Sophronios of Vratsa

Saint Sophronios, Bishop of Vratsa, teacher and enlightener of Bulgaria.

St. Sophronios of Vratsa was born in Kotel in Bulgaria in 1739 and served as a parish priest before becoming Bishop of Vratsa. A disciple of the work of St. Paisios of Hilendar, he labored for the education of the Bulgarian people, copying and translating books and preaching in the vernacular despite persecution by local Ottoman rulers.

He reposed in Bucharest in 1813 and was glorified by the Bulgarian Church in 1964. His memory is kept on March 11.

Feast day

On the New Calendar, Sophronios of Vratsa is commemorated on March 11. Churches on the Old (Julian) Calendar keep the feast on March 24 of the civil calendar.

Also commemorated on March 11

• 

  Sophronios of Jerusalem

  Hierarch, Σωφρόνιος

  Patriarch of Jerusalem.

  Name days: Sofronios

• Theodora of Arta

  Holy Woman, Θεοδώρα της Άρτας

  Saint Theodora, Queen of Arta, patroness of the city.

  Name days: Theodora

• Pionios and Sabina

  Hierarch, Πιόνιος

  Hieromartyr Pionios, presbyter of Smyrna, with the martyr Sabina and companions.

  Name days: Pionios, Sabina

• George the Newly-Appeared

  Venerable, Γεώργιος ο Νεοφανής

  Venerable George the Newly-Appeared of Diipion in Constantinople.

• Trophimos and Thallos

  Martyr, Τρόφιμος

  Holy Martyrs Trophimos and Thallos of Laodicea.

• Euthymios of Novgorod

  Hierarch, Ευθύμιος του Νόβγκοροντ

  Saint Euthymios the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Novgorod.