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The emblematic icon of St.Sava College, which has been placed on the external wall of the chapel apse, is an imposing and welcoming feature at what is to become the main entry into St.Sava College. The icon will be built into a sandstone clad apse in due course, but because of the jubilee celebrations it was mounted this weekend for all to admire. The icon is emblematic, because it reveals the very essence of what our future school is to be about. The icon came be as a result of a pondering Bishop Siluan shared with a few people a little while back. St.Sava, the patron saint of the Serbian Church, her teacher of the Path to Life, guides all people and hence all children to the eternal embrace of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

The universality of this message came to be expressed by one of Serbia’s best known iconographers, Belgrade based Veronika Djukanovic. Christ’s commandment to, “let the children come to me,” is in this icon exemplified in the figure of St.Sava, who holds a model of the College that bears his name, bows before the Lord, all the while neither coercing nor convincing the children to approach Christ. He is simply guiding them, unhindered, on the Path to Life – to Christ Himself. The little girl closest to Christ, who raises his hand in blessing, is in Palestinian costume, the girl next to her in Greek, the boy in the red shirt with a sprig of wattle in his hand is Russian and the remaining three are Serbs. The multiplicity of all nations, each called to Christ, is represented in the communality of these children.

In the sky above, the Southern Cross is discreetly visible. The koala in the eucalyptus tree and Australian wattle encompassing the figure of Christ, give context to where we and our children now live and grow. Australia, our new home, where we are free to live our faith and maintain those traditions that tend to salvation.

Many people stood and admired this uplifting icon, some moved to tears by its serenity and promise. Glory to God in the highest!