingdom of Gondor against the forces of evil. That oath was made to the King of Gondor, and as such, the only person with the authority to command its bond and release from the curse is the self-same King – or, of course, a legitimate descendant who can wield that authority on his behalf.

By this point, Aragorn, is of course known to the avid reader to be the heir to Elendil, the first King of Gondor. And so, the trepidation with which we accompany him along the Paths of the Dead, as the dreadful and invisible army gathers around him, is offset by the hopeful expectation of something dramatic. And we are not disappointed. The dead king cynically strikes out at Aragorn with his sword, only to find it halted in its path by Aragorn’s own blade: something that no mortal would be able to effect, other than one who bears that original authority.

Recognition of the King who stands before them rustles through the horde; their assistance is secured; and when they finally fulfil their oath in the present conflict, they disappear with a whispering sigh of relief, finally free to rest.

It would be hard to find a more dramatic visual aid to explaining Jesus’s harrowing of hell on Holy Saturday, especially for an audience of teenagers or young adults. For those puzzling over the words in the Apostles’ Creed, “he descended into hell”, Tolkien provides a vivid point of reference. The imagery poignantly evokes and gives life to St Paul’s reference to Christ as the “Lord both of the dead and of the living” (Romans 14:9). In turn, the logic of Christ’s command over the dead is helpfully drawn out by Tolkien’s narrative.

Photo: Christ’s Descent into Limbo by Andrea Mantegna, c. 1470.

As with our army, the key to Holy Saturday is in the origins, and can be summed up in the words: paradise lost, paradise regained. Our first parents suffered the loss of Eden, ‘paradise on earth’, through breaking the primal covenant that governed their relationship with the Creator. Having said that, this consequence can be – indeed should be and is – considered in view of the greater blessing that results: namely the promise of a renewed and glorified life at the end of this time. Thus, the Exsultet, the Easter proclamation that is sung before the newly-lit Easter candle at the Vigil, pronounces the words, “O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam, which gained for us so great a Redeemer!”

The loss of Eden resulted in the entry of death into the world (cf. Romans 5:12), with the ensuing mortality of the human race. Again, whilst we might naturally consider this a curse, in the schema of God’s providence it rather turns into a blessing if we consider that God did not wish for fallen humanity to continue an immortal existence alongside the effects of evil. Thus, the necessary end of our fallen mortal nature with our bodily death results in a state of waiting, a state of the soul’s existence apart from its body.

The greatness of the mystery of God’s love, which we saw executed in the bloodiest manner in yesterday’s Solemnity, is of course that it goes beyond that disobedience and rupture instigated by our progenitors and continued throughout history. It wishes to encompass every person, in harmony with their own volition. However, until the price of that disobedience was paid, those who had already died remained ‘trapped’, awaiting their liberation. Their souls, whilst free of their mortal body, remained – according to justice – outside the presence of God. The dead were bound by the original curse, awaiting the fulfilment of the bond of justice.

Unlike Aragorn’s army, who have to fulfil their original oath and fight, the price of humanity’s ‘oath-breaking’ is paid freely, “not with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19). Thus, Christ’s death effected two things: firstly, a universally- and eternally-valid sacrifice for any and all human sin, including those who had come before him; secondly, his ‘entry’ into the realm of the dead via his mortal body, yet wielding the divine authority of the king to whom those souls were originally bound.

Only the Son of God, He through whom “all things were made… and without [whom] was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3), could enter the realm of the dead and command its bond. Only the rightful King could wield authority over every soul, whether in the province of the dead or the living. Only the Cross of the incarnate God could break the brass gates and shatter the iron bars of hell asunder, as is recounted by two of the men risen from the dead in the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus.

No surprise, then, the prophetic words of Hosea, “O Death, I will be thy plague; O Sheol, I will be your destruction”.

Or the words of St John Chrysostom on Easter night: “Hades is angered… because it has been mocked… destroyed… it is now captive.”

Or the ancient hymn for Easter Matins: “Today Hades tearfully sighs: ‘Would that I had not received Him who was born of Mary, for He came to me and destroyed my power.’”

