Iconography Course Concludes at Saint Sava Mission
Jackson, California — September 12, 2026

After five full days of prayer, creativity, learning, and fellowship, the Iconography Course at Saint Sava Mission in Jackson concluded on Friday, September 11, in the newly built Church of Saint George the Great Martyr. Led by Bishop Maxim, with the assistance of Gabriela Matthews, the course brought together twelve students who worked side by side throughout the week, painting icons of Saint Nicholas, Saint Sava the Sanctified, and Saint Anastasia of Rome.

The photographs from the week perhaps tell the story best: the joy and excitement of the students, their growing confidence and creativity, and above all the love and fellowship that developed among them. For five full days they painted together, shared common meals, listened to and learned from one another, and watched with delight as each person’s icon gradually acquired its own character and beauty. Under the guidance of their instructors, individual creativity became part of a common labor and a shared experience of the Church.

Alongside their work on portable icons, the students witnessed the beginning of the wall iconography of Saint George Chapel, starting in the sanctuary with the Communion of the Holy Apostles. Thus, the conclusion of the course is also a beginning. The work undertaken this week points toward the promising future of Saint George Chapel, whose iconographic adornment will continue during the coming seasons, gradually clothing this sacred space in color, light, and the living faces of the saints.
The students departed Jackson happy and inspired, carrying home not only the icons made by their own hands, but also the memory of five days in which art, faith, friendship, and fellowship became one common work.