The Bulgarian Church Marks the Dormition of St. John of Rila - the Heavenly Patron of the People

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church today celebrates the dormition of St. John (Ivan) of Rila - proclaimed as the heavenly patron of the Bulgarian people. The saint was born around 876 in the village of Skryno, between the slopes of the Osogovo Mountain near the Struma River. From his youth, John dedicated himself to religious service, entered a monastery, and after taking monastic vows, left the monastic abode and settled in Rila, where he founded the Rila Monastery.

His high spirituality and strong faith place him among the most revered Bulgarian saints - called an "earthly angel and heavenly inhabitant". Saint John of Rila is known for his gift of helping the suffering and the numerous miracles he performed during his lifetime. He died on August 18, 946, and was buried in the small monastery church of the Rila Monastery.

Today, Bulgarian Patriarch Daniel will serve a Patriarchal Holy Liturgy on the occasion of the holiday at the Rila Monastery, reported by the Sofia Holy Metropolis. In 2025, it will be 1079 years since the saint's dormition. Traditionally, before the holiday, an all-night vigil is performed, which gathers dozens of worshippers.

At the end of his life, St. John of Rila left a testament to the Bulgarians - to preserve the purity of their faith, to protect themselves from the "silver-loving snake", as "love of silver is the root of all evil", and not to seek recognition and love from earthly rulers.

The history of the saint is honored three times a year - on August 18 (dormition), on October 19 (transfer of relics to Sredets, today's Sofia) and on July 1 (return of relics from Tarnovo to the Rila Monastery). Believers gather in the holy abode to worship his miraculous relics, preserved in the central temple.

It is expected that this year, hundreds of Orthodox Christians from across the country will pay homage to St. John of Rila - the founder of the Rila Holy Abode and the protector of the people. The day of the dormition of the Rila Wonderworker is also chosen as the professional holiday of miners, geologists, and workers in the energy and raw materials sector, who consider him their heavenly guardian.