Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Bulgaria

• His Eminence, Metropolitan Cyprian, First Hierarch of the Holy Synod in Resistance, worked secretly for many years—attentively, diligently, prudently, and persistently—for the Catacomb Church in Bulgaria, during the Communist era.

• After the fall of Communism, and at the request of the Old Calendarist Orthodox in Bulgaria, the Holy Synod in Resistance initially established the Diocese of Triaditza (one of the ancient names for Sofia), with headquarters in Sofia, and the Bishop of Triaditza was given pastoral responsibility for the whole of Bulgaria. Subsequently, owing to special circumstances, the Holy Synod released this newly-established Diocese, so that it could function in the future as an independent, national ecclesiastical jurisdiction (and, of course, as a Sister Church of the Holy Synod in Resistance).

• The First Hierarch of the Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Bulgaria, the Most Reverend Photii, was Consecrated as the first Bishop of Triaditza on January 4, 1993 (Old Style). His Eminence was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 1956.

• Bishop Photii completed his university degrees in theology and classical philology at the University of Sofia, where he was subsequently an assistant professor. He speaks four languages and is the author of numerous theological publications, including the superb English-language volume, The Road to Apostasy: Significant Essays on Ecumenism, published in 1995 by the Center for Traditionalist Orthodox Studies in Etna, California.

• His Eminence is a spiritual child of the ever-memorable Confessor and contemporary Elder, Archimandrite Seraphim (Alexiev) (†January 13/26, 1993), whose Elder was the distinguished Russian Archbishop, St. Seraphim (Sobolev) (†1950). He was also for many years under the spiritual guidance of the revered Eldress Seraphima (in the world, Princess Olga Liven), late Abbess of the Holy Protection of the Theotokos Convent, in Sofia.

• In 1994, the Trustees of the Florovsky Fund, as part of their efforts, after the fall of communism, to recognize the heroic "Orthodox resisters" in the national Orthodox Churches of Eastern Europe, whose sufferings and sacrifices had been largely ignored, awarded Bishop Photii the "Florovsky Theological Prize" for his theological scholarship and erudition. He shared the prize with two of his mentors and spiritual guides–also former assistant professors at the University of Sofia–, the late Archimandrite Seraphim (Aleksiev) and the venerable Archimandrite Sergei (Yazadzhiev).

I. Headquarters: Sofia, Bulgaria

- Address: Cathedral of the Dormition of the Theotokos, Bulgarska Legia 41, Sofia, Bulgaria.

- Telephone and Fax number: (00359) 2 855-21-57

- E-mail: pravoslavno.slovo at gmail dot com

II. Clergy

1. Priests: 20

– Hieromonks: 6

– Married Priests: 14

2. Deacons: 3

III. Parishes and Churches

– Parishes: 16

– Churches and Chapels: 20

– Churches under construction: 6

IV. Monastic Institutions

• Convent of the Holy Protection of the Theotokos, Kniazhevo, Sofia

– Nuns and Novices: 65

– Abbess: vacant

• Skete of St. Theodosios of Trnovo, with four monks.

V. Publications

1. Pravoslovno Slovo (periodical)

2. Annual pocket calendar

3. Archimandrite Seraphim (Alexiev) (†) and Archimandrite Sergius (Yazadzhiev), Orthodoxy and Ecumenism (in Bulgarian [486 pp.], in Russian [304 pp.], and in Romanian [340 pp.])

4. A Brief Life of Archbishop Seraphim (Sobolev)

5. The Old Calendar Bulgarian Orthodox Church is the publisher of numerous books, primarily the works of the ever-memorable Archimandrite Seraphim (Alexiev) (†1993), as part of its missionary pursuits

VI. Official Website:

http://bulgarian-orthodox-church.org