Drăgănești-Vlașca, Teleorman County, Romania, July 25, 2024
Photo: bg-patriarshia.bg
A portion of the relics of Bulgaria’s greatest saint, Venerable John of Rila, recently visited the Romanian Orthodox Church.
The relics, kept at the Sofia Theological Seminary, were taken to Romania by request of the Pantocrator Monastery in Drăgănești-Vlașca, Teleorman County, in honor of the monastery’s patronal feast of St. Mary Magdalene, reports the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
Photo: bg-patriarshia.bg
The Bulgarian delegation traveling with the relics was greeted on the evening of July 19 by His Grace Bishop Galaktion of Alexandria and Teleorman, Pantocrator abbot Archimandrite Sebastian and the brotherhood, Protosinghel Archimandrite Serafim, and pilgrims.
St. John’s relics were solemnly transferred to the Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene, which also houses a particle of her relics.
Photo: bg-patriarshia.bg
On Sunday, July 21, following the Divine Liturgy celebrated by Bp. Galaktion, a moleben for rain was served before the relics of St. John and St. Mary.
Photo: bg-patriarshia.bg
On July 22, the feast of the Equal-to-the-Apostles St. Mary Magdalene, a solemn Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the central monastery church His Eminence Metropolitan Naum of Ruse of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, together with Bp. Galaktion and Bishop Nectaria.
Photo: bg-patriarshia.bg
Bp. Naum also served at the Romanian Church’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the transfer of the relics of St. Demetrius the New to Bucharest last week. He also concelebrated in the consecration of Pantocrator Monastery one year ago.
Bp. Galaktion spoke about the life and miracles of St. John of Rila in his sermon. During the stay, many Romanian pilgrims and clergy came specifically to venerate the holy relics of the great Bulgarian saint.
The Romanian Church’s Trinitas TV broadcast the services during the stay of St. John’s relics, including the Liturgy for the feast of St. Mary Magdalene:
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