ARCHBISHOP SERAPHIM (SOBOLEV) HAS BEEN CANONISED A SAINT IN SOFIA

From 26th of February, Bulgaria’s capital Sofia, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church have a new saint. His name is Saint Archbishop Seraphim (Sobolev) of Boguchar, Miracle-Worker of Sofia.

The celebrations dedicated to the canonisation started on the night of 25th of February in Sofia with a procession from the Russian Church to St. Alexander Nevski cathedral, where a night vigil took place.

The canonization ceremony started early in the morning on 26th of February in St. Alexander Nevski cathedral. About 9:15 a.m. the  icon of Archbishop Seraphim, which had been given as a gift to Bulgaria by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Russia, was taken off the altar and placed in the centre of the temple.

Before the official liturgy started, the Archbishop Seraphim was proclaimed a saint. His Grace Bishop Arseny of  Znepolsk read the speech to announce the canonisation of Archbishop Seraphim among the host of saints.

Special patriarchal and synodal messages were read as well.

The Bulgarian Patriarch Neophyte lifted the icon of Saint Seraphim to the four cardinal directions and the bishops bowed to it.

The cathedral was filled with a great number of people who came to worship before the newly glorified saint.

For the first time in history, a saint was canonized simultaneously by the orthodox churches of Bulgaria and Russia. The final decision on the glorification of Archbishop Seraphim was taken at the plenary session of the Holy Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, which took place on 2nd and 3rd of February in Moscow.

At a meeting on 5th of February, the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church decided the solemn glorification of the new saint to be held on 26th of February, the day of his death. This will be the date on which the Orthodox calendar in future will honour the memory of  St. Seraphim, the Miracle-Worker of Sofia.

Archbishop Seraphim (Sobolev; 1881-1950) of Boguchar was a hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. In the spring of 1921 he moved to Bulgaria, where he remained to the end of his days.

After his death on February 26, 1950, Archbishop Seraphim was buried in the crypt of the Russian embassy Church of St. Nicholas in the city of Sofia where he served.

In his lifetime the hierarch used to say, “Write me your requests and I will pray for you”. A big urn stands in the crypt near his grave, and in front of the entrance to the apse where the tomb is located, there is a room in which people make their intercession lists on specially installed tables and then drop them in the urn. A great many miracles have occurred through the prayers and petitions of the faithful to him, including  healing from serious illnesses; rescue from death;  help in life difficulties; rescue from false accusations;  and many others.

The glorification ceremony was broadcast live on BNT2. At 21:30, the channel will air a documentary dedicated to the life of the saint.

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