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1. Mother of God of Tenderness
Also known as Eleousa (Virgin of Tenderness, Tender Mercy). The icon can be recognized by the arm of the Child around the neck of the mother. The face of the Virgin that is looking towards us is full of warmth and human comprehension, but also with deep sadness. It is among the best known in the Western World. It's one of the oldest icons of the type.
Location - Emmanuel House (an Assumptionist Community at Assumption College), Worcester, MA
2. Mother of God of the Sign
The icon depicts the Theotokos during the Annunciation at the moment of saying, "May it be done to me according to your word."(Luke 1:38). The image of the Christ child represents him at the moment of his conception in the womb of the Virgin. He is depicted not as a fetus, but rather vested in divine robes, and often holding a scroll, symbolic of his role as teacher. Sometimes his robes are gold or white, symbolizing divine glory; sometimes they are blue and red, symbolizing the two natures of Christ. His face is depicted as that of an old man, indicating the Christian teaching that he was at one and the same time both a fully-human infant and fully the eternal God, one of the Trinity. His right hand is raised in blessing.
Location - Emmanuel House (an Assumptionist Community at Assumption College), Worcester, MA
3. Christ Pantocrator
Sometimes called "The Icon of Christ"s Blessing," this icon shows Christ holding the jeweled Book of the Gospels while His right hand is raised in blessing. The original has been authenticated as dated from the 6th century, the earliest extant icon of Christ. The image carries details of all early icons, however, notably the short forked beard and mustache, the abundant head of wavy hair, and the arched brows. This icon conforms to the type that aspires to show Christ as God-Man. The unfixed gaze of the eyes show Christ as God, looking to eternity. The natural features of the face and the tender expression show the mystery of Christ, a human being like one of us.
Location - Emmanuel House (an Assumptionist Community at Assumption College), Worcester, MA
4. Mother of God (Smolensk)
A Hodegetria (Greek: Οδηγήτρια, literally: "She who shows the Way") Virgin Hodegetria — is a depiction of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) holding the Child Jesus at her side while pointing to Him as the source of salvation for mankind.
Location - Emmanuel House (an Assumptionist Community at Assumption College), Worcester, MA
5. St. John the Baptist
In this compelling painting, St John gazes directly at the viewer. Despite his long wild hair and straggly beard he projects a sense of wisdom and serenity. He is identified as the Forerunner. His ascetic background is evident; under his orange/red tunic and long green mantle he wears a hair shirt. He holds a scroll in his left hand and a cross in his right.
Location - Assumptionist Center, Brighton, MA
6. Mother of God with Apostles (Mater Ecclesiae)
This icon depicts the three loves which Fr. Emmanuel d'Alzon d'Alzon, the founder of the Assumptionists, placed at the heart of spirituality he left to his congregation (love of Christ, of his mother Mary, and of the Church, represented by the 12 apostles).
Location - Assumptionist Center, Brighton, MA
7. Archangel Gabriel
Messenger of God. One of the three angels mentioned by name in the Bible. Appeared to the prophet Daniel to explain the prophet's visions relating to the Messiah (Daniel 8:16-26; 9:21). Appeared to Zechariah in the temple to announce the coming of Zechariah's son, John the Baptist, and to strike Zechariah mute for his disbelief (Luke 1:11-20). Appeared to Mary to let her know she'd been chosen to bear the Savior (Luke 1:25-38). He typically wears blue or white garments; he holds either a lily (representing the Theotokos), a trumpet, a shining lantern, a branch from Paradise presented to him by the Theotokos, or a spear in his right hand and often a mirror—made of jasper and with a Χ (the first letter of Christ (Χριστος) in Greek)—in his left hand.
Location - Emmanuel House (an Assumptionist Community at Assumption College), Worcester, MA
8. St. John the Baptist
(see icon #5)
Location - Emmanuel House (an Assumptionist Community at Assumption College), Worcester, MA
9. St. Augustine
St. Augustine is the patron of the Assumptionists, also known as the Augustinians of the Assumption. Fr. d'Alzon chose Augustine as the patron of the congregation because he saw in Augustine someone who had to struggle with political realities similar to those that existed after the French Revolution, i.e. a Church under attack and in need of a new evangelization.
Location - Emmanuel House (an Assumptionist Community at Assumption College), Worcester, MA
10. St. Anne and Mother of God
In this traditional icon, St. Anne is pictured with the Virgin Mary, known as the Theotokos. Mary holds a flower, a symbol of purity.
Location - St. Anne and St. Patrick Church, Fiskdale, MA
11. Mother of God (Tenderness)
(see icon #1)
Location - Religious Sisters of the Assumption, Worcester, MA
12. St. Patrick
St. Patrick was the great evangelizer of Ireland. He is one of the patrons of the Assumptionist parish in Sturbridge, Massachusetts.
Location - St. Anne and St. Patrick Church, Fiskdale, MA
13. Mother of God (Tenderness)
( see icon #1)
Location - Emmanuel House (an Assumptionist Community at Assumption College), Worcester, MA
14. Mandatum
In “The Washing of the Feet", Jesus sets for the Apostles (and for us) an example of humble service to one another by washing the Apostle’s feet at the Last Supper. (John 13:3-17) We liturgically follow Christ’s command to wash each other’s feet at the “Mandatum" ceremony on Holy Thursday.
Location - Peter Precourt, A.A., Fiskdale, MA
15. St. Paul
This is a depiction of the great St. Paul who "turned the (pagan) world upside down." He holds in his hand a copy of the Scriptures he left for the Christian tradition.
