Thousands of worshippers are continuing to visit churches in Sofia to venerate the “Hawaiian” Iveron–Montreal myrrh-streaming icon of the Most Holy Theotokos (Virgin Mary), which has been staying in Bulgaria for the duration of the Dormition Fast.

During its ongoing visit, a special service before the icon was led by His Holiness Patriarch Daniil of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church at the Cathedral of the Holy Great Martyr Nedelya, according to the website of the Bulgarian Church. In the days of the fast, the Patriarch presided over an archierarchical vespers service with a supplicatory canon to the Theotokos. Hierarchs, clergy of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, and representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia also took part, accompanying the shrine.

Addressing the faithful, Patriarch Daniil likened the icon’s arrival to the Gospel meeting of the Virgin Mary with the righteous Elizabeth. Quoting Elizabeth’s words from the Gospel of Luke—“Where does this come to me, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?”—he said Orthodox Christians meeting the sacred image today may also repeat the same sentiment.

The Patriarch described the icon’s presence among believers as “a great mercy of God” and as a reminder of the intercession of the Mother of God. “It shows that She is near to us, intercedes, and cares for each person who comes with faith and reverence to venerate Her,” Patriarch Daniil said.

In his homily, the Bulgarian Patriarch stressed that the Theotokos’ central lesson is the need to hear God’s word and put it into practice. He referred to the Gospel words of the Virgin Mary at the Wedding at Cana of Galilee: “Whatever He tells you, do it.” “This is what a person is meant for—so that Christ is born in his soul,” Patriarch Daniil added, calling on believers to keep peace in the heart and not fall into division, condemnation, or distrust.

He also pointed to Mary as an example of remaining faithful to God amid trials and external difficulties. “She answered every disturbance and every attempt at division with Her witness and unceasing prayer,” he said, urging prayer for the unity of the Church and for the kind of peace “that surpasses all understanding.”

The Hawaiian Iveron–Montreal icon is known worldwide in Orthodox circles for its myrrh-streaming, a phenomenon reported to have continued since 2007. Over that period, millions of believers are said to have prayed before the shrine. Patriarch Daniil noted in Sofia that the myrrh-streaming is not related to the material of the icon itself, but to the “Prototype” depicted—Christ the Lord, the Most Holy Theotokos, or the saints.

On August 1, the shrine was solemnly received in Sofia. The icon was brought into the ancient Church of Holy Sophia, followed by a cross procession through the center of the Bulgarian capital to the Cathedral Church of Holy Nedelya. Thousands of believers took part, with many residents waiting for hours to venerate the icon.

During the services in Sofia, the shrine was accompanied by representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, including Bishop Ireney of London and Western Europe, and Nektary Youngson, the priest who serves as keeper of the shrine. Bishop Ireney conveyed greetings from Metropolitan Nicholas of East America and New York, emphasizing the spiritual unity of Orthodox Christians and the significance of the visit for strengthening brotherly ties between the Churches.

In commemoration of the icon’s first arrival in Bulgaria, representatives of the Russian Church Outside of Russia presented Patriarch Daniil with a copy of the holy image attached to the miraculous original. The myrrh-streaming icon will remain in Bulgaria through the days of the Dormition Fast.