The Malta Anglican

The magazine of the Anglican Church in Malta and Gozo

October 2017
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Dear Friends,
Members of the congregation have asked me to reproduce a sermon I preached at the beginning
of Creationtide this year. It is not my habit to print my sermons although over 36 years I have kept
every single hand written reporters notebook containing all my sermons. I have thought they
would not add much to posterity.
Sermon Preached by the Chancellor for Trinity12 2017
This weekend we begin a month of prayer for the Care of Creation. In common with the
Catholic, Reformed and Orthodox Churches as well as our Free- Church friends around the
world we are asked as Anglicans to pray earnestly from now until the Feast of St. Francis of
Assisi for our right Stewardship of Gods Creation.
In the second document of his Pontificate, Pope Francis speaks on this subject of conservation
and irresponsible development. His First Encyclical Lumen Fidei published in 2013 the Light
of Faith speaks of the great gift brought by Jesus as described in St. Johns Gospel "I have
come as light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness" (John
12:46). In his Second Encyclical Laudato Si Praise be to you the subtitle of the Popes words
is On the Care for our Common Home dated May 2015. His Third series of writings which take
the form of an Apostolic Exhortation which we have already studied Evangelii Gaudium is all
about The Joy of the Gospel. An Apostolic Exhortation on the proclamation of the Gospel in
todays world is a wonderful contribution to Catholic and Ecumenical Education. So from today
and for four Sundays we are asked to focus on Pope Francis words taken from St. Francis of
Assisi himself, his Canticle of the Sun which is well known but bears repetition. It still surprises
the reader:
Most High, all-powerful, good Lord, Yours are the praise, the glory, the honour and all blessings.
To you alone, Most High, do they belong, and no man is worthy to pronounce Your Name.
Be praised my Lord through all Your creatures, especially through my Lord Brother Sun, who
brings and You give us light through him.
And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendour,
Of You Most High, he bears the likeness.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
In heaven you formed these clear and precious and beautiful.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind and the Air,
Cloudy and serene and every kind of weather through which You give sustenance to
Your creatures.
Praised be You my Lord through Sister Water,
Which is very useful, and humble, and precious and chaste.

Praised be You my Lord through Brother Fire,

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through whom You light the night and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.
Praised be You my Lord through our Sister, Mother Earth
who sustains and governs us, and who produces varied fruits with coloured flowers and herbs.
Praise be You my Lord through those who give pardon for Your love and bear infirmity and
tribulation.
Blessed are those who endure in peace, for by You, Most High, they shall be crowned.
Praised be You, my Lord through our Sister Death,
from whom no living man can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin! Blessed are
are those whom death will find in Your Most Holy Will for the second death shall do them no
harm.
Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks,
And serve Him with great humility.

This 13th Century Canticle of the Sun or Canticle of the Creatures is the voice that the Pope
adopts to present a cautious and undogmatic call for global discussion and dialogue. He writes,
There are certain environmental issues where it is not easy to achieve a broad consensus. Here
I would state once more that the Church does not presume to settle scientific questions or to
replace politics. But I am concerned to encourage an honest and open debate so that particular
interests or ideologies will not prejudice the common good. Although the post-industrial period
may well be remembered as one of the most irresponsible in history, nonetheless there is reason
to hope that humanity at the dawn of the twenty-first century will be remembered for having
generously shouldered its grave responsibilities."

Pope Francis speaks on pollution, climate change, the lack of clean water, the loss of biodiversity,
the overall decline in human life and the breakdown of society. The results of our throw-away
culture impact on the unborn, the elderly, the poor and the dispossessed. Human kind no longer
acknowledges God as Creator so that living beings are treated as mere objects to arbitrary human
domination. He describes a relentless exploitation and destruction of the environment for which
he blames apathy, the reckless pursuit of profits, excessive faith in technology and political short-
sightedness.

