"IconoFan 2" at St. Thekla Monastery Chapel
My son has created and installed a more elaborate version of the Icon covered ceiling which he had made for our home which appears in this gallery under the title of "ByzFANtium". Like the prototype, this fan has Icons of the Great Feasts placed around the motor housing, with an upper crown containing Icons of Christ the Teacher, the Theotokos, the Forerunner, and the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
This fan was placed in the new, larger chapel of the Antiochian St. Thekla Monastery in Glenville, PA, just in time for the first services, a vigil held on September 26 - 27 in honor of the Patronal festival. The vigil began with 9th Hour at 8 PM and concluded with the Divine Liturgy around 12:30 AM.
He also built the stand behind the Holy Table for the Cross, Exapteryga, and lanterns.
Installation of this fan was challenging because there was no supporting beam in the Amish-built peg and beam barn. The span for the supporting beam is 14 feet. Since he drives an 8 foot cargo van with no roof rack (and no way to transport long lumber) he cobbled a beam of a 2x4 sandwiched between 1x2's, drilled and fastened together by 3/4 inch dowel rod pegs.
Final installation was completed on the day when he discovered our that our oldest male cat,
Markios [
beliefnet.com], had died suddenly and unexpectedly. As he worked he told the Monastery cats that this fan wsa being installed in memory of Markios.
During the Vespers one of the cats entered the barn-now-chapel, sat primly beneath the icon stand holding the Icon of St. Thekla, and stared at the fan.
"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord...."
