Some have asked: why Bulgaria? The fact is, the church I joined is part of the Bulgarian Patriarchate for the U.S., Canada, and Australia (and sometimes other countries they aren’t quite sure what to do with initially). We are known to some in the Orthodox community as “the converts church” I’ve come to find out, because our original members were all converts to Orthodoxy, and we continue to accept converts who have no tie to Bulgaria or the Bulgarian church. We are, in fact, mostly American converts along with some Russian, Ukrainian, and Romanian (I think) members. The other Bulgarian Orthodox church in Indianapolis is composed of families and/or members who immigrated from Bulgaria.
So, the fact is that most of us converts have no ties to Bulgaria. Part of my spiritual development on this pilgrimage has been learning about the history of the Church in Bulgaria and more about the saints and others who made the Church what it is today.
One of those is St. John of Rila (St. Ivan Rilski), who was the first Bulgarian hermit, first saint, and is the patron saint of the Bulgarian Church. While we have an icon of him, and know a bit about him, he doesn’t necessarily get the attention he is due in some respects. Until this trip, he has not been a major part of my spiritual life (see this for more info). More on that in a minute.
The short version of his life is that he was born in 876 in or near Serdika (modern Sofia) and was orphaned at an early age. He hired out as a cow herder, and one of his first miracles involved the recovery of a missing calf. The owner, who had beaten him for the calf (and/or mother) being missing was hiding and watching when St. John found the calf, and making the sign of the Cross on his cloak, used it to still the flood waters and return it safely to its mother. Somewhat terrified at what he had done in beating the child/youth, the man rewarded him richly — which John fairly promptly gave away.
He was a hermit in the area of modern Sofia, and the monastery where I’ve been attending services on Sunday is believed to be on the site where he had a hermitage. Depending on the source, people recognized that he was no ordinary hermit and so came to visit. The Bulgarian king even wanted to meet him, among other notables. All the attention, however, was not to his liking and after sending a polite letter declining to meet with the king, he took off for the area around Rila where he reportedly lived for a time in a hollow tree.
Discovered once more, he ended up taking residence in a cave up a rather steep climb (I did it, fell flat on my face at the base). There was a spring nearby providing running water, and it was a while before the dedicated group of students caught up with him again. They built a small church just outside/below his cave, and tried to protect him from visitors.
Today, his major relics are in the Church at the Rila Monastery built in his honor. I got the distinct impression that the monks consider the fact that it is now a major tourist destination a very mixed blessing. I rather strongly suspect he would be horrified at it on several levels.
As for me, I’ve come to empathize with him quite a bit, particularly after watching the news. I’ve joked a few times on this pilgrimage about wondering how much a gently used cave might cost, either here in Bulgaria or on Mt. Athos where I saw a couple that were unoccupied. It would, after all, be fairly close to what I was thinking of doing if/when I moved to the Southwest.
To skip back to his part in this journey, I offer the following. I venerate him but he has not been one of those that has been a large part of my spiritual life. When this pilgrimage became more than a dream, I asked him to help guide it, especially my visit to him. I mentioned it before, but once here, I wasn’t guided to go to Rila on a certain day as much as I was told to do so. I did, and while there — among other things that happened — I was given the chance to venerate his relics. That was just one of several things that happened that day, and I do feel that he was behind them and behind my getting the most possible out of that visit and some other things.
It’s left me with a good bit to think about, and to talk over with my priest and others. There’s a lot that has happened that is not mine to share, and a lot where I’m having trouble putting parts into words. I will simply state that this trip has indeed been rich and rewarding for spiritual growth and discernment.
If you would like to help me with this trip, seminary courses, and more, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. I’ve added Cash App ($CliffPow7) and Venmo (@Clifford-Powers-5). There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. Getting hit by lightning is not fun! It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.