Hierarch 18th century

Sophronius of Vratsa

1739 - 1813

Also known as Stoyko Vladislavov

Born Stoyko Vladislavov in Kotel, he became Bishop of Vratsa and a leading figure of the Bulgarian National Revival. He composed sermons and an autobiography that helped shape the modern Bulgarian literary language.

Feast Day

March 11

Draft

Draft — pending review. Not yet verified for publication.

Hymn / Apolytikion Icon gallery Video / Media

Commemorated as

Our Father among the Saints Sophronius, Bishop of Vratsa

Life

Sophronius of Vratsa, born Stoyko Vladislavov in the town of Kotel in eastern Bulgaria in 1739, was a cleric, writer, and bishop counted among the leading figures of the early Bulgarian National Revival. The son of a cattle trader, he became a cleric in 1762 and in 1765 met Paisius of Hilendar, whose Istoriya Slavyanobolgarskaya he was the first to copy, helping to transmit the foundational text of the national awakening.

Tonsured a monk at a monastery in Arbanasi in 1794, he was appointed Bishop of Vratsa under the name Sophronius and spent his later years amid the upheavals of his time, eventually settling in Bucharest. Through his sermons and his autobiography he did much to shape a modern Bulgarian literary prose, and he is remembered as a founder of modern Bulgarian literature. He was canonized by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in 1964, and his memory is honored on 11 March.

Timeline 7 moments Read Hide

1739 Birth in Kotel Stoyko Vladislavov is born in the town of Kotel in eastern Bulgaria, the son of a cattle trader.
1762 Ordained a cleric He becomes a cleric, having pursued an interest in religion while working as a frieze weaver.
1765 Meeting with Paisius of Hilendar He meets Paisius of Hilendar in Kotel and makes the first copy of Paisius's Istoriya Slavyanobolgarskaya, the foundational text of the Bulgarian Revival.
1794 Consecrated Bishop of Vratsa After entering a monastery in Arbanasi, he is appointed Bishop of Vratsa under the monastic name Sophronius on 17 September.
1803 Departure for Bucharest He leaves for Bucharest, where he spends his final years in a monastery, continuing to sign under his episcopal name after being released from his post.
1813 Repose His exact date of death is unknown; his last signed document dates from 2 August 1813, and he is held to have died that year in Bucharest.
1964 Canonization He is canonized as a saint by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church on 31 December 1964.

Contributions & Legacy

2 contributions Read Hide

Bulgarian National Revival

Sophronius belonged to the first generation of figures who shaped the Bulgarian National Revival, the cultural and ecclesiastical awakening of the Bulgarian people under Ottoman rule. His copying and dissemination of Paisius of Hilendar's Istoriya Slavyanobolgarskaya placed him at the heart of that movement from its earliest years.

Between 1806 and 1812 he acted as a representative of his people during the Russo-Turkish War, lending his standing as a senior clergyman to their cause. His later life was marked by the disorder of the period, including disruptions caused by the rebel leader Osman Pazvantoglu, which led him to leave Vratsa.

Literary Works

His principal printed work was the Nedelnik, also known as the Kyriakodromion or Sunday Book, a collection of precepts and sermons arranged for the Sundays and feasts of the church year. Composed in a vernacular prose, it is regarded as a landmark in the development of the modern Bulgarian literary language.

He also wrote an autobiography, Life and Sufferings of Sinful Sophronius, which recounts the hardships of his life and times. For these and other writings he is remembered as a founder of modern Bulgarian literature.

Works & Further Reading Read Hide

Notable Works

Nedelnik (Kyriakodromion, Sunday Book) — His chief printed work, a collection of precepts and sermons for the Sundays and feasts of the year, influential in the formation of modern Bulgarian prose.
Life and Sufferings of Sinful Sophronius — An autobiography recounting the hardships of his life and of his people under Ottoman rule.

Notes

Canonized by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in 1964.

Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Lives of the Saints; en.wikipedia.org