On 1 October, after a brief illness, Mother Anastasia, Abbess of the Holy Monastery of the Holy Great Martyr Panteleimon in Smolyan, fell asleep in the Lord at the age of 74.
The blessed nun was born on 4 August 1952 in Rudozem. She received Holy Baptism at the age of 33, on 30 September 1985, at the Holy Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Smolyan, and was given the name Christina at her baptism.
On her own initiative, and by divine Providence, the late Metropolitan Arsenios of Philippopolis performed, on 28 July 1995, the laying of the foundation of the chapel of the Holy Great Martyr Panteleimon, and the following year construction began on the present Holy Monastery. On 21 December 2019, Christina was tonsured a nun by His Eminence Metropolitan Nikolaos of Philippopolis, who gave her the monastic name Anastasia and appointed her Abbess of the Monastery.
Her entire life was devoted to the service of the Lord and to the building of the Holy Monastery of the Holy Great Martyr Panteleimon, above Smolyan, where there are now three holy churches, dedicated to Saint Panteleimon, to Saints Cosmas and Damian, and to the Venerable Saint Xenia of Petersburg.
Metropolitan Nikolaos of Philippopolis will officiate at the funeral service for the newly reposed Abbess Anastasia on Saturday, 3 October, at 11:30 a.m., at the Holy Monastery of the Holy Great Martyr Panteleimon in Smolyan.
