A hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church visited Bulgaria to take part in celebrations honoring St. John of Rila

On August 18, 2026, the Bulgarian city of Burgas hosted commemorative events marking the 1,080th anniversary of the passing of St. John of Rila. Archbishop Job of Shumsk, a hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and rector of the Pochaiv Theological Seminary, participated in the festive Divine Liturgy. This was reported by , the Information and Education Department of the UOC.

The divine service at the church dedicated to St. John of Rylsk was led by Metropolitan Arsenius of Sliven, concelebrated by Archbishop Job, as well as clergy from the Bulgarian and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches. The purpose of the hierarch’s visit, undertaken with the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kyiv and All Ukraine, was to visit parishes in the Diocese of Sliven. For over a year now, Ukrainian priests have been ministering to their compatriots in these communities with the approval of the Bulgarian Patriarchate.

During their conversation, Archbishop Job expressed his gratitude to Metropolitan Arsenius for his support of Ukrainian clergy and the faithful. In response, Metropolitan Arsenius emphasized the importance of Christian love and unity among peoples during these difficult times.

The visit also included a meeting with Burgas Mayor Dimitar Nikolov. During the conversation, Archbishop Job expressed his gratitude for the hospitality and kindness shown to Ukrainian refugees. For his part, the mayor assured him that the city authorities remain ready to provide the necessary assistance to Ukrainian citizens who have found refuge in Bulgaria.

As a reminder, we previously reported that the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church had officially invited Patriarch Bartholomew to visit Bulgaria in October of this year.