06/11/2025
The Parade of the Icon of the Taxiarchs and Archangels of Michael and Gabriel through the Cathedral of Saint Constantine and Helene, Parker Street, Northbridge will be held during the morning Service on this Sunday 9 November 2025. A light morning tea will also be provided at the Hellenic Community Centre following the Church Service.
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The miraculous icon was made when the Saracen pirates during the 9th and 10th centuries invaded the entire island.
The story of the creation of the icon is that the target of the raids was the monastery of the Taxiarchis. The pirates threatened the monks with death if they would not reveal the whereabouts of the hidden villagers. The monks refused and the invaders slaughtered all of the monks except for one novice-monk, monk Gabriel.
As the pirates were leaving, the novice climbed to the roof of the monastery to be sure that the pirates had left. However, the pirates noticed him from afar and returned to kill him as well. It is at this point that the Archangel Michael makes his appearance in front of the Saracens with his own sword drawn forcing them to retreat in terror. Thanks to this miracle from the Archangel, monk Gabriel survived. As he stood there in front of the Archangel, he had his hands wrapped around his own arms in amazement...he said to the Archangel, now that he has seen him, he does not want to forget his look, I need to draw your face he said to him, but how will that be possible for I have no paper or anything else to help me do so he was so much shocked by the Archangels appearance that he begged him in tears to help him find a way to draw his image...at that instance he looked down at his arms and saw the blood running down, because of the state of shock he had scratched himself with his own hands, immediately he thanked the Archangel for enlightening him in that way and so he climbed down to the courtyard, still in deep respect and reverence for having witnessed the Archangel Michael in all his fury, he gathered up the blood of the martyred monks and mixed it up with white sand and shaped it into the icon-sculpture of the Archangel as it is today; while it was still vivid in his memory. The monk did not have enough of this dirt-blood mix and so the head of the Archangel has turned out disproportionately larger to the rest of his body.
This icon, is now kept within the interior of the church.
Many islanders claim to have had personal experiences of miracles being granted for them. This is evident by the numerous cabinets full of tagmata (gifts of gold) to the Archangel housed inside the church. To this day, pilgrims to this church have mixed emotions regarding this icon. At times, the expression on the icon can appear severe, sad, or happy, according to the message that the Archangel wants to convey to that pilgrim or the faithful.
