Abbot Naum from the Bachkovski Monastery consecrated the icon, to be presented as a gift to Pope John Paul II in Plovdiv, during his visit to Bulgaria (www.popeinbulgaria.com). During the ceremony at the monastery, where the original wonder working icon presenting the Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus is kept, the Abbot put on the crown and specter, which according to the orthodox cannon are used only at very official ceremonies. Plovdiv mayor Ivan Chomakov, the Chief Architect of the town and all donors, who helped in preparing the gift attended the ceremony. The icon was brought to Plovdiv municipality May 16. It took four men to carry the nearly 40-kilogram box with the gift to the mayor’s office. The icon weights some 19 kilograms, the artist Gancho Ganev, who painted it for 90 days, used more than six kilograms of silver and gold. The Bachkovski Monastery is located 29 km south of Plovdiv, 11 km south of Asenovgrad in Chaya river valley. The area of Asenovgrad is noted for the large number of churches, chapels and monasteries in its immediate vicinity. Bachkovski Monastery was founded in 1083 A.D. by brothers Grigorii and Abbassi Bakouriani, Georgians by nationality.