The Zhirovitskaya Icon of the Mother of God Prayer Card – Patron for Serious Illness, Family Protection & Comfort in Deep Grief.png
The Zhirovitskaya Icon of the Mother of God Prayer Card – Patron for Serious Illness, Family Protection & Comfort in Deep Grief.png

The Zhirovitskaya Icon of the Mother of God Prayer Card – Patron for Serious Illness, Family Protection & Comfort in Deep Grief

$3.00

The Zhirovitskaya Icon of the Mother of God is one of the most intimate and mysterious Marian icons in Eastern Christianity. Unlike painted icons, this holy image is a small carved relief, traditionally described as jasper or ivory-like stone, barely larger than a human palm. Its size mirrors its spiritual message: God often enters our lives quietly, gently, and close to the heart.

The icon is venerated in both Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic traditions, standing as a rare shared Marian devotion rooted in lived faith rather than theology alone.

Its primary feast is celebrated on May 20 in the Orthodox calendar, and on May 7 on the Julian (Old) Calendar. Eastern Catholic communities honoring the icon observe these same dates locally.

According to sacred tradition, the icon first appeared in 1470, discovered by shepherd children in a pear tree near Zhirovichi. It vanished and reappeared more than once, finally resting at what became Zhirovichi Monastery, where devotion has continued uninterrupted for over five centuries.

People come to the Zhirovitskaya Icon today carrying very real pain.

They come with serious illness and chronic suffering.
They come seeking protection for their children and families.
They come grieving loss, displacement, or emotional collapse.

This icon understands those prayers.

The Mother of God inclines tenderly toward Christ. The Child presses His face against hers. There is no throne, no imperial distance, only closeness. This icon speaks directly to anyone who feels overwhelmed, afraid, exhausted, or forgotten.

It is especially beloved by those praying for healing, family safety, and comfort after tragedy. It is a refuge for refugees of the heart.

This prayer card is for hospital rooms, bedside tables, kitchens where parents worry in silence, and prayer corners where tears fall without words. The Zhirovitskaya Icon does not promise an easy life. It offers presence, protection, and maternal intercession in the darkest hours.

Each card is handmade in Austin, TX and created to order. We do not keep stock, because every prayer card is treated as a unique devotional offering. They are printed on museum-quality photo paper, not cardstock. Every card is made slowly, during prayer, with intentional reverence for the Mother of God and for the person who will receive it. Names are lifted before Christ. Intentions are quietly held. Each piece is handled multiple times in prayerful silence, asking the Theotokos to intercede and asking God to meet the soul it is being made for. This is not production work. It is devotional work, shaped with patience, care, and spiritual responsibility, because every soul and every prayer matters.

The Zhirovitskaya Icon of the Mother of God is one of the most intimate and mysterious Marian icons in Eastern Christianity. Unlike painted icons, this holy image is a small carved relief, traditionally described as jasper or ivory-like stone, barely larger than a human palm. Its size mirrors its spiritual message: God often enters our lives quietly, gently, and close to the heart.

The icon is venerated in both Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic traditions, standing as a rare shared Marian devotion rooted in lived faith rather than theology alone.

Its primary feast is celebrated on May 20 in the Orthodox calendar, and on May 7 on the Julian (Old) Calendar. Eastern Catholic communities honoring the icon observe these same dates locally.

According to sacred tradition, the icon first appeared in 1470, discovered by shepherd children in a pear tree near Zhirovichi. It vanished and reappeared more than once, finally resting at what became Zhirovichi Monastery, where devotion has continued uninterrupted for over five centuries.

People come to the Zhirovitskaya Icon today carrying very real pain.

They come with serious illness and chronic suffering.
They come seeking protection for their children and families.
They come grieving loss, displacement, or emotional collapse.

This icon understands those prayers.

The Mother of God inclines tenderly toward Christ. The Child presses His face against hers. There is no throne, no imperial distance, only closeness. This icon speaks directly to anyone who feels overwhelmed, afraid, exhausted, or forgotten.

It is especially beloved by those praying for healing, family safety, and comfort after tragedy. It is a refuge for refugees of the heart.

This prayer card is for hospital rooms, bedside tables, kitchens where parents worry in silence, and prayer corners where tears fall without words. The Zhirovitskaya Icon does not promise an easy life. It offers presence, protection, and maternal intercession in the darkest hours.

