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Baptism Holy Baptism is the first of the sacraments of the Church, in which a person receives God's blessing. The sacrament of Baptism is performed once in a lifetime and is never repeated. The baptized person is introduced to Christianity, symbolically purified and ready to lead a righteous life. The godfather or godmother do become his spiritual parents, therefore they should not be related to the baptized person up to this point. What to prepare: 1. Birth certificate of the baptized 2. Baptismal certificate of the godfather/godmother 3. Large towel or towel for the newly baptized 4. Small towel and soap for the priest 5. New white or light-colored clothes for the newly baptized 6. A sprinkling stick. 7. Bread 8. Sweet red wine 9. Oil or olive oil for the temple What to do: 1. Let us approach the Sacrament consciously 2. If the child is over 40 days old, the mother must be present at the Baptism. 3. If the person being baptized is over 10 years old, the "Creed of Faith" is read, and if he is younger, the "Creed of Faith" is read by the godfather. What the godfather and the newly baptized person need to know: Symbol of faith I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only-begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages. Light of Light; True God of True God; begotten, not made; of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man. And He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end; and in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets; in One Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come. Amen.

All money donated will go towards the administration and construction fees, for maintaining and renovating the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in The Hague Donations a one-time donation can be made by clicking the button or the QR code below. Donation Donations for the church can be also transferred to the account of the Church Community: IBAN:NL02ABNA0580503038; BOK P. Hilendarski,

Българска Православна Църква Св. Св. Арахангели Михаил и Гавриил, Хага, Нидерландия, Bulgaars-Orthodoxe Kerk , Bulgarian Orthodox Church, The Hague, Netherlands. Welcome to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church of St. Archangels Michael and Gabriel, The Hague About us Bulgarian Orthodox Church of St. Archangels Michael and Gabriel, The Hague is a church community dedicated to strengthening the spirituality of its believers and supporting the community in the Netherlands. We are here to provide spiritual comfort and guidance, as well as to care for the needs of the people in the community. Learn more History Interesting facts about the history of our Bulgarian Orthodox community and church in the Netherlands. Learn more Services Our church service schedules are posted as events on our Facebook page weekly. Learn more Services Our church service schedules are posted as events on our Facebook page weekly. Donation

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Pure prayer Holy Church takes special care of human life. The Church asks God's protection over the newborn and the mother after labor; the church implores the grace of the Holy Spirit over them and takes measures consistent with the requirements of hygiene and medicine. The rite "Prayers over a woman after labor on the fortieth day", performed over the mother and the child on the 40th day after his birth, refers to the churching of the mother, i.e. blessing her to return to the Church to participate in the Eucharist and to receive first communion after birth. From this day, preparation for the holy sacrament of Baptism begins. What to prepare: 1. Bottle of sweet red wine 2. Bottle of oil 3. Package of flour 4. Candles (purchased from the temple) What to do: 1. Let's get acquainted with the Orthodox meaning of the rite How to pray: Prayer for parents O Lord, Heavenly Father, You have blessed us with the gift of family and have entrusted us with their spiritual upbringing. You commanded that we should teach our children about You in our lives: when we sit in our house, when we walk by the way, when we lie down and when we rise. Guide us O Lord every moment of the day as we work toward this awesome task. Let the words of Christ dwell in us, so that we may teach and guide our family, through our words and deeds, to the saving knowledge of Your everlasting kingdom. Help us, O Lord, be compassionate, kind, and patient throughout our days. If one of us has a complaint against another, help us to forgive each other; as You have forgiven us. Let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts. Above all, help us to remember to put on love which binds everything together in perfect harmony. We thank You, Lord for the many blessings and mercies You continually bestow on us. In everything we do, in word or deed, may we always do so in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through His Holy Spirit. Amen.

