Thousands of believers flocked to Bulgaria’s famed Rila Monastery to celebrate the great Christian Orthodox holiday Dormition of the Holy Mother of God, reports Blagoevgrad24.bg.

Known to Catholics and Anglicans as Assumption of Mary, the holiday marks the day the mother of Christ passed away and was accepted in Heaven.

The grand service was given by the Rila Monastery abbot, the Bishop of Adrianople Evlogy in the presence of hundreds of believers.

Celebrations included a vigil on Saturday night and services in the many small shrines and chapels in the hills around the monastery.

The Dormition of Mary is traditionally the day on which the Rila Monastery marks the most visitors. Roads to the monastery were crowded in the morning, and Sunday evening the traffic on the Sofia-Thessaloniki international road is especially heavy, with pilgrims and holidaygoers returning.

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