St Innocent of Irkutsk

[Ken McRae]

Hello to Everyone! Does anyone here happen to know where I might be able to find any mounted icons of St. Innocent of Irkutsk? Some leads or web links would be greatly appreciated! Many kind thanks. ~ Ken

[Ken McRae]

I have located an icon print online of Sts. Innocent of Irkutsk and Innocent of Alaska (@ http://www.conventofsaintelizabeth.org/byzicons/print/print.html), which I like very much. I may settle for this one, in the end, but I'd much prefer one of St. Innocent of Irkutsk alone, and mounted. If you happen upon any in your web surfing, please post the link(s) in this thread. The assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. ~ Ken

[Michael Stickles]

St. Vladimir's Seminary Press has 4"x5" icon cards of St. Innocent of Irkutsk, both laminated (http://www.svspress.com/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=10&products_id=1208) and paper-printed (http://www.svspress.com/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=10&products_id=2218). But I didn't see any mounted icons at any online stores.

163

In Christ,
Michael

[Ken McRae]

St. Vladimir's Seminary Press has 4"x5" icon cards of St. Innocent of Irkutsk, both laminated (http://www.svspress.com/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=10&products_id=1208) and paper-printed (http://www.svspress.com/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=10&products_id=2218). But I didn't see any mounted icons at any online stores.

Many thanks, Michael, for your assistance. It's a beautiful icon, for sure, and I will acquire a copy of it. It's a bit of a shame, though, that's it's so small. It should be at least double that size, but perhaps the 4x5 has greater mass appeal. Perhaps I can find a way to somehow enlarge it without losing too much of the visual quality and detail.

Ken

[Ken McRae]

There is a question concerning St. Innocent's feast day which I'd like to ask. I've read "online" that he reposed in Christ on November 27th, but that the Church set his feast day on the 26th instead; supposedly because the 27th is the feast day of the Icon of Our Lady of the Sign.

However, several other saints are commemorated on the 27th, so why then should St. Innocent's feast day not be on the 27th as well, the actual day of his reposing? That is the question, and if anyone has any insight into this, I would really appreciate hearing from you. Thanks!

[Herman Blaydoe]

Liturgically speaking, there is a ranking of who is generally honored on a given day, as far as the stichars, tropars, and kondaks. Not all the saints get a mention liturgically. Sometimes a particular saint is of a higher "rank" and has his or her own stichars, tropars and kondaks but a moveable feast that "outranks" that saint is also occurring that day. So the saint is moved a day so that the appropriate commemoration doesn't get "lost", that is, bumped, by the moveable feast for that particular year. But since the other saints aren't commemorated specifically, they don't move. Next year will be different since the moveable feasts will occur on other fixed feast days. That is what makes the job of the cantor/choir director challenging, figuring out who moves and who doesn't.

I really haven't figured out the rhyme or reason, I just follow the rubrics book.

Herman the cantor

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

There is a question concerning St. Innocent's feast day which I'd like to ask. I've read "online" that he reposed in Christ on November 27th, but that the Church set his feast day on the 26th instead; supposedly because the 27th is the feast day of the Icon of Our Lady of the Sign.

However, several other saints are commemorated on the 27th, so why then should St. Innocent's feast day not be on the 27th as well, the actual day of his reposing? That is the question, and if anyone has any insight into this, I would really appreciate hearing from you. Thanks!

The pravoslavie.ru site explains the change to Nov 26 in exactly the way you refer to it. It says that the ruling about this was made by the church in Russia in 1804.

As for the reason why such changes occur, Herman explains this well I think. Basically, due to the structure of the services it is difficult to serve two vigil rank feasts or saints at once- although there is a way to do this.

Also it is thought that if vigil ranked feasts are served on separate days it serves to heighten their festive character. So frequently feast days are moved especially in Russia nowadays where there are a lot of local saints as compared to here.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Olga]

I might add that St Innocent is "lucky" to have had his feast day moved so as to ensure his due veneration, given the very great degree of veneration of the Kursk-Root icon, which, along with the sublime and incomparable icon of the Mother of God of Vladimir, are the most beloved and significant (historically and devotionally) miracle-working icons of the Mother of God associated with Russia.

No such largesse for another saint, whose repose was on September 14, the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. Who was he? None other than St John Chrysostom. Though it must be said that he is indeed commemorated with due solemnity on January 30, with his fellow hierarchs Sts Basil the Great, and Gregory the Theologian. However, I would imagine the rubrics for a vigil for the patronal feast of a church dedicated to St John could be interesting ...

[Ken McRae]

In case any of you might be wondering a little as to my particular interest in St. Innocent, it is because I was born on November 27th. My wife was born on July 10, which is the day before Elder Sophrony reposed in Christ (on July 11). And our only child was born on September 24, the feast day of St. Silouan the Athonite.

Whenever I reflect on the above, I cannot help but be deeply struck by the hand of Divine Providence in these events. In addition to the above, my daughter's first and middle names are Rachel Elizabeth. Rachel (the second wife of Jacob) is symbolic of the contemplative life; and Elizabeth means 'divine fulfillment.'

Thank you everyone for your input. It is deeply appreciated!