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Religious icon found in estate sale items
By LINDA M. LINONIS
YOUNGSTOWN
A religious icon played a part in a treasure hunt and now is the object of detective work.
Thomas Patrick Gilmartin Jr. presented the icon to the Rev. Thomas Constantine, pastor of St. John the Forerunner Greek Orthodox Church, 4955 Glenwood Ave., Boardman, on Thursday at Newport Library, 3730 Market St.
The story of the icon is a long and winding road.
The icon was part of lots bought a while ago at an estate sale in Canfield by business partners Thomas Patrick Gilmartin Jr. and the late Henry P. Nemenz, who died last June. Known as the “search and recovery team” with another associate, Sharon Wallis, they had operated the Savings Zone at the Lincoln Knolls Plaza. The Savings Zone, now closed, offered a variety of items including furniture.
“There was a box of paintings ... bought by the lot,” Gilmartin said. The box was stored at his home for a time before he finally looked through it and found the religious icon. Not exactly sure what it was, Gilmartin said he contacted Louis Zona, executive director of the Butler Institute of American Art. He suggested sending it to an appraiser in Cleveland, who identified it as a Greek Orthodox icon.
“Then, I contacted the Rev. Steve Denas,” Gilmartin said. “I wanted to get this icon where it belonged ... into a religious situation.”
The two met, and Father Denas, pastor of Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church in Campbell, recognized the artist, or iconographer, who had painted the icon.
Father Denas explained he recognized the style of the icon because it resembled those at a church he served in the Pittsburgh area. It had marked its centennial and had icons from its early years.
Father Denas suggested to Gilmartin it might be an icon from St. John, which had marked its centennial in October 2015. In the 1920s, the cornerstone was laid at 109 W. Woodland Ave., and a new church, at the Glenwood location, was built in 1965 and consecrated in 1969. St. John’s time frame fit the icon style.
A way to link the icon to St. John’s would be a photo from the history of the church before the new church was built. “We have one interior photo from a balony of the old church,” Father Constantine said. The icon is not visible.
But, the priests said another source would be wedding photos taken in the sanctuary, where icons would be seen in the background. This is the detective work that will take place. Father Constantine said he plans to look closely at wedding
photos gathered for the 100th anniversary. A search of sacramental registry books also was suggested to find the first name Pegasios, which might provide another clue. St. Pegasios is shown in the icon.
Gilmartin’s part of the detective work is trying to track down the family name from the estate sale. Knowing that name could lead to association with St. John, possibly a church member.
Father Denas said the iconographer is well known and is Archmandrite N. Ioasafaiou, a high-ranking monastic priest who lived in one of the 22 monasteries at Mount Athos in Greece. He painted this icon of the Five Martyrs in 1918, which is written on the icon. The icon depicts St. Anembodistos in the center and from left in the icon, St. Pegasios, St. Aphthonios, St. Elpidophoros and St. Akindynos. The five were killed during the reign of King Shapur (311-380) in Persia because they announced their Christianity.
The Five Martyrs Feast Day is Nov. 2. Father Constantine described it as a Feast Day icon that would be displayed. He added St. John’s would find an appropriate place to show it.
The priests said they probably would do “Greek Google searches” to try to do more research, written in Greek, on the iconographer and icon.
Father Constantine said the icon is “of Western style that was prominent in the 1900s.” He said Byzantine, more stylized, iconography began gaining ground in the 1950s. Icons at St. John reflect this style.
The Five Martyrs icon is handpainted with egg-based tempera paint. “It’s difficult to paint with but is very long-lasting,” Father Constantine said. The golf-leaf background, he continued, “suggests a spiritual realm.”
“The icon itself is a prayer,” Father Denas said.