Before his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ grants salvation to souls by the Harrowing of Hell. Fresco, by Fra Angelico, c. 1430s

The harrowing of hell – and what a harrowing! – is unsurprisingly an intrinsic part of the logic of the Easter mystery. Viewed inseparably from the death and resurrection of the Lord, it is witnessed to by the Apostles themselves, and traced from the very earliest Christian traditions.

It is appropriate that Holy Saturday should retain a sense of stillness and quiet preparation in the earthly life of the Church: momentous events are taking place in the spiritual realm, before the glory of the Lord bursts forth from the realms of the dead, with the saving banner of the victorious Lamb leading the mighty hosts of heaven.

Categories
Clergy Events Retreats

In the Footsteps of the Great Saintly Priests

Clergy retreat

In the Footsteps
of the Great Saintly Priests

Monday 14th - Friday 18th October [2024]

BOOK NOW

Reflections on St John Fisher, St John Vianney and St Padre Pio

Preached by Fr Armand de Malleray, FSSP

“The priest is not a priest for himself; he does not give himself absolution; he does not administer the Sacraments to himself. He is not for himself, he is for you… where there is no longer any priest there is no sacrifice, and where there is no longer any sacrifice there is no religion.” (Saint John Vianney) 

The saints offer models and examplars of holiness for every walk of life: a particularly worthy focus during this Year of Prayer.

This retreat will pick out some of the great priest saints of Europe – St John Fisher, St John Vianney and St Pio of Pietrelcina – to offer a reflection on the character and ministry of the priestly life.

St John Fisher stands as a reformation-era St John the Baptist, most recognised for his objection to King Henry VIII’s divorce of Catherine of Aragon and for his subsequent refusal to acknowledge Anne Boleyn’s daughter as heir to the throne. A cameo ring depicting Aristotle, which belonged to John Fisher, is held at Stonyhurst, having been presented to the College by relatives of Fisher in the 19th century. 

The ring will be loaned for the retreat by the College to the CHC, in order to accompany the clergy during this time of prayer.

St John Vianney also experienced the turmoil and upheaval of religious life brought about in his own country, by the French Revolution. Known for his tirelessness in reconciling people to God, he is rightly upheld as a model of a curator of souls.

St Pio of Pietrelcina is widely known for the gifts he received of the stigmata and of spiritual insight, and his profound piety and charity.

Cameo ring owned by St John Fisher
BOOK NOW
  • Secular and religious clergy, deacons and seminarians welcome!
  • The retreat will be preached, with two talks every day (one on Monday afternoon and one on Friday morning)
  • There will be opportunities for confession
  • Clergy are welcome to celebrate Mass individually and in whichever rite, or to concelebrate 
  • Theodore House Oratory and St Peter’s Church available for the celebration of Mass
  • Daily Holy Hour and Compline

Fr Armand de Malleray began his ministry in the Southwark Archdiocese in 2001. He has been giving clergy retreats at various venues in England and abroad for over two decades. Formerly rector of St Mary’s Shrine in the Liverpool Archdiocese, he is now based in Bedford. He is the author of the following books:

Theodore House offers a wonderful venue for any retreat. The tranquil and beautiful surroundings of the Stonyhurst estate offer a peaceful setting and endless opportunities for walks.

All accommodation is en-suite, with comfortable facilities and a beautifully lanscaped garden.

For more information about Theodore House, please click here.

Arrivals are welcome on the Monday from 1pm for a 3pm start.

Departures on Friday are from 3pm.

Cost:

£375 (includes single, en-suite room and full board)

Please register below (deposit payment required):
Venue & Getting to us:

If you are reliant on public transport, please consider traveling by train to Preston train station. From there, we aim to co-ordinate minicab shares or lifts amongst participants of any given event. If you require further advice or assistance, email us: [email protected]

Categories
Events Retreats

Be still and know that I am God

BOOK NOW

Weekend Retreat

'Be still and know
that I am God'

21st - 24th November 2024

Exploring Mindfulness, Psychology and the Christian life

Led by Fr Roger Dawson, SJ, Liz Lord and Steve Noone

This weekend explores the human condition through your own life story, in the context of the Gospel and the Christian spiritual life, using mindfulness skills and contemplative Christian prayer.