In 80 pages and 45,000 words ranging through urban planning to agricultural economics, he
borrows much from his friend and ally the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew showing his unique
blending of Catholic and Orthodox Theology. This is a highly unusual break from traditional Papal
Encyclicals and Apostolic Exhortations: one which signals a truly global concern amongst
Christians for Gods Creation. Of course, the Popes focus is not new, from Genesis to the
Revelation of St. John, from beginning to end of Holy Scripture we read of mans Stewardship of
Creation. Indeed Christianity, pioneered this Human and Divine balance where God gives us the
ultimate responsibility for His world. The Pope is merely recalling us to what in many structures
if life has either been forgotten or corrupted.
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Nicholas Holtam, the Bishop of Salisbury who is the Church of Englands Lead Bishop on the
Environment says this about our prayers for Creationtide, It is important that Christians
rediscover older traditions of a Godly relationship of Humanity to the wider Created Order." The
theme Inspiring Earth offers prayerful sustenance to enthuse us both in our ministries and
corporate concern for the whole of the inhabited world.

So we will in this place, pray until the Global Conference on the Ocean which takes place on
October 5th and that God will guide us to a better understanding of His Creation and a more
enlightened attitude to the way we live within it.

The Reverend Canon Simon Godfrey, Chancellor and Senior Chaplain

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Michael John Turner (1939 2017)

Michael John Turner, known to us all as Mike, was
born in Staffordshire in March 1939 and grew to be a
multifaceted man who related to everyone and could
discuss any subject with authority. His work in Finance
took him all over the world, including France, America and Saudi Arabia,
until he found his spiritual home here in Malta.
He was a man of many interests, taking a keen involvement in the politics
and society of whichever land he found himself in. His work as a journalist
he contributed to Private Eye among other publications allowed him
to indulge his linguistic creativity.
However, there were three main recreational areas where his energies
were most visible to his friends here in Malta.
The first of these is the St Pauls Choral Society, whose home is St Pauls
Anglican Pro-Cathedral. His fellow bass Maurice OScanaills words
encapsulate the relationship that Mike had with his fellow choristers, and
give an idea of the vivid personality he was.
Mike and I sang bass together in the St Paul Choral Society. Over the
last few years, I'd give him a lift to rehearsals and back home again and,
during those journeys, he'd regale me with tantalising snippets of enough
hair-raising escapades to have filled four lives. A most interesting and
complex character, Mike will be missed by all his many friends. Ar dheis
D go raibh a anam. [Err yesh Jay gur-rau (as in 'how') a onum]
Translation: May his soul be at God's right side.
The second was his passionate love of rugby. He was a pillar of the Malta
Rugby Football Union fulfilling many roles, including that of Secretary,
sitting on disciplinary Boards, Public Relations Officer and Media man.
His was the booming voice at Hibernians Stadium during the many
international matches he commentated on, generating much amusement
with his attempts to pronounce unpronounceable names! He was a
mentor to many of the players and had a keen eye for spotting potential
in young players. His rugby compatriots including the current Media
Officer Bryan Corlett, who supplied these memories, will miss him
greatly.
The third passion was his Freemasonry. Mike was a keen Freemason
and was very proud in December 2016 when he was installed as Master
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of the oldest Lodge in Malta, the Lodge of St John and St Paul No 349.
He revelled in his role as Master during his first few meetings in the chair
and, not surprisingly, introduced a musical theme to Lodge dinners!
Sadly, his illness prevented him from completing his full year in office.
He was held in great affection and respect by his Brethren and will be
greatly missed by them.
Mikes son Luke wrote He was never afraid to call out an injustice, stand
apart from the crowd or speak his mind. Above all else, Mikes
contribution to the world was to be a friend.
I can vouch for that. I, like many, many others, will miss my friend.
Jaqui Porter

