Icon of the Mother of God of Iveron Montreal myrrh-streaming. Joseph Munoz-Cortez - chosen one of the Mother of God

Recently I visited the memory of the Iveron Montreal Icon.

A story about the miraculous rescue of an airplane.

Today the Mother of God saved us!
Before boarding the plane in Montreal, some person who could read Russian, approached Jose (Joseph Muñoz-Cortez), read the embroidered words “Most Holy Theotokos, save us” on the case in which the Myrrh-streaming Icon was kept, and read it with mockery and irony. The plane flew safely to Chicago and began to land, but the following happened: another plane that landed before it hit the generator set, and the entire airport was plunged into darkness. An order immediately came from the navigation tower - not to land under any circumstances. Having received such an order, the pilot, who almost
landed, had to turn the steering wheel sharply, giving a strong speed. The plane rushed into the heights, but lost its balance and began to fall in a zigzag pattern. The doors of the shelves opened and hand luggage fell on people. A cry and crying arose, and in this complete confusion Jose Muñoz took the Miraculous Myrrh-Streaming Icon out of its case and raised IT high above everyone. Immediately everything changed. The plane regained its balance and began to calmly circle over the city. Soon after, the airport's lights were restored and the plane was cleared to land. When the passengers got off, the flight attendant, saying goodbye to them, said: “Today the Mother of God saved us!”

BLESSED BY PURITY OF HEART, AS THEY SHALL SEE GOD
On the night of October 31, 1997, the custodian of the Montreal miraculous Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, Joseph Munoz-Cortez, was killed in Athens. On the day when the Church remembers the Apostle Luke, according to the legend of the first icon painter, and many celebrate Halloween, our contemporary suffered torment for the faith of Christ and accepted the crown of martyrdom.

The path to Orthodoxy

Joseph (or in Spanish Jose) Muñoz-Cortez was born in 1948 in Santiago (Chile) and belonged to a very noble family - the Spanish aristocrats Muñoz-Cortez. In addition to its antiquity, this family was distinguished by its ardent adherence to the Catholic religion. In 1962, passing by an Orthodox church on the way to the church, young Joseph heard wonderful singing coming from the open doors, and his feet carried him inside.... He came to Orthodoxy forever....

Miraculous Icon

When Jose was asked why the Lord chose him as the custodian of the miraculous icon, he answered: “I always prayed to the Blessed Virgin and never asked for a miracle, never asked the Blessed Virgin to give me any proof of Herself. I believe in the Mother of God, just as I believe in God. I greatly honor the Mother of God, because this is what I was taught in childhood by my mother. I believe that the Blessed Virgin manifests Herself wherever She wants."

Martyr's Crown

He was found in a room at the Athens Grand Hotel. The door was locked from the inside; the maid was unable to enter the room in the morning. Room No. 860 was a corner room and opens onto a balcony, the only balcony in the Grand Hotel, from which you can access the roof of the nearest building. The killers entered the room relatively easily and left just as easily, unnoticed by anyone. The Romanian Nicolae Ciaru appeared in court as a defendant, but he apparently was not the main character. Presumably there were three killers: one held, the other tied his hands and feet, and the third struck. The murder was carefully planned. The doctor who conducted the examination explained that in ordinary murders, victims are usually tied up in a hurry and carelessly. Joseph was tied very carefully and in such a way as to cause him great suffering. The terrible torture continued for about half an hour, after which Joseph died alone for a long time. A man who during his life did not give a single reason to doubt his moral purity, after his painful death was also subjected to many reproaches, speculation and gossip appeared in the press, and only after some time a reassessment of what had happened began.

It is unknown where the Miraculous Montreal Icon of the Mother of God is located.
Joseph Muñoz Cortes suffered for the true Orthodox faith, drinking the cup of sorrow one for all. He was killed by a Romanian Satanist who hated Orthodoxy. As Tsar Martyr Nicholas II once suffered, drinking the cup of sorrow for all of Russia alone, and, having become like Christ, Joseph thereby cleansed us from corruption, so that it would be easier for us to sail on a spiritual ship on the sea of ​​life. Joseph, for his holiness and devotion to the Church, had from God the gift of foresight. A foreigner, a truly Orthodox soul, Joseph. Joseph Muñoz Cortes, as a faithful servant of the Mother of God, fulfilled Her blessing: he visited all Russian foreign parishes and monasteries. The Mother of God showed her mercy to the Russian people and the whole world, pouring out grace on her icon. She sent her servant to martyrdom, the world poured out its blasphemy on him. But the Mother of God glorified him immediately after his death: when they opened the coffin, a white rose lay on it, as if it had just been laid as a sign of his purity, immaculateness and holiness. The relics turned out to be incorruptible,
although they lay there for 13 days, they gave off a subtle fragrance of roses. On the thirteenth day after his death, the body of the murdered man arrived at the Trinity Monastery in Jordanville. It was there that Brother Joseph bequeathed to bury himself. They planned to bury the martyr in a closed coffin, but by order of Archbishop Laurus, the plastic bag in which the body was transported was opened. Traces of suffering and torture to which he was subjected in the last hours of his life were clearly visible: fingers broken at the joints, purple scars from the rope on his face, neck, and in places where his hands were tied. But everyone was struck by the absence of any signs of decay.
The many people who came to Jordanville from all over the world in those days testify to the gracious atmosphere of the funeral. One former monk of Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, New York, wrote about the mood that reigned on the day of the funeral and funeral of Brother Joseph:
“It seemed to me that I was present at the services of Holy Saturday; I remembered the reverent presence before the Shroud, when the souls of believers with fear and tenderness behold the saving Passion of the Lord and remember His burial. Everything that happened... was also mysteriously majestic and lightly sad. Of course, there were tears, and how could our eyes resist them, when in the daylight we saw more clearly (his) exhausted face, (his) martyr’s body, decorated with sores, as if with some kind of Divine pearls. We saw (his) hands, on which there were crimson scars from the fetters with which the executioner tied (him)...".
One servant of God, who came from Russia and attended Joseph’s burial, said: “I had the feeling that I was not present at a funeral service or funeral, but at the rite of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. I realized quite clearly that even if at those moments we were all taken out of the church and shot, it would still be the same - we won!”
When Joseph was being carried to the cemetery, the ill hieromonk Averky, who was unable to attend the funeral service due to weakness, left his cell to observe the funeral procession, and at that time he felt a strong aroma of peace. Other pilgrims heard the same aroma. Thus, the Mother of God anointed Her martyr with incorruption and the fragrance of heavenly peace as a sign of his acceptance into the Heavenly Kingdom as a martyr. On the fortieth day after the death of Joseph Muñoz-Cortes, the keeper of the Myrrh-streaming Icon of the Iveron Mother of God, at his grave, located in the monastery cemetery blown by winds from all sides, one could observe another miracle - candles that cannot be extinguished in the snow and in the wind...
Currently, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia is collecting documents for the possible canonization of the custodian of the Montreal Iveron Icon, Br. Jose Muñoz-Cortez. A diocesan commission was created, which will then transfer the collected documents to the Synodal Commission for further consideration.
Metropolitan Hilarion (Kapral), First Hierarch of the ROCOR

