Religious icons used by Eastern Christianity to be discussed Oct. 14 at St. Thomas the Apostle
By: Web Editor | Last Updated: 10/03/2008 10:30
NEWS RELEASE
FROM: St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church * 1500 Brookdale Road * Naperville, IL 60563 * (630) 355-8980
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE * Oct. 3, 2008
FOR INFORMATION: Chari Rosales (630) 355-8980, ext. 138 * or Cheryl J. Marshall (630) 851-8781
Religious icons used by Eastern Christianity to be discussed Oct. 14 at St. Thomas the Apostle
The meaning and purpose of icons, religious paintings used by Eastern Christianity especially in its churches, will be discussed by a noted local iconographer from 7:30 – 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, in the auditorium of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 1500 Brookdale Road, Naperville.
Joseph Malham, who teaches icon writing at St. Gregory the Great Church in Chicago, will talk about “The Art and Spirituality of Icons,” addressing what the art represents and the spirituality exhibited. (An icon is considered a visible image of the divine and the iconographer, in creating it, is instrumental in realizing this spiritual process. So, creating an icon is akin to spiritual writing.)
Malham, one of three artists-in-residence at St. Gregory the Great Church, believes icons speak a universal language that everyone can appreciate. Commissioned by churches to write icons for liturgies, shrines and private devotions, he uses time-honored techniques that include egg tempera, bass panels and 24K gold leaf in icons. Malham studied art in Rome and iconography under Meltem Aktas, a Chicago artist involved in iconography and icon restoration work for churches.
For more information, contact Chari Rosales, director of adult faith formation at St. Thomas, at (630) 355-8980, ext. 138, or at crosales.stapostle.org.
Organized in 1984, the St. Thomas faith community numbers more than 3,300 households of more than 11,000 people.
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