The Bulgarian Zograf Monastery on Mount Athos celebrated the feast day of Saint George the Victory-Bearer, the heavenly patron of the ancient monastery, with a series of significant events this year. The festivities included a procession with the miraculous icon of Saint George, a visit from an official Bulgarian delegation, and the election of a new abbot for the monastery, as reported by BTA.

Zograf is one of the 20 monasteries on Mount Athos, founded in the 10th century and historically linked to the Bulgarian people. It is located on the western coast of the peninsula and has long been a repository of Bulgaria's cultural and spiritual heritage. The traditional celebration of Saint George begins with an all-night vigil, followed by an early morning liturgy and a procession with the revered icon of Saint George. According to legend, this icon arrived at Mount Athos in the 12th century when the mule carrying it stopped on a hill near the monastery. A church was built at that location, and the procession has taken place there annually ever since.

The festive liturgy at the main cathedral of the monastery, built in 1801, was led by Bishop Gerasim of Melnik, Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Joining him was the newly elected abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Gavriil, whose enthronement will take place on May 11.

The celebration was attended by a prominent Bulgarian government delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov. During their visit, the delegation participated in the services, toured the monastery's library, and viewed one of its most cherished relics — the draft of the "Slavo-Bulgarian History" by Saint Paisius of Hilendar, a spiritual founder of Bulgaria’s national renaissance.

During the festive meal that concluded the celebrations, expressions of gratitude were shared with the monastery’s brethren and pilgrims. Abbot Gavriil spoke of the monastery's current community of around 35 monks and emphasized the importance of maintaining faith in the midst of the world’s distractions. Deputy Prime Minister Zafirov presented the abbot with an archimandrite's cross on behalf of Bulgaria, highlighting the spiritual significance of Zograf Monastery as "the guardian of the ancestral memory and faith of the people."