"Patriarchal" All Souls’ Day in Bachkovo
 
Today, 18.02.2017g., All Souls’ Day, by decision of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, here in the monastery, His Holiness Patriarch of all Bulgaria and Mitropolit of Sofia Neophyte held a memorial service for the deceased Bulgarian First Hierarchs -  Bulgarian Exarch Stefan and Patriarch Kirill, bishops, priests, laity and warriors.
 
 
Holy Liturgy and matin were held by the youngest member of the Holy Synod, His Most Reverend Metropolitan of Stara Zagora Cyprian in participation with the priests of the monastery.
Memorial service was celebrated by His Holiness Patriarch Neophyte in concelebration with Most Reverend Metropolitans – of Veliko Tarnovo Gregory, of Plovdiv Nikolay, of Ruse Naum, of Stara Zagora Cyprian, Most Reverend Bishops – of Mesambria Jacob, of Branitski Gregory, of Znepolski Arseny, of Melnik Gerasim, abbot of the monastery, archimandrite Simon, brothers of the Holy monastery.
 
Metropolitan Cyprian said about unbroken continuity in worship given to us as a testament of our Lord Jesus Christ and the role of the ever-memorable and relaxing in the main monastery temple First Hierarchs Stefan and Kiril in its maintaining in his oration after the Liturgy. Specially was emphasized the outstanding role of the last Bulgarian Exarch and the first patriarch of the Third Bulgarian State in the rescue of Jews in Bulgaria during World War II. In this respect, at the invitation of Bulgarian Patriarch Neophyte the Ambassador of Israel in Bulgaria, Her Excellency Mrs. Iritis Lillian, President of the Central Israelite Spiritual Council in Bulgaria Mrs. Sofia Cohen, representatives of the Jewish community in the country witnessed the memorial. In his brief speech after the memorial service Patriarch Neophyte pointed out the bright example of active charity regardless of religion and nationality, given to us by Exarch Stefan and Patriarch Kirill in wartime.
 
The guests laid wreaths on the graves of appreciation of Exarch Stefan and Patriarch Kirill.
 
Archimandrite Simon invites His Holiness, the accompanying metropolitans and bishops, the Ambassador of Israel and representatives of the Jewish community in Bulgaria to have a cup of coffee in the monastery’s parlour after worship. In a cordial talk Her Excellency Mrs. Lillian express the admiration and gratitude of the Jews for unwavering position maintain by the entire Bulgarian Orthodox Church during the war and especially the courage of Exarch Stefan and Patriarch Kirill (during the events Plovdiv Metropolitan) resulted in saving fifty thousand fellow-countrymen Jews.
 
The meeting ended with leaving memorial inscriptions in the Kondika (monastery chronicle).