Burn them or bury them. Don’t throw them in the trash.
That’s the short answer, but it probably sounds strange if you’re used to tossing old church bulletins or worn-out devotional books in the recycling bin. Icons aren’t like other religious pictures. They’re not decoration. We venerate them, kiss them, light candles before them, pray in front of them. They’re windows into heaven, blessed and set apart for sacred use. When an icon can’t be used anymore, we treat it with the same reverence it had when it hung on our wall.
Think of it this way. You wouldn’t throw a worn-out American flag in the dumpster behind Brookshire Brothers. You’d burn it respectfully. Same principle, but deeper. The icon bears the image of Christ, the Theotokos, or one of the saints. We can’t let that image end up in a landfill getting trampled.
When to Repair, When to Retire
Not every damaged icon needs disposal. Got a small tear? Flaking paint? Water spots from that time the roof leaked during hurricane season? Those can often be repaired. Talk to your priest first. He might know an icon restorer, or he can help you figure out if the icon’s salvageable. Some damage is fixable. A good restorer can work wonders with wood panels, even ones that look pretty rough.
But if the image is mostly gone, big holes, severe water damage that destroyed the paint layers, fire damage, mold that ate through the gesso, then it’s time to retire the icon. When the image can’t serve its purpose anymore, when you can’t really venerate what’s left, that’s when you move to respectful disposal.
How to Dispose of Icons
For paper or wood icons, burning is the standard practice. You’re not being dramatic or superstitious. You’re making sure the image returns to the elements without being desecrated. Burn the icon in a safe, controlled way. Collect the ashes. Bury them somewhere they won’t be walked on, your garden, under a tree, somewhere on church property if your priest allows it. The point is that the remains go back to the earth respectfully.
Monasteries do this all the time. They burn old paper icons, flowers that adorned the iconostasis, even palm fronds from services. It’s normal maintenance of sacred things.
If you can’t burn the icon, maybe local ordinances don’t allow it, maybe you live in an apartment, talk to your priest. He can take it and dispose of it properly, or he might have a place where parishioners can bring items for communal burning and burial. Some parishes do this once or twice a year.
For icons made of glass or metal, burning won’t work. Break them so the image isn’t intact anymore, then bury the pieces. Some traditions place them in running water so they’re carried away naturally. Either way, the goal is the same: no trampling, no trash bin.
What About Blessed Icons?
If your icon was blessed by a priest, you should definitely talk to him before disposing of it. Some priests say a short prayer when retiring blessed objects. It’s not required in every case, but it’s appropriate. Your priest will know what’s right for your situation.
And if the icon ever had holy oil or particles of the Eucharist on it, say you accidentally spilled some chrism or a crumb from Communion landed on it, tell your priest immediately. Those situations need extra care because of what touched the icon, not just the icon itself.
Why This Matters
This isn’t about thinking the wood or paper is magic. It’s about reverence for what’s been set apart for prayer. When you’ve stood before an icon of St. Michael for years, asking his intercession, kissing it on feast days, lighting your candle there, that object has been part of your prayer life. It deserves better than the garbage.
The Church has always done this. It’s not fussiness. It’s consistency. We believe icons are holy images that connect us to the persons they depict. We venerate them. So when they can no longer serve that purpose, we treat them with the same respect they had when they were whole.
If you’ve got a damaged icon sitting in your closet because you weren’t sure what to do with it, now you know. Talk to Fr. Michael after Liturgy this Sunday. He’ll help you figure it out. And next time a frame breaks or water gets to one of your icons, you won’t have to wonder.