Hawaii is the most recent of the fifty states to join the United States. In its capital, Honolulu, there is a Russian Orthodox parish in honor of the Myrrh-Streaming Iveron-Montreal Icon of the Mother of God. The original Iveron-Montreal myrrh-streaming icon was in the care of the martyred brother Joseph (Jose Muñoz-Cortes, Spanish Jose Muñoz-Cortes, monk Ambrose in his cell tonsure). Joseph was the keeper of the Montreal myrrh-streaming icon for 15 years and visited Orthodox parishes in many countries with the icon. Unfortunately, he did not have time to visit the Russian Orthodox parish of the Myrrh-Streaming Iveron-Montreal Icon of the Mother of God in Honolulu. On the night of October 31, 1997, he was killed in a room at the Grand Hotel in Athens, and the myrrh-streaming icon disappeared without a trace. On this day, Orthodox Christians honor the memory of the Apostle Luke, according to the legend of the first icon painter, while many, on the contrary, celebrate Halloween.

The miraculous phenomenon of myrrh-streaming in this very remote parish, in Hawaii, occurred around the summer of 2007. The Hawaiian Myrrh-Streaming Iveron-Montreal Icon of the Mother of God was made at the church utensils factory in Sofrin, not far from Moscow, and is a fairly accurate copy of the Myrrh-streaming Iveron Icon of the Mother of God of Montreal. The Hawaiian Myrrhstreaming Icon is quite small - much smaller than the original Montreal Icon. The parish priest, Father Anatoly Levin, gave it to the reader Nektarios on the day of his Angel, several years ago. He bought this icon in a bookstore at the Holy Trinity Church in Toronto, Canada, when this church celebrated the 50th anniversary of its founding.

In June 2008, the holy chrism from the Hawaiian Iveron Icon of the Mother of God was officially recognized by Archbishop Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church as truly miraculous. He blessed the icon's visit to various churches and monasteries of the Orthodox world. The holy icon of the Mother of God continues to stream myrrh to this day.

Since then, the Hawaiian miraculous Iveron Icon of the Mother of God continues to travel and bring grace to different places. The phenomenon of myrrh-streaming, incomprehensible to the human mind, strikes the very heart. Calls to repentance, to rethink your life, to change your mind, to soften your heart.

Where and for what purpose is this miracle of myrrh-streaming? For an Orthodox believer, this is hope for possible healing, hope for the grace and mercy of God; for a person of little faith, it is strengthening in faith. For some non-believers, it is an awakening and conversion to faith. The Lord shows miracles, disgracing evil human deeds. But miracles are given only by faith. And we, with faith, flow to the image of the All-Pure Mother of God, with sighs, prayer, supplication, thanksgiving, and hearing. And She will certainly and definitely be an Intercessor. Maternal tender love cannot help but rejoice in the joy of others, rejoicing and thanking the Lord with those who rejoice, just as it cannot help but weep and grieve over the sorrows of those who mourn and cry, with maternal love begging, as if for themselves, for the forgiveness of sin to those who repent.

The image of the Hawaiian Myrrh-streaming Iveron-Montreal Icon of the Mother of God is known for the healing of many pious people from cancer, blindness, kidney and liver diseases, chronic pain and demonic possession. Currently, the icon resides in the Russian Orthodox Church in Honolulu, but often travels around the world and grants healing of souls and bodies to all who show faith and love for our Lord Jesus Christ and His Most Pure Mother.

THE MYRRHSTREAMING IVERSE HAWAIIAN ICON VISITED ALASKA

The last two weeks of July, the miraculous Iveron Hawaiian Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos took place in a religious procession across Alaska.

Her stay in Alaska was accompanied by numerous miracles and help to believers.

It passed by land, sea and air, and all this time the weather in Alaska was amazingly beautiful.

After visiting every parish and monastic community on Kodiak Island, she traveled through the Anchorage area and visited the Kenai Peninsula, the Diocese of Alaska said.

Brooklyn, New York: Hundreds of believers prayed before the Hawaiian Icon

Hawaiian Iveron Myrrhstreaming Icon Mother of God

On Tuesday, July 30, the myrrh-streaming Hawaiian Icon of the Mother of God visited the Church of St. New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia in Brooklyn, pc. NY. Hundreds of believers gathered in the temple long before her arrival. And at that time, the Most Holy Theotokos in her miraculous image, accompanied by her guardian - brother Nektarios, was heading to the temple - across the Hudson along the streets of a large city, where hundreds of thousands of people in need of her help, admonition and consolation live, work, love and suffer.

The prayer service with an akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos was led by the Secretary of the Eastern American Diocese, Archpriest. Sergius Lukyanov, co-served by the dean, Archpriest. Alexander Beli, rector prot. Victor Tseshkovsky, and abbot. Cornelia (Apukhtin). The New York clergy prayed in the temple. With tears in their eyes, hundreds of believers - people of different nationalities - knelt before the Most Holy Theotokos.

Before bowing and venerating the miraculous image, Father Sergius, with the permission of the custodian of the icon, opened the icon to take out cotton wool richly soaked in the fragrant myrrh and distribute its particles to the believers. When there is a large gathering of people, this does not happen often, and not everyone gets to watch how, right in front of those gathered, the icon exudes myrrh, to feel the wondrous strong unearthly fragrance spreading throughout the temple.

In a word - witness a miracle!

The people were in awe, the temple fell silent. Holy myrrh flowed abundantly down the hands of the priest, the believers cried. Hundreds of eyes at that moment were riveted on the miracle, and only the camera was able to preserve these eyes and faces in memory.

And only when they carefully closed the icon; a crown of flowers, as expected, decorated the image - people began to venerate the icon. Father Victor anointed the believers with holy myrrh from the icon, Fr. Sergius distributed pieces of cotton wool, richly soaked in the world, and icons - in memory of the original image. But many did not know that the Hawaiian icon was also once a copy of another myrrh-streaming icon - the Iveron-Montreal icon, found by the Chilean brother Joseph Muñoz-Cortes on Holy Mount Athos.

Such stories are no longer uncommon in the modern Orthodox world - an ordinary, typographically produced icon begins to flow myrrh and reveals great miracles. Initially, the Hawaiian icon is an ordinary Sophrine photocopy of the Iveron-Montreal icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in size it is much smaller than the original. The rector of the Russian church in Honolulu, Hawaii, Priest Anatoly Levin, brought it from the cathedral in Montreal as a gift from Rev. Nectarius on the day of his Angel.

10 years after the murder of brother Joseph Muñoz-Cortez and the disappearance of the myrrh-streaming Montreal icon, Nektary felt a slight smell of roses in his house, coming from the corner with the icons. The smell intensified, but, in his humility, for a long time he could not even imagine that the Most Pure Virgin would visit his humble home with her presence.

