Pentecost Icon

The Church of the Holy Spirit is blessed with a large and very handsome icon painted by The Rev. Bruce Pellegrin. The painting depicts the story told in the second chapter of Acts when the Holy Spirit came to rest on the disciples who were gathered to pray in an upstairs room.

The Holy Spirit in the form of a dove is descending on the group from above. Light radiates outward from the dove. The circle of light at the dove's head represents divine power. Mary is at the centre of the group.

Mary was the first person in the gospels to receive the Holy Spirit. That happened at the annunciation of Christ's birth. Here she is joyful. Following the custom of eastern Orthodox painting, she is shown as the mother of the Lord. She is not shown as semi-divine as was the practice in western Christian art.

Flames like tongues of fire have come to rest on each of the disciples.

There are twelve male disciples because Matthias, a replacement for Judas, had been selected by drawing lots. Every disciple is named. Some have books to indicate they are evangelists, writers of a gospel.

The night sky out the window is filled with stars — the Milky Way.

The surface of the painting is adorned with gold and precious stones to symbolize how the whole of creation is filled with divine light. They also indicate that the icon is more than just an image. It is, in fact, sacred. In the early church and medieval times such practices were common.

The cloth draperies, the floating figures, the pre-modern perspective, the inclusion of writing are all part of the style of icon painting.

The overall design of the painting suggests something of particular importance. The disciples are meant to be sitting in a circle. But the circle is not closed—it is open at the front where you the viewers are standing. The circle is only completed when we become part of the community.

When Bruce was painting this icon of the Pentecost story he worked hard to have it portray two important ideas: the coming of the Holy Spirit after Jesus had ascended from the earth and the formation of Christian community. The two ideas are very closely connected.

Bruce retired from active ministry a number of years ago. His wife Catherine died and he has been living in Northwood Manor in Halifax. He continues to paint and his room is filled with canvases, finished and in-progress. He has painted many landscapes and other paintings but religious images have been a big element of his art. Bruce says he has created well over 200 icons. Icon painting has allowed him to explore the theology of Christ's two natures and the Trinity. For a long time he has been drawn to eastern Christian understandings. He feels there is something mystical about them.

Pentecost comes from the Greek word for fiftieth day and refers to the seventh Sunday after Easter. It is a major Christian festival and marks the coming of the Holy Spirit to the church. In Acts the day of Pentecost would have referred to the Jewish festival of Shavuot which fell seven weeks after Passover.

Painted by The Rev. Dr. Bruce Pellegrin