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St. Pius X Church in Loudonville is hosting its first Icon Retreat from April 10-14 at the parish.

Deacon Martin Dinan along with professional iconographer Veronica Royal — who was featured in The Evangelist in 2020 — will host the five-day retreat that will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., each day. The retreat is limited to 15 entrants who will create their own icon of Our Lady, Undoer of Knots during the week.

“Personally, I find beauty in the various icons through the way that they help us concentrate on perhaps the Christ figure, the Blessed Mary and various saints throughout history,” Dinan said. “Icons allow us to use our senses to pray through and with the Spirit and engage God on a deeper level.”

Royal, who was born in Nancy, France, has studied under an impressive litany of icon painters from all across the globe. Royal — who was drawn to iconography as a child and brought up in the Ukrainian Church with Ukrainian and Russian parents — immigrated to the U.S. when she was 8 years old and began her vocation to iconography after joining the Carmelite Secular Community in the 1990s.

“I am so excited to be coming to upstate New York to St. Pius X where I will be leading a five-day, icon painting workshop,” Royal said on St. Pius’ website. “I would like you to join me to learn more about icon painting, theology of iconography, history of iconography and also to paint a beautiful icon of Our Lady, Undoer of Knots 

To learn the technique and spirituality of the sacred art of iconography, Royal has traveled to Greece and England to work with professional iconographers. She now works full-time as an iconographer filling commissions for churches, priests, religious organizations and families. Royal also teaches workshops, which she has done for the past 15 years, and lectures at various venues nationwide.

For the retreat at St. Pius, all artistic items will be provided including boards, paint and a colored prototype. All artistic skill levels are welcome to join this retreat! The cost of the retreat is $750 per person. A $200 deposit is required upon registration. For more retreat details or questions, please contact Dinan at [email protected]. To register online, use this link: stpiusxloudonville.org/2023/01/27/2023-icon-retreat-at-st-pius-x.

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