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Church honors heavenly protector of Bulgarians

Photo: BGNES

On October 19 the Orthodox Church marks the Feast of St. John of Rila - heavenly protector of the Bulgarian people. Ivan Rilski was born around 876 and until the age of 25 was a shepherd, but after that he became a monk and lived in complete solitude, prayer and fasting. He died in year 946 and was buried in the Rila Monastery that he established.

For the past 20 years, on the initiative of the Bulgarian Doctors' Union, the Day of Bulgarian Doctor has been marked on this date as St. Ivan Rilski is considered the patron saint of doctors.



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