Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Pilgrimage to St. John of Rila begins in Sofia

Photo: Metropolitan Diocese of Sofia

For the 15th consecutive year, the "Miracle Worker of Rila" pilgrimage gathers Orthodox Christians from near and far to walk from Sofia to the Rila Monastery. The Holy Metropolis of Sofia announces on its website that the pilgrimage is organised with the blessing of His Holiness the Metropolitan of Sofia and Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil.

The pilgrimage will take place from August 1 to 6 and will cross the mountains of Vitosha, Verila and Rila. On the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a mass is held at the Monastery of the Dormition of the Mother of God.

And this year, on August 1, the march will begin in the capital's St. Sophia Temple with a Holy Mass and water service celebrated by Patriarch Daniil. For the first time, the First Hierarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church will also officiate at the water consecration at one of the Seven Rila Lakes - "Babreka" - on August 5, a traditional part of the pilgrimage programme.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Lamb on a spit and bagpipes in the heart of the Rhodopes - Zlatograd hosts a festival of flavours

Nearly 100 spit-roasted lambs (chevermeta) will be prepared for the festival in Zlatograd. The town’s vibrant festival is dedicated to the iconic Rhodope delicacy. The event, rich in music and traditional costumes, is expected to draw thousands of..

published on 5/3/25 6:25 AM
The Baptism of Boris I (Artist: Nikolai Pavlovich)

Celebrating 1160 years of Bulgarian baptism and 1170 years of the Bulgarian alphabet

This evening, at 6pm, a prayer service will be held in the courtyard of the Great Basilica, followed by a festive concert dedicated to the 1160th anniversary of the baptism of the Bulgarian people and the 1170th anniversary of the creation of the..

published on 5/2/25 6:20 PM

From a cabinet minister to a homeless man – what labour means to Bulgarians

International Labor Day on May 1 in the mass consciousness of Bulgarians is often associated with the period of socialism and the grandiose demonstrations that the older generation of Bulgarians remembers well. However, it has much deeper roots. Its..

published on 5/1/25 9:35 AM