This year, the holiday of Christmas for the Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese in the United States, Canada and Australia is especially exciting! Metropolitan Joseph’s long-standing prayers to have his own vicar bishop have come true. His previous vicar from 2010 to 2018 was Daniil Dragovitiyski, the current Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia, who put his heart and soul into the development of the diocese and the communities within it. 

• Metropolitan Daniil of Vidin is the new Bulgarian Patriarch 

Six years later, by decision of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Bulgarian Patriarchate, Archimandrite Kliment – ​​a cleric of the Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox diocese in the USA, Canada and Australia, was elevated to episcopal rank with the title of Levkiyski.

Metropolitan Joseph tells how in a miraculous way the monks saw the painted image of St. George the Victorious and thus gave his name to the Zograf Monastery. As a monk from Zograf, Bishop Kliment, he has two heavenly patrons - St. George the Victorious and St. Clement of Ohrid the Miracle Worker:

On the feast of the Nativity of Christ, Metropolitan Joseph sends his blessings to the audience of Radio Bulgaria and all our Orthodox compatriots: