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Toronto: Friday August 15, 2008 (Panagia celebrations) The faithful arrived early in the morning to get a seat in one of the Orthodox churches located throughout the GTA. August 15 is one of the holest days in the Orthodox faith. On this date the faithful gather in Churches around the world to celebrate Panagia (Virgin Mary).
PanagiaFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaPanagia (Greek: Παναγία, All-holy), also transliterated Panayia or Panaghia, is one of the titles of Mary, the mother of Jesus, used especially in Orthodox Christianity. There are many Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches dedicated to Mary that are called Panagia.
IconographyPanagia is also the term for a particular type of icon of the Theotokos, wherein she is facing the viewer directly, usually depicted full length with her hands in the orans position, and with a medallion showing the image of Christ as a child in front of her chest [1]. This medallion symbolically represents Jesus within the womb of the Virgin Mary at the moment of the Incarnation. This type of icon is also sometimes called Platytera (Greek: Πλατυτέρα, literally wider or more spacious); poetically, by containing the Creator of the Universe in her womb, Mary has become Platytera ton ouranon (Πλατυτέρα τῶν Ουρανῶν): "More spacious than the heavens". This type is also sometimes called the Virgin of the Sign or Our Lady of the Sign, a reference to Isaiah 7:14 ("Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel"). Such an image is often placed in the apse of the sanctuary of an Orthodox temple (church building) above the altar [2]. As with most Orthodox icons of Mary, the letters ΜΡ ΘΥ (short for ΜΗΤΗΡ ΘΕΟΥ, "Mother of God") are usually placed on the upper left and right of the halo of the Virgin Mary.
VestmentBy extension of this last sense, a panagia can also be an engolpion with an icon of the Theotokos, worn by an Orthodox bishop. They can be very simple [3] or extremely elaborate [4][5], depending on the personal taste of the particular bishop.  Saint Patriach Tikhon in vestment with panagia and engolpion of Jesus When an Orthodox bishop is vested for the Divine Liturgy or another service, he wears a panagia and a pectoral cross over his other vestments [6]. The primate of an autocephalous church, when fully vested, wears a panagia, a pectoral cross, and an engolpion of Jesus [7]. Bishops of all ranks when not vested will usually wear the panagia alone over their riassa [8]; this is often the detail that, to the casual observer, distinguishes a bishop from a priest or a monk. The panagia is usually oval in shape and crowned with a depiction of an Eastern mitre. Sometimes, bishops will wear a panagia which is either square (see picture, right) or shaped like a Byzantine double-headed eagle; this latter is especially true of Greek bishops. When the bishop is vested before the Divine Liturgy, the Panagia is presented to him on a tray. He blesses it with both hands and the subdeacons bring it to him to kiss and place the Panagia around his neck, while the Protodeacon swings the censer and says the following prayer: May God create a clean heart in thee, and renew a right spirit within thee, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
After the Liturgy, when the bishop takes the Panagia off to unvest, he would cross himself, kiss the Panagia and place it on the Holy Table (altar). After unvesting and putting on his outer riassa, he would bless the Panagia, cross himself again, and put it on, before exiting through the Holy Doors to bless the faithful.
Blessed bread The particles placed on the diskos during the Divine Liturgy. The large cube is the Lamb, the triangle to the left is the particle for the Theotokos taken out of the Panagia. Panagia may also refer to a prosphoron (αρτος της παναγιας) which is solemnly blessed in honor of the Theotokos during the Divine Liturgy (see Prosphora for details). From this loaf is cut a large triangle in honour of the Theotokos and placed on the diskos (paten) during the Liturgy of Preparation. The remainder of the loaf is blessed over the Holy Table (altar) during the hymn Axion Estin, just before the blessing of the antidoron. The priest makes the Sign of the Cross with the Panagia over the Sacred Mysteries (consecrated Body and Blood of Christ) as he says, "Great is the name of the Holy Trinity." In some monasteries there is a special rite ceremony called the "Lifitng of the Panagia" which takes place in the trapeza (refectory). After the dismissal of the Liturgy, a triangular portion is cut from the prosphoron by the refectorian (monk in charge of the refectory). The Panagia is then cut in half and laid crust downwards on a tray. The brethren will go in procession from the catholicon (main church) to the trapeza, and the Panagia is carried on its tray at the head of the procession. Once there, the Panagia is placed on a table called the Panagiarion. After the meal, the refectorian takes off his klobuk (epanokamelavkion and kamilavkion), and bows to the assembled brethren, saying, "Bless me, holy Fathers, and pardon me a sinner," to which the brotherhood bows and replies, "May God pardon and have mercy on you." Then, taking the Panagia in his fingertips, he lifts it up while saying, "Great is the name," and then the community continues with "of the Holy Trinity." The rite then continues with, "O All-holy Mother of God, help us!" with the reply, "At her prayers, O God, have mercy and save us." Two hymns are then sung while the refectorian, accompanied by a cleric with a hand censer, offers the Panagia to those assembled. Each takes a piece between his finger and thumb, passes it through the incense, and then consumes it as a blessing.
There are thousands of Churches in the world named Panagia, including one in Toronto on Soraunen Avenue. Many Greek islands and villages are also named Panagia. Many of these take their name from the churches and monasteries there, which are dedicated to Mary.
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