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MISSIONARY BENEDICTINE SISTERS

OF TUTZING

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

Newsletter

BDN # 3 May-August 2016

Every year, there is a meeting for all Consecrated Persons who live in Bulgaria. This year, Sr. Mary Clemens Hamukoto, OSB represented our community at this meeting, which was held in the Parish of the Birth of Blessed Virgin Mary in Belene. The theme of this year’s meeting was: “Consecrated - witnesses and ministers of charity”. Each community was asked to prepare a brief report on how they lived the Year of Consecrated Life (2015) as well as share some information about its charitable action to the people here in Bulgaria. The very touching part of the programme of this year’s meeting was a trip to the remains of the political prisoners' concentration camp in Belene Island. There was a presentation of the martyrs from different congregations, which was done like “The Way of the Cross” and at the end of the presentations, there was Holy Mass held in one of the prison’s cells. The presentation itself set the participants’ mood on what happened on Belene Island after Second World War. Belene Island is a little island which is formed by the Danube River that split into two branches passing north and south of it. This Island boarders with Bulgaria and Romania, however, it is a Bulgarian territory. In 1945, the Communist regime in Bulgaria built a concentration camp on this island which was called: “Labour Camp for Reeducation”. Anyone who was considered dangerous to the new regime including some Catholic Priests were detained in this Labour camp. Several of them were either killed or died from things that were easily treatable such as malnourishment and living like sardines in horrendous conditions as well as harsh punishment from the guards to mention a few. It is said that death certificates were issued claiming “heart attack” as the cause of death and would be buried in shallow graves, so that wild pigs would dig them up and ate the corpses. Although, nature has reclaimed the place today which is now inhabited by more than 140 species of rare birds, survivors call it “Horror Island” or “The Forgotten death camp”. Once a year, survivors and their families, if they wish are allowed, to go on a remembrance march to this ghostly collection of buildings in a state of dilapidation; their painful memories are hair-raising and a cause for prayers for the survivors so that they may be freed from their painful memories of the past in the Labour Camp. About 43 Consecrated persons from 15 different Congregations living in Bulgaria, had a chance to pray in this Island during this pilgrimage on 24

th May 2016.

Above: Participants walking on the bridge to cross Danube River to the Belene Island

Annual meeting for Consecrated Persons

Above: Participants getting ready for a Marian Devotion one afternoon.

Below: Participants at the Monument on the Belene Island

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The Sisters with the Orthodox Pope who said Easter Sunday Service in Zarevbrod on May 01st.

Opposite picture: Is seen Fr. Jatsek Vuychik, CR, who has rights to celebrate Mass for both Roman Catholic and Byzantine Rites, lighting Easter Candle for Holy Mass in St. Anna’s Church of Byzantine Rite in Shumen

Easter Celebration for other Christians

This year (2016) the Eastern churches as well as the Orthodox churches had their Easter a month after ours, the Roman Catholic Believers. Since many people in Zarevbrod belong to the Orthodox Church, we decided to join them in their service; in the morning, May 01

st, we went for Easter Sunday Service

to our neighbour the church of the Orthodox here in Zarevbrod, and in the afternoon, we went to St. Anna’s church of the Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church of the Byzantine tradition in Shumen for Mass. In both churches, the faithful were very happy that we went to join them.

Our 2016 Community Outing

On the 3rd

of May, we went for our community outing to Rila Monastery; we went with Fr. Jatsek Vuychik, CR, as our driver and overnight in our Sekirovo community. Except for Sr. Maria Agnes who was still in Rome for her IWE, it was a great joy for us to be all together for this ancient monastery experience. Rila is the largest and most famous Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria, which was founded by an Orthodox first Bulgarian hermit, St. Ivan of Rila in 927. This hermit settled in the region and devoted his life to fasting and prayers. Rila monastery is considered as one of Bulgaria's most important cultural, historical and architectural monuments and is also a popular tourist destination in the country. During Ottoman’s rule, the monastery was burned down and the present monastery was rebuilt between 1834 and 1862.