Myrrh Streaming Hawaiian Icon Mother of God

...They talked a little in the temple - they prayed more. Someone was crying. We talked with br. Nectarius, trying to find answers to questions tormenting the soul and, of course, support and consolation.

The clergy called on believers not to ask, but to repent more and thank the Most Holy Lady Theotokos. And it was clearly felt that the time of waiting at the icon became for the Orthodox a time of prayer, repentance, reflection, determination to be cleansed of sins and, with the hope of God’s help, to bear their cross.

Almost until midnight, the people of God reached out to the myrrh-streaming icon. The cotton wool soaked in peace ran out, and then Fr. Sergius opened the icon for the second time so that no one would leave the temple without receiving a material blessing from the holy image. The quiet people witnessed a miracle for the second time that evening.

In the temple there were those who remember the Montreal myrrh-streaming icon, and those who had already prayed more than once before the Hawaiian icon. Brother Nektarios said that the silver robe decorated with gems was a gift from a Greek family - residents of Honolulu. On the reverse side are engraved the names of three hundred donors who contributed in one way or another to the production of the icon. The current setting of the icon is the fifth. As soon as it is saturated with the world to such an extent that it becomes unfit for use, particles of it are distributed to believers.

The only thing that remains unchanged in the icon is the face of the Mother of God. He is meek and humble. On the icon, she points us to the Son of God - the One who showed this humility and was “obedient even to death,” but was resurrected and through the centuries is our salvation. In Him is the answer to all questions, for humility and modesty are great strength. A power that can not only penetrate human hearts and open the highest doors, but also incline the mercy of God to beg the Savior and His Most Pure Mother for the forgiveness of their own sins and the admonition of those who have not yet comprehended this simple truth, but very much in needs it.

Source: Website of the Eastern American Diocese www.eadiocese.org

Hawaiian Myrrh Streaming Icons

Hawaiian myrrh-streaming icons

“At the moment, all parishioners living in Honolulu already know about the great miracle that visited us sinners through the grace of the Almighty and the love and care of the Most Holy Theotokos for us, although we, unworthy, did not deserve it at all. However, since many do not know all the details, I asked the reader Nektarios, in whose house these two icons began to stream myrrh, to describe in his own words how this all happened.”

Priest Anatoly Levin

Letter from the reader Nectarius

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!

With humility and even with fear and trembling, I will try to tell you what exactly happened to the icons before various rumors begin to spread, which can turn into untruths and lies. Many people have already asked me to explain to them about what happened over the past weeks in connection with the myrrh-streaming icons in the Russian Orthodox parish of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God in Honolulu. It is very difficult for me to put into words everything that recently happened and stirred up my life. I can’t imagine what other people would have done in my place - the Lord alone knows. I pray to the Lord that He will show me and my family what we are supposed to do and say so as not to contradict His will. I will try to describe how these two humble icons came into my life and how they changed my life. Everything I write here is the absolute truth.

There are two icons in question here: the first of them, made at the church utensils factory in Sofrin, not far from Moscow, is a fairly accurate copy of the myrrh-streaming icon of the Iveron Mother of God of Montreal. The Montreal myrrh-streaming icon was in the care of the martyred brother Jose Muñoz. It is quite small - much smaller than the original Montreal icon: 7 x 9 inches and one inch thick. Our parish priest, Father Anatoly Levin, gave it to me on the day of my Angel, several years ago. He then told me that he bought this icon in a bookstore at the Holy Trinity Church in Toronto, Canada, where he grew up, when this church was celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding. The icons of the Sofrinsky product are famous for the fact that they have a beautiful silk chasuble squeezed into the icon itself, so that even those people who do not have a lot of money can buy themselves very beautiful icons at a cheap price.

The second icon, painted by the hand of an unknown Athonite monk, is a crucifixion icon in the traditional Byzantine style. It measures 8 by 11 inches and is about an inch and a half thick. I bought a set of two of these almost identical icons and gave one of them to my father; I kept the other one for myself.

Before telling the full story of our icons, I must say a few words about how it all began...

More than three months ago, somewhere in June or July, my wife and I smelled a light scent of roses coming from the corner with icons in our small home chapel. My wife and I then accidentally looked at the crucifixion icon, which is located behind the box with various relics, and saw on it a small drop of some liquid near the wound on the Savior’s chest, where a Roman soldier pierced His chest with a spear. This liquid reminded me of the sweet smell of the world. True, I am not very familiar with the world: before that I received several cotton wool with the world from the Montreal myrrh-streaming icon and from the myrrh-streaming icon of St. Nicholas. My wife and I did not tell anyone about what we saw, deciding to watch this icon in case the myrrh flow continued. But the drop of peace dried up, and we soon forgot about this incident.

Now, let's move on to the newer incidents...

During the last week of September, I began to smell an incredibly strong smell of peace in my home, in my car, even at my work. I couldn't figure out where this smell was coming from. Was I just imagining this? I asked my wife if she smelled it, but she told me that she didn’t smell anything. I even asked some of the visitors to our apartment about this, but none of them felt anything special. (One of these visitors to our house, our “godmother”, a Serbian woman, also did not smell any smell.) Therefore, I decided that I had simply imagined this smell. It was September 27th, the day of the celebration of the Exaltation of the Venerable Cross of the Lord.

At the beginning of the first week of October, my wife and I became very ill and were unable to go to Vespers on Saturday. We rarely miss services in our church, and therefore we remember the date well: October 6th. (On this day, our Church celebrates the Conception of the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John the Baptist.) Around 10:30 o'clock that evening I was doing my work in my office, which also serves as our home chapel with a corner for icons. Suddenly I noticed that my cat “Steve” entered my office and began sniffing everything around, as if he smelled some kind of unfamiliar smell. And I didn’t feel any smell. The cat then began to carefully approach the place where the boxes with holy relics were kept. This seemed very strange to me, since he never came close to the repositories of the relics, although he is a very curious cat - something always stopped him. But this time he even stood up on his hind legs in order to somehow get closer to the place where the smell that interested him so much came from. And I still didn't smell anything.

Then I bent down and took the cat into my arms, and then suddenly I felt a wonderful smell. I have never smelled such a strong, overpowering smell in my life. At the same time, it seemed very strange to me that I had not felt anything until that moment: the smell was so strong, as if suddenly thousands of roses had filled the entire room. I was so surprised by this miracle that I crossed myself with the sign of the cross and silently read the Jesus Prayer, fencing myself off from the delusion. Finally, I let the cat out on the floor, and I went to look at the icons. I admit, I was a little afraid to look at the icons that were close to the relics, but finally I approached the cross icon and saw that the wound on the Savior’s chest was completely dry, despite the increasingly intensifying smell of roses. Then I suddenly noticed that there was some kind of liquid on my hands - it was myrrh. But how could it get into my hands? After all, the icon was dry? Was the icon really dry? And then I saw before my eyes a drop of liquid form on the left knee of the Savior. I then called my wife and asked her if she had spilled anything on the icon. He replied that no, and that she did not even come close to her. Then I showed her the icon. She was amazed at what she saw. I told her that the smell was too strong and asked her to help me examine all our icons and she agreed. (In my office there are two bookshelves on which our icons stand high.) We have a lot of icons, maybe too many. I stood on tiptoe to look at the icons that were on the highest shelf. My wife did the same. Finally, when I touched the Iveron Icon, which Father Anatoly gave me, and felt that it was completely wet, suddenly the smell became even stronger. This time even my wife smelled this strong smell. For those who are not familiar with my wife, her sense of smell is very weak; she only smells citrus fruits. We were both in fear and trembling! We asked each other whether any of us cleaned these icons, or spilled anything on them, but both answered each other - “no!” "What's going on here?" I asked in great surprise and put the icons in their original places. Having taken several photographs of the icons with a digital camera, I read the akathist to the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God and went to bed, but I could not fall asleep.

