site.btaBulgarian Orthodox Community Marks Palm Sunday in Istanbul
The Bulgarian Orthodox community in Istanbul marked Palm Sunday at the Exarchate House in the Şişli district. A solemn church service was held at the St. Ivan Rilski Church, which was thronged with people of all ages despite the rainy weather.
Led by Haralampi Nichev, the priest for the Bulgarian churches in Istanbul, the church service lasted nearly two hours.
"On this day, we commemorate Jesus Christ’s solemn entry into Jerusalem, which preceded his Passion and death," Nichev told BTA. "The message of this day is that goodwill, peace, and prosperity are symbols of grace and God's blessing," he added.
Nichev highlighted the contribution of the Bulgarian community in Istanbul to the preservation of the Orthodox Christian faith. He noted that through the feasts, the members of the community express their ancestral Orthodox faith, what they have learned from their family, and pass it on to the next generation.
The Palm Sunday church service was accompanied by a performance by the Bulgarian Orthodox community’s church choir. The commemoration proceeded with a luncheon at the Exarchate organized by the Board of Trustees of the Foundation of the Orthodox Churches of the Bulgarian Exarchate in Istanbul, chaired by Dimitri Yotef.
/IV/
Additional
news.modal.image.header
news.modal.image.text
news.modal.download.header
news.modal.download.text
news.modal.header
news.modal.text