Icon Restoration

To all the members and friends of St. Mary Magdalen,

Earlier this Fall mold growth was noticed on many of the icons at St. Mary Magdalen. Humidifiers were brought in and the humidity level of the church was brought down to a level that would not encourage more growth. The humidity in the temple is still being monitored to ensure safe levels are maintained. This was all likely due to the unusually wet year and the church being shut up much more than usual due to the pandemic. Given the delicate nature of icons professionals had to be brought in to safely remove the mold without damaging the icons themselves. Amy Davidson, a friend of the parish, coordinated this entire project and was able to establish connections with art conservators from the American Museum of Natural History. These conservators were able to fully restore our beautiful icons which were painted by Xenia Pokrovsky and Anna Gouriev, whom some of you knew personally. If you have been blessed by the spiritual beauty of these icons then I ask you in a show of gratitude to consider a donation to help defray the cost of restoring them, which amounted to nearly $4,000. Make this donation a part of your spiritual efforts during the Nativity Fast. And thank you for your generosity and support of the St. Mary Magdalen community.

In Christ,

Father Matthew Brown

Rector of St. Mary Magdalen Orthodox Church