Like all other old monasteries, Rila monastery had many monks, too in the past but today, due to lack of vocations, there are about 60 monks who belong to Rila and only about 12 who reside in Rila itself. The most attraction to Rila today is the main church in its colourful style; it has five domes, three altars and two side chapels. Another attraction place of the monastery is the Ecclesiastical and Historical Museum. The museum houses precious riches and historical materials of the monastery, such as the famous wooden Cross carved by a monk named Rafail. This cross has 104 religious scenes and 650 miniature figures. We are told that Rafail took more or less 12 years to complete this piece of art dated 1802. Then there is the Monastery printing studio which had the first printing machine in Bulgaria. Another fascinating material in the museum is the Monastery safe from 18

th century with its keys. The description at the safe reads: “The safe has got

5 separate locks and 5 monks kept the keys. They all had to be present to unlock the safe.” One can see that the monastery was very rich as it says there were 40 guards who guarded it from robbers. It was a joy for us to have visited and prayed in this historical monastery!

Above: The Sisters with Fr. Jatsik at the façade of the main church of the monastery.

Below: The main church as seen from the back.

Our Sr. Bernadetta being greeted by the people after Service in Orthodox Church in Zarevbrod

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A Brief visit to a “European Stork Village”

Our community Outing included also a shot visit to Belozem village, one of the biggest villages in Bulgaria with a population of about 5000. This village has a long-standing popularity of producing the best rice in the country which in the past used to be served at the Sultan’s table in Istanbul – Turkey. Today, the village is more famous for hosting a colony of storks whereby more than 30 nests of storks are found at one place, 20 of which are found on the roof top of the village’s school buildings of Belozem. In 2005 Belozem was entitled as a “European Stork Village” and that made the villagers to organize a festival called “White Stork Festival” every spring.

A Stork is a popular and special bird in the world. Europeans have even a legend about it that a stork was once a human being who is punished by disobeying God. According to the legend, this bird was a human, who was burdened by God to carry a big chest and was told not to open it until he supposedly reaches the mountain top. However, this man couldn’t wait, he opened the chest untimely and out of it, came snakes, lizards and frogs. For this, God turned him into a stork with a promise that if it gathers all the small animals it will become a human again. Consequently, people believe that stork still carries a human soul. Many nations also believe that storks bring fertility, luck and good health to them. A village or a town where the storks choose to nest are regarded to be sacred. The Bulgarians believe that if the stork returns in spring with muddy or dirty wings, it means that the year will have much rain and good harvest. Hence, the storks are well treated and people are not allowed to kill them or destroy their nests because doing so will bring bad luck not only to the one who may kill it but to the whole village.

While on our tour of this place, we met two young boys, who were very fascinated by us that we were speaking English. According to them, it was their first time to meet English speaking people in their village. It was then a challenge for them, because as they said, they do learn English in school but they never took it seriously for they never imagine meeting English speaking people.

Many villages in Bulgaria have one or two stork’s nests but only Belozem has more nets in one place than others. In Zarevbrod, we have one stork nest too, on an electricity pole next to one of our gardens and every year, a pair of stork comes to nest in. We enjoy watching them, especially when feeding their chicks.

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Happy Childhood Kindergarten 2016 Graduates with their

Principal Mrs. Petrova Mariana Vassileva .

Above: Bro. Donbor prostrated himself before the Altar during his ordination by Bishop Christo Provkov of the Byzantine Rites.

Below: Bro Evelin being ordained by Bishop Gheorghi Ivanov Jovcev of Sofia-Plovdiv.

Zarevbrod As a tradition now for the month of May, in Zarevbrod, we pray the Rosary in the houses of our churchgoers. They give their own time and we, sisters go to have rosary in the house of whomever invited us for a specific day. It is a wonderful experience to pray with them as well as to learn more about their wishes and expectation from us as missionaries among them.

Sekirovo The Parish of St. Michael of Sekirovo held a vigil Mass on May 11

th at 18pm as the Parish

welcomed the Statue of the Virgin Mary of Nazareth, Queen of Europe which has been going around European countries for special prayers of the new evangelization of Europe. All parishioners in Sekirovo were invited to attend this event, which was well attended as the faithful showed their love to Our Blessed Mother.