ABOUT US The Church Community of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church of St. Archangels Michael and Gabriel, The Hague, Netherlands, bears the name: The Bulgarian Orthodox Church Community "St. Venerable Paisius of Hilendar". The parish seat is the city of The Hague. The pastoral service of the parish covers the entire territory of the Netherlands. The parish is canonically subordinate to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, the Bulgarian Patriarchate and belongs to the Bulgarian Western and Central European Diocese. The church community exclusively and directly persecutes religious and charitable purposes. Our task is to organize Bulgarian Orthodox baptized Christians and give them the opportunity to participate in worship services, receive the sacraments, and profess the Orthodox faith; The community aims to offer the peace of Christ to all members through personal contacts during worship services and through joint initiatives, in order to create the opportunity for brotherly love to overcome hatred. It should offer its help and cooperate according to its capabilities wherever there is suffering, misfortune and misunderstanding. COMUNITY MANAGEMENT The Bulgarian Orthodox Church of St. Archangels Michael and Gabriel, The Hague, is proud of its spiritual team dedicated to serving the faithful. Our Metropolitan, priest, and volunteers contribute to the spiritual harmony and well-being of the entire community. Western and Central European Metropolitan Anthony His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony of Western and Central Europe was born on Antonovden, January 17, 1978 in Stara Zagora to a family of Orthodox parents, emigrants from Gyumyurgina (present-day Komotini). On June 15, 2010, he was appointed Vicar Bishop of His Eminence Metropolitan Simeon of Western and Central Europe. On June 11, 2013, at its plenary session, the Holy Synod released Metropolitan Simeon of Western and Central Europe at his request from the metropolitan see. On October 27, 2013, he was elected by the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church-Bulgarian Orthodox Church as Metropolitan of Western and Central Europe. Father Nikolai priest Father Nikolai Nikolov is the head of our community and church. Father Nikolai was ordained as a deacon in the city of Brühl (Germany) and then in Berlin as a priest by His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony. He is originally from Sofia, but for 12 years he has lived and worked in the German city of Aachen. Father Nikolai is married and has 4 children. Father Nikolai also serves in the Bulgarian Church in the city of Cologne. CHURCH WARDENS The Board of Wardens consists of five members: 1. Chairman: Father Nikolai, 2. Vice-President: Dr. Ing. Radoslav Parashkov (PhD) 3. Secretary: adv. Iskren Hristov 4. Person responsible for cultural/social activities: Alexan Chobanov 5. Treasurer: Aaltje Van Den Heuvel CONTROL COMMISSION The control committee consists of a chairman and two other members. GENERAL ASSEMBLY The general assembly consists of all members of the parish and the priest. VOLUNTEERS Volunteers at our church play an important role in supporting the community, contributing to various activities and events that promote the spiritual and social well-being of all believers.

Wedding In the sacrament of Marriage, through a blessing from the priest, the newlyweds receive divine grace. This grace sanctifies their marital union, elevates it to spiritual unity, and helps them achieve the goal of marriage: unanimity and mutual assistance on the path to perfection and salvation. The godparents become the spiritual mentors of the new family, so it is good for them to be a healthy family, an example of Orthodox life. What to prepare: 1. Baptismal certificates of the bride and groom and godparents (in the case of a second church marriage - ask the priest). 2. Copy of the Civil Marriage Certificate. 3. Wedding rings. 4. Two large candles tied with a long ribbon 5. A bottle of red wine and a glass. 6. Bread and honey. 7. A bottle of oil or olive oil. What to do: 1. To become familiar with the Orthodox meaning of the rite 2. To approach the Sacrament consciously What the godparents and the newlywed need to know The Lord's Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Prayer for married couple O Lord our God, who in Your saving dispensation declared marriage honorable by Your presence in Cana of Galilee, keep in peace and concord your servants, whom you have joined together as one. Make their marriage honorable. Preserve their union undefiled; grant that they may live together blamelessly; and make them worthy to attain to a ripe old age, fulfilling Your commandments with a pure heart. For You are our God, the God of mercy and salvation, and to You we send up glory, together with Your Father Who is without beginning, and Your all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, always, now and forever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Memorial The death of a loved one always causes sorrow, but we must remember that in Christ everyone is alive. The grave is not an end, it is a door through which the human spirit passes, because “the spirit will return to God who gave it”. Therefore, we pray fervently to the Lord of all mercy to accept the soul of the deceased. The funeral service is performed by a priest in the church. When the coffin is placed in the grave, a mourning prayer, the Trisagion, is read. Then, at the request of the relatives, the home is consecrated with holy water. What to prepare: 1. Bread 2. Boiled wheat 3. Bottle of red wine and a glass 4. Set of candles 5. Photo of the deceased (if in the temple) and flowers 6. Offerings (lenten, if the day is fasting) What to do: 1. Let's get acquainted with the Orthodox meaning of the rite How to pray: Prayer for the departed O God of spirits and of all flesh, Who hast trampled down death and overthrown the Devil, and given life to Thy world, do Thou, the same Lord, give rest to the souls of Thy departed servants in a place of brightness, a place of refreshment, a place of repose, where all sickness, sighing, and sorrow have fled away. Pardon every transgression which they have committed, whether by word or deed or thought. For Thou art a good God and lovest mankind; because there is no man who lives yet does not sin, for Thou only art without sin, Thy righteousness is to all eternity, and Thy word is truth. For Thou are the Resurrection, the Life, and the Repose of Thy servants who have fallen asleep, O Christ our God, and unto Thee we ascribe glory, together with Thy Father, who is from everlasting, and Thine all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever unto ages of ages. Amen.

