Our 2016 Parish Feast Our Parish Church in Zarevbrod Is Dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows

3 MISSIONARY BENEDICTINE SISTERS OF TUTZING

B U L G A R I A D I S T R I C T

Newsletter

BDN # 4 Sept-Dec 2016

Our 2016 Parish Feast Our Parish Church in Zarevbrod is dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows. Since this year the feast fell on a week day, the community agreed to have the celebration with the parishioners on a Sunday before, which was on 11th September. It was a grace for us that we had a morning schedule which is unusual for us as normally our Sunday Masses are at 16h00. For this Sunday, we started at 09:30 with a Procession around Zarevbrod village while carrying the Pieta Statue and praying the Rosary; we came to Above: Parishioners with Sr. Quirina, OSB caring the Statue of the Pieta for the procession gather in the church for the Holy Eucharist, where our in Zarevbrod Bishop Jordanov Christov Petko, OFM was the main celebrant and Fr. Mixal Shlyanchiakh, CR concelebrated with him. Our Sisters from Sekirovo also came and it was a joyful get together of all our Benedictine Sisters serving in Bulgaria. Our two communities were honored to have three visiting sisters at this occasion, mainly: Sr. Raimunda Gaudes da Silva, OSB who was on her vacation with us from Rome; Sr. Elisabeth-Magdalena Zehe, OSB who came from Tutzing Priory, Germany, to observe the progress of the formative activity of Novice Nadia Ruzhina, (the Novice spent her 2½ months formative activity in Bulgaria.) After the Mass, we had a programme and later we had lunch for all. The Cultural Dancing Group of Zarevbrod Above: Zarevbrod Parishioners listening to the homily of Fr. Mixal, CR Village came to entertain us during the programme as well Below: Bishop Petko giving the final blessing after Mass with Fr. Mixal, CR as the sisters sang some songs. Sr. Elisabeth, OSB, our Superior had her 75th Birthday four days early, but since we were all gathered together, she was included with some special wishes and she had to cut her Birthday Cake. The Parish Feast is a day that the parishioners often look forward to; there were about 70 people in attendance, something we hardly get on an Ordinary Sunday. Some parishioners of St. Ana’s Church of the Eastern Rite in Shumen also joined us. One of our parishioners jokingly said “We want to have a feast every Sunday…” It was a well spent day together for all who came!

Opposite: Sr. Elisabeth seen Above: Bishop Petko and Fr. Mixal during Mass in our Zarevbrod cutting her Church. Fr. Mixal dressed in Eastern Rite vestment. Birthday cake; she was helped by Regina from Shumen.

Far opposite: Benedictine Sisters performing their number BULGARIAN DISTRICT NEWSLETTER | Issue # 4 2

Thanksgiving Mass in Varna for the Canonization of Mo. Teresa

The Missionary of Charity Sisters in Varna organized a thanksgiving Mass for the Canonization of their Foundress, Mother Teresa, now, St. Teresa of Calcutta. The Mass was help th on the 10 September, a day which is very important to the Sisters of Mother Teresa as they consider it a Day of ‘Inspiration,’ when the Saint of Calcutta heard the voice of the Lord asking her

to go and satiate His thirst in the slums. It was a coincidence that on this day all our Sisters were in Zarevbrod in preparation for the Sr. Elisabeth’s 75th Birthday and the Parish Feast as said early. Above: Bishop Petko giving his remarks after the Many priests came to celebrate this Mass with

Eucharistic Service while the priests seated listing on. our Bishop Petko of Ruse Diocese. At the end of the Mass, a prayer for priests composed by Mother Teresa was prayed and the people were given the chance to venerate St. Teresa’s relics. May Mother Teresa, who often said, “If I ever

become a Saint–I will surely be one of ‘darkness.’ I Opposite: A closer look at the Statue of St. Teresa will continually be absent from Heaven–to light beside the Altar the light of those in darkness on earth,” pray for us now who are still on this journey in need of light!

