The three most sacred Bulgarian miracle icons with the image of the Virgin Mary from the monasteries of Bachkovo, Troyan and Rila are already in Sofia, in the shrine and monument "St. Alexander Nevski."

The icons arrived in Sofia in armored cars under the strictest security measures late Thursday afternoon.

At 6 pm Thursday Patriarch Maxim held a public prayer for the health and the well being of the Bulgarian youth and the cure of the sick children. The prayer was part of the new initiative of the daily newspaper "Standard", "Darik radio", the TV channel BTV and the Holy Synod dedicated to the children of Bulgaria under the motto "No to Drugs, No to Alcohol, No to Violence"

More than 1000 people gathered in front of the shrine and monument "St. Alexander Nevski" along with all Holy Synod bishops who received the icons with chants. Ministers Emiliya Maslarova, Daniel Vulchev, Nikolay Vasilev, Meglena Plugchieva, Meglena Tacheva and Petar Mutafchiev also participated in the prayer.

Police presence was clearly visible on the square in front of the shrine.

The icons would be on display in "Alexander Nevski" until midnight on July 6 and the shrine will remain open at all times, including after midnight on July 6, if people wishing to pray are still present inside the church.

The icons are together in Sofia for the second time. A similar event was held last year when the campaign "You Are Not Alone" lead by the same media and dedicated to the Bulgarian medics jailed in Libya united the three icons in Sofia.

The shrine and monument "St. Alexander Nevski" is going to be visited
Friday by a Russian Church Delegation lead by the archbishop of the Russian Orthodox Church Aleksey, the Vicar of the Moscow Patriarch and of the entire Russia Alexsiy II.

The delegation is going to stay in Bulgaria until July 11 in connection with the Year of Russia in Bulgaria and 130th anniversary of the Russian-Turkish Liberation War.

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