By Maureen Peltier
WOODVILLE – Did you know that the City of Woodville has three new Byzantine icons? How unlikely is that? Considering the nature and history of Byzantine icons, it is very unlikely. Even more improbable is the fact that Woodville’s three new icons were brought about by the 50th anniversary of Our Lady of the Pines Catholic Church and a rock thrown through a glass window, plus the interest and talent of a local artist.
But first - what is a Byzantine icon? To answer that question, it might help to review a little ancient history which readers may or may not have ever known or remember (or have cared to have known or remembered).
Begin with the Roman Empire around 300 AD. The western part of the Empire was in Rome, and the Roman emperor was Constantine, the first emperor to become Christian. Because he wanted a capital that was closer to the center of the Empire, Constantine moved the capital east to the Greek colony of Byzantium, later renamed Constantinople but now Istanbul. The religion of the Empire became Christianity, and the official language changed from Latin to Greek.
Out of that eastern branch of the Christian church came what we call “icons,” a very distinct form of religious art developed to teach and strengthen the faith. They were valued primarily for their aesthetic value and accorded extraordinary, even miraculous, power to answer prayers, heal the sick and provide protection. They were present and accorded great respect in homes as well as churches. In 626 an icon of Christ was credited with saving Constantinople from a Persian assault. Icons were painted using different media but were mostly painted with tempera on wood. The tempera was colored pigment suspended in a solution of egg yolk mixed with water. Our Woodville icons are prepared with modern acrylic paint on wood.
Then, as now, they were filled with symbolism. As “theology written as colors,” Jesus is painted wearing a blue outer garment because He is believed to be divine and puts on humanity. The Virgin Mary’s under garment is painted in blue because she is a human being and is believed to be divine by bearing Christ.
Thus, every detail in an icon, even the most insignificant, expresses a concept and alludes to a superior meaning, a reference to an evangelical episode or a spiritual message. The creator of an icon is known more as a “writer” than a painter, with a theological mission to teach more than to create art. The viewer focuses not on what is seen in the piece of art, but rather on what is seen through it, which Christians believe is the love of God expressed in the art.
Faces do not appear as they do in realistic paintings because they are meant to reflect the person beyond this world, as if in Heaven.
That brings us to Our Lady of the Pines and the recent celebration of its 50th anniversary. To commemorate the event, Doretta Remy, the talented artist mentioned above, was commissioned by the church to create a memorial that was unveiled during Mass on July 14, 2024. Her creation is an exquisite Greek icon of the Child Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary on a background of the three crosses in front of the church, embellished with 24 karat gold. Father James Ahern blessed it. As part of the celebration, Deacon David Luther gave a brief history of Our Lady of the Pines before it was unveiled.
Doretta also painted the other two Greek icons in Woodville. They can be seen on the south side of her coffee shop and art studio, which is on the southeast side of the courthouse and known as Doretta’s Lair. Shortly after Doretta had taken a class on icons, vandals broke one of the large glass windows on the building. That event inspired her to replace the glass with original pieces of Byzantine art. She relates that over the many months it took to complete the projects she observed the rules that define the painting of icons. Appropriate to her art studio and coffee shop, Doretta depicted Christ as an artist holding a paint palette and his mother Mary holding a cup of coffee and one of Doretta’s beloved cats.
Today, Greek and Byzantine icons are seldom encountered outside of a Greek Orthodox church or a large metropolitan museum of art and would certainly not be expected to be found in a small East Texas town, but thanks to the anniversary of Our Lady of the Pines, the work of vandals and Doretta Remy, three new icons are here and do indeed link Woodville to ancient Byzantine history.
Icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event. Icons can only be created with the blessing of the Church, as they are writings of Truth.
Purpose of Icons The Orthodox Church uses icons to assist in worship. Icons are a ‘window to heaven’ and they help us to focus on the divine things. While the icons still contain material aspects, like are taught not to reject our physical life but instead to transform it, as was done by the holy people represented by the icons. It is important to note that the icons themselves are venerated only, not worshipped; we only worship God in the Holy
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