Saint Anne Orthodox Church

Traditionally, when we enter or leave the church, we express our respect for the Lord, His Mother, and our patron, St. Anne, as well as the saint or saints that we may be commemorating that day by venerating their icons. When we venerate an icon, we enter into communion with the particular Saint whose image is depicted. For this reason, the icons are to be approached with respect, piety, and the fear of God. Just as we wouldn’t walk up to a priest or a bishop and kiss them on the lips, we should avoid kissing the holy icons on the face of the saint pictured. Instead we kiss the hands or the feet of the saint, the cross, or the Gospel book in the icon.
While we are on the subject of kissing, we should also consider the role of lipstick in the church. Lipstick has ruined icons and it is disrespectful to leave lipstick marks on the Cross, the bishop’s hand, or the communion spoon. Please, if you must wear lipstick at church, put it on after the liturgy.