The Lighthouse Group

I belong to this group as a spin off from Christians Together in Malta. It is seen as being
more welcoming to evangelical, Pentecostal and charismatic Christians amongst
others. partly because it is more informal. The group also adds to the picture of how
remarkably varied The Body of Christ is. I am certainly learning more about the variety
of ways of doing things and the different gifts people have.
The meetings start with music and songs of worship. Then we share news of 'What's
On': conferences, retreats, training courses, talks by visiting speakers, prayer and praise
gatherings. We have a speaker or two each time who talk of their concerns or
experiences.
I have missed quite a few meetings this year because of other commitments but there
are three occasions that stand out since the 80yr old John Wright an Anglican
businessman from Norfolk , spoke to us in January.
FABIAN GRECH is Maltese though he has spent a lot of time in the States. While there
he embraced the Christian faith and trained as a pastor. He is part of a mission to
Muslims, which he and his wife founded: Set the Captives Free. They live in Iraq for
most of the year and have been amazed by the number of Iraqi Muslims, men and
women, interested in the Christian faith and prepared to be baptised as a Christian - not
a decision to be taken lightly. At the Lighthouse meeting he talked of our need to seek
God passionately and find out all we can about him : 'Blessed are they who hunger and
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thirst after righteousness (being right before God) for they shall be filled'. This is not
something he has been doing in an easy place.
Fr RICHARD McALEAR, (OMI), has a healing ministry, world-wide. He spoke from
John's gospel, ch1: about the vastness of the universe, the Creator, God beyond our
comprehension, and the Love of God's heart revealed in Christ. "God's only Son, he who
is nearest to the Father's heart, he has made him known." Christ alone can heal us and
transform us. Fr Richard is a man filled with love and it strikes a chord that tells you -
"Yes, this is indeed what Christ is like." After he had spoken he asked us all to come
close to him so we could receive God's blessing, and I knew that there is nothing better
than the knowledge of God's love for us.
Mike Turner and Brian Essex were so vividly in my prayers,(as were others who need
healing) that I wrote to them afterwards to share in the experience. Now they will know
that Love for themselves.
HEALING ROOMS. The subject of healing has cropped up regularly.. Mike and Beverly
Robinson from Dorset told us of the initiative of Healing Rooms there. The teams are
made up of " Catholics, Baptists, Anglicans, Methodists, URC, Free Churches, and
house churches all working together so as to represent the Body of Christ." "Our
training programmes help to equip Healing Rooms team members to be really effective
in their own churches,...to work closely with church leaders " and also with local health
services.
A training session took place here in early July, with a good turnout of volunteers. There
is hope for opening a Healing Room here soon, possibly in Floriana.. If anyone wants
to know more I can give contacts.
As part of the Lighthouse correspondence we were sent a review, by The Rev Dr John
F Twistleton of ' A TIME TO HEAL - CHURCH OF ENGLAND'S HOUSE OF BISHOP'S
REPORT, publ. 2000. There is a hope expressed that the healing ministry would be
an integrated part of normal parish life. This may be one of the inspirations for the
Healing Rooms. If anyone is interested I can lend them the article.
Elizabeth Lochhead
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Wing Commander BRIAN John Norman ESSEX MBE,AFC, RAF retired.

28/09/1944 - 08/08/2017

Brian first discovered Malta when he came to serve at RAF

Luqa in 1974 .He was with 203 Squadron flying mainly photo
reconnaissance missions around the Mediterranean using
the beautiful sleek Nimrod aircraft whose design was based on the famous De
Havilland Comet, the worlds first pure jet passenger airliner. Like so many of us
who come to Malta he and Su fell in love with this island . Afterwards, however
back in the U.K., he was ,amongst other things, involved with the Falklands War
where he earned the AFC. On leaving the RAF he found service in the Sultan of
Omans Air Force involving many adventures , becoming a diving instructor , and
with his wife and family making many friends of all Nationalities and Faiths. In
1993 Brian and Su retired to Malta and bought a traditional old Malta house
with a walled garden in Tarxien and they soon became involved in a number of
activities in the community to which Brian gave unstintingly of his time and gifts.
They both joined The Cathedral congregation during the time when Canon Philip
Cousins was Chancellor and were regular worshippers from then on and in 2012,
Brian was appointed as a Lay Server at Holy Communion.
Brian was actively involved, his character permitted nothing less, in many
voluntary organisations, and especially dear to his heart was the Grand
Commandery in Malta of the Order of St Lazarus for whom he worked so hard ,
particularly ,in later years in the senior organisational role of Chancellor.
He never forgot his Service connections and in the early part of this century he
was responsible for organising a special celebratory Remembrance event for
several hundred British War Vets in connection with which he was in 2005
appointed MBE, and I know that he felt particularly honoured by the citation which
included the words : for services to U.K. - Maltese Relations .
For many years he served as Secretary to the Royal Naval Officers association
,and, last but by no means least , I should mention , Brian was THE voice of the
Malta Air Show for twenty years , giving , with much enthusiasm , the commentary
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both to the spectators and also by radio broadcast to fellow flying enthusiasts all
over the islands.
At the close of his life he faced a cruel illness with courage , in his passing as in
his life he epitomised the values and aspirations of the RAF motto per Ardua ad
Astra.
Very sadly he leaves Su his devoted wife of fifty years , his much loved sons Tim
& Guy , and their wives, and in all, five wonderful young grandchildren May Brian
Rest in Peace.
Colin Westmarland

