Patriarch Daniil Holds Divine Service at Rila Monastery on Day of Dormition of St. John of Rila

BTA correspondent Yaroslav Stavrev

Patriarch Daniil in Rila Monastery upon his arrival on August 17 as he pays tribute to the relics of St. John of Rila, (BTA Photo)

Kyustendil, Southwestern Bulgaria,

18.08.2025 15:56

(BTA)

The head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Daniil officiated a patriarchal divine service on the occasion of the Dormition of St. John of Rila at the Rila Monastery on Monday. This year marks 1079 years since the dormition of the heavenly protector of all Bulgarians.

As is tradition, an all-night vigil was held on the eve of the feast.

Like most saints, John of Rila the Wonderworker is commemorated on the day of his passing. The feast is celebrated three times a year. In addition to the dormition of the saint on August 18, the transfer of his relics to Sredets (modern-day Sofia) is commemorated on October 19, and on July 1 the Church celebrates their return from Tarnovo to Rila Monastery. On all three feast days, thousands of pilgrims venerate the saint by bowing before his relics, preserved in the central church of the monastery.

In his address to the faithful, Patriarch Daniil called on Bulgarians to visit the Rila Monastery at least once a year for pilgrimage. According to him, in doing so, each person will carry away a part of the grace that the saint "acquired for us".

The Patriarch emphasized that "if we wish our work to endure, we must take St. John of Rila as an example and place our trust in God and in the Saint".

/NF/