St Petka of Tarnovo
One saint is known by several names across the Balkans. Petka is also Paraskeva of Epivates. Bulgarians associate her with Tarnovo; pilgrims visit her relics in the Romanian city of Iasi.
Reviewed on
| Period | Eleventh century, according to her Life |
|---|---|
| Feast day | 14 October |
Her early life in Epivates
Her Life begins in Epivates by the Sea of Marmara. Petka gives clothes to people in need and chooses a monastic life. Charity and renunciation of wealth stand at the centre of this account.
Her connection with Tarnovo
The transfer of her relics to Tarnovo connects her veneration with Bulgaria’s medieval capital. The name “of Tarnovo” preserves that connection; it does not mean she was born there.
The relics in Iasi
The Romanian Patriarchate dates the transfer to Iasi to 13 June 1641. Its 380th-anniversary article includes a video message, showing how Petka’s veneration continues beyond Bulgarian history.
Saints venerated in Bulgaria
Continue with another life story
St John of RilaSt John of Rila’s Life, his veneration and the history of Rila Monastery.
St Dimitry of BasarbovoSt Demetrius of Basarbovo, accounts from his Life and the 1774 transfer of his relics to Bucharest.
St Seraphim of SofiaArchbishop Seraphim Sobolev, his years in Sofia and his 2016 canonisation, with an authentic photograph and church documents.
St Joachim of OsogovoSt Joachim of Osogovo in church tradition and the monastery near Kriva Palanka.
Photographs and authors
- St John of Rila: Bulgarian Patriarchate · Unidentified author
- St Dimitry of Basarbovo: Bulgarian Patriarchate · Unidentified author
- St Seraphim of Sofia: Unidentified author / Wikimedia Commons. Public domain
- St Joachim of Osogovo: Bulgarian Patriarchate · Unidentified author
