John of Rila

Saint John of Rila, also known as Ivan of Rila (Bulgarian: Свети преподобни Йоан Рилски Чудотворец, romanized: Svеti prеpodobni Yoan Rilski Chudotvorеts, lit. 'Saint John of Rila the Wondermaker'; c. 876–946), was the first Bulgarian hermit. He was revered as a saint while he was still alive. The legend surrounding him tells of wild animals that freely came up to him and birds that landed in his hands. His followers founded many churches in his honor, including the famous Rila Monastery. One of these churches, Saint John of Rila was only discovered in 2008 in the town of Veliko Tarnovo. Today, he is honored as the patron saint of the Bulgarians and as one of the most important saints in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.