I, Fr. Elias Warnke, and Reader Timothy Tadros discovered myrrh streaming from a mounted Icon print of Saint Nicholas on December 6/19, 1996. Since that day a ministry of its own making has come into existence around the Holy Icon. In the over three years since that day this ministry has lead me, the Holy Icon's caretaker, and others to bring the myrrh streaming Icon to be venerated in over 70 of our churches and monasteries in this hemisphere, and some of them multiple times. This year the Holy Icon will also travel to Australia. To date we estimate that over 30,000 people have personally venerated this Icon with some additional 40,000 more prints and cottons soaked in Holy Myrrh have found their way to Russia, Bulgaria, Georgia, France, Jerusalem, and the rest of the world. I was just informed the other day that they have even been distributed to the troops fighting in Chechnya.

Many, many miracles of incredible healings, both of a physical and spiritual nature have come about through the faithful praying before the Holy Icon, receiving a piece of cotton soaked in Holy Myrrh, or just simply asking for prayers before the Icon of it's caretaker and others. Many of these accounts are fully documented, yet many more have been transmitted by word of mouth. It all simply says, God is indeed wondrous in His Saints!

Throughout the history of the Church, holy people and holy things have always been met with skepticism and disbelief; our Lord Himself suffered this trial. In February of this year the Holy Icon came under the cloud of being questioned, this was totally unfounded and caused much suffering to the faithful who have been touched by the Holy Icon. Nothing except intentional misinformation that would stop the Holy Icon from continuing the mission, which, by the Grace of our Lord and His Holy Will, we pray will bless our Church Abroad for years to come. As a partaker in this ministry for almost four years and a witness to many of the blessed events that have come about because of God's Grace through the presence of the Holy Icon, I state unequivocally, in my limited capacity as it's caretaker, that this is truly a miracle working Icon, and no further proof of that is required. Though words like controversy, examination, scandal, etc. still continue to be bandied about, the faithful, whether clergy or lay people that have been touched by this Holy Icon have only the need to be able to venerate it, nothing else. This Icon is a living witness to Christ's Resurrection, to cast any further doubt after such time and events have passed, is in my opinion, to cast doubt on the Resurrection of the Lord Himself.

With the intention of putting to rest all rumors, hearsay, and conjecture the truth is the Holy Icon is blessed to travel throughout the Church Abroad. The Holy Myrrh Streaming Icon of Saint Nicholas, like our Faith requires belief in God's Holy Miracles, without it nothing can convince us to believe. God is with us, His love and mercy is for all mankind.