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As I promised a few weeks ago, today I’m sharing a picture of the icon of Mary Magdalene, written for me by Darcy Garneau. Below is an introduction to Darcy and his work as an iconographer. Thank you for your generosity to me and to our community, Darcy. - The Reverend Canon Jeannine Friesen

 Darcy Garneau, Iconographer
Artist Statement

In writing this icon for Jeannine Friesen, I wish to thank her for all of her hard work and dedication as our interim Priest in Charge at Christ Church Cathedral. She has done an exceptional job stewarding our congregational flock during this time of change. Jeannine has a wonderful pastoral presence in our community and she will be dearly missed. I cherish our friendship.

“An iconographer attempts to portray the Christian teachings of their faith. They do not reproduce what they see but what they understand about the essence of life. The artist has to be a person transformed by prayer in order to perceive a universe that has been transfigured through Christ. They ask God to inspire and guide their hand by writing not painting an icon. Understanding that God is the true artist.” (Veronica Royal, Iconographer)

I have always been inspired and awed by religious images. I was raised Catholic and converted to Anglicanism as an adult. Throughout my childhood, my family was active in our local church. My parents were at times on the Vestry. My mother was a church organist. I was at times an acolyte, a church organist, and involved in the youth movement where we started folk and rock music masses.

During my professional life, I was the Managing Principal of a large international architecture firm. I have been fortunate to travel the world visiting many beautiful churches and amazing museums. I am drawn to religious art and very much enjoy the study of historic icons.

When I retired, I took up iconography. I have been fortunate to study under renown iconographers Peter Pearson (USA) and Daniel Neculae (Belgium), I decided to make my retirement project the writing of icons that are donated to local churches. Icons I have written are installed in St. Luke, Sequim, WA, St. John the Divine, Victoria, BC and Christ Church Cathedral, Victoria, BC. They are also in many private collections. I often sell icons to individuals and donate the proceeds to local charities and churches.

Mary Magdalene (text from Legacy Icons)

The holy Myrrh bearer and Equal of the Apostles Mary Magdalene was from the village of Magdala on the Sea of Galilee. At some point in her life, she came under the possession of seven demons. The Lord Jesus cast the demons out (Luke 8), and Mary became His disciple. Along with several other pious women-disciples, Mary gave her money and possessions to pay for the Lord's needs as He traveled throughout the land. Mary and the other women followed Him to the very Cross, with only the Mother of God and the Apostle John remaining to the end. On the morning of Pascha (Easter), Mary was the first to go to the tomb. The Lord appeared to her, but she thought He was the gardener, until He said her name and she recognized Him.

The Church's sacred tradition relates that Mary went with the Apostles to preach to the nations. In Rome, she visited Emperor Tiberias and proclaimed the Resurrection, using a red egg as a symbol of new life. From her preaching, the Church has received the paschal symbol of the red egg, which we still share on Pascha to this day. She continued to preach throughout Italy and helped Saint Peter in Rome. After Saint Paul arrived there, in her old age she went to Ephesus and finished her life there with Saint John. Her feast is celebrated on July 22, and also on the Sunday of the Myrrh bearing Women, the second Sunday after Pascha.

In this icon, Saint Mary does not holds the red egg as she did before Caesar. However, she holds a jar of myrrh, as she was one of the women who went to anoint the Lord's body, and a cross. The presence of a cross usually means the saint was a martyr; Mary was not, but her self-sacrifice and willingness to confess the Faith in the face of danger makes her equal in spirit to the martyrs.