20th INTERNATIONAL RENOVABIS CONGRESS 2016

RENOVABIS is a charitable organization of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany, which was established in 1993 to help people in Eastern and Central Europe. RENOVABIS has been organizing an annual international congress in the late summer since 1996, and this year’s, the 20th Renovabis- Congress took place from 31st August - 2nd September 2016 in Freising, Above: One of the speakers presenting her speech. Germany. Its Theme was “Witnessing to the Gospel – Shaping the World. The Below: Sister participant during the congress. Role of Religious Orders in Central and Eastern Europe”. This congress was officially opened by Archbishop Dr. Heiner Koch of Berlin and a good number of experts were invited to speak on different topics. In his opening remark, His Grace Koch, encouraged the Religious to keep doing their service while keeping in mind that service ‘depends on how it is done, with a great heart.’ He called Religious to continue giving that warmth, the affection and esteem which would reveal a friendly and compassionate face to the people. The conferences were in German Language with an English translation. Our Sr. Maria Agnes Cerina, OSB and Sr. Karolina Pasek, OSB were the representatives of our community from Bulgaria at this Congress. After the meeting, the two sisters had a chance of visiting the Motherhouse in Tutzing before they returned to Zarevbrod on 05th September. Their experiences at the congress are very positive and yet called to reflect more on the challenges regarding the hopes and future of the Religious in the face of lack of vocations along with the crisis in Religious life, which is a reality fact in many communities in Eastern and Central Europe. We keep asking the Lord of the harvest, to send more labourers into his harvest. (cf. Lk. 10: 2). BULGARIAN DISTRICT NEWSLETTER | Issue # 4 3

Opening of the New School Year in Zarevbrod Before the New School Year 2016-2017 opened, Sts. Cyril and Methodius Primary School of Zarevbrod held its “2 in 1” event of the 19th Service Awards and the 5th Get Together of the Employees help on 13th September 2016. The Benedictine Sisters in Zarevbrod were among the guests of honors who joined in the festive programme which took place outside the school building under the glittering stars. A minute of silence was observed by all to pray for the deceased friends of the school who died during the year. Among them was Trifon Panayotov, a Above: The Sisters among the crowd during the programme. longtime teacher and a researcher, who wrote the book –

A story about Tsarev Brod Village. There were three main donors of the Academic year 2015-2016 who were awarded in this event. Mr. Ognian Trajanov, a Bulgarian Consul for the Filipino community in Bulgaria, was one of the three who donated computers to the school. It was announced that this donation would not have happened without the active help of our Sister Maria Agnes Cerina, OSB. On behalf of the school Mr. Tihomir Trifonov, Principal expressed much gratitude to the Sisters for the service they render to the school, especially the Summer Camp each year and the teaching of English Language for free. The parents felt somehow sad when it was announced that Sr. Maria Agnes Cerina, OSB, who has been teaching English will not teach this Above: Students performing their number during the programme. year because she has been transferred to Sekirovo Below: Mr. Tihomir Trifonov, Principal after giving the award to the Sisters’ community. community. However, they were very grateful for what

Far below: Fr. Ivan, saying the blessing for the meal and the people. Sr. Maria Agnes did in the school for the past three years. There is a good connection between the schools and the Monastery in Zarevbrod and to keep this connection alive, Sr. Mary Clemens Hamukoto, OSB is assigned to teach English as a Foreign Language, in the Kindergarten and in the Primary School. After the programme, the participants were invited to the cocktail table which was first blessed by Fr. Ivan, an Orthodox priest. The blessing was also for successful new academic year, for health and well-being of the students, their teachers and their parents as well as all who were present. The New Academic Year was officially opened on 15th September, countrywide. It was stated that this year there are about 27 Primary Schools that will not function anymore due to lack of students. And in the years to come, many more will also close as many people continue to migrate to other ‘green pastures’. Bulgaria has a total population of 7 million but majority prefer to live in big cities, so much so that many villages and their schools are being closed down. The Primary School in Zarevbrod was founded in 1920 and we are grateful that it still exist compared to many village schools in the country. We pray for stability of Zarevbrod and of the Bulgarian Nation!

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A N I M A T O R S C O U S E S

Above: Animators playing games as part of the programme Left:. Animators during the Session.

The Salesians Fathers continue to organise Animators’ Couses; this year they started the sessions of the Second Annual Retreat 2016 Group of Animators, 2016-2018. At the meantime, the First Our communities in Bulgaria were unable to have a common

Group of the Animators continued with their Sessions. We Retreat this year, however each one of us, had a chance to

have a retreat anyhow. Sr. Maria Agnes was the first to have have two youth from Zarevbrod who enrolled in these Causes: Zhaneta Ruseva enrolled in the First Group (2015- her retreat in April while in Rome for the IWE 2016. Then, 2017) and Mariella Popova for the Second Group (2016- Sr. Quirina made hers in May during her annual home visit in 2018). In the last quarter of the year, the First Group of Germany; while Sr. Karolina had hers, too, in Poland during

Animators met in Kazanlak City for their fourth and fifth her homeleave in July. Sr. Dijanira and Sr. Mary Clemens Sessions on 7-9 October and 2-4 December 2016 were able to join in the annual retreat of the Eucharistic

respectively. Sr. Dijanira, OSB accompanied Zhaneta to Sisters in Sofia at end of September. In October, Sr. Leticia attend her fourth Session while the fifth session Sr. Mary made her retreat at our Generalate-Casa Santo Spirito in Clemens, OSB, went with her. Similarly, the Second Group Rome after her pilgrimage with the parishioners of Sekirovo.

