On Saturday, July 6, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. in the co-cathedral of the Catholic diocese “St. John XXIII“ at 15 Montevideo Blvd. in Sofia, the episcopal ordination of His Eminence Father Petko Valov will take place.
The new bishop accepts the post from H.V.Pr. Hristo Proikov, who ruled the diocese since 1995. According to the current statute in the Catholic Church, after reaching the age of 75, bishops resign to the Pope. Bishop Hristo submitted his resignation to Pope Francis in March 2021, which was accepted in April this year. and His Eminence Father Petko was appointed bishop of the diocese.
The liturgy with the ordination will be led by the previous diocesan bishop in collaboration with the Catholic bishops from Bulgaria, the Apostolic Nuncio in Sofia, bishops from Greece, the Republic of North Macedonia, Romania and priests from the country, Israel, Italy, the USA, Ukraine and other countries . Together with the faithful and the clergy in the country, who will share this important and festive transitional moment for the diocese, an invitation has been sent to the “National Council of Religious Communities in Bulgaria”.
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Reverend Father Petko Valov was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, on January 8, 1966.
The parents of the new bishop, his father Nikola Valov (ⴕ1993) is Orthodox and was a political prisoner in the camp in Belene, and his mother Dimitrina Valova (ⴕ2022) is a Catholic of the Eastern rite. One of his mother's sisters, Sr. Suzana, is a Eucharistic nun in Sofia. He has a brother, Joakim Valov, married and living in the USA.
The Reverend Father Petko graduated from high school in Sofia, after which he did military service for two years in construction troops. From 1986 to 1988, he attended the "Yordanka Filaretova" Medical College. in Sofia and graduated as a dental technician. In 1990 he was sent as a seminarian to the Urban Pontifical College in Rome and studied philosophy at the Pontifical University Urbaniana. From 1992 to 1997 he attended the Pontifical Greek College, graduating in theology at the Gregorian Pontifical University. In the period 1995 to 1997, he pursued a master's degree in moral theology at the “Alfonsiana“ Academy. to the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome.
He was ordained a priest on October 11, 1997 in the diocese of “St. John XXIII“, in which he is archpriest.
Pastoral Ministry
Since 1999 - : Parish priest in the parish “Assumption of the Virgin“ in the village of Novo Delchevo
Since 2008 - : Delegate of the Catholic Church in the “National Council of Religious Communities in Bulgaria”
From 2020 - : Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference of the Catholic Church in Bulgaria
Since 2009 - : Treasurer and Chancellor of the Sofia Diocese “St. John XXIII“.
From 2022 - : Chairman of the Executive Board of “Caritas Sofia”
Since 2013 - : Chairman of the supervisory board of the charitable diocesan foundation for disadvantaged women “Nativity“
Contact:
Mrs Victoria Petrova (tel: +359 (0) 883 307273 ; Email: [email protected] )
Ms. Kristina Cronin (tel/Viber: +17039732407 ; email: [email protected] )