Balgarianovinite.com The image of St. John of Rila is portrayed in contemporary Bulgarian culture today through this LIK magazine, and we need this portrayal, Father Sava Kokudev said at the presentation of the August issue of LIK, dedicated to St. John of Rila and the Rila Monastery he founded. This year marks 1,080 years since the saint’s repose. It also marks 1,150 years since 876, the year in which he is believed to have been born.
Father Sava Kokudev has been a long-time participant in the 120-kilometre pilgrimage from Sofia to Rila Monastery. The Rila Wonderworker pilgrimage is one way of experiencing this testimony in the present, he said.
The initiative began in 2010 and takes place annually at the beginning of the Dormition Fast, with participants covering about 120 kilometres through Vitosha, Verila and Rila to Rila Monastery.
“This pilgrimage is one of the ways in which a huge group of people take part every year. In fact, this pilgrimage demonstrates that we are passing through the history of this world and seeking to worship in the homeland above,” he said.
He also described the pilgrimage as a time for sharing one’s personal self and shedding masks and social roles. “It gives people an opportunity to meet one another and build relationships,” he said, noting that it is no coincidence that families have also been formed during the pilgrimage.
The essence of this spiritual transition is movement “from I to you” – overcoming selfishness and turning towards the other person and towards God, Father Kokudev said.
According to him, celebrating the saint, taking part in the pilgrimage and discussing his legacy are different ways for a person to “reach out to heaven” and seek a return to the truth about oneself, to the depths of the heart where the Kingdom of Heaven is hidden. Father Sava Kokudev: We Need the Image of St. John of Rila in Contemporary Bulgarian Culture 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-08-18 17:05:10 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