In its methodology, this retreat seeks to reclaim practices that are common to mindfulness for the Christian tradition of contemplative prayer. In particular, mindfuless practices share common ground with the tradition of apophatic prayer and theology that is deeply rooted in the monastic and the Eastern Orthodox traditions.

The retreat will make use of such practices to help participants gain a greater awareness of their own experiences, to exercise a discipline of the mind, and to place them on the threshold of prayer, with an attentiveness and disposition to God’s presence.

BOOK NOW

This retreat will offer several talks over the weekend, framed by Mass, communal prayer in the morning and evening, and Adoration.

Free time for walks and reflection is built into each retreat.

‍Fr Roger Dawson SJ is a Jesuit priest, previously Director of St Beuno’s Jesuit Spirituality Centre. He is trained as a clinical psychologist and has a long experience as retreat and spiritual director. He is currently the Superior of the Jesuits in Scotland.

 

 

 

Liz Lord is a tutor on the MSt in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) at the University of Oxford. Formerly she was an assistant head teacher and has worked in education at all levels.

 

 

 

Steve Noone is a recently retired clinical psychologist who has used mindfulness skills extensively in his practice and teaching.

Theodore House offers a wonderful venue for any residential course. The tranquil and beautiful surroundings of the Stonyhurst estate offer a peaceful setting with endless opportunities for walks. Guests will enjoy the comfortable recreational spaces and a beautifully lanscaped garden.

For more information about Theodore House, please click here.

Thursday

  • Arrivals from 3pm
  • Retreat commences with Welcome & Orientation at 6:30pm followed by dinner

Sunday

  • Departures from 2pm
Cost (per retreat)

Single room: £380 p.p.*

Twin room (sharing): £290 p.p.*

Non-residential: £190 p.p.**

*Costs include full board from Thursday dinner to Sunday lunch inclusive.

**Costs include lunches and dinners from Thursday dinner to Sunday lunch inclusive.

“I am deeply grateful for this experience“

“The ability of the course leaders to recognise the direction that God was taking us and the insight to go with it made this retreat stand out”

Please register below (includes £50 p.p. deposit payment):
Venue & Getting to us:

If you are reliant on public transport, please consider traveling by train to Preston train station. From there, we aim to co-ordinate minicab shares or lifts amongst participants of any given event. If you require further advice or assistance, email us: [email protected]

Categories
Events Retreats

Praying with Saint Dominic

BOOK NOW

Weekend Retreat

Praying with
Saint Dominic

1st - 3rd November 2024

A weekend with St Dominic, Our Lady and the Rosary

Preached by Fr Lawrence Lew, OP

We are delighted to offer one of our “Praying with the Saints” retreats to coincide with the great Solemnity of All Saints.

This retreat explores the life and faith of St Dominic de Guzman. Dominic was noted for combating the Albigensian heresy, which saw the material order, including the human body, as evil. Dominic is well-known as the founder of the Order of Preachers (the Dominicans), whose objective was to continue safeguarding the Catholic faith, and also for having received the rosary from Our Lady.

The retreat will thus also offer a focus on Dominic’s Marian spirituality and the role of the Rosary in Christian prayer.

Retreatants will also have the opportunity to experience Mass in the Dominican Rite on the Saturday, when the Souls of the Faithful Departed will be commemorated (All Souls).

Mass for the Solemnity of All Saints (a Holy Day of Obligation) will be offered on the Friday at 5:30pm as an option.

BOOK NOW

This retreat will offer several talks over the weekend, framed by Mass, communal prayer in the morning and evening, and Adoration.

Mass will be offered in the Dominican Rite on the Saturday (All Souls) and in the Novus Ordo (Ordinary form) on the Sunday.

Free time for walks and reflection is built into each retreat.

Fr Lawrence Lew is the General Promoter of the Rosary and the Rosary Confraternity for the Dominican Order throughout the world. He is author of ‘Mysteries Made Visible: Praying the Rosary with Sacred Art’ (Catholic Truth Society, 2021), and has lectured in Mariology and Apologetics at Blackfriars Hall in Oxford. He is a well-known photographer of sacred art, and he is currently working on his third book, commissioned by OSV on the symbolism of church architecture and the saints in art.

