St. Pachomius Library

St. John of Rila

Bulgarian IVAN RILSKI
IX/X Centuries
One of the first Bulgarian monastics, St. John of Rila was born c. 876/880 near Kjustendil. As a young man, he entered a monastery and eventually became a hermit in the mountains north of Sofia. As his disciples gathered around him, the monastery at Rila was established and flourished. John believed that monks should live in harmony and should include manual labor among their spiritual works. His rule is his only surviving work. He is said to have refused to receive Tsar Peter, co-ruler of Bulgaria and a supporter of monasticism, because monks should have no contact with the princes of the world. After John's death in 946, his body was translated to Sofia and eventually returned to Rila.
Karen Rae Keck

ABOUT:
- The Life of Saint John of Rila. --- Pravloslavieto.com
- Saint John of Rila. --- Wonderland Bulgaria
- Homepage of the University of Mining and Geology "St. Ivan Rilski", Sofia: St. John is one of the patron saints of miners. --- MGU

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