Hundreds of Faithful Welcome the "Hawaiian" Icon of the Mother of God in Bulgaria

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

In the ancient Cathedral of Saint Sofia, the Primate of the Bulgarian Church celebrated the Divine Liturgy, concelebrated by Bishop Irenei of London and Western Europe (ROCOR) and hierarchs of the Bulgarian Church. Bishop Irenei, in his words of greeting, emphasized the uniqueness of the moment.

"In this ancient temple today we have witnessed two great miracles — the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ with His Body and Blood, and the presence of the Mother of God through Her myrrh-streaming icon," the hierarch declared. He also conveyed fraternal greetings from Archbishop Nicholas and the Synod of ROCOR, emphasizing: "We are grateful that this has happened now, and that we can be united together in prayer."

Patriarch Daniel expressed gratitude to the Synod of ROCOR for the opportunity to venerate the holy icon in various parts of the country. "For eighteen years, the Most Holy Mother of God has been pouring out Her mercy upon thousands and millions of Orthodox faithful throughout the Orthodox world," the Primate of the Bulgarian Church noted.

He called upon his flock to always strive for sincere prayer without wavering of mind, reminding them that in difficult times the faithful are especially in need of divine support and the protection of the Mother of God.

After the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy and the moleben with the blessing of water, the faithful proceeded in a religious procession to the metropolitan cathedral. In this church, Patriarch Daniel read a prayer for the successful completion of the pilgrimage route "Rilski Chudotvorets," which sets off annually from Sofia on the day of the icon's arrival.

The wonderworking "Hawaiian" Icon will remain in the metropolitan church until August 5. The holy icon will then visit other spiritual districts of the Sofia Eparchy and other regions of Bulgaria. The myrrh-streaming icon's stay in the country will last until August 19, 2026.

As the SPJ reported, hundreds of faithful venerated the wonderworking icon of the Mother of God at the Korets Monastery.