Sofia, August 3, 2026
Photo: bg-patriarshia.bg
Hundreds of Orthodox Christians gathered in Sofia this weekend to venerate the myrrh-streaming Hawaiian Iveron Icon of the Mother of God, which arrived in Bulgaria for the first time and will remain in the country until August 19.
The icon, a small photographic copy of the lost Montreal Icon of the Mother of God, was welcomed at Vasil Levski Airport in Sofia by His Holiness Patriarch Daniil of Bulgaria, together with His Grace Bishop Gerasim of Melnik, His Grace Bishop Ioan of Branitsa, First Vicar of the Metropolitan of Sofia, and clergy of the capital, the Bulgarian Patriarchate reports.
Addressing the delegation from the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) that brought the icon, Pat. Daniil thanked the Holy Synod of ROCOR for its blessing in allowing the icon to visit Bulgaria during the Dormition Fast and travel to various regions of the country. He noted that through the Hawaiian Icon, the Mother of God has poured out her grace and mercy on thousands and millions of people for nearly 20 years.
“This small icon, which is not even a painted image but an imprint—a photograph of the Montreal Icon of the Mother of God lost several decades ago—testifies to us that God, the Mother of God and the saints are near to us and pour out their grace,” the Patriarch said.
Photo: bg-patriarshia.bg
His Grace Bishop Irenei of London and Western Europe, who accompanied the icon along with its guardian Fr. Nectarios Yangson, thanked the Patriarch for the opportunity to bring the icon to Bulgaria for the first time. “This icon is not an original, but a very small copy... It resembles our hearts, because we too are very small and weak, but nevertheless great miracles can happen in the hearts of all of us,” he said.
The icon was received at Sofia’s ancient St. Sophia Church, where Pat. Daniil celebrated the Divine Liturgy together with Bishops Irenei, Gerasim, Ioan, and Isaac of Velbazhd, Second Vicar of the Metropolitan of Sofia, and Fr. Nectarios, along with local clergy and deacons.
A long line of the faithful had formed outside the church from early morning, waiting to pray before the wonderworking image.
In his homily, Pat. Daniil urged the faithful to approach the icon with faith and sincere prayer, without allowing doubt, noting that in difficult times all are in need of God’s support and the protection of the Mother of God.
Bp. Irenei said that the faithful had witnessed two great miracles in the church that day: the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in His Body and Blood, and the presence of the Mother of God through her myrrh-streaming icon. He added that the Mother of God unfailingly protects the Church and the faithful, and conveyed greetings from His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas and the Holy Synod of ROCOR.
Following the Liturgy, a service of the Lesser Blessing of Water was celebrated, after which the icon was carried in procession to the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Nedelya. There, the Patriarch also read a prayer for the success of the Rila Wonderworker pilgrimage, now in its seventeenth year.
The icon will remain at St. Nedelya Cathedral for veneration from August 1 to 5, after which it will travel with its accompanying delegation to various deaneries of the Diocese of Sofia. According to the official program, the icon will go on to visit the dioceses of Nevrokop, Vidin, Vratsa, Lovech, Varna and Preslav, Veliko Tarnovo, and Sliven, as well as Rila Monastery, before concluding its visit to Bulgaria on August 19.
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