Banat Bulgarians From Star Beshenov Celebrate August 15

Martina Gancheva, Kaloyan Vassev

Star Beshenov Banat Bulgarians (BTA Photo)

Bucharest,

15.08.2023 17:29

(BTA)

Monsignor Rumen Stanev - Auxiliary Bishop of the Sofia-Plovdiv Diocese and Titular Bishop of Simidica participated in a festive mass in the village of Star Beshenov in western Romania, where 2,000 Banat Bulgarians live. "I am very happy that I was able to come into living contact with these people," Stanev said Tuesday.

August 15 is a special date for the Banat Bulgarians in this region of Romania. On this day they celebrate the feast day of the village, but also the feast day of their Catholic church "Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary".

At 11:00 local time, the bells rang out the village with a festive peal, and people of all ages filled the church, dressed in their finest clothes. The youngest ones were dressed in the traditional costumes of the Banat Bulgarians.

The Assistant Bishop together with local priests, members of the Union of Banat Bulgarians and representatives of the Bulgarian community went together to the monument of Bishop Nikola Stanislavich - the man who helped the Catholic Bulgarians find their new home in Banat.

"Bishop Nikola Stanislavich organized the resettlement of the Bulgarian Catholics in Banat", said Georgi Nakov, member of the Bulgarian minority in the Romanian Parliament. He added that Stanislavich's name is associated with the diaspora of the Banat Bulgarians. "Our relocation to Banat was entirely his initiative. He organized the completely new life of the Banat Bulgarians here in Star Beshenov - our second homeland", Nakov said. "The monument you see is the work of a sculptor with Bulgarian roots, it was financed by the Union of Banat Bulgarians. We raised it on the occasion of the 275th anniversary of our settlement in Star Beshenov in Banat," he added.

/RY/