ДА ПРОПОВЯДВАШ СВЕТОТО ЕВАНГЕЛИЕ С МНОГО ДИПЛОМАЦИЯ И ТАКТ: ЖИВОТ И СЛУЖЕНИЕ НА СВЕЩЕНИЦИТЕ В ЧЕПЕЛАРСКАТА ЦЪРКВА „СВ. АТАНАСИЙ ВЕЛИКИ“ (1835–1853)
TO PREACH THE HOLY GOSPEL WITH MUCH DIPLOMACY AND TACT: LIFE AND SERVICE OF THE PRIESTS IN THE CHURCH „ST. ATHANASIUS THE GREAT“ IN CHEPELARE (1835–1853)

Summary/Abstract: Chepelare is a small town, which was founded in 1728 and has been inhabited by Bulgarian Christians and Bulgarian Muslims since its inception, but the Christian population remained a minority until the 20th century. From 1728 to 1756, there was not a single functioning Orthodox church or chapel in the town. In 1756, Kalin Kehaya built his new house and created an Orthodox chapel in it, which the people of Chepelare attended until 1835, when the Church of St. Athanasius the Great was sanctified. Until then, the Christians had not had a permanent priest. Мonks and priests, who came periodically, took care of their spiritual needs. But since then Chepelare has had an Ortho-dox clergyman, and during most of the time two or three. It was not easy for them to preach the Holy Gospel and to affirm the Christian faith while living among a compact Muslim population in Chepelare and the entire region, but they managed to cope with this task with dignity, showing great diplomacy and tact in their pastoral service. In the text, I describe their life and activities in the period 1835–1853, based on preserved historical information.

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