John of Rila
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Saint John of Rila Свети Иван Рилски |
|
|---|---|
 Icon depicting Saint John of Rila |
|
| Born | 876 |
| Died | c. 946 |
| Venerated in | Bulgaria, the Eastern Orthodox world |
| Feast | 19 October |
 Saints Portal |
|
Saint John of Rila or Saint Ivan Rilski (Bulgarian: свети Иван Рилски, sveti Ivan Rilski) (876 – circa 946) was the first Bulgarian hermit and the founder of the Rila Monastery. He is today honoured as the patron of Bulgarian people and one of the most important saints of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
[edit] Life
Originally a herder, Saint John of Rila became a priest at the age 25 and later dedicated himself entirely to a life of isolation in various locations in the Rila Mountains, where he prayed to God and deprived himself of an everyday life, settling in dark and cold caves in appalling conditions.
Saint John of Rila is also legendarily known to have performed a multitude of miracles in order to help people. This brought him fame throughout the country, which he did not desire and often tried to avoid contact with other people. With his growing number of followers, many young believers and supporters set up camps around his cave, seeking a blessing from him. This led the way to the creation of the Rila Monastery, which is considered to be the foremost monastery in Bulgaria.
[edit] Remains
Shortly after the saint's death, his remains, which were thought to have wonder-working powers, were transferred to Sofia during the reign of Peter I.
After Magyar King Béla III conquered Sofia in 1183, Saint John of Rila's remains were sent to the Hungarian capital Esztergom and remained there for 4 years before being returned to Sofia in 1187.
In 1194, Bulgarian Tsar Ivan Asen I ordered the remains to be moved to his capital, Veliko Tarnovo. Surviving the Turkish conquest of the city in 1393, they were returned to the Rila Monastery in 1469 with the permission of Sultan Murad II.
