Bishop
Saint Sophronius (1739 - 1813), Bishop of Vratza, was born in the town of Kotel, Bulgaria, into an Orthodox family. He studied at a monastery school, worked as a tailor, but soon became a priest and teacher. In 1765, he met Saint Paisius of Hilendar and became his disciple. From 1770 to 1775, he made a pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain of Athos.
In 1792, he left Kotel and became the abbot in Karnobat. In 1794, he was ordained as a bishop in Vratza. He actively engaged in public activities, maintained connections with the Phanariots, and visited the Seven-Seat Monastery. In the turmoil caused by the Kirdzhali and Turkish troops, he was forced to leave Vratza and spent three years in captivity in Vidin.
In 1803, he escaped to Bucharest, where he continued to serve and engage in literary activities. He wrote "Notes," published in 1861, and "Kyriakodromion," the first printed book in the New Bulgarian language. From 1806 to 1812, he actively interacted with the Russian command during the Russo-Turkish War, urging the Bulgarians to support the Russians.
In the last years of his life, he withdrew to a monastery near Bucharest. He died on September 22 or 23, 1813. He was canonized by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church on December 31, 1964.