The next day, Sunday, October 7th, after long discussions, my wife and I decided to leave the icons at home and go to church. After the liturgy, we talked with our Serbian godfather, and she advised us to immediately tell our father everything. We told Father Anatoly about everything that happened. He listened to us patiently and then said: “Bring these icons to the church!” Then we agreed with Father Anatoly that we would bring the icons next Wednesday, October 10th. Until next Wednesday, the icons continued to stream myrrh. I collected myrrh from them and prayed in front of them for the recovery of my sister and other sick people. [ Note from Father Anatoly: The next day, the sister of the reader Nektaria called her father and said that her doctor could not explain how this happened, but her thyroid gland, which completely refused to work, suddenly returned to a completely normal state on its own, and that now her diabetes under control.]

My wife and I could barely wait until Wednesday...

On Wednesday, October 10th, we brought the icons with us to the church and placed them on lecterns in the middle of the church. Father Anatoly wiped them with cotton wool and immediately began serving an akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos of Iveron. After the akathist, he again wiped both icons with cotton wool - they again streamed myrrh during the service - and announced that “the icons undoubtedly stream myrrh” and that “very pure myrrh” comes from them. The air in the church was filled with the scent of roses. "What do we need to do?" I asked Father Anatoly. He asked us to leave the icons in the church for a while. Nobody knew about our icons yet; therefore, they could be left in the church without worrying that anyone would want to steal them.

The following Saturday, October 13th, it so happened that on this day we were supposed to come to clean the entire church, since we were already preparing for various upcoming holidays: our patronal feast day (November 24th), the Nativity of Christ, and the visit of the Serbian bishop. Therefore, my wife and I and another member of our church were tasked with cleaning the church. During the cleaning of the church, we could not take our eyes off the two myrrh-streaming icons, which continued to stream a little myrrh. The smell of roses was very strong. Both icons emanated the smell of roses, but the Iveron Icon emanated a more “delicate” smell of real roses, while the crucifixion icon emanated a more “sharp” smell. It's very difficult to explain. While we were cleaning the church, our godmothers (Kolet and her family) came to look at the icons, since few could wait until the evening service - the rumor about these icons had already spread. Later, Kolet admitted to me that she was “the unfaithful Thomas” and could not believe in this miracle until she saw it with her own eyes. It's clear. She didn’t know that the icons continued to stream myrrh while we were cleaning the church. (Icons do not constantly stream myrrh.) She made the sign of the cross and venerated the crucifixion icon, kissing the feet of the Savior - and received a large portion of myrrh in her mouth! Like the unfaithful Apostle Thomas, who, due to his unbelief, had to put his fingers into the wounds of the Savior in order to finally believe, she put her mouth at the feet of the Savior, where “there should have been no peace.” I couldn't help but laugh when I saw her embarrassment.

The next day, Sunday, October 14th, we celebrated the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, and Father Anatoly announced to all parishioners present about the myrrh-streaming icons. That day, both icons streamed myrrh abundantly; there was enough peace for everyone. Since then, these icons have continued to stream myrrh, sometimes less, sometimes more. Many people came to our church to look at the icons: Russians, Greeks, Serbs, Catholics and Protestants. Everyone approaching these icons feels the grace of God emanating from them. Of course, there are days when both icons are completely dry, but there are also days when the icons are covered with myrrh, and drops of myrrh flow before everyone’s eyes. Regardless of whether they stream myrrh or not, they always smell very strongly of roses. This is truly a big miracle! I sometimes fear that this may serve as a warning to us.

Now that some time has passed since our icons began to stream myrrh, it seems to me that the theme of “revelation” is connected with these icons. The icons first “revealed” to us on the day of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord. Immediately after the feast of the Conception of the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John the Baptist, we told our father the abbot about the icons, but John the Baptist was the first to announce to the people that Jesus is the Son of God. Our priest “revealed” to all parishioners the miracle of our myrrh-streaming icons on the day of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos. All this cannot be just a “random coincidence”!

Our parish is dedicated to the Iveron Myrrh-Streaming Icon (Montreal), an icon that has never been to Hawaii. Brother Jose really wanted to visit Hawaii with his icon, but he never managed to make this trip. I must admit that sometimes I think with sadness that our Orthodox brethren on the mainland have forgotten about our small parish and our small community of believers. Living here in Hawaii, in the middle of the big Pacific Ocean, it is very difficult for us to maintain our parish. It is difficult for us to raise funds to cover various expenses, to cover the monthly rent for the premises, etc. Sometimes I wonder in despair when we will have our own church. Has the Lord forgotten about us sinners? Will we always have to beg? Perhaps we have done something very wrong? How have we offended you, Lord? Whether our priests, our Orthodox brothers have forgotten about us or not, one thing is clear - the Most Holy Theotokos has not forgotten us. She did not leave us orphans. She will not leave us without Her help! Because of these icons, I now have hope that in the end everything will be for the better. Whether we will ever have our own church or not is not so important in the end; the most important thing is that the Lord showed us that He has not forgotten us. That's what we needed most! The Lord showed us that He exists! Do we dare to neglect His revelation? Do we dare to neglect this wondrous miracle that has appeared among us? Dare we forget our Savior? May God forgive us if we do this!

With love in Christ,

reader Nectarius Yanson

In June 2008, the holy chrism from the Hawaiian Iveron* Icon of the Mother of God was officially recognized by Archbishop Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church as truly miraculous. He blessed the icon's visit to various churches and monasteries of the Orthodox world. The holy icon of the Mother of God continues to stream myrrh to this day.

* "Iverskaya" from the word Iveria (an ancient name given by the Greeks of Eastern Georgia).

Requests for Prayer

By the grace of God, the Holy Cross gradually stopped streaming myrrh, although sometimes it continues to stream myrrh on various occasions Vthroughout the year, as happened last Easter. Believerstrengthened by the fact that the Holy Cross constantly exudes a rich aroma of rosesregardless of whether it flows myrrh or not. ByeHawaiian Iveron Icontravels and brings the grace of the Mother of God to different places, SaintThe cross always remains in Hawaii in order to strengthen andblessbelievers.