On 31

st May 2016, Happy Childhood

Kindergarten of Zarevbrod had its closing ceremony. All the sisters were invited to attend this ceremony and grace the occasion with their presence as the kids performed their talents. This kindergarten had 30 children this year and nine senior children were graduated to move to the next level of their education – Grade 1 in September. Sr. Mary Clemens Hamukoto, OSB has been a part of their education by teaching them (EFL) - English as Foreign Language as a volunteer since February. The parents and teachers in the Kindergarten are happy that their children have an English teacher from this early age. They highly appreciate her commitment and time shared with their children. Meanwhile, St. Cyril and Methodius Primary School also in Zarevbrod where Sr. Maria Agnes Cerina, OSB teaches English to Grades 2-8 had several closing days according to Grade level. Two or three grades were combined in a day in order to give a chance to each level to perform. Parents and teachers are the most happy to see their children and pupils perform. The Sisters were able to attend the performance of Grades 5&6 who played a play in English about ‘Treasure Island’ on 14 June 2016.

On 18th

June, Sr. Mary Clemens represented Zarevbrod community at the Deaconate Ordination of Bro. Donbor Zhirva in the parish of St. Joseph in Kazanlak town. Bro. Donbor is an Indian brother who belongs to the Salesians of Don Bosco Congregation serving the Eastern Rite Bulgarian Church. On 10

th July, Bro. Evelin Genov who spent

almost a year in the parish “Sacred Heart of Jesus” in the city of Rakovski was ordained to Deaconate at St. Louis Roman Catholic Cathedral of Plovdiv. Bro. Evelin is a Bulgarian diocesan candidate from Belene and he was assigned to serve in Sekirovo Parish for one month of his deaconate period before his sacerdotal ordination in November this year. We keep praying for more vocations especially to the service of Bulgarian church.

Closing Days of the Schools

in Zarevbrod

Sr. Maria Agnes, OSB seen with the performers after the Treasure Island play in the opposite photo.

Far above: Parishioners of St. Michael Parish of Sekirovo going to venerate Our Blessed Mother’s Statue Above: Priests, Sr. Dijanira, OSB and a church member seen posing with Our Lady of Nazareth in Sekirovo church.

DEACONATE ORDINATION

THE MONTH OF MAY’S ACTIVITIES

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First Holy Communion and Confirmation in Sekirovo

Sekirovo is situated in a Catholic region, almost everyone in the village is a Catholic. Thus, we have more Catholic children and youth who are being prepared for the Sacraments each year. Sr. Leticia Saraza, OSB is in-charge of First Holy Communion programme, she supervises as well as prepares the materials needed for the lessons for First Holy Communion instructions. She has some volunteer Catechists who help her in giving lessons to the children every Saturday; usually these lessons start from September to June. The confirmation group on the other hand, is handled by the Fr. Rumen Stanev, the Parish Priest of Sekirovo. This year, we had 47 children who received their First Holy Communion on 19

th

June and 50 children who were confirmed on 25 June by Bishop George from Plovdiv.

Our Mexlem Production In the month of June our calendula flowers were all smiling at us, ready for mexlem production. However, this year, we had to start cooking mexlem earlier in May than we usually do because all what we had prepared last year got finish before the new one was ready. Some people were really disappointed when they came to buy mexlem and there was none. For a week or so, we had to tell the people to ‘come next week’, hoping to quickly cook the first flowers that come into bud. June is the ripe month for producing mexlem as more flowers have fully blossomed, we thought we will produce more but then the heat came and the flowers dried up very fast than we hoped; it seems also that the more we produce, the more clients are coming. With the Lord as our guide, we did our very best, especially now that Ms. Spaska Nankova Spasova, who had been cooking mexlem with us for years had asked to stop working for us last March, because she found another job in Shumen. Sr. Mary Clemens had to pick up the mexlem cooking and she showed mastery in preparing it without Ms. Spaska’s help for the first time. Sr. Karolina and Sr. Dijanira are in-charge of selling mexlem and they have a lot of clients. The former evangelizes the people by bringing them in the church for some short healing prayers. Through their own faith, they get healed, but it is always good to hear hopeful message from someone spiritual – the sister, so that in all things, God maybe glorified!

Opposite: St. Michael Parish of Sekirovo’s Candidates for First Holy Communion with Fr. Rumen, parish priest, Fr. Boris and Sr. Leticia, OSB.

