Milan 2026

For this coming Lent I will conduct three sessions in Milan during which we will enter into the mystery of this icon. Called 'The Mandylion' or 'Image not made by human hands', it links back to the Saviour Himself.

In this Lenten course participants will paint the Holy Face of Christ in egg temper. It is one of the most beloved and mysterious images in the Christian tradition. According to ancient legend, this icon reproduces the miraculous imprint of Christ’s face left on a cloth sent to the ailing King Abgar of Edessa, and is honoured as an image “not made by human hands”, the first image of Christ made by the Lord Himself. Simple in composition yet profound in meaning, the Mandylion shows only Christ’s head (often on a folded cloth) inviting a direct, heart‑to‑heart encounter with His steady, searching gaze. This is often associated with Veronica's Veil, when Christ's face was dried by Veronica on His way to the Cross.

Lent is a privileged time to stand before this Holy Face, contemplating the One who suffered out of love and who turns toward us with mercy. As students learn step by step to draw and paint the icon in egg tempera, they will be led into a quiet rhythm of prayer and reflection, allowing the process to become a form of lectio divina on the mystery of the Merciful Christ. By the end of the course each participant will be well on the way to having completed a Mandylion icon to keep as a focus for their own personal prayer, and will have tasted something of the Church’s ancient tradition of Lenten renewal through beauty.

The location is in the heart of Milan, at All Saint's Anglican Church, Via Solferino, 17, 20121 Milano. All materials will be provided but you will need

• water colour brushes, ideally size 1 & 3
• two jars for water
• mixing palette
• pencil, rubber, compass
• notebook

Brushes will be available for purchase if you need them.

For further details or any question