The Church of the Annunciation – a spiritual home of faith, hope and compassion

Today, the Orthodox Church celebrates one of the most important Christian holidays: the Annunciation. On this day, the Archangel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she had been chosen to bear the Saviour of the world. Mary humbly accepts this message and God’s will, thus fulfilling the ancient promise of humanity’s salvation.

Through the Most Holy Mother of God, motherhood is revealed to be a sacred act blessed by God. In the Bulgarian Orthodox tradition, this feast is therefore celebrated as the ultimate expression of motherhood, affirming a woman's role as the giver of life and guardian of the family.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the Annunciation was widely celebrated in Bulgaria as a day to honour mothers and women, and it was one of the most important celebrations. During the socialist period, however, the focus shifted towards women’s roles in the workforce and their equality in society. Following the democratic changes of the 1990s, the feast regained its spiritual meaning, once again affirming women as givers of life and guardians of the family. In Orthodoxy, the family is often described as the 'little domestic church', where the mother nurtures children in Christian virtues.

On the day of the Annunciation, churches and monasteries fill with families and worshippers who attend the festive Divine Liturgy together with the clergy, offering prayers to God and the Theotokos.

Consecrated on this day, the Church of the Annunciation in Sofia’s Druzhba district – one of the newest Orthodox churches in the city and the first in the Sofia Diocese dedicated to the Annunciation – now marks its fifth anniversary. The celebrations include a Patriarchal Divine Liturgy, which will be presided over by His Holiness Daniil, Patriarch of Bulgaria.

The church’s rector, Father Emilijan Kostadinov, a senior Orthodox priest, spoke to Radio Bulgaria about how the church came into being:

'The idea for this church came about spontaneously,' recalls Father Emilijan. 'Many young people attend services here. The Saint Prophet Elijah Church was the only one in the area, and it is much smaller. There were times when people could not fit into the church and had to stand outside.
I will never forget one Sunday when I was serving and it was raining. From the altar, I saw a family — a father and mother with a small child — standing outside. They stayed for a while and then left. That really shook me...

We had often talked about the need for a larger church and considered different options, but seeing that family outside in the rain was the moment that made me realise we could not delay any longer. We call it God's providence.

Then, together with the parish council, we began to explore possibilities and organise the construction of a new church. That is how it all started. As with any beginning, it was difficult. We faced all kinds of challenges and nothing went smoothly, but thanks to God's providence, everything came to fruition.'

Construction took nine years, and in 2021, the church was consecrated on the Feast of the Annunciation by Bishop Polycarp of Belogradchik, who was then a vicar to Metropolitan Neofit of Sofia, Patriarch of Bulgaria.

'Today, we are blessed with a large and vibrant parish. People come to the church and rejoice in it, and that is our greatest satisfaction. Everything that is done here is for the glory of God,' says Father Emilijan.

He also mentions that a kitchen has been set up to support people in need, an initiative of the Orthodox brotherhood of the church.

'The aim is for people to receive food not simply as a ration for the poor, but as a blessing.'

It is important for people to attend their local parish church. This is where they can take part in services and where priests can get to know them and understand their situation, so that they can offer help when needed.

We can help anyone with food. We don't ask if someone is a Christian – we give to everyone. If they have come, it means they are in need.’

As with many parish churches in Sofia, there is a Sunday school for children here, and and twice a month there are discussions for adults.

‘We strive to bring people closer to the Church and help them become part of its life, because it is within the Church that virtues are learned. There is strong resistance to religious education — as the saying goes, an unenlightened people is easier to control,’ says Father Emilijan.

He emphasises that when people gather before God’s altar, their prayers become more powerful and are more readily heard by God and the Mother of God.

‘The Most Holy Mother of God prays for us. She watches over us, protects us and defends us. She rejoices when we do good and grieves when we do wrong.

We, as humanity, have wounded her most deeply — we killed her Son and crucified Him — and yet she remains our most fervent intercessor before her Son and the Holy Trinity.’

Editor: Elena Karkalanova

Posted in English by E. Radkova