"Windows into Heaven"

Archangel Gabriel - Monstaery of the Great Meteora

The Return of Iconography at Assumption Church
"Our Windows Into Heaven"

Icons of the Lord, the Virgin Mary, the angelic hosts and saints beautify the Orthodox Church in order to remind us of their presence in our world. They also encourage us to imitate them, that we too may realize our God-given call to holiness. For this reason they are called "windows into Heaven, and mirrors of our deified humanity."

In December or 2002, a devastating fire destroyed the holy images in at the Assumption Church. Since then, the faithful patiently wait for these sacred images to rise from the ashes and once again fill our house of worship with the beauty of Heaven. A committee was formed to search and engage an iconographer who can, with paint and brush, depict the beautification and sanctification of the human person by the Grace of God.

After three years of extensive searching, Fr. Michael Varlamos and the committee, with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas, have selected world-renown iconographer, Vlasios Tsotsonis to be the Assumption Iconographer.

Vlasios Tsotsonis was born in Corinth, Greece in 1951 where he continues to spend many hours interpreting, in art and color the Orthodox theology and the mysteries of God in the holy icons he creates.

He studied fine arts - painting and spatial aesthetics - in Athens and learnt the art of hagiography, including Byzantine painting and mosaic, at the studio of Georgios Koutlidis. He studied mosaic aesthetics at the Scuola Mosaisisti del Friuli Spilimbergo in Italy.

Mr. Tsotsonis, also known as the "The Iconographer of Angels", has been commissioned to paint at some of the most prestigious churches in the world. Below is a partial list of his major accomplishments:

Church of the Holy Sepulcher
(Jerusalem)

Monastery of St. Irene Chrysovalantou
(Attiki, Greece)

Monastery of St. Stephen
Meteora, Greece)

Monastery of the Great Meteoron
Meteora, Greece)

Official Exhibitor and Representative of the Church of Greece at the 2004 Olympic Games (Athens, Greece)

St. Mary's Antiochian Orthodox Church
(Livonia, Michigan)

Malista congratulates the Assumption Community on this milestone. Mr. Tsotsonis has a lovely website at www.vlasiostsotsonis.com A visit to St. Mary's Antiochian Orthodox Church in Livonia is worth the trip. It is a breath taking display of the iconographers genius and ability. May God continue to guide his hand to create Assumption's "Windows to Heaven". Mr. Tsotsonis was introduced to the entire community on August 6, 2006, litergy services. Photos are posted at http://www.goassumption.org/Koimisis/Photos.html

Malista!