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Repentance Repentance is a sacrament through which the believer, after a loud confession of his sins, with forgiveness spoken aloud by the priest, receives the gracious forgiveness of sins from God Himself and regains the purity and innocence acquired at Baptism. The word repentance means a change in lifestyle and worldview. Confession implies the examination of all the deeds for which conscience or a neighbor accuses him. Before confession, we must analyze our life, actions and thoughts through the eyes of Christ and stand before His icon next to the priest with a heart open to repentance and readiness for change. A good Christian often approaches the sacrament of Confession and lives in Repentance. How to prepare: 1. Fasting, blessed by the priest 2. Examination of conscience (according to the 10 Commandments of God) 3. Penitential prayers What to do: 1. To arrange a convenient time with the priest 2. To confess our sins truly and repentantly 3. To try not to repeat the sins How to pray: Prayer of repentance Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, Shepherd and Lamb, You offered Your life on the cross to take away the sins of the world. You granted forgiveness to Peter and to the harlot who turned to You in tears. You forgave the debts of the two debtors and also said, "him who comes to me I will not cast out." Lord, receive me, a sinner, and hear my prayer of repentance (Confess to the Lord your specific sins.) I acknowledge my sins and transgressions, voluntary and involuntary, known and unknown. I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to turn away from my sins and to amend my life according to Your teachings. Help me to walk in the way of the righteous and to offer praise to Your glorious name forever. Amen Sweet, Jesus, my Lord and Master, through Your holy passion You have healed my evil passions, and through Your sacred wounds You have cured my sinful wounds. Grant me, compunction. Purify my body with the fragrance of Your life-giving Body, and casting out the bitterness with which the adversary has fed me. Lift up my earth bound mind to You and take me out of the pit of perdition. I have no sincere repentance, I have no true compunction, I have no consoling tears to lead me as a child of God to my spiritual in heritance. My mind has been darkened through worldly passions. I cannot look up to You in grieving remorse. I cannot warm myself with tears of love for You. But, Lord Jesus Christ, the treasury of blessings, grant me through repentance and a diligent heart to seek You. Grant me Your grace and renew in me the form of Your image. I have forsaken You; but, Lord, do not forsake me. Come out to seek me; lead me to Your pasture; number me among the sheep of Your chosen flock and nourish me with the food of Your sacred mysteries, through the intercession of Your all-pure Mother and of all the Saints. Amen.

Memorial Service Our departed relatives are alive in soul, because the soul is created and is eternal. Let us pray fervently to the Lord of love and all mercy to rest the souls of the deceased in the abodes of the righteous, where there is no pain, sorrow, or sighing. Eternal memory to them. Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven! A memorial service is performed by a priest in the temple or at the grave on the third, ninth, fortieth day, the anniversaries of the death of a Christian, as well as on All Souls' Days. What to prepare: 1. Bread 2. Boiled wheat 3. Bottle of red wine and a glass 4. Set of candles 5. Photo of the deceased (if in the temple) and flowers 6. Offerings (lenten, if the day is fasting) 7. Raw wheat and a hoe (only for 40 days) What to do: 1. Let's get acquainted with the Orthodox meaning of the rite How to pray: Prayer for the dead Christ our eternal King and God, You have destroyed death and the devil by Your Cross and have restored man to life by Your Resurrection; give rest, Lord, to the soul of Your servant (name) who has fallen asleep, in Your Kingdom, where there is no pain, sorrow or suffering. In Your goodness and love for all men, pardon all the sins he (she) has committed in thought word or deed, for there is no man or woman who lives and sins not, You only are without sin. For You are the Resurrection, the Life, and Repose of Your servant (name), departed this life, O Christ our God; and to You do we send up glory with Your Eternal Father and Your All-holy, Good and Life-creating Spirit; both now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen