On May 12, 2025, the annual Clergy Conference of the Metropolis of Plovdiv was held at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Marina in Plovdiv, bringing together clergy from across the diocese. His Eminence Metropolitan Nikolai opened the event with a thanksgiving prayer service and delivered a keynote address outlining plans for the upcoming celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, scheduled for May 31. The clergy unanimously endorsed his proposal, which includes a hierarchical Divine Liturgy with full participation from the diocesan clergy.
Another major focus of the conference was the upcoming 2025/26 admission campaign for the Plovdiv Seminary and Academy “Saints Cyril and Methodius.” Metropolitan Nikolai emphasized the importance of attracting youth to religious education and called for increased pastoral engagement with schools and society. Reports on catechism efforts and Sunday schools were also presented, including a detailed account by Fr. Nikolai Velichkov, head of one of Bulgaria’s largest Sunday schools.
Metropolitan Nikolai endorsed plans for free summer youth camps at diocesan monasteries and praised the educational work being done, noting that nearly 5,000 children are currently studying “Religion – Orthodoxy” in the diocese under the guidance of 78 teachers. He also addressed the importance of implementing the new school subject “Religion – Virtues” in Bulgarian schools.
Additionally, Archimandrite Maximos presented the first issue of the new diocesan magazine Spiritual Path and encouraged its widespread distribution. The conference concluded with Metropolitan Nikolai blessing the clergy and wishing them success in their ministry.
Source: Patriarchate of Bulgaria
