site.btaUPDATED Metropolitan Anthony Officiates Thanksgiving Service in St Vitus Basilica in Ellwangen

Metropolitan Anthony of Western and Central Europe officiated a thanksgiving service at St Vitus Basilica in Ellwangen, where St Methodius Day is marked on May 16.

The service was concelebrated with Archpriest Rayko Sinev from the Bulgarian parish of Sts Cyril and Methodius in Stuttgart, Archpriest Nedyalko Kalinov, parish priest of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church Community in Munich, Archpriest Tichon, head of the Bulgarian Orthodox church community in Regensburg, and Archpriest Vasil Bechevski, who provides spiritual care for the Bulgarian parishes in Mannheim and Mainz.

Metropolitan Anthony said Bulgaria would never forget the feat of St Methodius - his suffering, persecution and unwavering devotion to God. He said the saint devoted his life to ensuring the Slavs could hear the word of God in their own language and receive the light of Christ's truth. He described St Methodius's self-sacrifice as an example of apostolic faithfulness and spiritual courage, noting that despite trials and injustice, he remained steadfast in his mission out of love for God and for his people.

Metropolitan Anthony said Bulgaria offers prayerful remembrance "with eternal gratitude to the great enlightener". He also said that "a people that honours its saints and preserves their work remains alive and unshaken through the centuries".

The event was attended by a Bulgarian delegation led by the Consul General in Munich, Stefan Ionkov. The delegation included Milena Dimitrova, the President's Secretary for Culture, Education and Relations with Bulgarians Abroad; Kiril Valchev, Director General of the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA); the two deputy mayors of the town of Troyan,  Angel Angelov and Veronika Todorova; journalists and staff from the Bulgarian Consulate General in Munich; as well as representatives of the Bulgarian community in Germany.

At the Bulgarian chapel, the clergy performed the Troparion of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius and, together with the members of the delegation, paid tribute to the work of the holy brothers.

Bulgarian community in Baden-Wuerttemberg

According to data from the Statistical Office of Baden-Wuerttemberg, as of the end of November 2025, the population of the state stood at 11.25 million people, of whom 2.06 million were foreign citizens. Foreign nationals accounted for 18.3% of the total population. The largest foreign group was Turkish citizens, numbering 265,975, followed by Ukrainians with 189,460, Romanians 179,745, and Italians 173,210. Bulgarian citizens in the state numbered around 49,700 as of end-December 2025, according to BTA's Reference Department.

Bulgaria, Ellwangen and St Methodius Day

Ellwangen, the third-largest town in the Ostalb district in eastern Baden-Wuerttemberg, holds particular significance for Bulgarian cultural history because of its connection to St Methodius. Methodius is believed to have served a three-year sentence in Ellwangen between 870 and 873 after being accused by Bavarian bishops of preaching without respecting diocesan boundaries. As early as 1885, a bas-relief depiction of the saint was placed on a wall of the old basilica, according to BTA's Reference Department.

Since 1970, the town has marked St Methodius Day annually in memory of the saint's stay at the Imperial Abbey of Ellwangen. The tradition began with the establishment of the Methodius Committee by Ellwangen residents and the donation of a relief by artist Hans Scheble (1904-1994). That same year, with the support of then mayor Karl Woehr, St Methodius Day began to be officially celebrated and gradually evolved into a town festival.

Relations between Ellwangen and Bulgaria deepened over the following decades. Commissioned by the Bulgarian government, Prof. Velichko Minekov created a bronze relief for the St Methodius monument in the town square bearing the saint's name. On November 27, 1975, a Bulgarian government delegation and representatives of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences visited Ellwangen and unveiled a commemorative plaque.

In 1987, the town of Ellwangen, Bulgaria and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church built a memorial and the St Methodius Orthodox chapel. In 2010, artist Tsvetko Tsvetkov added frescoes depicting scenes from the saint's life.

Since 2007, Ellwangen has maintained an active partnership with Troyan, including annual student exchanges between Hariolf-Gymnasium and schools in Troyan, as well as youth meetings and joint initiatives.

In 2011, ties between Ellwangen and Bulgaria entered a new phase with the establishment of the Southeast European Bulgarian Cultural Institute (Methodius Centre) at Adelmann Palace in Ellwangen.

In 2014, the Bulgarian city of Ruse and Ellwangen signed a partnership agreement within the framework of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region. The agreement envisages cooperation in culture, innovation and the development of regional centres for cultural exchange.

Over the years, the St Methodius Day celebrations have become a traditional gathering place for the Bulgarian community in Germany. The events are attended by representatives of Bulgarian diplomatic missions, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, cultural organizations and official delegations from Bulgaria.

In 2025, Ellwangen hosted the 55th St Methodius celebrations with the participation of a Bulgarian delegation and the Lazarka Ensemble from Munich. During the event, a renovated memorial plaque at the St Methodius chapel was unveiled by Bulgaria's Ambassador to Germany Grigor Porozhanov and Borislav Petranov, Director of the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Berlin.