St. Evtimiy’s Feast Day

On January 20 the Orthodox Church commemorates Evtimiy the Great who lived in 14th century. In 15 century the Bulgarian Church canonized Evtimiy Tarnovski – the Bulgarian Patriarch born about 1327. He is also remembered on January 20. He was born in Veliko Tarnovo in quite a prominent family. Evtimiy was very young when he joined the Kilifarevo monastery – well-known literary center with great importance to medieval Bulgaria and the other Slavonic countries. When years passed Evtimiy developed the center into a real university of international significance, known as the Tarnovo literary school. After long-lasted stay in Byzantium, he came back to Bulgaria and secluded into a cave near Veliko Tarnovo. Nearby he founded the Holy Trinity church, which gradually attracted a lot of disciples who settled a monastery there. After being elected for Bulgarian Patriarch in 1375, Evtimiy continued developing his enlightener’s activity. When the Ottoman Turks conquered the town of Tarnovo Patriarch Evtimiy was one of the last to protect it. He was captured and sentenced to death. But then a miracle happened – when the executor raised his hand to behead Evtimiy, he went numb, and the sword fell. Evtimiy was imprisoned and died in 1402.