Each card is handmade in Austin, TX and created to order. We do not keep stock, because every prayer card is treated as a unique devotional offering. They are printed on museum-quality photo paper, not cardstock. Every card is made slowly, during prayer, with intentional reverence for the Mother of God and for the person who will receive it. Names are lifted before Christ. Intentions are quietly held. Each piece is handled multiple times in prayerful silence, asking the Theotokos to intercede and asking God to meet the soul it is being made for. This is not production work. It is devotional work, shaped with patience, care, and spiritual responsibility, because every soul and every prayer matters.

  • THE STORY OF THE ZHIROVITSKAYA ICON

    The Zhirovitskaya Icon first entered history in the late fifteenth century in what is now Belarus. Shepherd children tending sheep noticed a strange light shining from a pear tree and discovered the small carved icon resting among the branches. They brought it to their village priest, who placed it safely inside the church.

    Soon afterward, the icon disappeared.

    Days later, the children found it again, this time resting on a stone near the same tree. Interpreting this as a sign of divine will, the faithful began building a chapel on that spot. Over time, this grew into Zhirovichi Monastery, which became one of the most important Marian pilgrimage centers in Eastern Europe.

    The icon’s history is marked by repeated threats.

    Fires destroyed churches. Wars ravaged the region. Political regimes rose and fell. Yet the icon endured, carried secretly during invasions, hidden during unrest, and returned again and again to public veneration.

    Throughout centuries of upheaval, people came before this icon seeking healing and protection. Records speak of recoveries from paralysis, blindness, childhood illness, and war trauma. Parents brought sick children. Soldiers prayed before battle. Widows knelt in silence.

    The icon became known not for dramatic spectacle, but for steady mercy.

    What makes the Zhirovitskaya Icon spiritually unique is its closeness.

    Christ presses His face to His Mother.
    Mary inclines toward Him with tenderness.
    There is no separation.

    It teaches that God is not distant from suffering.

    He rests within it.

  • MIRACLES & PATRONAGE

    The Zhirovitskaya Icon of the Mother of God stands close to those carrying heavy burdens.

    It is invoked by families facing medical crises, by parents protecting children, and by anyone grieving loss or displacement.

    Patron Icon For:

    • Serious illness and chronic pain
    • Protection of children and families
    • Grief after death or tragedy
    • Refugees and displaced souls
    • Emotional exhaustion and spiritual collapse
    • Safe travel and deliverance from danger

    Miracles associated with this icon often appear as gradual healing rather than instant transformation.

    They arrive as strength to endure treatments.
    They arrive as peace during sleepless nights.
    They arrive as protection during chaotic seasons.

    Many faithful testify to unexpected recoveries, restored hope, and deep consolation through prayer before this icon.

    The Zhirovitskaya Icon does not remove suffering immediately.

    It wraps suffering in maternal care.

  • PRAYERS TO THE ZHIROVITSKAYA ICON

    Traditional Invocation

    Most Holy Mother of God of Zhirovichi, pray for us.

    Shelter the suffering.
    Heal the sick.
    Protect our families.

    Amen.

    Personal Devotional Prayer

    Most Holy Theotokos, gentle Mother of Zhirovichi, I come to you carrying pain too heavy to speak aloud.

    You know what it feels like to hold suffering close.
    You know what it means to love through fear.
    You know how fragile the human heart can become.

    Stand beside me now.

    When illness overwhelms us, cover us with your prayers.
    When grief steals our breath, hold us near.
    When anxiety rises for those we love, intercede before your Son.

    You who pressed Christ close to your face, teach me trust.
    You who carried God into the world quietly, teach me peace.
    You who remained faithful beneath the cross, teach me endurance.

    Bless my family with protection.
    Bless the sick with healing.
    Bless the broken with comfort.

    Teach me that I am not alone.
    Teach me that God is near.
    Teach me that mercy still flows.

    Mother of God of Zhirovichi, pray for me.
    Pray for my loved ones.
    Pray for every soul seeking refuge.

    Amen.

  • What is the Zhirovitskaya Icon known for?
    It is known for healings, family protection, and deep consolation during grief, especially for children and the seriously ill.

    When is the Zhirovitskaya Icon commemorated?
    It is celebrated on May 20 in the Orthodox calendar and May 7 on the Julian (Old) Calendar. Eastern Catholic communities observe these same dates locally.

    Which Christian traditions venerate this icon?
    It is venerated in Eastern Orthodoxy and honored within Eastern Catholic devotional life.

    Why do people pray before the Zhirovitskaya Icon for illness and family protection?
    Because centuries of faithful testimony associate this icon with healing, safeguarding children, and maternal comfort during crisis.