Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A monk from Maine has taken his talent of wood carving to one Port Saint Lucie church.
Looking at the intricate details of the wooden icon screen that Father Menas created, it is easy to think that a team of artists with tools and machines created the large, heavy structure.
Instead, Father Menas dedicated two years and three months of his life to building the masterpiece.
Members of the Saint James Orthodox Church worked all day Thursday to piece the icon screen together.
Menas was hand picked by the church to do the work.
"I prayed a lot and drew a lot of sketches of what I thought might work," Menas told WPTV.
Menas also got his first look at the structure in its final position Thursday.
"I'm very relieved already, " Menas said.
"It's a labor of faith and love," said Father Ernesto Rios.
The carvings in the wood depict the biblical story of Genesis, from creation to the story of Adam and Eve.
