On January 15, 2022, on the day of remembrance of St. Seraphim of Sarov, the Vicar of the Sofia Metropolitanate, Bishop Polikarp of Belogradchish, served the Divine Liturgy at the St. Nicholas Church in Sofia – on the Metochion of the Russian Orthodox Church – and ordained Stoyan Zhelev to the rank of deacon, the DECR website reports.

Among those gathered in the temple was the Minister-Counsellor of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Bulgaria F.S. Resurrection.

He congratulated all those gathered in the temple on behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Neophyte of Bulgaria, saying: “Let there be more joy and spiritual celebrations this year, and we will all participate in them as one big Christian Orthodox family.”