site.btaBulgarian Patriarch Performs Blessing of Water at Rila Lakes

Bulgarian Patriarch and Sofia Metropolitan Daniil performed the blessing of water at Lake Babreka, one of the Seven Rila Lakes (Rila Mountains, West Bulgaria), on Tuesday.

The service was part of the Rila Miracle Worker pilgrimage route, which is included in the On the Path of Faith initiative, held under the patronage of President Rumen Radev.

The Rila Miracle Worker pilgrimage route reproduces the path along which in 1469 the relics of Saint John of Rila were transported from Tarnovo to the Rila Monastery. The pilgrims set off on August 1 from Sofia and will travel about 120 kilometres through the Vitosha, Verila and Rila mountains to reach the Rila Holy Monastery, the home of the holy relics of the heavenly patron of Bulgaria.

Saint John of Rila is revered as the Heavenly Protector of the Bulgarian people, the founder of hermit monasticism in the country and the spiritual father of the faith. After his death, the relics were first transferred to Sofia, then to Tarnovo, where they remained until the city fell under Ottoman rule in 1393. At the initiative of the Rila monks in 1469, they were solemnly returned to Rila, where they are still kept today.