On May 7, the city of Sliven solemnly welcomed the holy relic of Saint George the Trophy-Bearer, in an atmosphere of deep reverence and ecclesiastical splendor, marking a moment of spiritual joy for the faithful and the local Church.
A liturgical procession began from the central square of the city and escorted the sacred relic to the Cathedral Church of Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki, where it was ceremoniously received by Metropolitan Arseniy.
The festive evening service was presided over by His Grace Bishop Isaac of Velbazhd, second vicar of the Metropolitan of Sofia. Participating prayerfully in the service were Metropolitan Arseniy of Sliven and Bishop Sioniy of Veliki, Abbot of the Stavropegial Bachkovo Monastery.
Among the clergy concelebrating were Archimandrite Ignatius, Abbot of the Monastery “Holy Theotokos – Joy of All Who Sorrow” in Paleochori, Halkidiki, Archimandrite Christodoulos, brother of the monastery, Archimandrite Stefan, spiritual supervisor of the diocese, Stavrophore Economos Evgeni Yanakiev, Fr. Angel Angelov, spiritual supervisor of the Metropolis of Plovdiv, as well as Archdeacons Bartholomew and Polycarp.
The hymns were chanted by Fr. Michael Disos from Lesvos together with chanters from Romania led by Fr. Marin Pintea.
Present at the service were the Mayor of Sliven, Mr. Stefan Radev, the Regional Governor Mr. Marincho Hristov, the President of the Municipal Council Mr. Dimitar Mitev, the Mayor of Tsargan village Mr. Stoimen Petrov, and a large number of faithful who came to venerate the relics of the saint.
In his address following the Vespers service, Bishop Isaac conveyed the greetings and congratulations of His Holiness Patriarch Daniil of Bulgaria to Metropolitan Arseniy on the occasion of his upcoming name day. The bishop spoke about the life and spiritual legacy of Saint Arsenius the Great, highlighting his humility, wisdom, and ascetic struggle in the Egyptian desert. He especially recalled the saint’s well-known saying: “I have often regretted my words, but never my silence,” emphasizing its timeless spiritual significance.
Metropolitan Arseniy warmly thanked Bishop Isaac for his brotherly love and for conveying the blessings of the Bulgarian Patriarch.
In his own remarks, the Metropolitan of Sliven spoke about the spiritual significance of the holy relics of Saint George as a living testimony to the grace of God and Christ’s victory over death. He stressed that the saints remain living members of the Church who continue to strengthen the faithful through their prayers and miraculous presence.Metropolitan Arseniy also expressed gratitude to Archimandrite Ignatius for bringing the honored hand of Saint George the Trophy-Bearer fromGreece to the Diocese of Sliven. He further announced that the relic would next be brought for veneration to Yambol on the evening of May 9 and to Burgas on the evening of May 10.
In his greeting, Archimandrite Ignatius spoke about the truth of Christ’s Resurrection as witnessed through the incorrupt relics and grace-filled presence of the saints in the life of the Church. He emphasized that the saints are the fruits of Christ’s Resurrection and that their holy relics remain living proof of the action of the Holy Spirit in humanity. He invited the faithful to approach the holy relic with faith, repentance, and hope in the mercy of God.
Following the conclusion of the service, the faithful reverently venerated the relics of Saint George and received the blessing of the hierarchs.
