Saint Venerable Pelagia of Antioch. Wooden orthodox icon.
Original icon late 19th century.
Saint Pelagia (Pelageya) was born in Syrian Antioch and before her conversion to Christ was a frivolous and dissolute girl. Having a very attractive appearance, she adorned herself with luxurious clothes, gold and precious stones, for which her admirers called her Margarita, i.e. pearl.
Once, bishops from neighboring dioceses gathered in Antioch for a council. Among them was Nonnus, Bishop of Heliopolis, known for his wisdom and righteous life. During a break, the bishops left the church where they were sitting, and suddenly a noisy crowd of young men appeared before them. Among them, one girl stood out for her beauty - with bare shoulders and immodestly dressed. It was Pelagia. She joked loudly and laughed, and admirers flocked around her. The embarrassed bishops lowered their gaze, but Saint Nonnus, on the contrary, began to examine Pelagia intently. When the noisy crowd left, Nonnus asked the bishops: “Didn’t you like the beauty of this woman and her attire?” They were silent. Then Nonnus continued: “And I learned a lot from her. She made it her goal to please people and, what do you think, how many hours did she spend on decorating herself, on taking care to appear more beautiful than other women in the eyes of her admirers! At the Last Judgment, the Lord will condemn us with her, because we, having an immortal Bridegroom in Heaven, neglect the state of our souls. With what will we appear before Him?” Arriving at the inn, Saint Nonnus began to pray fervently for the salvation of Pelagia. The following Sunday, when Nonnus was celebrating the Divine Liturgy, Pelagia, drawn by a mysterious force, came to the church for the first time. The service and the sermon of St. John about the Last Judgment so shocked her that she was horrified by her sinful life. Coming to Nonnus, she expressed a desire to be baptized, but was not sure whether the Lord would have mercy on her: "My sins are more numerous than the sand of the sea, and there is not enough water in the sea to wash away my filthy deeds." The good shepherd consoled her with hope for God's mercy and baptized her. Having become a Christian, Pelagia gathered her property and brought it to Nonnus. Nonnus ordered it to be distributed to the poor, saying: "Let the poorly collected be wisely spent." A few days later, Pelagia, dressed in men's clothing, left the city. She went to Jerusalem and here she took monastic vows. She was mistaken for a young man. Having arranged a cell for herself on the Mount of Olives, she locked herself in it and began to lead a strict monastic life of repentance, fasting and prayer. The inhabitants of the surrounding areas considered her to be the monk Pelagius, a eunuch. After several years, having achieved high spiritual gifts, the monk Pelagius died approximately in the year 457. At the burial it was discovered that the deceased monk was a woman.
🖼 Product Features
• Printed on durable MDF wood panel
• Mineral pigment inks for long-lasting color
• Sealed with protective beeswax finish
• Ready to hang — includes mounted metal hook
• Handmade by Orthodox Christian artisans
• Lightweight yet solid: board thickness is 1.6 cm (0.6")
📏 Available Sizes
• 12 x 15 cm (5” x 6”)
• 23 x 30 cm (9” x 12”)
• 30 x 39 cm (12” x 15”)
🎁 Perfect for
• Orthodox Christian gifts
• Spiritual housewarming gifts
• Prayer corners and devotional altars
• Baptisms, name days, and feast days
🌍 Ships worldwide with secure packaging
Our icons are made by Orthodox craftsmen in Portugal.
We hope it will be a good gift for you and your loved ones.
