"You don’t find the icon. The icon finds you": His conversion to Orthodoxy started with a collection of Orthodox art

Peter Peterson, a collector of Romanian sacred art, travelled the world far and wide, only to settle in Romania, where his passion for the Orthodox icon gradually turned into a spiritual journey, at the end of which he was baptised Orthodox.

Recently, he offered his collection of sacred art to the Romanian Patriarchate, to be exhibited for an indefinite period in a museum inaugurated at the Patriarchal Palace. The collector told Basilica.ro how his faith helped him and how he became a member of the Romanian Orthodox Church. “You don’t find the icon. The icon finds you,” he reminds us.

In the same way, every conversion is, in fact, an answer to the call of God, the One who finds us first – sometimes even before we seek Him.

“I felt at home in Romania”

Basilica.ro: Where are you from and how have you become attached to our country, Romania?

I was born in a military hospital in Germany on August 24, 1941. I lived in Australia for 30 years. I became an Australian citizen, so today I have an Australian passport. I also spent time in America – I had a business there – and also in other places.

I came to Romania on January 6, 1990, hoping to convince the new authorities to continue a commercial deal closed by the former regime with the company I was representing.

Peter Peterson, Răzvan Mihai Clipici, Cultural Director at the Culture, Painting and Restoration Sector of the Patriarchal Administration, and Alexandrina Olariu, restorer of old books, on the day before the opening of the exhibition at the Patriarchal Palace. Photo: Basilica.ro

When I came to Romania, I don’t know how, but I felt at home. Maybe it has something to do with my mother having lived in Romania, in Vatra Dornei – Bukovina. My sister was born in Romania, so I have some roots in Romania.

My mother owned a big property in Vatra Dornei, but decided to not claim it after the fall of communism. She said it belonged to Romania.

Basilica.ro: How did you meet your Romanian wife?

I met my wife through a friend of mine, who said: ‘I want to introduce you to a lady who is very spiritual’. We met in Bucharest’s Dorobanți neighbourhood and talked. We felt immediately closely connected to each other. My wife is 30 years younger than me, but she says she was immediately attracted by me.

We have had an unbelievably happy marriage for so many years! She takes care of me.

The icon a as spiritual journey

“You don’t find the icon. The icon finds you,” says Peter Peterson. Photo: Basilica.ro / Mircea Florescu

Basilica.ro: How did you become acquainted with Orthodoxy and what led you to become a passionate collector of church art and, recently, a member of the Orthodox Church?

In the first few months in Romania, I was fascinated by the churches. There is such an atmosphere in Orthodox churches with all the paintings on the walls and the saints and everything. You cannot compare this with any other religion. I was born a Catholic. Catholic churches are very cold, it’s very hard to describe it. Everything is so plain, there is no romanticism, nothing.

It doesn’t inspire you. Maybe you believe in your religion, but it doesn’t give you the same feeling as it happens in Orthodox churches. So, it was not a coincident that I had to visit a Romanian restorer of Orthodox icons and, when I walked in that room I saw those two icons: St Nicholas and the Mother of God.

Patriarch Daniel blessed on Thursday, November 16, 2023, the location of the new museum and the exhibited church art items from Peter Peterson’s private collection. Photo: Basilica.ro / Mircea Florescu

For me it was such a spiritual experience! But they were not for sale. I don’t know why, I was determined to have them, so I went back every few days for a few months. I got on their nerves! Finally, the lady who owned them said: ‘Give them to the crazy Australian, he is too determined!’ It was in 1994.

So I became a collector of Romanian Orthodox art. Only Romanian. Everything you see here is Romanian. In the last room, I have a collection of Catholic wooden statues. I liked them as well, so I brought them to the exhibition.

Basilica.ro: Where did you find all these items?

There is a Romanian saying: “You don’t find the icon. The icon finds you“.

A better understanding of Orthodoxy after Baptism

Basilica.ro: When did you become a Christian Orthodox and what memories do you have from the moment of baptism?

Two years ago, in October, I wanted to become an Orthodox Christian. I talked to my priest and he said it was possible. I had a long preparation.

The Orthodox Baptism was a special moment. Afterwards, says Peter Peterson, he could better understand Orthodoxy. Photo: Courtesy of Peter Peterson

The moment of the baptism is very hard to describe. I became very emotional when I came out of the baptismal font.

I really became more spiritual and I suddenly realized my dream had come true. I always wanted to be an Orthodox person and, when this happened, at a church in Bucharest, the event was really grandiose.

I don’t know how to describe this: it’s the feeling when you feel lighter, you feel somewhat different. You feel that something in you has happened and you feel it. It was an amazing moment in my life. And now I sense I have a much better understanding of Orthodoxy.

Peter Peterson and Răzvan Mihai Clipici the day before the inauguration of the exhibition in Bucharest, standing next to the oldest item of the collection, a fresco fragment from the 14th century. Photo: Basilica.ro

Also, I have now many great friends, like Răzvan Clipici, who is a wonderful human being. He helps me and knows very much about icons, their age and history. He has taken so much time to help us and his knowledge is amazing!

“It’s like the sun is shining inside you”

Basilica.ro: Is there a saint that you especially revere?

Saint Paraskeva: I’ve been many times in Iași and on one visit there I also had a very strange feeling next to her relics. I find it hard to describe. It’s like the sun is shining inside you and you really feel connected.

But that doesn’t happen every time. It happened to me once for sure. Now, because I cannot travel by plane because of my blood pressure, I cannot visit her anymore, but I miss her very much. And I can absolutely feel her help. She is my favourite saint. There are three more icons of her in this collection. She did real miracles for my mental health.

Patriarch Daniel with the Peterson family and the curator of the exhibition. Ana Dobjanschi, after the inauguration of the museum which hosts the family collection. Photo: Basilica.ro / Mircea Florescu

Basilica.ro: Indeed, your bodily health is very fragile at present, which could also affect you psychologically. How does faith help you overcome the difficult moments?

I have been operated on six times, I have just one kidney left, and very high blood pressure, I get fed through a tube that goes directly to my stomach and I carry a bladder catheter, but I am a happy person, I am not depressed.

So the secret of good mental health is believing and being really sincere, be a good person, don’t do bad things to anybody and things will be good for you!