In the year 2000, A.B.K Publishers in Moscow released D. Basov’s book The Miracle of Myrrh-streaming. It tells of this phenomenon over the course of Church history. Part one of chapter 7 deals with the Montreal Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, and part 2, the Icon of Tsar-Martyr Nicholas II. The following are excerpts from that chapter.
In recent years, the Icons to be discussed in this chapter have become known throughout the world. For 15 years, one of them, written on Mt. Athos by a Greek monastic iconographer, was a great holy treasure of the Russian Church Abroad. Two others equally revered today by the faithful of Russia, are not even originals, but rather are paper copies of Icons produced in America.
Recent events show that these signs were given to the entire Russian people. Holy Hierarch John, Miracle-worker of Shanghai and San Francisco is venerated equally in America and Russia. One can say the same about the Icons of the Montreal Mother of God, and of the Icons of the Tsar Martyr and the Royal Family.
What a variety of miraculous Icons there have been in the history of the Orthodox Church: they included the Vladimir, the Jerusalem, the Imperial City (Constantinople), the Cyprus, and the Antioch Icons [of the Mother of God]. And here, in the 20th Century, the world has learned of the Montreal Icon of the Mother of God.
The Icon gained renown for remarkable miracles in North America, in the Canadian Province of Quebec, in the greatest industrial, business, and financial center of the country, in a city, one may say, is least likely to be associated in the minds of Orthodox Christians with any kind of Christian holy things.
… on November 24, 1982, in the city of Montreal, in the home of a Canadian iconographer named Joseph-Jose Munoz-Cortes, an Orthodox Spaniard from Chile, an Icon of the Mother of God began to stream myrrh. The Icon had recently been brought from Mt. Athos. Joseph took the Icon to Vladyka Vitaly’s residence. There Bishop Vitaly used cotton to wipe the Icon dry, and then, with a prayer, carried it throughout the three-story building. When he returned to the house chapel, the entire Icon was covered with an oily liquid, and sweet-smelling myrrh was pouring over his hands….
From that day on, with only rare exceptions, the Montreal Icon streamed myrrh every day, for 15 years! One may posit that in the history of the Orthodox Church there had never been such plentiful Myrrh-streaming, lasting for so long….
Tens of thousands of people all over the world became eyewitnesses to this miracle. Joseph Cortes carried the Icon in a special cloth case, and more than once, during his travels, the entire case would become soaked in Myrrh. Although Bishop Vitaly (later Metropolitan of the Church Abroad) would not allow scientists to submit the Myrrh to analysis, considering such action to be evidence of disrespect to the Mother of God, he freely permitted the Icon to be examined. Experts became convinced that the Icon was painted on an ordinary piece of wood, and that it had no internal cavities or external attachments. After examination, they concluded that this was one of the great miracles of the 20th Century.
Chapter 7 continues with the generally-known story of the Icon and a biography of brother Joseph. The chapter concludes with brother Joseph’s words:
“Yes, this miracle appeared here to us. This is of great significance for those Abroad. However, I think that its principal significance is to help, strengthen, and direct Russians in Russia toward salvation. I think that it is very important for our faithful to remember that we are unworthy of the mercy of the Mother of God, that she appeared to us not because we were worthy, but because of the blood of thousands and thousands of Neomartyrs, who suffered not in America, but in Russia. She appeared to us here, because our Church is free, while there freedom has not yet come…”
Could Joseph Munoz-Cortes have known that almost exactly one year following his martyric death, an Icon of the Tsar-Martyr would be glorified, with abundant streaming of sweet-smelling Myrrh reminiscent of the Myrrh-streaming of the Montreal Mother of God.