The 'living icons' Plekon describes were, among other things, priests, theologians, writers, and caregivers to the homless and the poor. One was an artist who became the greatest icon painter in this century; another was assassinated for his teachings in post-Soviet Russia. These remarkable people of faith lived through times of great suffering forced emigration, the Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War. Many of them were criticized, if not condemned by ecclesiastical opponents and authorities. Yet each demonstrates a unique pattern for holiness, illustrating that the path to sainthood is open to all.