Below: Candidates of Confirmation of the same parish with Bishop Gheorghi Ivanov Jovcev of Sofia-Plovdiv, Fr. Rumen and Fr. Boris.

On 19th

June Fr. Jatsek Vuychik, CR, came for our Sunday Mass in Zarevbrod, together with him was Fr. Kristofer Cherivionga, CR, a Resurrectionist Priest from Poland, who is appointed as an extra ordinary personnel for this Jubilee Year of Divine Mercy. He is going around to different countries in Europe to pray for healing. It was a blessing to have him in Zarevbrod and prayed over the people. He also gave a homily for that Sunday’s Liturgy which brought many to tears. In his homily, he posted a question for reflection, who is Jesus for the Bulgarians during the communist regime and who is Jesus for them today in the post-communist? After Mass, we had an explosion of the Blessed Sacrament for a Divine Mercy Adoration. Fr. Jatsek went around the church with the Blessed Sacrament, while Fr. Kristofer led a guided meditation asking the people to look at Jesus and tell Him their sickness of any kind. It was a sign that Jesus has truly came down to us and He is one with us and lives among us.

DIVINE MERCY ADORATION

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Baby Michaela was awake the whole time during Mass and her

Baptism but when everything was over, she went into a deep

sleep and we could not greet her.

It was a blessing for our community in Zarevbrod to have three Resurrection priests who celebrated Holy Mass on the Solemn Feast of St. Benedict this year. There was Mass at 17:00 in the Church; some parishioners too came and were served Bulgaria bread called ‘Pita’ with sisters’ homemade juice afterward. Vespers was graced by the presence of the three priests and three Sisters of Mother Teresa, from Varna. Sr. Regina Tesch, OSB, who was on her holiday in Zarevbrod, played the organ during the Liturgy which added more flavour to the sisters’ singing. There was a festive supper together with a short programme. What a spirit of unity it was, may St. Benedict keep praying for us all in our earthly journey!

Baptism in Zarevbrod On the Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, 06 August, we had a Solemn Mass with the Rite of Baptism for a baby at 16h00. It was not possible for all the parishioners to attend this Holy Mass because Bulgarians believe that whenever there is a baptism in Bulgaria, only the close family and friends may attend the event. For this reason, the parishioners in Zarevbrod did not have the courage to come for Mass even though they were invited. The members of the family filled up the church and the Sisters sung.

At the end of the Liturgy, Fr. Jatsek, CR, the Celebrant, asked the parents of the newly baptized baby, Michaela to come forward for a special blessing. And after the Mass, the family happily offered some refreshments to the sisters as seen in the picture below. We are happy to have a new member added to our parish and we pray for more members.

Our Lady of Czestochowa in Zarevbrod

A copy of the Icon of the Virgin Mary of Czestochowa, a famous Black Madonna Queen of Poland, was brought to our Monastery in Zarevbrod on 08 July by Fr. Remo Gambacorta, a Passionist priest from Malchika parish. This Icon belongs to Malko Tarnovo parish and the parish priest Fr. Roman Kotevich, CR, a Polish Priest of the Congregation of the Resurrection (CR), agreed with his fellow Confreres in Bulgaria to have the Queen of Poland Icon go around Bulgarian parishes for a special prayer. This is in honour of the 1050 years of Anniversary of Christianity in Poland this year. The Icon went to many parishes already here in Bulgaria before it came to Zarevbrod and it will stay in our church until September. The original copy of the said Icon has been duplicated into different icons and the one in our Church looks as seen in the picture below. People are encouraged to come and offer their prayers to Our Lady of Czestochowa all these days she is in our midst. May she pray for the needs of our world today!

SOLEMNITY OF ST. BENEDICT

Opposite: Our Lady of Czestochowa in Zarevbrod Church.

Above: Sisters and Zarevbrod parishioners seen during Sunday Mass by Fr. Michal Shlyanchiakh, CR

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the sisters and shared how they are very much enriched by the summer camp’s programmes.

In August, Sr. Maria Agnes, OSB and Sr. Leticia, OSB went with the youth from Zarevbrod and Sekirovo respectively for the National Youth Meeting.

