BULGARIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH RECEIVES RELICS OF SAINT LUKE OF CRIMEA

On October 21, 2016 Bulgarian Orthodox Church received relics of St. Luke (Luka Voyno Yasenetsky), Archbishop of Crimea and Sympheropol, confessor and wonderworker (1877-1961).

Shortly after the glorification of St. Seraphim of Sofia and receiving relics from St. Seraphim of Sarov, Bulgarian believers have the honour to receive also a blessing from the serving and healing hands of Saint Luke whom they have known well and piously venerated for years.The reliquary was brought to Sofia by Russian Bishop Anthony of Bogorodsky who is visiting Bulgaria for the first time.

In his greetings to the Bulgarian faithful, he said that this precious gift, a piece of the relics of the 20th century saint, further strengthens the traditional close relations between the Russian and Bulgarian Local Orthodox Churches.

Church services for the traditional order of the translation of relics from temple to temple started from the Sofia Synodal palace, proceeding to the Russian St. Nicholas church with a paraklesis and akatist followed by a litany from St. Marina’s church to the Sofia cathedral church of St. Kyriakia, and on October 22 departed to Plovdiv where they will be placed in their future location, the metropolitan church of St. Marina.The local tradition of venerating St. Luke came from Greece and Russia in 1995-2000 before his canonization, and little by little reached the present glorious moment of receiving a piece of the saint’s relics.

From now on such extraordinary blessings from St. Luke the Surgeon as the present sending of his relics are expected to result in the gradual growth of his Church veneration and to enhance the process of glorification of 20th century Bulgarian saints.