Location - Paul Vaudreuil, A.A., Worcester, MA
16. Mother of God (Korzun)
This icon from the late Russian period shows great affection expressed by the Virgin who holds the Child in a tender embrace. However, her eyes do not focus on the Child but gaze inward in profound contemplation, and outward to the viewer in subtle invitation to enter with her into the mystery of God clothed in humanity. In one hand, the Child clasps a scroll which symbolizes the Word of God and identifies Him as Teacher and Savior for humanity. The other hand reaches out for Mary's veil in an affectionate embrace as though to invite the viewer to turn to Mary for help and succor. Light seems to emanate from within both Mary and the Child who are one in the Spirit. The circle of light extends to Mary's elongated hands which seem to form a cradle or a womb to enclose her Incarnate Son. The usual star in Mary's veil indicates her virginity; the Greek letters indicate that she is Mother of God.
Location - Emmanuel House (an Assumptionist Community at Assumption College), Worcester, MA
17. Mother of God (Tenderness)
(see icon #1)
Location - Mrs. Joan Coriveau, Webster, MA
18. Christ Pantocrator
(see icon #3)
Location - Emmanuel House (an Assumptionist Community at Assumption College), Worcester, MA
19. Mother of God (Vladimir)
The Virgin of Vladimir is the most venerated icon in all Russia and has escaped many fires and plunderers. The Virgin is shown inclined in an attitude of contemplation while the Child rests on her arm with His cheek against hers. This attitude expresses not so much the maternal tenderness of Mary as her power to elicit tenderness in her Son as she intercedes with Him for the human race. Her eyes look neither toward the Child, nor at the viewer, but rather inward to the heart of God and outward to the heart of the world. The meaning of Mary's gaze is further enhanced by the bright stars on her forehead and shoulders. They indicate not only her virginity before, during and after the birth of Jesus, but also speak of a divine presence that permeates part of her being. She is completely open to the Spirit, making her innermost being completely attentive to the creative power of God. The bright face and golden tunic of the Child indicate His majesty and splendor as the Word of God, the source of all wisdom. The arm of the Child holds Mary in an embrace, His eyes fixed on hers with complete attentiveness, and His mouth close to hers, offering her His divine breath. The neck of the Child is painted large because it represents the Holy Spirit, the breath of God which Jesus offers to humanity. Far from a sentimental event, the tender embrace of mother and child is the portrayal of the mysterious interchange between God and humanity made possible by the Incarnation of the Word.
Location - the community of the Religious of the Assumption, Lansdale, PA
20. Christ in Majesty
In this icon, Christ, seated on his heavenly throne blesses with his right hand while holding a book in his left. On red ground around Christ's mandorla, the four evangelists are presented.
Location - Jerome Lively, A.A. - Worcester, MA (Rome, Italy)
21. Mother of God (Vladimir)
(see icon #19)
Location - Mr and Mrs Tom Plough
22. Mother of God (Tenderness)
(see icon # 1)
Location - Kote Mancusi
23. Assumptionist Bulgarian Martyrs (Pavel, Kamen, and Josaphat)
Late on the night of Nov. 11, 1952, after a show trial during which they were accused of trumped up charges of spying for the Vatican and plotting to overthrow the government, three Assumptionist Bulgarian priests, Pavel Djidjov, Kamen Vitchev, and Josaphat Chichkov, were executed by the Communist authorities in the main prison of the capital, Sofia. They were beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2002.
Location - Communauté de l'Orangerie, Strasbourg, France
24. Assumptionist Bulgarian Martyrs (Pavel, Kamen, and Josaphat)
(see icon #23)
Location - Bernard Holzer, A.A., Manilla, Philippines
25. St. Augustine
(see icon #9)
Location - Camillus Thibault, A.A., Brighton, MA
26. Assumptionist Bulgarian Martyrs (Pavel, Kamen, and Josaphat)
(see icon #23)
Location - Assumptionist Community in Istambul, Turkey
27. St. Marie Eugénie
Marie Eugénie Milleret de Brouw (Marie Eugénie de Jésus) is the foundress of the Religious of the Assumption. Her spiritual director and close friend was Fr. Emmanuel d'Alzon, the founder of the Assumptionists. She was canonized on June 3, 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI.
Location - the community of the Religious of the Assumption, Worcester, MA
28. Assumptionist Bulgarian Martyrs (Pavel, Kamen, and Josaphat)
(see icon #23)
Location - Emmanuel House (an Assumptionist Community at Assumption College), Worcester, MA
29. St. Marie Eugénie
(se icon #27)
Location - the community of the Religious of the Assumption, Lansdale, PA
30. Mother of God (Tenderness)
(see icon #1)
Location - Fiskdale, MA
31. Assumptionist Bulgarian Martyrs (Pavel, Kamen, and Josaphat)
(see icon #23)
Location - Assumptionist Center, Brighton, MA
32. St. John the Divine at Patmos
First a fisherman by trade, he became an Apostle and the beloved Disciple of Christ. Only he of all the Disciples followed Him even to the Cross, and was entrusted with the care of our Savior’s Mother. According to tradition, after this, he preached throughout Asia Minor, especially in Ephesus. During one of many persecutions of Christians, he would have been exiled to the island of Patmos, where he wrote the Book of Revelation. Returning again to Ephesus after the death of the tyrant, he wrote his Gospel (after the other Evangelists had already written theirs) and his three Catholic Epistles. He was called Theologian because he loftily expounded in his Gospel the theology of the inexpressible and eternal birth of the Son and Word of God the Father.
Location - Argitis Family, Sturbridge, Massachusetts
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