The mothers Union met for its monthly meeting on Monday September
18th after the summer break. During the summer, we were not without
contact and it was lovely to have an afternoon with tea by the pool
kindly hosted by Elizabeth.

The next fundraising event will be a 5K walk on Saturday 14th October

2017 this will commence at 10:30am The route is a
circular walk commencing at Ta Pinu Shrine on Gozo and
walk via Ghasri and back to Ta Pinu. Everyone is welcome
to join us ask any member for a form and the cost is 10
for adults and 5 for children who must be accompanied.
Donations from non-walkers can also be given to any
member or directly to the treasurer Sue Hilton. Funds
raised will be going to the MU general fund which for example funds
literacy programmes around the world.

So come along and join us, you would be most welcome.

Susan Warner
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A 3- PART ARTICLE CONCERNING STAINED

GLASS IN GENERAL AND SPECIFICALLY THE
ONES AT HOLY TRINITY SLIEMA
1. A Quick look at stained glass
2. M.E. Aldrich Rope
3. The stained glass at Holy Trinity, Sliema

Above all creating Stained Glass is an art. It is

there to captivate, evoke, enthral and stimulate The St. George stained
you. You dont walk away from beautifully glass at Holy Trinity, Sliema
crafted stained glass unaffected. However, there
is a great difference between Stained Glass as an art and other arts. All art
forms are open to unlimited inspiration and is an outpouring of emotions and
interpretations. Stained Glass is different because it is an Art but it is also a
Craft. Many people who are in the business of creating Stained Glass today
regard it as any other art and forget that Fine Craft is not only the result of the
best that can be obtained but is also a careful balance between artistic
expression and superlative technique. This does not mean that the subject
matter of the stained glass has to be a rehashing of the middle ages. It does
means that certain rules have to be strictly followed. If you dont ---you might
have something very beautiful but it wont be Stained Glass.
Mark Stine who owns the Transparent Dreams Stained Glass Studio in Denver,
Colorado greatly deplores the lack of professionalism that many of todays
Stained Glass creators have. I do not mean to imply that there is no good
Stained Glass about, only that it seems to be a pyramid with some at the top
both well designed and well crafted, and a lot more below missing one or both
of those qualities. And while every medium has its place for fledgling artisans
who are still struggling with becoming good at either the design process or the
craft itself, not every medium has been swamped with so many "professionals"
who are in business long before they have mastered the craft.
Without trying to become Stained Glass experts and international art critiques
lets look at a few tell-tale points that can give you an idea of the quality of the
Stained Glass you are looking at:
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1. PRECISION is by far the most important characteristic of good Stained

Glass: properly sized and cut pieces of glass with clean lead lines and
smooth soldering. If you dont have this dont even go further in your
research. But you will say, if you have little or no experience in Stained
Glass how can you see the lack of precision. Well, unless your Stained
Glass is hot off the press and you are standing at a short distance you
will see nothing. However, if you come closer and the Stained Glass is
already a few years old you will quickly notice:
Gaps in the glass leads
Unstable glass panes
Sagging and separation.