Iveron Icon
845 Queen Street #101
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
USA

You may also send your requests to the following address:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You must have JavaScript enabled to view it.

When sending postal items, please indicate on the envelope who the recipient is: parish priest Fr. Anatole Liovin or the keeper of the holy myrrh-streaming icon, brother Nektarios. We also kindly ask for patience while waiting for the holy peace. At the moment, thousands of requests have been received, for which the mailings are carried out by Brother Nektarios alone, who also constantly travels around the country, bringing to Orthodox believers the grace of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God with her holy chrism. In urgent cases, when the holy icon is traveling, please contact the parish rector for assistance; he will undoubtedly be happy to help you.

Website of the Parish of the Myrrh-Streaming Iveron-Montreal Icon of the Mother of God Honolulu, Hawaii USA.

35 years ago, Orthodox Spaniard Joseph Muñoz-Cortez was called by the Lord to a special ministry. This ministry began on Athos, when Joseph was given for safekeeping a copy of the glorified image of the Mother of God “The Goalkeeper,” which on the night of November 23-24, 1982, began to flow myrrh in ways unknown to the mind. Joseph sealed his 15-year service to the Mother of God and the Church of Christ with his martyrdom 20 years ago, on the night of October 31, 1997.

In 2002, the Synod of Bishops of the ROCOR published an appeal to the flock on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the miraculous Iveron-Myrrh-streaming Icon of Montreal. Unfortunately, this appeal went almost unnoticed.

“This icon, pouring out abundant miraculous myrrh, consoled our Russian Church Abroad for 15 years,” says the Synodal Address, “being a visible and tangible sign of the merciful intercession of the Mother of God for us sinners... Have we used this visit to the Mother of our Lord to our advantage? for the soul, and wasn’t it our common sin of cooling towards shrines and prayer, towards works of piety and witness to the Orthodox faith that became the reason for the taking away of the holy icon from us by God’s permission?

Brothers and sisters! With reverent gratitude, let us prayerfully remember the presence of this wonderful myrrh-streaming icon in our Church and with repentance let us pray to the Most Holy Theotokos for the forgiveness of our sins, for the establishment of peace in our Orthodox Church...”

This call of the ROCOR bishops remains relevant today.

Celebrating the 35th anniversary of the appearance of the myrrh-streaming Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, we have the opportunity to reflect on the meaning of God’s great miracle and touch the fate of a man who, in our pragmatic, computerized and rational age, gave his life for an Orthodox shrine.

Joseph (Jose) Munoz-Cortez was born on May 13, 1948 into a Catholic family in Chile. When he was barely 14 years old, on the way to the Catholic Cathedral he got lost in the streets of Santiago and, hearing unusual singing, went into an Orthodox church. That day, September 27th, was...

The beauty of the decoration of the temple, icons and worship struck the youth, shocked him to the depths of his soul, and from then on he began to visit this church. Two years later, Archbishop Leonty of Chile blessed him to convert to Orthodoxy. This was in 1964. For three years Joseph studied icon painting and theology. Having moved to Canada, he completed courses there at the School of Fine Arts and subsequently taught the history of icon painting at the University of Montreal. Joseph hoped to become a monk, but there was no Orthodox monastery for men in Canada.

In 1982, during a pilgrimage to Holy Mount Athos, Joseph visited the Nativity of the Savior monastery. Here, in the icon-painting workshop, he saw the image of the Mother of God that deeply struck him. He persistently asked to sell him this icon, but was refused. The young pilgrim fervently prayed to the Mother of God to allow him to take Her image to Canada. Already leaving the gates of the monastery, he saw the abbot hastening to him, who handed him an icon with the words: “The Blessed Virgin must leave with you.”

While on board a ship heading to the Athos port of Daphne, he heard an inner voice commanding him to go to and attach his icon to the miraculous image of the Mother of God “Goalkeeper,” the heavenly Guardian and Patroness of Athos. The icon given to him was copied from this image. He fulfilled this command. Returning to Montreal, Joseph placed the “Goalkeeper” icon in his room and read an akathist in front of it every night.

He woke up at about three o'clock in the morning and smelled a strong fragrance

On November 24, 1982, he woke up around three in the morning and felt a strong fragrance. Looking at the image of the Most Pure One, he noticed drops of moisture on it and thought that it was oil dripping from the lamp. But, wiping them, he was amazed to discover that the fragrance came precisely from them. It became clear to him that this was fragrant myrrh. Since then, the icon has continuously streamed myrrh, with the exception of.

Through the icon, by the grace of God, many miraculous healings took place, but Joseph more than once said that the greatest miracle of the myrrh-streaming icon was that it moved people to repentance.

The news of the new miraculous icon was received with particular joy in Russia at that time. I have repeatedly reported on it on the waves of the Voice of America in my program “Religion in Our Lives.” At one time, I received many letters from Russian listeners who wanted to learn more about the icon and about Brother Joseph. To this day I meet people who remember these programs. At one time, an Orthodox Spaniard named Jorge Fernandez found me and told me a wonderful story. I asked him to put his story in writing for our parish magazine, where we are collecting bits and pieces of everything we can about Brother Joseph and the Montreal Icon. Here is an excerpt from Fernadez's story:

“In 1984, in my Moscow apartment, I tried to tune my BF receiver to the religious program of the Voice of America, which was compiled and hosted by priest Viktor Potapov. This was not an easy matter, since the authorities were diligently jamming the radio signal in order to deprive us, the Orthodox, of one of the few sources of religious information. On this particular evening, I heard something amazing and deeply ingrained in my heart. Father Victor spoke about a Chilean who received an image of the Iveron Mother of God in a monastery on Mount Athos, and that some time later this image began to flow myrrh. I couldn’t hear all the details because of the poor sound quality, but I was greatly amazed and delighted by two circumstances: firstly, the miracle itself, and secondly, that there is another Latin American in the world who, just like me, became an Orthodox Christian, but, unlike me, he followed this path so sincerely and deeply that he received the great honor of becoming the chosen one of the Most Pure Mother of God. So I made a friend, although at that time I had no idea what role he would play in my life.”

I will return to Jorge Fernandez's story a little later.

The second sign was expressed in the repentance of many people

In Russia, freed from the communist yoke, the believing people surround the Iveron Icon with special veneration. In my deep conviction, the long-suffering Orthodox peoples surround the “Goalkeeper” icon with high veneration, partly because she herself is long-suffering. More than a thousand years ago, a daring warrior struck Her Most Pure Face with his sword, and blood flowed from the resulting wound. This was the first miracle of the icon visible to human eyes. The second sign was of a spiritual nature: the warrior, struck by the miracle, brought heartfelt repentance, abandoned the iconoclastic heresy and accepted monasticism. On November 24, 1982, the copy of the Iveron Athos Icon, kept by Brother Joseph, revealed the first miracle - the flow of myrrh. Her second sign was expressed in the repentance of many people.

