The central Sanctuary apse

Work is continuing for the concreting of the Sanctuary apses. The central one stands behind the Altar.

On the upper part of it, according to the Eastern Orthodox Tradition, we paint the icon of the Mother of God, as the “Wider than the Heavens”.

This icon is called “Wider than the heavens” because Mary gave birth to Christ, Who is God, the Creator of all things. Thus, because she received and conceived in herself, He Who cannot be contained in the whole of Creation, Mary is indeed wider than the heavens.

The icon of the Holy Mother of God with the Christ Child in the apse of the Orthodox Church reminds worshippers that the purpose of our life is that Christ be formed in us. Mary shows us that a Christian is a person in whom Christ lives. She invites us to receive within us by faith, by the Word of God, and by the Eucharist the Christ Who was conceived and formed in her so that we too may become God bearers.