Saint John of Rila | |
|---|---|
 A fresco depicting St. John of Rila from Rila Monastery, Bulgaria | |
| Saint Monk, Wondermaker | |
| Born | c. 876 Skrino, First Bulgarian Empire |
| Died | 18 August 946 |
| Venerated in | Eastern Orthodox Church Roman Catholic Church[1][2] |
| Feast | 19 October[3] |
Saint John of Rila,[4][5] also known as Ivan of Rila (Bulgarian: Свети преподобни Йоан Рилски Чудотворец, romanized: Svеti prеpodobni Yoan Rilski Chudotvorеts, lit. 'Saint John of Rila the Wondermaker';[6][7] c. 876–946), was the first Bulgarian hermit. He was revered as a saint while he was still alive. The legend surrounding him tells of wild animals that freely came up to him and birds that landed in his hands. His followers founded many churches in his honor, including the famous Rila Monastery. One of these churches, Saint John of Rila was only discovered in 2008 in the town of Veliko Tarnovo. Today, he is honored as the patron saint of the Bulgarians and as one of the most important saints in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
- ^ "St. John of Rila - Saints & Angels". Catholic Online. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
- ^ "Orthodoxe Kirche von Bulgarien". www.rilaeu.com. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
- ^ Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Ὁ Ὅσιος Ἰωάννης ὁ Θαυματουργός ὁ ἀσκητής. 19 Οκτωβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
- ^ Tradigo, Alfredo (2006). Icons and Saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum. p. 341.
- ^ Lanzi, Fernando; Lanzi, Gioia (2004). Saints and Their Symbols: Recognizing Saints in Art and in Popular Images. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press. p. 133.
- ^ "Преподобный Иоа́нн Рыльский". azbyka.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-05-22.
- ^ "Св. преподобни Йоан Рилски Чудотворец". 2020-08-09. Archived from the original on 2020-08-09. Retrieved 2021-05-22.