site.btaMiracle Worker of Rila Pilgrimage Trail Initiative Popular among Orthodox Christians, Patriarch Daniil Says
This pilgrimage initiative dedicated to the trail the Miracle Worker of Rila is being held for the 16th time as it has become quite popular among Orthodox Christians, Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia Daniil told journalists at the St. George Rotunda in Sofia on Friday. He said that even small children aged five to seven participate in the initiative together with their parents.
"This trail is not easy," the Patriarch said, "because it passes through steep terrain, sometimes participants sleep in tents, and the food is not as readily available as we are used to. But all who have undertaken this pilgrimage have found meaning in the fasting, in the prayer, they see the spiritual results within themselves." He added that doing good is also very important. "This pilgrimage fulfills its mission," Patriarch Daniil said.
He acknowledged the support of President Rumen Radev, as well as the mayors of the municipalities through which the pilgrimage route passes. According to the Patriarch, "this shows that when we are united, good things can be achieved."
President Rumen Radev and Patriarch Daniil were part of the ceremony that launched the pilgrimage trail and a broader faith-based tourism initiative.
The project aims to connect sacred sites of Bulgarian history and spirituality in a network of pilgrimage trails across the country. “A Journey of Faith” is held under the auspices of the Bulgarian President and with the blessing of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
The first route to be undertaken within the project is an already established pilgrimage trail, The Miracle Worker of Rila. Over the course of several days, hundreds of pilgrims will follow part of the route along which the relics of St. John of Rila were carried, from the Rotunda of St. George in Sofia to the Rila Monastery, where they are kept today.
/YV/
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