Theodore House offers a wonderful venue for any residential course. The tranquil and beautiful surroundings of the Stonyhurst estate offer a peaceful setting with endless opportunities for walks. Guests will enjoy the comfortable recreational spaces and a beautifully lanscaped garden.

For more information about Theodore House, please click here.

Friday

  • Arrivals from 3pm
  • (Optional) Mass for the Solemnity of All Saints at 5:30pm
  • Retreat commences with Welcome & Orientation at 6:30pm followed by dinner

Sunday

  • Departures from 3pm
Cost (per retreat)

Single room: £210 p.p.*

Twin room (sharing): £150 p.p.*

Non-residential (includes lunches and dinners): £90

*Costs include full board from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch inclusive.

“Very well organised. A very spiritual experience.”

“The content of the talks and delivery was exceptional!”

Please register below (includes £50 p.p. deposit payment):
Venue & Getting to us:

If you are reliant on public transport, please consider traveling by train to Preston train station. From there, we aim to co-ordinate minicab shares or lifts amongst participants of any given event. If you require further advice or assistance, email us: [email protected]

Categories
Media Video

Catholicism & Contemporary Culture

To book or FOR more details: Email: [email protected] Visit: www.christianheritage.com/events Find us on @christianheritagecentre - 4

Friday 4th August 2023

Recordings

Catholicism & Contemporary Culture

What is Truth?

Dr Andrew Beards

Opening the Catholicism & Contemporary Culture course, Dr Andrew Beards examines how the Catholic and secular worldviews define truth, and the wider consequences of this for our society 

Click here to view a copy of the presentation.

Approximate running time: 50 minutes 

Truth in the Public Square

Dr Andrew Beards

In this second lecture, Dr Andrew Beards examines the difference between objective and subjective truth and asks where these worldviews have their origins.

Click here to view a copy of the presentation.

Approximate running time: 60 minutes

Faith & the Arts: Reflecting the True, the Good & the Beautiful

Dr Caroline Farey

Dr Caroline Farey discuses the foundations of objective truth, goodness, and beauty, and how we can learn to discover this in the arts. 

Click here to view a copy of the presentation

Approximate running time: 55 minutes

Handout

The New Atheists: Faith Without Reason

Dr Andrew Beards

In this fourth lecture, Dr Andrew Beards examines the routes of ‘New Atheism’, its decline, and how Catholics can deal with it through apologetics.

Click here to view a copy of the presentation.

Approximate running time: 60 minutes

Philosophical Foundations for Sacramentality

Dr Caroline Farey

In this lecture, Dr Caroline Farey discusses the theological and philosophical backdrop to sacramentality and how this relates to the wider world. 

Approximate running time: 55 minutes

Handout

The Church and the Eucharist: One Faith, One Body

Stefan Kaminski

Stefan Kaminski explains how the Catholic teaching on the Eucharist relates to the Church and her four marks.

Click here to view a copy of the presentation.

Approximate running time: 60 minutes

Societal Truth: Discerning the Common Good

Dr Andrew Beards

Dr Andrew Beards asks what are the principles of natural law and how can they guide society away from the pitfalls of postmodernity and subjectivity. 

Click here to view a copy of the presentation.

Approximate running time: 40 minutes

About the Faith & Reason series

The Faith & Reason series is made up of three courses that provide a systematic overview of the fundamental themes of the Catholic faith. At the same time, these are approached in the context of contemporary culture and thinking, in order to engage in a dialogue that is relevant today.

Head to our Faith & Reason page for more information

Categories
Articles Media

Icon Writing: My journey from Syria to Byzantium

Possible depiction of Jesus Tile from Dura-Europos excavations (Yale University Art Gallery)

Friday 7th July 2023

The CHC @ The Catholic Universe

Icon Writing: My journey from Syria to Byzantium

Schaher Rhomaei

Schaher Rhomaei shares how he began to explore the extraordinary art of ‘icon writing’ -and how icons can be a ‘visual Gospel’ to inspire a deeper and more profound faith.

My first memory of icons takes me back to my tender years at St John the Baptist Church; a small Byzantine Greek Melkite church in Ma’arouneh, which means ‘small cave’ in Aramaic. This mountainous suburb of Damascus is a place of natural biblical and spiritual beauty. It was Elijah’s last abode before ascending into Heaven.