2. THE PATINA, if one is applied, needs to be even and uniform. If it is not,

then most probably there was insufficient cleaning of the work prior to
applying the patina or the patina was simply badly applied. The Patina is
a chemical solution used to turn the dull-silver coloured solder to a
copper, brass, green, or charcoal grey colour.

3. PUTTY here. Putty there. Putty everywhere. Puttying a Stained Glass is

used to hide imprecise glass cutting or poor leading technique. After a
few years these putty-filled gaps show up as the putty begins to shift,
crack and crumble due to gravity and atmospheric conditions.
Having said this one should not ignore the magical affect that Stained Glass ---
whether traditional or modern---- has on us. It isolates us in a way that a
painting cannot. It plunges you into a colourful world where the intensity of
the light transports us to a hundred different views.
The Stained Glass windows at Holy Trinity have been expertly looked at and
are definitely of good quality and we will be talking more about them in the 3rd
part of this article.
In our next article, we will be talking about Margaret Rope. She is the
craftsman who created our St. George Stained Glass.
Mary De Gruttola
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Services and Liturgical Dates for October

Sunday 01 The Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity
Remigius, Bishop of Rheims, Apostle of the Franks, 533
Holy Trinity 09:30 Sung Mass
Pro-Cathedral 11:00 Sung Mass

Monday 02 Pro-Cathedral 11:00 Mass

Wednesday 04 Francis of Assisi, Friar, Deacon, Founder of the Friars

Minor,1226Society, 1851
Gozo 11:00 Mass

Friday 06 William Tyndale, Translator of the Scriptures, Reformation Martyr,1536

Holy Trinity 09:30 Mass

Sunday 08 The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity

Holy Trinity 09:30 Sung Mass
Pro-Cathedral 11:00 Sung Mass

Monday 09 Denys, Bishop of Paris, and his Companions, Martyrs, c.250

Pro-Cathedral 11:00 Mass

Tuesday 10 Paulinus, Bishop of York, Missionary, 644

Wednesday 11 Ethelburga, Abbess of Barking, 675

Gozo 11:00 Mass

Thursday 12 Wilfrid of Ripon, Bishop, Missionary, 709

Friday 13 Edward the Confessor, King of England,1066

Holy Trinity 09:30 Mass

Sunday 15 The Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity

Teresa of Avila, Teacher of the Faith,1582
Holy Trinity 09:30 Sung Mass
Pro-Cathedral 11:00 Sung Mass

Monday 16 Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of London, and Hugh Latimer, Bishop of

Worcester, Reformation Martyrs, 1555
Pro-Cathedral 11:00 Mass

Tuesday 17 Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, Martyr, c.107

Wednesday 18 Luke the Evangelist

Gozo 11:00 Mass
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Thursday 19 Henry Martyn, Translator of the Scriptures, Missionary in India and

Persia,1812

Friday 20 Holy Trinity 09:30 Mass

Sunday 22 The Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity

Holy Trinity 09:30 Sung Mass
Pro-Cathedral 11:00 Sung Mass

Monday 23 Pro-Cathedral 11:00 Mass

Wednesday 25 Crispin and Crispinian, Martyrs at Rome, c.287

Gozo 11:00 Mass

Thursday 26 Alfred the Great, King of the West Saxons, Scholar, 899

Friday 27 Holy Trinity 09:30 Mass

Saturday 28 Simon and Jude, Apostles

Sunday 29 The Last Sunday after Trinity

James Hannington, Bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa, Martyr in
Uganda,1885
Holy Trinity 09:30 Sung Mass
Pro-Cathedral 11:00 Sung Mass

Monday 30 Pro-Cathedral 11:00 Mass

Tuesday 31 Martin Luther, Reformer, 1546

Dates for your Diary

Harvest Lunch
This year the Harvest Lunch will be held on Sunday
22nd October in the Undercroft and will follow mass
at the Cathedral. Tickets 15 from Jean Attard
79312462. Price includes 2 glasses of wine.
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A Valletta-born Englishman abroad in Civil War America

