Life in the Service of God and Bulgaria (Provadiya’s Episcopal Vicars in the Period 1919–1945)

Authors:

Pages: 237-250
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54664/VUVJ7047

Abstract:

After the end of the First World War, the Kingdom of Bulgaria experienced its second national catastrophe in less than a decade. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church was doing everything possible to help its suffering flock in those difficult years of testing for the faith and strength of the Bulgarian spirit. During this period, the town of Provadiya was the seat of the Provadiya Spiritual District and was part of St. Diocese of Varna and Preslav. At the head of the Provadiya Spiritual District was a bishop vicar. From 1919 to 1945, this post was successively held by the priests Ivan P. Mollov, Mihail Apostolov and Dimitar Dinkov. These three spiritual leaders did everything in their power to ease and support the lives of Provadians. At that time, the construction of the church “St. Annunciation” in the town of Provadiya, as well as the “Tsar Boris III” Diocesan Shelter for the Elderly was opened. The activity of the Church in the city was directed in several directions. In general, it took care of the livelihood of the poor, sick and elderly among the laity. It also supported and guided the spiritual and patriotic upbringing of the young generation. The paper also presents the fate of these three priests after the September 9th coup and the establishment of the atheistic communist government.

Keywords:

Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Provadiya episcopal vicars, charity, care for the poor and elderly, “Tsar Boris III” Diocesan Shelter for the Elderly.

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