From this place and time, I began a journey of reflected prayer through the beauty of icons: an encounter with the Divine. One icon that stands out for me in particular was a wooden panel depicting Our Lady tenderly holding her Son on her lap. Somehow, the aura of mystery surrounding this icon created a sacred space for contemplating the striking image of the humble Mother and the Saviour child, which remained with me throughout my childhood.

The word ‘Icon’ comes from the Ancient Greek (εἰκών/eikṓn) meaning ‘image or resemblance.’ The term was, in fact, coined by Plato, in relation to his theory of knowledge. According to the philosopher, real knowledge is to be found in the intelligible world of Ideas, which is reflected to some degree, as per a shadow, in the physical world. Likewise, in Christian art, the word “icon” has become synonymous with the depiction of divine subjects and the sacred figures of those in the heavenly world. Icons thus not only communicate a profound and sacred significance, but also create a powerful sense of prayerfulness.

Possible depiction of Jesus Tile from Dura-Europos excavations (Yale University Art Gallery)

Icons Hold Deep Spiritual Meaning

In the Eastern Church generally and the Syrian Church particularly, icons are an essential pillar of the Christian faith, holding deep spiritual meaning. They serve as windows through which one can approach the Creator, not only by praying and prostrating before Him. but also by seeking help or forgiveness. Indeed, the Eastern Church understands icons as a visual gospel, proclaiming in colours and images all that is uttered in words and written in syllables (cf. Council of Constantinople)

According to historians, Christian art originated and developed in Syria before this ancient, original, and spiritual artform was exported to Egypt and Mesopotamia, and then to the wider world. The journey from Syria to Egypt to
Byzantium gave birth to different styles of icons: ‘Syrian’ in Syria, ‘Coptic’ in Egypt and in Byzantium ‘the Byzantine art.’ The latter describes the process of creating icons as one of ‘writing’ rather than ‘painting’ – an iconographer is a ‘writer’ not a ‘painter’ – and we ‘read’ an icon rather than view or ‘see’ it. 

At Dura-Europos near the Euphrates River in the Syrian Desert lie two living ‘witnesses’ to early iconography. First, there is the baptismal room of a private house that became the first home church, with murals painted in 232-56 AD, decades before Emperor Constantine recognised Christianity. Then there is a synagogue dating from the third century, with brightly painted walls depicting famous scenes from the Old Testament. Although the artistry of Dura-Europos might seem simple in nature and battered due to age, fighting, destruction and the like, yet it is astounding in its beauty and depth. 

The location of Dura-Europos in modern-day Syria

Those depictions emerged from the early Christian imagination, from a faith alive with wonder. They give us a precious insight into the emotions and desires of those isolated faithful on their early journey. It was their way of reaching out to express their faith
with confidence. Their belief and trust in Christ were represented quite differently compared to that of, for example, the Christian art of the Renaissance, where great emphasis was placed on an aesthetic and grandiose depiction

Another possible depcition of Jesus from Dura-Europos

A Contemplative Experience

My journey into icon writing began during what seemed to be an eternal lockdown. This period of transition and discernment drew me deeper into exploring this extraordinary art. Initially, as part of a reflection on art and spirituality to celebrate Eastertide, I wrote my first icon, ‘Christ is the Light.’ Following that and whilst celebrating Pentecost, another icon followed: ‘Mary in the Cenacle.’ Both were written in a style that resembled that of the early Christians: simple and expressive. The aim was to understand the mystery of Christ and His Mother’s being as they reach out in love, keeping the light aflame in our hearts. I envisaged them as radiant, humble, and modestly dressed with an expression of intensity and invitation. Out of this contemplative experience, two images conceived and set in darkness emerged, of such humanity and yet of such majesty.

In the following year, I completed more icons using oil, but it was not until this year that I embarked on a new journey: that of exploring the Byzantine style using pigments and egg tempera. Drawn by the spirituality of Master Vladislav Andrejev at the Prosopon School of Iconology in the US, I took part in an icon writing course at the Christian Heritage Centre at Stonyhurst, facilitated by his Andrejev’s son, Nikita, who is a master in his own right. The theme of the workshop was ‘Our Lady of Tenderness.’ I found the whole experience a complex piece of utmost beauty and delicacy.

