Relics of St Gabriel Urgebadze Welcomed in Burgas for 30th Anniversary of His Repose

Personal relics of St Gabriel Urgebadze were solemnly received in the coastal city of Burgas as part of commemorations marking 30 years since the repose of the Georgian ascetic. The occasion brought dozens of worshippers to the Church of the Holy Mother of God, where an archiepiscopal Divine Liturgy was celebrated on the Feast of the Entry of the Mother of God into the Temple, led by Arseniy, Metropolitan of Sliven.

Among the relics brought to Bulgaria are the saint’s mantle, his cap, belt, the personal icon he carried with him, and a cross handcrafted by St Gabriel himself. An icon containing his holy relics, kept in the church he built at his family home in Tbilisi, also arrived in the country.

The relics were brought with the blessing of Georgian Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II and Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil. The initiative is organised by the Bulgarian–Georgian Spiritual and Cultural Centre “Darbazi”, with the blessing of Bishop Sioniy of Velichka, Abbot of the Bachkovo Monastery of the Dormition of the Mother of God.

The icon with relics of St Gabriel Urgebadze and his personal belongings are also on display for veneration at the Church of St Nedelya.

Veneration in Burgas continues until 18:00 today. At 13:00, the church will host a talk by the saint’s nephew, Elgar Urgebadze, who is accompanying the relics on their pilgrimage across Bulgaria..