St. Ivan Rilski Day in Bulgaria (19/10)

Saint John of Rila — founder of the Bulgarian hermitage — is considered the heavenly patron of the Bulgarian people.

He was born in about 876. During the reign of the Bulgarian Tsar Peter the Great (the first half of the 10th century), he decided to move away from the world and began to live as a hermit in Mount Rila.

Ivan Rilsky was canonized during his lifetime, and legends tell that wild animals themselves found him and came to him, and birds flew in and sat in his arms. He knew how to talk to animals and birds, could influence the climate and people’s thoughts, and his fame as a healer and miracle worker forced Tsar Peter himself to go to him in person.

Followers of the saint founded the — monastery of Rila Monastery in his honor, which still stands today in one of the most picturesque areas of Rila. On the day of the patronage of the Rila Monastery, pilgrims from all over the country and from abroad come here to pray in front of ancient icons and, together with the monks, visit the cave nearby where the saint once lived.

Also, many churches were built in honor of St. Ivan Rilsky — one of them, the Church of St. Ivan Rilsky, was discovered in 2008 in the city of Veliko Tarnovo.

Saint Ivan of Rila — is the most respected Bulgarian saint and one of the most important saints of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. He is revered not only in Bulgaria, but throughout the Balkan Peninsula and Russia.

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