in which Mariella enrolled, gathered also in Kazanlak from Sr. Elisabeth went to have hers in Sofia at the Convent of the

Sisters of the Eucharistic in November. Sr. Bernadetta was 14-16 October for its first sessions. The Sessio ns discussed about the Spirituality of St. Don Bosco, especially his care scheduled to have hers in Sekirovo before Christmas, for young children to have faith in God. As Animators, they unfortunately, she fell ill while on vacation in Sekirovo and for are being trained to follow in the footsteps of Don Bosco in now, she is yet to recover. Although, we reflected on helping children to discover God’s unconditional love in different themes, we feel united in the fact that we both

their lives. They are also trained to give First Aid in cases of found time to be alone with the Lord, for to Him be the glory! emergencies as well as to be Life’s Savers. The second session for second group is scheduled for 13 -15 January 2017 while the first group is scheduled for March 31-02 April

next year. There are about 25 youth who enrolled in each

Couse and we hope our future Animators will persevere to the end of their Sessions.

Above: The Retreatants in Sofia with Fr. Petr Cvrkal, SVD, the retreat facilitator.

Below: Fr. Rumen, Parish Priest of Sekirovo, Sr. Leticia, OSB and the parishioners of Sekirovo at the Vatican during their pilgrimage in October 2016.

Above: Participants in the Animators’ Cause during group discussion. BULGARIAN DISTRICT NEWSLETTER | Issue # 4 5

Praying for Our Deceased in the Cemetery 1 In the Month of November we remember to pray for our deceased in a special way and many people take time to visit the cemeteries too. In the same manner, the preparation of cleaning the cemetery was one of

our priority in Zarevbrod; earlier in the year, we had been busy to make the graves look better and well-cared-for. They are now looking different so much so that the parishioners wish to do the same to the ones of their relatives. We hope that all the graves will look the same in the near future. Instead of 02 November, we made a Prayer Service in

the cemetery for our fellow missionaries who went to eternity ahead of us on the last Sunday of October. Our parishioners came to join us with Fr. Mixal, CR, who officiated at the Service. It was very touching during the Service when Fr. Mixal read aloud every name of the deceased sister buried in Zarevbrod Cemetery. Afterward, he sprinkled Holy water to all the graves of the Christians. The cemetery in Zarevbrod is a unifying cemetery where we have different faith denomination buried at one and same place. There are graves of the Orthodox on the west, for the Roman Catholics in the middle and for the Muslims on the east. We keep praying for our beloved deceased to rest in the Peace of Christ!

C L O S I N G T H E Y E A R O F M E R C Y

On the 20th November, our Zarevbrod

Parishioners together with us, Sisters, 3 went to Ruse for Christ the King Sunday Mass. We went with a big bus organised by Fr. Jatsik, the Parish Priest of Varna, Shumen and Zarevbrod. The three parishes were happy for this occasion and for praying together. Our Bishop Petko of Ruse presided at the Mass and 4 many priests of his Diocese joined him. It was a twofold event: for Christ the King Sunday and for the closing of the Jubilee Year of Mercy. We are encouraged to remember that doing the works of 5 Photos in this page: mercy was not only meant for the jubilee year but for the rest of our lives. 1. Sisters’ graves in Zarevbrod at present

Meanwhile, in the Diocese of Sofia- 2. The Community during Plovdiv, Bishop Georgi Jovchev had an the prayer Service. opportunity of closing the Year Mercy 3. Bishop Petko and with the Ordination of Deacon Ivelin priests during the Closing th Genov on 19 November. Our Sisters in Mass of the Year of Mercy Sekirovo were blessed to be part of the in Ruse Cathedral. crowd that filled the Cathedral of 4. The Logo of Mercy Plovdiv, St. Loius’. Many priests being rolled off. attended this rarely occasion to pray and bless Dc. Ivelin. He hails from Belene 5. Dc. Ivelin kneeling for Parish, which was the happiest parish to laying hands on by the Bishop and priests have a new Priest after 60 years from present. the last ordination. Fr. Ivelin will be serving in Rakovski at the Sacred Heart 6. Fr. Ivelin giving his First Sacerdotal blessing to the of Jesus Parish in General village. faithful after Mass.

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Zarevbrod Convent Renovation

After a long waiting of 4½ years of the renovation of the ‘parish house’ in Zarevbrod, we were able to have the blessing of the renovated building nd th on 02 November and move into it on 05 November . This gives way to the start of the renovation of the Convent itself. The parish house is a double story house with seven self-contained rooms, a small kitchen, a little sitting room and a store room. We occupied the five rooms; while one

we made it a Prayer Room and one is for the guests, especially the priests when they overnight for our daily Masses. All in all, we tried to fit in everything the sisters need in the meantime, as we began our advent – the waiting to see the completion of our convent, hopefully, in a near future. On the 10th November, we gave a ‘thank you lunch’ to the builders and their managers. We thank the Generalate for allowing this needed

project to materialize as early as now before the convent falls apart completely. We equally thank the donors who are helping us to finance this renovation project. Our big THANK YOU to the Lord, for “If the LORD does not build the house, they labour in vain that build it,” (Ps. 127:1a).

