Virgin Mary of the Protection (Panagia Skepi) – Silkscreen on Naturally Aged Wood – Mount Athos

A marvelous silkscreen icon of the Holy Protection, crafted on naturally aged wood.

The Feast of the Holy Protection (October 28th) is one of three church feasts honoring the garments of the Virgin Mary. The other two are the Feast of the Holy Robe (July 2nd) and the Feast of the Holy Belt (August 31st).

The Feast of the Holy Protection is linked to the vision of the Virgin Mary at the Blachernae Church in Constantinople during the reign of Emperor Leo VI the Wise (886–911).

According to tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared during an all-night vigil before Saint Andrew the Fool-for-Christ (May 28th) and his follower Epiphanius. Accompanied by a host of saints singing hymns, she was supported by Saint John the Baptist. After kneeling and praying, she removed her veil, spreading it over the people as a protective covering. She later wore it again and departed with her heavenly entourage.

The news of this miracle spread throughout Constantinople, which was under the threat of the Saracens (the Byzantine term for Arabs), giving courage and hope to its people. When the danger passed, the rescue of the city was attributed to the intercession of the Virgin Mary. The Church established the event as a Marian feast, celebrated on October 1st.

On October 17, 1952, the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, following a proposal by Archbishop Spyridon, transferred the Feast of the Holy Protection from October 1st to October 28th, to serve as the religious foundation for the “OHI Day” anniversary, a national celebration of Greece’s liberation from the Italo-German occupation.