For the first time in 500 years, the chants of the Divine Liturgy echoed through the ruins of the medieval monastery ''St. John the Baptist'' on St. John Island near Sozopol. The occasion was the commemoration of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, observed by the Orthodox Church on August 29. The relics of the saint were discovered on the island in 2010.
The service began with a liturgical procession from the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius to the port of Sozopol, from where worshippers were transported by boat to the island. The Divine Liturgy was led by Metropolitan Arseniy of Sliven. After the service, Professor Kazimir Popkonstantinov, who discovered the holy relics, was awarded the highest distinction of the Sliven Metropolis — the Order of St. Demetrius of Sliven, First Class.
Edited by Darina GrigorovaPublished and translated by Kostadin Atanasov
Photo: Daniela Kostadinova
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