On March 8, the Second Sunday of Great Lent, when the Orthodox Church commemorates Gregory Palamas, Metropolitan Anthony of Western and Central Europe celebrated the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil at the Bulgarian Orthodox Church of St. Sophronius of Vratsa Church in Lyon.
Concelebrating with the Metropolitan were the parish rector, Stavrophor Economos Fr. Petar Simeonov, Stavrophor Economos Fr. Yuliyan Angelov, Protopresbyter Fr. Georgi Georgiev from Strasbourg, and Deacon Ivan Stoyanov. The liturgical hymns were performed by protopsalt Georgi Mikov.
The service was attended by many faithful, including believers who traveled from Paris, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Lille, and Grenoble, as well as representatives of the Bulgarian Orthodox community in Geneva. Special guests included Mariana Boyadzhieva, Ambassador of Bulgaria to Algeria, Nadya Vaneva, Consul General of Bulgaria in Lyon, and trade attaché Nikolay Teoharov.
The hierarchical Divine Liturgy coincided with the 50th anniversary of the priestly ordination of Fr. Petar Simeonov, celebrated on the eve of the parish’s patronal feast. In his address, Metropolitan Anthony recalled that in 2027 the Bulgarian Orthodox community in Lyon will mark thirty years since the establishment of the parish, a place where compatriots can hear the Word of God in Bulgarian, preserve their traditions, and remain connected to the history and culture of their homeland even while living abroad.
“Today we celebrate a double joy in the Holy Eucharist,” the Metropolitan said, praising Fr. Petar for faithfully walking the demanding path of priestly ministry for half a century with faith, hope, and love for God. He encouraged the priest to continue preaching the Word of God and sowing spiritual seeds among the faithful entrusted to his pastoral care.
By decision of the Diocesan Council of the Bulgarian Orthodox Diocese of Western and Central Europe, Metropolitan Anthony presented Fr. Petar with a pectoral cross bearing the image of the Resurrection of Christ as a sign of appreciation and encouragement for his long service.
The Metropolitan also expressed gratitude to the Bulgarian diplomatic representatives for their presence, noting that it demonstrates the cooperation between Church and state in serving the Bulgarian community abroad.
Fr. Petar Simeonov, in turn, thanked God, Metropolitan Anthony, and all those present for their support and prayers. He expressed gratitude to everyone who had contributed to the life of the parish over the years and expressed hope that, with God’s help and the Metropolitan’s blessing, the community would continue to grow and fulfill its mission.
Source: Patriarchate of Bulgaria