The keeper of the icon, Joseph, believed that the expiration of the world was connected with the glorification of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia in 1981 by the Russian Church Abroad. He especially revered the Reverend Martyr Grand Duchess Elisaveta Feodorovna. French historian Jean Bas, who knew Joseph personally, says:

Without a hint of lyricism, we can say that he was the earthly lily of the Queen of Heaven

Joseph rarely spoke about his inner life, but when communicating with him, people physically felt that before them was a man of the greatest purity. Without any doubt and without a hint of lyricism, we can say that he was the earthly lily of the Queen of Heaven. Every day, in front of the miraculous icon, he read an akathist to the Mother of God (usually in French) and to the saint whose memory the Church celebrated. During church services he behaved very modestly and never attracted attention to himself: he stood quietly behind, unnoticed, like a real monk.

Partly out of gratitude, partly out of a desire to meet José in person, I went to his grave on the 10th anniversary of his murder. By this time, my wife and I had already read a book about his life, “The Montreal Myrrh-Streaming Icon and Brother Joseph,” which brought me even closer to him. After this second trip, upon my return home, Brother Joseph showed me great mercy.

I urge everyone who reads this clumsy story of mine to pray to him, ask him, thank him. If possible, go to him and light a candle. Pray at his grave. I know from my experience that no one will leave empty-handed. Brother Joseph and his miraculous icon were given to us by the Lord, as I understand it, as a reminder of the World to Come and to strengthen our faith. We don’t know where the icon is, but we know where its keeper is, come to him, and may our Lord Jesus Christ and His Most Pure Mother protect us all.”

After the martyrdom of Brother Joseph in 1997 and the hiding of the Montreal Icon of the Mother of God, many asked: will the icon return to us?

By the grace of God, on October 6, 2007 (on the feast of the conception of the Holy Prophet and Forerunner John) - in the year of the restoration of canonical unity within the Russian Orthodox Church - a myrrh-streaming reproduction of the "Montreal-Iveron" icon, known as the "Hawaiian" icon, was revealed in the state of Hawaii. icon.

This was the answer to the questions of the faithful “will the icon return?” The return of the Iveron Myrrh-Streaming Icon of the Mother of God was an important spiritual result of the Act of Canonical Communion and a sign of God’s favor to the Local Russian Orthodox Church.

In Orthodoxy, the veneration of the Myrrh-streaming Iveron-Montreal Icon of the Mother of God as miraculous has become established. It was written from the Athonite original of the Iveron Gatekeeper (Gatekeeper). There is ample evidence that the Montreal List flowed almost continuously for 15 years (from 1982 to 1997). All these years, the image was kept by the custodian Joseph Muñoz-Cortez.

Biographical portrait of the keeper

Joseph (Jose) Muñoz-Cortez was born on May 13, 1948. The boy was born to pious Catholic parents. They belonged to a Spanish aristocratic family and lived in the city of Valparaiso. Jose discovered the makings of a painter as a child. The boy and his parents wanted Jose to become an artist.

When the teenager was 14 years old and living with his parents in Santiago, a wonderful event happened. Jose was heading to the Catholic Church. On the way, he heard wonderful singing. It came from the open church doors. It was the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church. Jose couldn't resist going inside.

The decoration of the church, the beauty of the icons and the services made a huge impression on Jose. Since then, the teenager began attending the Orthodox Church. 2 years later, with the permission of his mother, Jose was baptized into Orthodoxy by Archbishop Leonty of Chile.

Joseph studied at an Orthodox college for three years, studying icon painting. Chile did not have a large number of masters in this matter. So Joseph went to Montreal, Canada. Vitaly, Archbishop of Canada and Montreal, invited Joseph to move to the monastic monastery of St. Job of Pochaev, also in Montreal. Soon after the move, Joseph becomes a teacher at the University of Montreal. Reads art history.

The history of the creation of the icon, its acquisition

In the fall of 1982, the Lord called Joseph to a special ministry. The Chilean-Canadian icon painter made a pilgrimage to Holy Mount Athos. In the workshop of the Nativity of the Savior monastery, Muñoz-Cortes was shocked by the meeting with the iconographic face of the Iveron Mother of God. The image was painted a year before this event by the Greek hieromonk Chrysostom. The list is made from the legendary Iverskaya Goalkeeper.

Joseph decided to purchase an icon and asked to sell him the image. But a refusal was received. Then Joseph turned with prayers to the Mother of God. The young pilgrim asked permission to take the image to the American continent.

It was the last day of Joseph's stay on Mount Athos. Literally before leaving, when leaving the gates of the monastery, Muñoz-Cortes was stopped by Schema-Abbot Clement. He presented Joseph with a most precious gift - a list from the Iverskaya Goalkeeper that amazed the pilgrim.

On the way to the Athonite port of Daphne, Joseph heard a command. Fulfilling it, Muñoz-Cortes went to the walls of the Iveron Monastery. The pilgrim applied the list handed to him to the miraculous face of the Goalkeeper. Upon returning to Montreal, Joseph placed the brought icon in his room. He spent every night reading in front of the Akathist.

Manifestation of miraculous power

On November 24, 1982, at about 3 a.m., Joseph woke up in his Montreal apartment to a strong fragrance. At first he thought the scent was coming from a spilled bottle of perfume. Then Joseph considered the relics to be the source of the pleasant smell. When Munoz-Cortez approached the brought list, he was amazed.

The face of the Mother of God was covered with fragrant myrrh. At first, oily moisture oozed from the hands of the Mother of God and the Child of God. The star located on the right shoulder of the Ever-Virgin also streamed myrrh. These manifestations were interpreted as symbolic blessings.

During one of the services during Lent (1985), the glass of the icon case and frame began to highlight the myrrh. The aromatic oil appeared in such abundance that it soaked the cover of the lectern. We first saw tears on the icon in August 1991.

Only before Easter, during the last 6 days of Lent (Holy Week), did the icon become dry. But again light dew appeared on the iconographic face on the morning of Holy Saturday. During the morning Easter service and religious procession, fragrant moisture oozed even onto the hands of the one carrying the shrine. The back side of the icon remained completely dry.

Fragrant oil usually appeared during prayers or shortly after them. The amount of moisture emitted depended on the religious event and the prayerful zeal of those present.

Miro could unexpectedly resume after the expiration ceased. When visiting the Boston monastery, fragrant moisture flowed out in streams. But when the icon was moved to a nearby parish, the image stopped streaming myrrh. After the return of the Iveron-Montreal icon-painting face to the monastery, the unctuous flow resumed with extraordinary force.

The mystery of such signs haunted many skeptics. They assumed that a fragrant liquid was deliberately introduced from the back side. One scientist from Miami carefully examined the shrine from all sides. He established the completely dry condition of the reverse side of the icon. I had to admit that the miraculous image was written on an ordinary board. It was not possible to detect any internal cavities or foreign inclusions. Then the scientist recognized the greatest miracle of the twentieth century.

The tragic and martyrdom of the guardian

Joseph Muñoz-Cortez visited a large number of parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church abroad with the miraculous shrine. The icons were seen by lay people visiting Orthodox Old Calendar churches in Australia, Bulgaria, Germany, the USA, France and other countries.