The renovated parish house building Sr. Elisabeth looking on the builders taking their Fr. Roman, CR with the Sisters during the blessing ‘Aperitivo’ before the really meal comes of the parish house.

ZAREVBROD GARDENING SERVICE One of our main apostolate in Zarevbrod is The word “Koleda” is a Slavic word which is used gardening. We have many and big plots of today by Slavic Christians, (including Bulgarians) lands and some of them are used as gardens for ‘Christmas’. There are many claims about the such as garden of flowers, garden of meaning of this word; some claim that this word 1 vegetables, orchard gardens and the originated from the ancient calendar taking its vineyards. Each year the harvest from these name from a Slavic god/goddess of winter gardens is different depending on the rain (Kolyada/Koliada), who brings up a new sun falls. We plan to prune our fruit trees for the every day. Other claims say that the word may

next year’s growth because they haven’t have been derived from a Bulgarian or a producing that much in the past year. Our Macedonian word “kolia/kolam” respectively, flower gardens are ever blossoming, which has different meanings such as “to rip, to especially the calendula flowers for ointment, 2 kill, to cut animal for eating" and so on. In pre- the lilies and the roses. Likewise, the Christianity, the Slavic people held a festival to vegetable gardens this year proved their appease this god/goddess at the end of best; after four months of planting and December. This god/goddess was believed to watering, the seeds came out healthy and 3 regularly send spirits of the dead into the living fruitful to the heart’s content of the world every winter as his/her heralds. Winter was

community. We had a lot of vegetables so seen as a time when life was coming to the very much so that we had to sell some to the end in the world order; chaos grew stronger, as market in the village and people came also to the borders between worlds of the living and the buy from us in the monastery. Now it is dead were fading, everything becomes winter season and from time to time, the soil unresponsive and ancestral spirits were believed if filled with snow; the trees have turned grey to have returned amongst the living. For that, and lifeless. Gardening will only resume at the people have to make a feast to call for the end of February and the beginning of protection. When Christianity came, the Slavic March next year. However we had cleared people replaced the “Koleda” festival with the ground - ready for the next year’s Christmas celebration. In many cities of Bulgaria planting; some seeds like garlic and some today, people attend different Concerts and

flowers’ are already in the soil. As much as plays of ‘Christian Koleda’. Children go around possible, we hope to eat vegetables from our houses singing and reciting Koleda poems. In gardens as well as use wine for Mass from our Zarevbrod, school children came in three groups vineyards instead of buying. To God, who to sing for the sisters and in return, the sisters makes the seeds grow, be praised! 4 shared faith with them as well as gave them gift.

Photos above: Meanwhile, the Sisters in Sekirovo organised a Some are celebrating Christmas over 50 years of their 1. Harvesting of cucumber and tomatoes. short Christmas Play by the Candidates of First Religious Life, while others are celebrating it for the 2. The eggplants ready for harvesting. very first time, in God’s Eyes, it does not matter how 3. Mr. Nikolai, our vinedresser with Sr. Mary Clemens after Holy Communion. It is always a touching long but perhaps how each Christmas made a harvested the grapes. moment for the children and their parents. May 4. First Holy Communion Children in Zarevbrod during difference in our faith. ‘Vesela Kolida’ – Merry Christ’s Birth bring the Peace our world news! Christmas to one and all! Sr. Mary Clemens their Christmas Play at Mass on 25 December. Hamukoto, OSB, the Editor BULGARIAN DISTRICT NEWSLETTER | Issue # 4 7

Photos 1-3: First Holy Communion Candidates of Sekirovo during their Christmas Play before their parents in the sisters’ convent hall

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 Photos 4-6: Some Sisters went to share God’s love with the children of “Happy Childhood” Kindergarten of Zarevbrod  Photos in the next page: 7-12: Students of Sts. Cyril and Methodius Primary School of Zarevbrod came in three groups for their Christmas Carlos to the Sisters in the Monastery.

 Photo 13: Christmas Lunch with our Zarevbrod Monastery Auxiliaries.  Photos 14: Christmas coffee hour with our builders in Zarevbrod  Photos 15-16: Our Christmas Cribs in the Church of Sekirovo and of Zarevbrod respectively. COME LET US ADORE HIM! BULGARIAN DISTRICT NEWSLETTER | Issue # 4 8