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 PayPal

Consecration Since creation, water has been not only an inseparable part of human existence, but also a part of its religious life. In the Bible, water symbolizes life, God's grace, the spiritual and moral purity of man. Water is closely connected with God's plan for the salvation of man. Therefore, the Holy Church uses it in the sacraments and rites. The small blessing of water is a rite for consecrating our home, office, car, as well as a cross, icon, etc. objects. What to prepare: 1. Icon, where the water blessing will be performed 2. Bunch of geranium or other green and aromatic herbs 3. Large clean bowl with cold water 4. A little olive oil (about 30 ml.) in a small container 5. Container with raw rice and 3 candles 6. Red wine 7. Loaf of bread 8. List of names of living people to commemorate for health What to do: 1. Let's get acquainted with the Orthodox meaning of the rite How to pray: A prayer for all times Hear the voice of our prayer, O loving Master, Lord Jesus Christ, and look with mercy upon us, Your servants, who approach You with faith, trusting in Your unchangeable promise. For You have said: “Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you will receive it, and it will be given to you,” and again: “Ask, and it will be given to you.” Therefore, we unworthy ones, we beseech You, do not remember our iniquities and do not repay us according to the many transgressions with which we often anger Your goodness, but have mercy on us according to Your infinite mercy and grant us the bounties of Your unspeakable love. Deliver us from the invisible enemy and his snares, which he has spread along all the paths of life, in order to catch us and make us his servants and unfortunate victims. Protect us from our visible enemies; Expose and thwart their evil designs. Fulfill all our good desires and do not allow deprivation and calamities to approach us. Protect us from evil circumstances, from misfortune, sorrow and illness. May our prayers be favorable to You, all-generous Lord, and accept before the throne of Your dominion the deeds that we do in Your name. For You are a God of mercy and love, and to You we give glory, honor and worship, with Your beginningless Father and Your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and forever and ever! Amen!

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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.

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.

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.

Services and rites Baptism Holy Baptism is the first of the sacraments in which a person receives God's blessing. Read more Communion Communion is a great sacrament in which believers are united most fully and inseparably with Christ. Read more Memorial When we send off the departed, we fervently pray to the Lord, who is merciful, to receive their souls back. Read more Wedding In the sacrament, through a blessing from the priest, the newlyweds receive divine grace. Read more Pure prayer The rite "Prayers over a woman in labor on the 40th day" refers to the churching of the mother after childbirth. Read more Memorial service We remember the departed with prayers to the Lord to rest the souls of our departed loved ones. Read more Repentance Penance is a sacrament in which the believer receives the gracious forgiveness of sins. Read more Consecration The small consecration of water is a rite for consecrating our home, office, car, as well as a cross, icon, and other objects. Read more

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.

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Our community is a registered ANBI organization. ANBI is an abbreviation that means “Public Benefit Organization”; in other words, a charity to which donations can be made. Donations to registered charities (with ANBI status) in the Netherlands can be deducted from income tax. 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 or PayPal . Donation PayPal Donations for the church can be also transferred to the account of the Church Community: Bulgaars Orthodox Kerkelijke Gemeente "Heilige Eerwaardige Païsii-Hilendarski ANBI status RSIN: 815050033 IBAN:NL02ABNA0580503038; BOK P. Hilendarski,

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