Hundreds of faithful in Bulgaria welcome Hawaiian Icon of the Mother of God

Procession with the Hawaiian Icon of the Mother of God in Sofia. Photo: Bulgarian Orthodox Church

On August 1, 2026, hundreds of Orthodox Christians gathered in the Bulgarian capital to welcome the myrrh-streaming Hawaiian Icon of the Mother of God. The celebrations were led by Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria.

At the ancient Church of St Sophia, the Primate of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church celebrated the Liturgy together with Bishop Irenei of London and Western Eur ope of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia and hierarchs of the Bulgarian Church. In his welcoming address, Bishop Irenei stressed the extraordinary nature of the occasion.                                                                                                                                                              

“Today, in this ancient church, we have witnessed two great miracles – the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in His Body and Blood, and the presence of the Mother of God through her myrrh-streaming icon,” the hierarch said.

He also conveyed fraternal greetings from Archbishop Nicholas and the ROCOR Synod, adding: “We are grateful that this has happened now and that we can be united together in prayer.”

Patriarch Daniel thanked the ROCOR Synod for giving believers across the country the opportunity to venerate the holy icon.

“For eighteen years, the Most Holy Theotokos has poured out her mercy upon thousands and millions of Orthodox faithful throughout the Orthodox world,” the Primate of the Bulgarian Church said.

He called on the faithful always to strive for sincere prayer, free from a wavering mind, reminding them that in difficult times believers are especially in need of divine support and the protection of the Mother of God.

After the Liturgy and the blessing of water, the faithful joined a procession to the Metropolitan Cathedral. There, Patriarch Daniel read a prayer for the successful completion of the Rila Wonderworker pilgrimage, which begins in Sofia each year on the day the icon is brought to the city.

The wonderworking Hawaiian Icon will remain in the Metropolitan Cathedral until August 5. It will then travel to other ecclesiastical districts of the Sofia Eparchy and to other regions of Bulgaria. The myrrh-streaming icon will remain in the country until August 19, 2026.

As previously reported by the UOJ, hundreds of faithful venerated a wonderworking icon of the Mother of God at the Korets Convent.

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