On December 27, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church venerates the memory of the first Christian martyr, Saint Stephen (Sveti Stefan in Bulgarian). As recorded in the life of the saint, Stephen was diligent in the church service, a model of mercy and patience. He was among the first seven deacons ordained by the first apostles. Like Christ and his disciples, he could work miracles by laying his hands on the sick and they were healed. He was one of the most zealous followers of the doctrine and with his words and deeds he converted more and more people to Christianity.
In Greek, the name Stephen means "wreath". It is believed that the name of the saint is a translation of the Aramaic Kelil (kelila - wreath, crown). According to legend, when the relics of the saint were discovered, a plaque with the name Kelil was found in the tomb, which leads many researchers to believe that this is the birth name of the saint.
St. Stephen is the patron saint of many Bulgarian churches, including one of the shrines of the Bulgarian struggle for church independence - the Iron Church "St. Stephen" in Istanbul.
The troparion performed in honour of St. Stefan on this day reads:
“Because of all you have endured for Christ our God,
you have been given a royal crown,
O First and Holy Martyr Stephen!
You have put your persecutors to shame
and have seen your Saviour enthroned
at the right hand of the Father.
Do not cease to intercede for the salvation of our souls.”
The exhibition "The Lords of Salt: Provadia - The Saltworks 5600 - 4350 BC" will be presented in Sofia. The temporary exhibition will be officially opened on June 11 at the National Archaeological Institute and Museum of the Bulgarian Academy of..
The testimonies of those who took part in the fateful events of 1876 are numerous and often contradictory. But the letters and documents about the April Uprising, which led to the liberation of Bulgaria , paint a fuller picture of the events that goes..
76 years after his death, the remains of the first Bulgarian Tsar of the Third Bulgarian Tsardom, Ferdinand I, were returned to the "Vrana" Palace and his last will has finally been fulfilled. The Tsar wrote that he wished to be..
+359 2 9336 661