To save time, the wooden panels were already prepared. The first stage was applying the gold leaf onto the halos, then the initial underpaint tone, which covers the faces and other parts of the body, and the application of a dark yellow/green pigment called Sankir, thus creating the shadow areas. Here, shadows are not of a physical source as such, but rather ethereal. Similarly, the light areas in an icon indicate the divine nature and not a reflection of the sun. Stage by stage, the image builds as other layers are applied, always lighter than the one before. Patience and thoroughness are required throughout the whole process; from laying the gold leaf, getting the right measurements of pigment and egg tempera, to the right brush strokes. Each step is crucial and has its own logic, as well as consequences if not done in a methodical way. I must admit that, unlike my previous work, this experience was not merely painting, but building.

Taking A Leap Of Faith

We were fifteen people attending this course, some writing their first, second, or even seventh icon. It was my first workshop and although quite apprehensive about the process and outcome, I took a leap of faith and dived into exploring this wonderful art form, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide and inspire me as I went along. It was touching to see how some of the other experienced writers, aside from the tutor, mentored the beginners in their struggles. They gently offered advice and even helped to salvage areas that at times seemed almost like a battlefield.

My piece was no exception. I faced a mess right at the start because I applied too much clay, which is used as an adhesive for gold leaf. It was too wet and this meant that the leaf would not stick to the halos and kept peeling. My thanks go to David, a fellow participant who kindly rectified the catastrophe at once. His meticulous application of gold leaf and the right pressure did wonders and was like a sign of light and hope that helped me to go on.

In contemplating this recent experience, three profound insights surfaced for me. The first relates to how the harmony and symmetry of composition must be visible everywhere in the icon, from the poise of the figures to the flow of drapery. These carefully-drawn and harmonious straight lines come to life as flowing lines of Divine energy. Secondly, the role of luminosity in an icon is suggestive of the Holy Spirit within the subject, constantly renewing and creating life. And lastly, the words of my little cousin still echo in my head today, as she sat next to me in that very same church of St John the Baptist, and whispered with a slight giggle and pure innocence: “This is you and your mother….” Indeed, Mary’s presence in icons conveys a unique sense of motherhood. She is a source of inspiration, hope, comfort, and support to those in need of her help. 

https://www.schaher.com/

Mary in the Cenacle

 

For the Christian Heritage Centre’s iconography course, visit http://christianheritagecentre.com/events/iconography-course/

Categories
Courses Events

Ancient Byzantine Iconography Course 2024 [residential course]

dav

A 7-day course in

Ancient Byzantine Iconography

4th - 10th June 2024

BOOK NOW

Offering two separate icons and tracks for novices and experienced iconographers

A 7-day icon-writing course led by Deacon Nikita Andrejev, of the Prosopon School of Iconology

Over the 7 days of this iconography course, students will develop the contemplative practice of icon writing using the ancient art of liquid egg tempera technique.

The teaching of the technical craft of icon writing will be accompanied by the study of the theological world view from which the practice emerged. The practical demonstrations and direction will therefore be framed by a discussion of the symbolic meaning of the iconic forms, of the materials and of the processes involved.

Surrounded by peace and beautiful scenery, this week-long immersion into an ancient form of prayer and the accompanying technique serves as an excellent opportunity to refresh and recreate your soul in prayer and a warm community environment.

“I don’t know of any other course at such a high standard, with plenty of theological & spiritual input”

“Nikita is an incredibly inspiring teacher”

“Wonderful ambience, stunning setting, warm welcome”

BOOK NOW

St John the Baptist iconOur course welcomes both novices to the Prosopon technique and more experienced iconographers alike.

Novices (less than 4 icons written in the Prosopon technique) will write an icon of either St Michael or St Gabriel (archangels).

Experienced participants (at least 4 icons written in the Prosopon technique) will write an icon of St John the Baptist.

The theological and spiritual input will be given to the class as a whole.

Separate demonstrations for each step of the two icons will be offered to the two groups separately.

The novice group will benefit from the support of an additional tutor and supervised skills practice.

For years Nikita Andreyev apprenticed to his father, Vladislav Andreyev, complimenting this experience with postgraduate theological studies in Paris and the United States.

