Embedded Files
Oakland-Friday: Communion Service&Adoration @Noon. Blue Mass @7PM w/reception; all are welcome! Weekend Masses: Sat @4P in McHenry & Sun @9AM, Oakland
2026 Fall Icon Class - St. Francis of Assisi
Class Term: Mondays Only - September 21 to November 14 (No Class on All Souls Day - Nov. 2)
Time: 5-8pm
Class Size: Limited to 12 students
Location: St. Peter the Apostle Parish Center Hall, 208 S. Fourth Street, Oakland, MD
Price: $125 includes all supplies and a finished 9"x 12" icon. A non-refundable deposit of 50 percent is due at registration, which ends September 20.
Registration: To learn more and to register, please contact Nancy at iconapprentice@gmail.com.
About St. Francis of Assisi
This year marks the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi. Pope Leo designated January 10, 2026 - January 10, 227 as a Jubilee Year in honor of Saint Francis. It is to be commemorated in the entire Church. Learn about the Jubilee Year here.
Early Life: Born Giovanni di Bernardone in Assisi, Italy, to a wealthy silk merchant, he spent his youth enjoying fine clothes, wealth, and social prestige.
Conversion: After a serious illness and a spiritual awakening, he renounced his inheritance and worldly comforts, famously stripping off his fine clothes to give them back to his father.
Founding Orders: He founded the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans) and inspired the Poor Clares alongside St. Clare of Assisi.
Stigmata and Legacy: In 1224, he received the stigmata (the wounds of Christ) on his body. He died in 1226 and was canonized two years later.
Patronage: He is the patron saint of animals, nature, and Italy. His feast day is October 4.
About Our Iconographer
Nancy, our parishioner, member of our Evangelization Mission Team, and Pastoral Council Chairperson has nearly 20 years’ experience as an Iconographer. She has conducted several Icon classes at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Parish. In spring 2025, she led a team of volunteers in writing Stations of the Cross for St. Peter at the Lake Center in McHenry, and has been commissioned to write icons for our Lake Center and Parish Center Hall. In July 2026, she completed the icon of St. Peter the Apostle, our parish's patron saint.
Nancy has made Iconography her apostolate and has dedicated many hours to promoting the understanding and appreciation of religious art on her YouTube Channel Icon Apprentice @iconapprentice8756. Tune-in for beginning-to-end instruction on creating an Icon.
Praying With Icons
Understanding the Theology of the Image is key to the prayer before an Icon. When looking at an icon the perception is reversed from a general piece of art. For instance, in a pastoral scene the viewer is looking or gazing INTO the scene being presented. When you are looking at an icon the saint or Holy One depicted is looking into your world. It is called “receiving the gaze”. The background of the interior of the image is gold. This color represents the uncreated light of God illuminating all in love and mercy.
Prayer
Make the sign of the Cross. Pray the “Come Holy Spirit” prayer. Reflect on the image, search your heart for needs, contemplate how you can become more like the holy one represented, give thanks for your blessings.
About St. Peter The Apostle and Our Icon
His name was Simon and he was a simple fisherman. He was a straightforward man who was sometimes impulsive. Jesus called him to be one of the 12 Apostles and re-named him Peter. Peter was the first apostle to make the confession of faith that Jesus was “the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” In response Jesus says to Peter, “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” resurrection and to perform healings, traveling from city to city to spread the good news. Persecuted and imprisoned under Nero, tradition of the church holds that he was crucified upside down on June 29, AD 67. Source: Vatican News
In the image of St Peter the Apostle are several key theological points to consider and embrace. The first thing to take notice of is the gaze from St Peter. He looks directly at you, waiting to see how he can assist you. St Peter is seated on the chair of Rome signaling his divine commission by Jesus. The halo of St Peter is breaking the inner border of the Icon. This represents St Peter coming into our world to help us however he can. You also see the fire of the Holy Spirit hovering above his head. This represents the power of the Trinity assisting St Peter to be their emissary to those of us praying before the Icon.
His interior robe is blue, representing humanity and the truth of heaven. The exterior robe is a peach or golden color, showing that St Peter is filled with divine grace, that he has proclaimed the revealed faith and his clothing is reflecting the radiance of God. The hand of St Peter on the left of the Icon is held in a symbol of blessing while the hand on the right is holding the “keys to the kingdom of heaven” as Jesus proclaimed in Matthew 16:19.
You will notice that the hand holding the keys is held up with a strip of cloth. This indicates that there is still human weakness to contend with and he must rely on divine aid to keep the faith strong. His feet are bare indicating his humility before God. His feet are not resting flat but seem to be in motion and almost stepping off the throne in an attitude of service to the faithful. The feet also break the
border, again indicating St Peter coming into our world to assist us.
Page updated
Report abuse