site.btaSt Joseph's Catholic Concathedral of Sofia Consecrated 20 Years Ago

The principal place of worship for Latin-Rite Catholics in Sofia, the St Joseph's Concathedral, opened for worship on March 11, 2006 and was consecrated twenty years ago on Thursday, on May 21, 2006 by Bishop Georgi Yovchev, Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Sofia and Plovdiv, and Vatican’s State Secretary, Cardinal Angelo Sodano.

The foundation stone for the new cathedral was laid by Pope John Paul II during his visit to Bulgaria in May 2002, and a ground-breaking ceremony took place on July 2, 2002. The church is part of a 6,000 sq m compound opposite Bulbank across Todor Alexandrov Boulevard, which also includes a parish house for the three Capuchin Friars of the Krakow Custody (who are the spiritual custodians of the Latin-Rite Catholics in Sofia), a pastoral centre, where the catechism will be taught, and a 50-place underground car park. Every Sunday, some 600 worshippers attend Mass at St Joseph’s, which is celebrated in Latin, Polish and Bulgarian.

Following is the original news story in English by which BTA's External Service covered the consecration of St Joseph's in 2026:

105 BULGARIA - CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL

Cardinal Sodano Wishes Bulgarians to "Turn into Messengers of Gospel Good Tidings in Europe"

Sofia, May 21, 2006 (BTA) - 'May Bulgarians turn into messengers of the Gospel good tidings in Europe,' the Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, wished in his sermon, delivered in Bulgarian, at the consecration of the St Joseph Catholic Concathedral in Sofia. He noted that Christianity spread to new territories from Bulgaria, which is known as 'the land of roses.'

The over two-hours-long ceremony was attended by Bulgarian Vice President Angel Marin, European Affairs Minister Meglena Kouneva, Health Minister Radoslav Gaidarski, Culture Minister Stefan Danailov, Sofia Mayor Boyko Borissov, Metropolitans Dometiyan of Vidin and Neophyte of Rousse, the Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod, Archimandrite Nahum, the Apostolic Nuncio in Sofia, Mgr Giuseppe Leanza, Bulgarian Catholic bishops and priests, Deputy Chief Mufti Shenol Ali, the Head of Delegation of the European Commission to Bulgaria Dimitris Kourkoulas, foreign diplomats, and Bulgarian and foreign Catholics.

The new St Joseph Cathedral rises on the site of the old one which, even before it was completed, was destroyed in an air raid on Sofia on March 30, 1944, Cardinal Sodano recalled.

He said that Sofia is now turning into a little Jerusalem, because in its centre there will be a Catholic cathedral along with the Christian churches, the mosque and the synagogue.

Cardinal Sodano conveyed greetings from Pope Benedict XVI who, on behalf of the entire Catholic world, sends Bulgaria his encouragement and blessings. The Vatican State Secretary greeted Patriarch Maksim, the metropolitans and bishops of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, and noted that the strong bonds of the Christian faith can be traced back to Sts Cyril and Methodius.

Cardinal Sodano anointed the altar of the church in which a 7-metre-tall crucifix is placed.

The Bulgarian and foreign guests at the ceremony handed presents for the cathedral to Father Krzysztof Kuzok. Chalices were presented on behalf of the late Pope John Paul II, Metropolitan Dometiyan presented an icon of the Mother of God on behalf of the Holy Synod, and Minister Kouneva presented a communion cup and a collection plate on behalf of the Prime Minister.

The Cathedral was constructed with the financial support of the Capucin Fathers of Germany, Sweden and Austria, from the blueprints of architects Konstantin Peev and Stoyan Yanev. The church has pews for 350 worshippers and standing room for another 650 or so. The building is 23 metres long, 15 metres wide, and 19 metres tall (21 metres to the roof ridge). The 33-metre-high bell tower has four electronic bells that are computer-controlled.

There are some 65,000 Catholics in Bulgaria, concentrated mostly in Plovdiv Region (South Central Bulgaria), Svishtov, Belene and Pleven (North Central Bulgaria), Father Kuzok said. In Sofia, there are some 5,000 Catholics, serviced by three Capucin fathers. ZH/LG"