The Icon of St Leonard with St Laura and a prisoner

Little is known of St Leonard, other than that he was a Frankish nobleman, one of 3,000 subjects of King Clovis baptised by St Remigius, who first became a hermit and later founded a community at Noblac (now Saint-Léonard) where he died c. 550AD. Leonard is traditionally regarded as the patron saint of prisoners and of midwives. He was venerated by the monks of Bec, hence the connection with Streatham.

In the icon he is depicted wearing deacon’s clothing and he carries the staff of an Abbot with his fingers poised in blessing. As a teacher and preacher he holds the gospels. The chains of the incense burner carry a broken lock as he interceded for prisoners and preached on their behalf. He is shown in the Byzantine style with a prisoner on his right in gesture of intercession.

On his left is St Laura, a native of Cordoba in Spain. In her widowhood she became a nun and then an Abbess. Condemned by the Moorish conquerors, she was thrown into a cauldron of molten lead in 864 AD.

The icon was given by parishioners in memory of Laura Margaret Wilcox (1974-95), daughter of Reverend Jeffry and Mrs Claire Wilcox. It was painted by Leon Liddement of the Russian Orthodox Brotherhood of St Seraphim, Walsingham, and was blessed on All Saints Day 1998.