In July, all our communities (Zarevbrod and Sekirovo) were busy hosting the summer camp. This is an event that most children look forward to each year. Children enjoy these days of being together without school works. Every year, there is a specific theme to help guide the children in reflection during the Summer Camp. Sr. Maria Agnes, OSB is in-charge of Summer Camp programmes in Zarevbrod, she prepared this year’s theme as: “God reveals his love through the creation in the world”; different activities were based on this theme and the children had a chance to listen, to share and to express their understanding of GOD’S LOVE in words, dances and in art works. In Sekirovo the children had several activities, too which included planting some flowers and herbs. They listened very attentively to Sr. Leticia, OSB as she instructed them on how to decorating their flower pots as well as how to plant. The children in Sekirovo were directed through the theme of this Year’s Jubilee “Merciful like the Father”. The TV channel of Rakovski city came to interview the children in Sekirovo during their summer camp days and the children expressed their gratitude to

Summer Camp and Youth Meeting

Our long distance travelers Sr. Quirina Seidl, OSB went for her annual homeleave to Germany on 06 May and returned to Bulgaria on 30th May. During

her stay in her home land, she had her medical checkups and attended her annual retreat. Sr. Maria Agnes Cerina, OSB happily arrived from Germany on 18th May after she participated in the 2016 IWE in Rome and

Tutzing. She is very much grateful for the opportunity given to her which she had long awaited. Sr. Kuningundis Amon, OSB came from Germany on 14th June. She came with Mr. Neumann Gerhard (the overall architect

of the renovation) to have a look on the progress of the renovation of our convent in Zarevbrod. Mr. Neumann returned to Germany on 19th June while Sr. Kuningundis prolonged her stay until 25 June because she and Sr. Elisabeth got a special invitation to the reception of the German President in Sofia.

Sr. Karolina Pasek, OSB left for her homeleave to Poland on 18th June where she had her annual retreat and spent her time with her family and friends. She also took a 10-day Course on Icon painting before she returned to Bulgaria on 21st July.

Sr. Regina Tesch, OSB came from Rome on 01st July to spend her holidays with us in Bulgaria until 01st August. It was a great joy for us to have her with us.

Novice Nadya Ruzhina (our Bulgarian novice from Tutzing Priory) arrived in Zarevbrod on 01 July for her three months Formative activities with us in Bulgaria. She will have some days stay with her family in Sekirovo before she goes back to Germany in September.

Sr. Dijanira Morais Garcia, OSB and Novice Nadya Ruzhina left for Poland on 23rd July to attend the World Youth Day 2016 in Krakow. They returned to Zarevbrod on August 02nd with a high spirited experience from the enriching events they had.

Sr. Maria Agnes, OSB and Sr. Karolina, OSB travel to Germany on 30 August to attend a RENOVABIS Congress to be held in Freising.

I wish all the Readers of Bulgaria District Newsletter a prolific last Quarter of the Year 2016. Your encouragement and comments are

highly appreciated. May you be blessed with immeasurable strength to keep making positive changes in others’ lives! Be assured of my prayers, Sr. Mary Clemens Hamukoto, OSB, Bulgaria District Newsletter’s Editor

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Pictures in this page: 1. Sr. Leticia, OSB instructing the children on how to plant. 2. Children in Sekirovo admiring their plants. 3. Sr. Elisabeth Busbach, OSB distributing caps to the children during Summer Camp in Zarevbrod. Novice Nadya helping her. 4. Sr. Maria Agnes, OSB lining up the children for a song under the pine trees’ garden in Zarevbrod. 5. Novice Nadya observing the children during their drawing activities in Zarevbrod. 6. Sr. Maria Agnes, OSB at the Airport of Varna. 7. Sr. Regina Tesch, OSBwaiting to check-in for Rome at Varna Air port.

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There were many youth nationwide who attended this meeting held from 22-27 August, 2016 in Belozem. The main four days of the meeting had a guided topics most of which were based on the Scriptures. The first day focused on the parable of the Lost Sheep; the second day reflected on the parable of the Merciful Father; the penultimate day meditated on the Good Samaritan while the last day encouraged the youth to be merciful to themselves and to others. It is always a joyful noise for the youth to get together; those who attended the WYD in Krakow also shared their experiences with the rest. We pray for their future that they may be rooted in their Christian belief!