St. John of Rila

John was a shepherd who gave away everything and went into the Rila mountains to live alone with God, first in a cave and then in a hollow tree. Word of his holiness and healings spread so far that Tsar Peter of Bulgaria travelled to see him, and John humbly refused a meeting but accepted his gift of food. The disciples who gathered around him founded Rila Monastery. His last Testament to his monks is a classic of Bulgarian spiritual writing. He is the patron saint of Bulgaria.

• Feast: October 19 (New Calendar)
• Lived: c. 876–946
• Place: Rila
• Relics today: Rila Monastery