At the invitation of Metropolitan Anthony of Western and Central Europe, the British Ambassador to Bulgaria Nathaniel Copsey on Friday toured the Bulgarian Orthodox Church of St John of Rila in London, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church – Bulgarian Patriarchate reported on its website.
Bulgaria’s Ambassador in London Tihomir Stoytchev and the parish priest, Economos Dobromir Dimitrov D.D. familiarized the guest with the history of the parish and the construction of the first Bulgarian church in the British capital.
“Nathaniel Copsey was impressed by the architectural design of the dome, the marble iconostasis and the chancel barrier, as well the decoration of the church. The Orthodox Church of St John of Rila is a wonderful example of the fine interaction between the Bulgarian State and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in the care of the Orthodox expatriate Bulgarian citizens,” the press release says.
The website added that Father Dobromir gifted Ambassador Copsey with an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos with the Christ Child and a book of icons and quotations from the Fathers of the Church.
A Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Community of St John of Rila was set up in London on March 1, 1981. In the early 1990s, a garage within the compound of the Bulgarian Embassy in London was converted into a chapel for the needs of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. The chapel, dedicated to St John of Rila, was consecrated in 1993.
“The chapel was tiny, which is why an idea emerged to remodel it into a church,” Father Dobromir told BTA in an interview. Since December 2021, he has served as a parish priest at the Bulgarian Orthodox Community in London.
The reconstruction of the chapel was financed by the Bulgarian State with a total of BGN 3,300,000, to which Bulgarians resident in the UK and Bulgarian business persons added BGN 1,500,000 raised in donations, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church said.
The new Church of St John of Rila in London was consecrated on February 23, 2025 by the Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia Daniil, who also celebrated the first liturgy there. British Ambassador in Sofia Tours Bulgarian Orthodox Church in London THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2025-10-31 18:10:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