By Adrian Hoare

Oh, Mother!, Mother!, if you were only here for one day, that I would
tell you all the ins and outs, you would not think so hard of me. But Gods
will be done, there is no hope for us either one. The ocean is between
us, so we must be, so we must die , but no ocean separates us
hereafter.
So wrote the twenty-three year old Englishman William Reynolds to his
mother, in the autumn of 1865, from his Philadelphia deathbed. William
had been born in Valletta, Malta, in August 1842 and had been baptised
there in October of that year. His familys presence on the island was on
account of Williams grandfather (who died and was buried at Fort
Chambray, Gozo, in 1833) having arrived there with the family a decade
earlier while serving with the British Armys 94th Regiment of Foot. As a
child William Reynolds had returned with his parents to the Portsmouth
area of England, only to leave home and join Queen Victorias navy as
a fifteen-year-old. Later, while serving onboard the gunvessel, Cygnet,
and because of misdemeanour on his part, he had been sent ashore at
Halifax, Nova Scotia, to spend twenty-eight days in the local penitentiary.
That was in October 1862. Then, shortly after returning to his ship,
William deserted the vessel and ultimately made his way into the United
States where he enlisted in the Union Army.
At that time Halifax was a popular place with British sailors minded to
jump ship, since the American Civil War was in full swing and attractive
bounty money could be had for those intent on joining Mister Lincolns
army. As for William Reynolds, he initially fought his way through
Louisiana before being wounded in battle. This meant he had to leave
the army and, for six months, he secured work as a coalminer in a
remote part of the Appalachian mountains of Pennsylvania. It was here
that he took lodgings with a Scots family a very kind, sober,
respectable family who belonged to a temperance society which, as
a matter of course, William joined too.
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Come March 1865, however, finding it difficult to make ends meet,

William re-enlisted in the army, joining a newly raised Pennsylvania
regiment. His company was immediately ordered into barracks near
Baltimore where they could police and stand picket duty along a
strategically important section of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Then,
in the middle of April, consequent upon Abraham Lincoln being
assassinated, William was placed in charge of twelve men and ordered
to scour Maryland in search of the would-be assassin of Vice-President
Andrew Johnson a furtive, disreputable character by the name of
George Atzerodt.
In that same final letter to his mother, William disclosed that they were
sent out without tents or overcoats and told not to return until the
conspirator was either killed or taken. He explained that for three days it
never ceased to rain but he pushed ahead with hopes of success, even
though several of his men gave out, presumably through illness. On the
fourth day, by when he only had five men, William stated that we met a
few cavalry scouting and they requested my aid to capture Atzerodt. I
cheerfully consented and to our satisfaction captured him. He was given
over to my charge and I yanked him back to the Relay House. But,
Mother, I took a cold after that will cost me my life.
That so-called cold proved, ultimately, to be consumption and
meanwhile, William left the army and settled in Philadelphia where he
married a local girl aged fourteen. As for Atzerodt, he was taken to
Washington DC where he was imprisoned and tried. He went to the
scaffold in July 1865, together with fellow conspirators. Ironically,
Williams involvement in the apprehension of Atzerodt receives no
mention in official records. Had it done so, he and his fellow infantrymen
would surely have received some share in the reward money which was
intended for those shown to have assisted in the arrest of the several
conspirators engaged in the assassination of President Lincoln. In
consequence William Reynolds died in comparative poverty In January
1866, leaving a grieving and pregnant, fifteen-year-old wife, Mina,
herself destined to also die of consumption three years later.
.To be continued
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RUSSIAN ICONS
Russian art did not evolve in quite the same way as
Western Art did due to the fact it completely skipped the
Renaissance. This means that contrary to Western Europe,
the Middle Ages in Russia covered a longer period going
from the late 10th century when Christianity was adopted
to the reign of Tsar Peter I (b.1672 d. 1725) who
oriented his countrys culture towards the outer world. Our Saviour with the
wet beard" Novgorod
The art of Russian Icons, religious images painted on
icon
wood, continued to develop during this whole period
and were used mainly to teach the articles of Christian faith to the illiterate
believers.
In other words, a Russian Icon is not just a painting to look at but a painting to
read. Every little detail means something.