Muñoz-Cortes often returned to the Holy Mountain with the icon, and Joseph Athos visited in the summer of 1996. He wanted to say goodbye to Schema-Abbot Clement, who handed Cortes the miraculous list. The schema-monk warned Joseph that in a year (1997) terrible events would happen.

In 1997, Joseph visited the monastery of St. Nicholas on the island of Andros. He was accompanied by priest Alexander Ivashevich. The ancient wall face of the Mother of God, located in the monastery, began to tear profusely. Muñoz-Cortez admitted to his companion that he expected something terrible to happen in the near future. A day later it happened.

On the night of October 30-31, 1997, when the satanic holiday of Halloween was celebrated, the Guardian of Our Lady of Iveron-Montreal was brutally killed.

The circumstances of the tragic death are very mysterious. The miraculous icon disappeared without a trace.

Based on the investigation, it can be assumed that the Guardian was lured into a trap. To do this, they used the excuse that someone needed help. The examinations carried out prove the professionalism of the killers and torturers. Numerous bodily injuries proved that Joseph suffered martyrdom under torture.

13 days after his death, Joseph’s body was taken to the cemetery of the Holy Trinity Monastery (USA). The funeral service was planned to be held with a closed coffin. However, the will from above was different. The coffin was opened, and those present found no signs of decay on the mutilated body.

Two candles were placed on the grave of the tortured Muñoz-Cortez. They glowed without dying out in the windy cemetery for 7 hours. 40 days passed after the death of Joseph, and spontaneous combustion of candles occurred at his grave.

Miracles Revealed

Muñoz-Cortez took the shrine to many Orthodox parishes. Our Lady of Iversko-Montreal visited with her guardian many countries, on different continents. For believers in America, Europe, and Australia, the Image served as a source of all-merciful consolation and great joy.

Due to numerous requests, photographs were taken of the Iveron-Montreal icon. Some of them also streamed myrrh. Alexander Solzhenitsyn received one of the photographs of the Iveron-Montreal icon and cotton wool moistened with ointment. He wrote to Muñoz-Cortez that the healing icon heals not only bodies, but also sick souls.

Healing and fragrant mercy was poured out on the grieving and weak people who resorted to the Intercessor. Anointing with miraculous myrrh expelled the most serious illnesses (sometimes incurable) and revived dead souls.

There was always a tray near the Iveron-Montreal icon. On it lay the cotton wool used to collect myrrh. Then they were distributed and sent out to believers, those suffering, and those asking. It happened that dried cotton wool was miraculously filled with fragrant moisture again. Sometimes there was an increase in the world collected in the vessel.

There are many testimonies of miraculous healings that occurred after anointing the sick and praying. Similar messages came from recoveries from Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Latvia, Russia, Switzerland, Sweden and other countries.

Germany

A boy of about five fell ill with an incurable disease. The child stopped eating, melted before our eyes, and died out like a candle. The parents took the boy to the hospital. They decided for themselves that they had given the child not to be cured, but to die.

But just in time, a cotton wool soaked in fragrant moisture from the Iveron-Montreal icon was sent from America. The following Saturday, the mother wiped her son’s body with this cotton wool. And on Monday morning the woman received a call from a nurse. In an excited voice she said: “Something incredible happened! The boy got out of bed and asked for food.”

Several days passed. The child quickly recovered. The illness finally subsided, the boy became completely healthy.

France

An elderly French woman came to venerate the Iveron-Montreal Myrrh-Streaming Icon. She was on crutches. Before leaving, the woman prayed next to the miraculous face. About a week later, this French woman arrived again without crutches. She spoke of a miraculous healing.

Literally the next day after visiting the icon, the woman got out of bed and reached for her crutches. But suddenly the Frenchwoman felt that she did not need support. Since then, the woman has managed without crutches.

In a clinic in the town of Vincennes (a suburb of Paris), 28-year-old Jean-Louis Georges lay with a crippled leg. After a road accident, the young man could not return to normal life for 2 years. Doctors decided to amputate.

The young Frenchman, who did not know God, gave in to despair and decided to take his own life. But very opportunely they told him about the existence of the Iveron-Montreal Myrrh-Streaming Icon. The shrine at that time was located 100 kilometers from Paris. Joseph brought the miraculous face to the Lesna convent. Jean-Louis Georges agreed to go to a meeting with the healing image.

When the prayer service ended, the priest moistened the cotton wool with the fragrant moisture oozing from the icon. This cotton wool was placed under the bandages of a sick Frenchman. However, Jean-Louis did not want to leave the church; he asked for confession. The priest explained to him that this was impossible, since the Frenchman was not Orthodox. But, heeding the young man’s pleas, the priest agreed to conduct a conversation. Jean-Louis passionately repented of his sinful intention to commit suicide.

That same day the young Frenchman left for Paris. At night, the bandages fell off my legs in the most miraculous way. The pus from the wounds began to disappear, the skin began to clear. When Jean-Louis was discharged from the clinic, he spoke about finding deep faith in a previously unknown God. The young Frenchman made it a rule to read the akathist to the Mother of God every day before the morning meal.

USA

In 1991, the Iveron-Montreal icon was brought to one of the churches in Los Angeles. A parishioner venerated the miraculous face. The woman was old and had difficulty moving because she was paralyzed.

Having venerated the image of the Most Pure One, the woman straightened up. Glorifying God and the Ever-Virgin, the healed woman easily left the temple.

Belgium

An ambulance brought a man to one of the Belgian hospitals. The nurse, being an Orthodox Christian, asked if the patient was dying. She was told that the man was already dead. The death occurred after suicide.

The nurse, using a cotton swab moistened with fragrant moisture from the Iveron-Montreal Myrrh-Streaming Icon, anointed the body of the deceased. At the same time, the woman asked the Mother of God to help the soul of the deceased.

The man opened his eyes and asked to call the priest. Having repented of what he had done, the man confessed. After this, the man lived for 2 days. None of the doctors were able to explain such a miraculous short-term return to life.

Russia

One day, a four-year-old boy failed to avoid being seriously injured. A child's small foot was caught in a faulty escalator staircase. The teeth caused a rather deep wound. It was impossible to watch the baby’s suffering without tears.

This boy's relatives had cotton wool with healing moisture from the Iveron-Montreal Myrrh-Streaming Icon. Relatives fervently prayed to the Mother of God and smeared cotton wool around the wounds. The attending physician was amazed when he saw the wound healing quickly. The upcoming operation was canceled, and the boy was soon sent home.

Revival of love and harmony

The very presence of the Iveron-Montreal Mother of God unusually multiplied the gift of prayer. The liturgies during which the miraculous face was present were extremely fiery. Such services for the Orthodox Church are comparable to Easter services. The beneficial influence of the Montreal Most Pure One transformed the faithful and awakened those frozen in ossified beliefs.

Upon the arrival of the Iveron-Montreal Icon, peace, harmony, and love were revived in various places. So, parishioners of one community quarreled among themselves. The miraculous face helped to find the path to church unity, to unifying prayer.