As a member of the faculty team of the Prosopon School of Iconology, Nikita has contributed to the development of unique teaching methods. The resulting workshop experience enables participants to create and grow through their icon making, developing spiritually through each icon.

Since its founding in the 1980s, the School has rediscovered lost techniques of the ancient art of liquid egg tempera and has helped ignite a renewed interest in icons across the USA and the western world.

                                                  For more information about Deacon Nikita Andrejev, please click here.

Theodore House offers a wonderful venue for icon painting. With abundant natural light from the glass roof panels flooding the atrium, this is an inspiring venue for icon painting. The tranquil and beautiful surroundings of the Stonyhurst estate offer an ideally peaceful setting. The first floor gallery, which gives access to the comfortable, en-suite bedrooms, affords a birds-eye view of the workshop below. Guests will also enjoy the comfortable recreational spaces and a beautifully lanscaped garden.

For more information about Theodore House, please click here.

Classes start at 9am, Tuesday 4th June. Residential participants are welcome to arrive from 6pm on Monday 3rd June, with dinner being included that evening.

Classes end in the afternoon of Monday 10th June, with departures from approx. 4pm.

We are conveniently situated an hour’s drive from Manchester Airport, which is well-connected internationally.

Once you have booked your flights, please provide us with your flight details. 

We will aim to arrange either a pick-up or shared transport with other course participants, either from Manchester Airport itself, or from Preston train station, which has a direct connection to Manchester airport.

Bed and breakfast for extra nights around the course may be be booked at a discounted rate, subject to availability.
 
Cost

Full board* & lodging, single room: £940 p.p.

Full board* & lodging, twin room: £840 p.p.

Non-residential, full board (lunch and dinner*): £660 p.p.

A non-refundable deposit of £250 will be required upon booking.

Balance of course fees will be due 1 month before the course, but may be spread over several installments prior to this date.

*Please note: all meals on this course are fish or vegetarian, as is the custom in this work.

“It was an amazing experience”

“It is always a privilege and a humble experience to be part of an icon painting class; but it is particularly with this class that I learnt the most and had the most change in myself”

P1000629
P1000613
P1010370
P1010355
P1010309
P1000662
P1000641
P1000562
P1000622
P1000607
P1000600
P1000655
P1000583
Please register below (deposit payment required).
This course is now near capacity. If the places indicated below are sold out, please email us at [email protected] to inquire about a place on our waiting list.

Venue:

Categories
Blog Media

Iconography, imago Dei and identity

6th July 2023

The CHC blog

Iconography, imago Dei and identity

How the ancient art of iconography symbolises man’s relationship with God 

By Gabriel Stirling

It has just gone 9 am, and fifteen iconographers have gathered in the atrium of Theodore House. For the next week, they will study the ancient art of iconography under the guidance of Deacon Nikita Andrejev of the Prosopon School of Iconography. For the next week, they will gather each morning to pray that God might glorify the work of their hands. Through the strokes of the brush, they hope that the light of God might touch the blank canvas.

The first thing I learned was not to call it icon painting. You do not paint an icon; you write them. More than just mere pigments spotted on a canvas, the icon is the Gospel drawn out. 

Right from the outset, the religious symbolism of the icon dominates the methods and techniques used. The students began with a blank board made of gesso, representing, according to Nikita, “the moment before the creation of the world where there was just the divine.” But as God formed the heavens and the earth by His hands, so too our iconographers transformed these blank boards into a holy image of Divine realities.

All the materials used in icon writing are natural. The paint is based on diluted egg yolk mixed with natural pigments. As the colours took shape, the students slowly added lines to their icons. We had moved beyond the first part of creation, where light, colour, and matter existed. Figures start to emerge from the dust of the board, a firmament creating definitive shapes.

One of the icons written by a participant of the course
Deacon Nikita mixes the first colour to add to the image proper

Icon writing is not easy, and mistakes happen along the way. Likewise, being a Christian is a challenge, and we all fall into temptation at times. But as much as we wish, neither the icon writer nor the sinner can rewrite the past. However, the future is still up for grabs, and just as repentance sees us turn from our past wrongs to God, a slip of the icon writer’s brush can be turned into something greater. “This is a process of transfiguration,” says Nikita. 