reverse perspective the ideal form

composition images subject to Canon
golden background Guidelines
colour

Reverse Perspective

Contrary to the West which used linear perspective, the Russian Icon artists
used what is called Reverse Perspective. You are not drawn into the painting.
The religious scene is brought forward into the space between the viewer and
the icon plane.
Composition

Because the artist is presenting a story he brings together events that took place
at different times. Contrary to what we would expect, the main event is not in
the centre although everything directs the viewers attention to it. It is a perfect
artistic tour de force. A good example of this is The Holy Trinity Icon (The
Hospitality of Abraham) which I wrote about in the May 2017 magazine.
Golden Background
Interestingly, the golden background in Russian icons is a relative new
discovery for the Western world. Basically, this type of Russian art was
considered very gloomy-----and then in the early 20th century restorers came
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up with safe ways to remove centuries-old grime, varnish and candle soot from
the surface. Suddenly everything changed!
The golden background the Russian Icon artists used started talking of a
spiritual world where everything was Divine Radiance.
Colour
Gold was not the only colour the artist used to make their icons talk. Each colour
has its own meaning. Interestingly, there is only one colour you will not find in a
Russian Icon. Can you think of which one?

The answer is grey. Grey was/is not considered an appropriate colour in Icon
art as it is a mixture of White and Black----or in other words Good and Evil. Since
each and every colour has its own meaning Grey means uncertainty and
emptiness.

The Ideal Form

For the Russian Icon artist there was only one ideal form: the circle. Again go
back to The Holy Trinity Icon to see how the circle is used by Andrei Rublev.
Images Subject to Canon Guidelines
The Russian Icon artist had books not only detailing each saints description but
also establishing the use of symbolism.

If a saint always looked the same then the believers automatically knew who it
was. The same goes for symbols. If the same symbol is used over and over
again with the same meaning ---its like reading a book.

Some examples:
A casket and a spoon automatically meant St. Panteleimon The Healer
Cross in hands meant the person was a martyr and had died for his faith
Three stars on the shoulders and forehead always indicated the mother of
Jesus.
And that is how Russian Icon painters where more than painters---they wrote
books for the many who could not read.

Mary DeGruttola
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Chancellor of St Pauls Pro Cathedral

The Reverend Canon Simon Godfrey, SSC

The Lodge, Independence Square, Valletta VLT1535
21225714 79913561 Anglican@onvol.net
Chaplain based at Holy Trinity Church
Vacant
Reader
Vacant
St Pauls Pro-Cathedral
Chaplaincy Warden Mrs Bernice Caruana 2147 0630
Churchwarden Mr Simon Walker 2141 5887
Organist Dr Hugo Agius Muscat 2141 1995
Sec. Friends of St Pauls Mr Simon Walker 2141 5887
Holy Trinity Church
Chaplaincy Warden Mrs Aileen Grech 7904 8509
Churchwarden Mrs Ursula Smith 9926 3572
Organist Mr Tony Camilleri 2180 2096
Sec. Friends of HT Mrs Mary De Gruttola 9921 0620
Our Lady of St George, Gozo
Chaplaincy Warden *Mrs Judith Pugh 7986 6367
Archdeaconry Representatives marked * and including Mrs Judith Buttigieg
Chaplaincy Council:
Hon. Secretary Mr Paul Tillbrook* 9906 5616
Hon. Treasurer Mr Dean Bucknell 9980 7653
Electoral Role Officer Mrs Aileen Grech 7904 8509
Safeguarding Officer Mrs Susan Warner 79641143
Magazine Editor Mrs Aileen Grech 7904 8509

aileen@go.net.mt

Disclaimer: The opinions and views of expressed in this magazine

are not necessarily those of the chaplaincy

Picture front cover: Orthodox icon of Saint Luke the Apostle

and Evangelist. Icon of 14 cent., from Chilandar Monastery
Mount Athos.