The Iveron-Montreal icon contributed to the return of people to churches, to confession and communion. There is a known case when a poor woman found out about the death of her son. She was preparing to end her own life. But there was a sudden meeting with a miraculous face. The woman, touched to the greatest depths of her soul, repented. She immediately confessed her terrible intention.

Mysterious connections with the destinies of Russia

Although Joseph did not have the chance to bring the Iveron-Montreal Icon to the Russian expanses, the Miracle-Working Icon was somehow mysteriously connected with Russia. A special thread connects the Image with the Russian New Martyrs.

In the Royal House of Romanov, the Mother of God the Goalkeeper was always revered. Gusodar Nikolai Alexandrovich, arriving in Moscow, venerated the miraculous iconographic face of the Iveron Icon from the chapel at the Resurrection Gate. On the eve of her coronation, Alexandra, the future Empress, prayed at night in the chapel and asked for the intercession of the Virgin Mary. Alexandra's sister, Elizabeth, the Grand Duchess, often sought the protection of the Almighty.

Muñoz placed the Iveron-Montreal icon next to the head scarf (apostle) of the Venerable Martyr Elizabeth Feodorovna. Her fragrant relics were discovered in Jerusalem in the year the Iveron-Montreal list was created (1981). The myrrh on this miraculous image appeared a year after the glorification of the Tsar-Martyr, members of his family, the host of New Martyrs, Confessors of Russia in the Cathedral of the Sign in New York. This Glorification took place on the night of October 31 to November 1, 1981. Many are inclined to view these facts as special signs of God’s Favor towards the Passion-Bearers and their admirers.

The glory of the Iveron-Montreal Mother of God has gone beyond the bounds of the Orthodox Church. Many Catholics and Protestants came to honor the miraculous icon.

The stony Athos paths lead to a small bay next to which the stone walls of Iveron rise. It was here that the famous icon of the Mother of God, called Iveron, sailed along the waves.

During the time of Byzantine iconoclasm, a warrior, breaking into a pious house, struck this image with a spear. And then, to his horror, blood began to flow down the face of the Mother of God. He fell to his knees. On his advice, the widow, the owner of this icon, saving the image from desecration, sent it flying across the waves with prayer. Several centuries have passed. And so he miraculously, in a column of light rising to the very heavens, sailed to the shores of Athos. The icon was placed in the altar of the church of the Iversky Monastery, but the next morning it ended up above the gates of the monastery. This went on for several days. Finally, the Mother of God appeared in a dream to the elder and said: “I do not want to be protected by you, but I want to be your Guardian... As long as you see My icon in this monastery, until then the grace and mercy of My Son towards you will not become scarce.”

According to Athonite legend, before the End of the World, Athos will plunge into the abyss of passions. And then the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos Goalkeeper will leave the Holy Mountain in the same miraculous way as it appeared. This will be one of the omens of the Second Coming.

Now those old gates are blocked. Next to them is a small church in which the miraculous Iveron Icon is located. Everyone can look at the wonderful image. It's different from most of the lists we know. It looks like there is a fresh hole on the chin. A stream of dark, dried blood froze on his neck.

The Montreal Iveron Icon was painted on Mount Athos in 1981 by a Greek monk from the original icon of Our Lady of the Goalkeeper. In 1982, Jose (Joseph) Muñoz Cortes, a Spaniard who converted to Orthodoxy from Catholicism, made a pilgrimage to Holy Mount Athos. Having lost his way, he stopped for the night in a small Nativity monastery, where he saw a marvelous newly painted image of the Iveron Mother of God. He prayed fervently that he would have this image. In the morning, the abbot came to Jose with the icon in his hands and said that the Mother of God was pleased to release Her icon into the world with him. Before leaving Athos, in the Iveron Monastery, Jose attached the icon to the ancient miraculous prototype.

Returning to Montreal, he placed it in the home iconostasis next to particles of the relics of the Kiev-Pechersk saints and the apostle of the venerable martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna and read the akathist daily in front of the new shrine.

At about 4 o'clock in the morning on November 24, 1982, three weeks after his arrival, Jose woke up from a strong fragrance that filled the entire house and saw that the icon was covered with drops of moisture. Soon the myrrh-streaming icon was taken to the temple.

From that time on, it flowed myrrh incessantly. At first, myrrh flowed only from the hands of the Mother of God, from the star on Her left shoulder and from the hands of the Infant God, which was interpreted as a symbol of blessing. And in 1985, during one of the services of Lent, even the frame and glass of the icon case began to release myrrh in such abundance that the cover on the lectern was completely wet. Near the icon there was always a tray with cotton wool for collecting the world, which was then distributed to the believers. Only during the Holy Weeks did the icon remain dry. On the morning of Great Saturday, light dew appeared on it, and during Easter Matins and the procession of the cross, the worn-out myrrh flowed even down the hands of the one carrying the shrine. At the same time, the back side of the icon was always dry.

Jose (Joseph) Muñoz Cortes

In August 1991, tears were seen on the icon for the first time. Jose Muñoz constantly traveled with the shrine to Orthodox parishes in many countries and continents, where it served as a source of great joy and consolation for believers. Fragrant and healing mercy was poured out on people who resorted to the Intercessor in sorrow and illness. Through the anointing of the miraculous world, serious, sometimes incurable illnesses disappeared, and dead souls came to life.

In the families of pious Christians who pray, simple photographs of the Montreal Icon exude myrrh. Such cases are known in America, Europe, and Russia. It also happened that for others, dried cotton wool was suddenly filled with the world again, or its miraculous multiplication took place in the vessel.

The miraculous icon is mysteriously connected with the destinies of Russia, with the feat of the Russian New Martyrs. The reigning House of Romanov always reverently honored the Mother of God - the “Goalkeeper”. Arriving in Moscow, Sovereign Nikolai Alexandrovich first of all venerated the miraculous Iveron Icon at the Resurrection Gate. The future Empress Alexandra prayed in the chapel at night on the eve of her coronation, asking for the intercession of the Mother of God. And Her sister, Grand Duchess Elizabeth, often sought the protection of the Almighty.

On the Iveron-Montreal icon, placed by Muñoz next to the apostle of the Venerable Martyr Elizabeth Feodorovna (whose fragrant relics were unveiled in Jerusalem in 1981), the myrrh appeared a year after the glorification of the Martyr Tsar, His Family and the host of New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, as saints. Znamensky Cathedral in New York (October 31 - November 1, 1981). Isn’t this a sign of God’s favor towards the admirers of the Passion-Bearers?

The fame of the Montreal miraculous icon spread far beyond the borders of the Orthodox Church. Many Catholics and Protestants came to honor her.

However, on the night of October 30-31, 1997, something terrible happened: the custodian of the icon, Joseph Muñoz Cortes, was killed under mysterious circumstances, and the Miraculous Iveron disappeared without a trace.

Most Holy Theotokos, pray to God for us!