The reason why iconography is so captivating might be that it speaks so deeply about human existence. It takes us right from the beginning, the formless void of the gesso board, right through the beauty of creation. But it shows us something about ourselves, too. We are not blank automatons, but men and women created in the image of God. Thus, humans are in a sense the proto-icon, created out of dust in the likeness of God. 

By Monday morning, the last day, the icons were almost complete—the shining crown of the Virgin Mother and Christ, their loving eyes gazing at us. Not unlike man, these icons are in the image of God. The icon writing might be over, but the writing of our souls remains an ongoing task. As Nikita put it: “We are born with the image of God intact as an embryo, but this likeness is yet to be achieved.”

Oh, blessed Virgin, pray that we might share in the likeness of your Son!

The Ancient Byzantine Iconography Course returns in 2024 from 3rd to 10th June: click here for more information

Categories
Blog Media

Igor Sikorsky’s Search for Faith

2nd June 2023

The CHC blog

Where is God? Igor Sikorsky's Search for Faith

A spiritually unconscious or dead man would be in the position of a rushing air­liner with an unconscious or dead crew in the control cabin – Igor Sikorsky

“БОГА НЕТ!” (There is no God!) proudly proclaims a Soviet poster from 1975. Above, a cosmonaut looks out on the heavens, across which are countless galaxies, towering over the backward churches. It is a sentiment that now forms a dominant part of public discourse across the West, where religious belief is ridiculed and presented as incompatible with reason. But for the Russian scientist Igor Sikorsky, science had far from disapproved existence of God. 

Born in 1889, Sikorsky took inspiration from the Wright brothers’ first flight to enter the infant aviation industry. He established a successful manufacturing business in Russia, before fleeing to the US in the aftermath of the 1917 Revolution. He spent the rest of his life in America developing what is now a multi-billion dollar company.

Throughout his life, Sikorsky was awestruck by the scientific accomplishments made during the 20th century . “Aeronautics”, he argued, “was neither a science nor an industry. It was a miracle”. The aviation industry was still in its infancy when he began manufacturing planes: it required a true leap of faith to make his dreams possible. When asked by a journalist if he had seen God whilst ascending to the sky, Sikorsky replied that he had not seen Him, but he had felt God’s presence. Today, such comments might seem backwards. But as a pioneering aeronautical engineer, he could hardly be described as such.

Sikorsky is credited with developing the first commercially successful helicopter

Science can illustrate the great wonders of the universe. However, Sikorsky was acutely aware that some of the accomplishments done in the name of science were deeply troubling. This did not come from science, but it was a symptom of a culture that was jettisoning Christianity. The consequences, Sikorsky warned, would prove fatal, arguing that a man without faith was like the unconscious pilot of a plane. Although technically flying, he would be hurtling towards destruction.

"There is no God!" - a Soviet poster from 1971

This comment was made against the backdrop of the Second World War and under the cloud of the Atomic Age, a time where mass destruction loomed large. However, these comments ring true today in our postmodern age. Despite all the scientific accomplishments of the West, a moral crisis of being and purpose runs through the nerves of our society. Human reason is capable of great triumphs, but it becomes distorted when society has no place for faith.

Remedying this is not easy. However, the scientist warned against entirely ditching scientific enquiry and reason. Instead, he proposed that humanity must rediscover the power of “spiritual wisdom”, putting reason not as the end of human existence, but as a means to even greater truth. “The very first men to find and accept Christ were wealthy alien scientist astronomers,” wrote Sikorsky. The point is clear: science can point us towards God.

This brings us back to the beginning. Both the Atheist and the Christian look into space and see stars, planets, and galaxies; but arrive at opposite conclusions. The Atheist sees the stars and the earth, but that is all. They are the end of all existence. Sikorsky looked upon the same sky but saw something different. Reason led him to see that the universe was created by God, full of wonder and beauty. Just like the three astronomers visiting the infant Christ, he found that reason is no barrier to faith.

If you are interested in learning more about the place of faith in contemporary society, please visit our Faith & Reason course page. 

Note, this post draws on the following article: A Scientist’s Orthodox Faith’, The British Association of Iconographers Review, Issue 71, 2023