Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia Daniil led the festive Divine Liturgy at the Dormition Church in the city of Kyustendil, on the Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. The service on August 15 was attended by Protopriest Volodymyr Tyshchuk, the rector of the Russian Orthodox Church’s courtyard in Sofia, together with clergy from the Russian Church.

For Kyustendil, the Dormition is not only a major church holiday but also an official spiritual celebration of the city.

In a sermon after the liturgy, the patriarch spoke about the significance of the Mother of God for Christians and urged the faithful to follow her example—preserving faith and loyalty to God even in difficult circumstances.

“In the person of the Holy Mother of God, we see what great mercy the Lord has granted to the human race, and what great grace He bestowed on the Mother of God by choosing her to be the Mother of God and to bear the Son of God,” Patriarch Daniil said.

He added that the Mother of God shows people the path to union with God through faith, fidelity, and trust in God.

“Through the Holy Mother of God, we also see how people may become worthy of this mercy, so that Christ may be reflected in them through faith, fidelity, and trust in God,” the patriarch emphasized.

Patriarch Daniil said the Mother of God remained faithful to God despite life’s trials, and he cited her words at the Wedding at Cana before the first miracle of Christ: “Whatever He tells you to do, do it” (John 2:5).

“If we remain faithful and endure to the end, we will find the joy that the Holy Mother of God has always carried within herself,” he said.

After the liturgy, a thanksgiving moleben was served with the blessing of koliva. Later, on the city’s central square, the patriarch presided over a festive water-blessing prayer and blessed breads.

The religious celebrations were held as part of the 19th cultural forum “Panagia—Raising the Bread,” dedicated to the tradition of preparing and blessing holiday bread. The patriarch also visited exhibitions marking the 210th anniversary of Kyustendil’s Dormition Church, which will run until September 15.