On September 14, the 80-year-old Archimandrite Joan (John) , known simply as Father Ivan from Novi Khan.
Father Ivan was well known in Bulgarian society as the only Monk father of the Fatherless. and a great benefactor who dedicated his life to the sick, poor, needy and, the homeless people in Bulgaria.
The Requiem service will be consecrated on September 16 from 12:00 pm in the church "The Holy Trinity" in Novi Khan (a Church situated in the improvised homeless shelter organized in an old Monastery (Saint Nicholas) by Father Ivan himself. by Bishop John of Branitsky, former Vicar Bishop of Patriarch Daniel.
Father Ivan Dimitrov Ivanov was born on March 31, 1945. in the Bulgarian village of Blagovo, Montana region. He received his basic and secondary education in the High Professional School "Peter Beron" in city of Sofia. Next He attended a university degree from the Theological Academy "St. Clement of Ohrid" (which was re-established in the distant year 1981) already in grown age after working different other jobs. He merried and with his wife Todorka Grigorova Ivanova had two sons – Ivaylo and Grigor. On October 19, 1981 he was ordained a deacon, and on 26 October same year – ordained for a priest by Metropolitan Filaret of Vidin. Since 1987 he was appointed as a priest at the Church "Holy Trinity" in the town of Novi Han, region of Elin Pelin. In year 2011 he has been consecrated as monk the name Ioan by the Bishop of Devol Theodosij (Theodosius). In 2015 in Montana he was promoted to archimandrite dignity by Vidin Metropolitan Dometian.
Along with his pastoral work, he devotes all his strength to caring for the poor. His selfless service remains misunderstood by many, and for a long time he does not receive support from the leadership of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. In 2014, His Holiness Patriarch Neophyte of Bulgaria came to visit the “Holy Trinity” shelter in Novi Han. In addition to food and gifts, he also gave a sign of empathy with the great priest’s work.
Father Ivan began his work in the distanct 1993, short after the fall of Communism regime in Bulgaria when he restored the abandoned building of the monastery "Holy Trinity" in Novi Han. He revived the liturgical life in the monastery church (that was abondoned for many years due to the dictatorship regime in Bulgaria) and created the shelter "Saint Nicholas", in which he sheltered a dozen homeless people. Gradually, the orphanage expanded and it housed mainly women and children deprived of home and protection, but also found shelter for the elderly and homeless. The priest gave pregnant girls left without any financial support and shelter, the opportunity to give birth to their children and take care of them in the shelter for free. Several generations of children were born and raised under the care of Father Ivan. Today, some of them were the first to express their grief over the death of the father on social networks.
Even though his genuine kindness and great good deeds Father Ivan has suffered a lot from people who hate the light of Christ, being a victim of various life hardships, road incidents, and a lot of health issues, which he endevoured with stoicism. He has multiple times has shared when we met that many people being pushed by the devil has done him a lot of badness.
As a mean to finance the homeless people Father Ivan with the help of his orpans, take care about animals such as chickens, cows, sheeps.
Not on a signle occasion animals belonging to him and his shelter has been stolen.
He fought many battles in his life time but never lost hope neither he fall in spirit always counting on the help of the Almighty, like the ancient saints.
Father Ivans deed for that hard times can be compared to the great deeds of the ancients and for the Bulgarian society his meaning and inspiration was similar
to the old testamental important of Moses who led the people.
His servence of a priest was always given for the good example and people respected him and loved him for his deeds in Bulgaria over the last 40 years.
In 2013, the father bought several houses in the Montana village of Yakimovo, where he housed also homeless families and their children (the houses hosting homless families reached about 80+ houses ! which accomodated about 180 people, together with the people in the orphanage in Novi Han they were more than 250+ people).
The last years of his life he spend living in his small living Room (monastic Cell) in the Saint Nicolas Monastery in prayer and last spiritual cares for his many children.
The priest's work is continued by his son (who also took the path of his father) Fr. Grigoriy, who now takes care of the orphanages. Fr. Ivan remains in our recent church history as an example of complete dedication to the service of his neighbors, without seeking reward or gratitude. Something unique and unrepeatable fhat inspired many to be more merciful and benevolent for the poor and needy and by this he incarnated the example of Christ who teached us to always have the poor and needy with us and in our hearts. Generous to the life's misfortunes of his "children", Fr. Ivan set an example of a servant of Christ, whose love "does not seek its own… bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Cor. 13:5-7).
I had the blessing to meet father Ivan of Novi Han a couple of times together with Bishop Ierotey Agathopolski (who used to be in the past under the spiritual guidance of Father Ivan). And my personal impressions are that father Ivan was a highly spiritual person and true monk. I had the chance one time in the distant 2011 to meet him in Novi Khan afer a pilgrimage to Holy Mount Athos we have been guests to Father Ivan in the monastery for a night and even had the chance to be and serve as a ipodeacon on a Holy Liturgy led by Father Ivan. I still remember how much he worried about the children God has sent him for care and how much he worried if financially he can make it to give a good life to all the new inhabitants who recently come to his shelter.
I remember he had to buy some food for the shelter and I wanted to help him to carry the stuff and we were to the SuperMarket together to buy food and goods for the children.
Father Ivan had a great temper and a great sense of humor even though he has been already aging and his spirit was lifted even though the hardships both with suffering heavy form of diabetes and other multitude of physical infirmity.
Film Sparks (Movie about the Shleter of Saint Nicolas created by Father Ivan of Novi Han)
Father Ivan and his Children an Interview Movie by Fr Ivan
Movie about The Life Story hardships of Father Ivan of Novi Khan and what made him decide to serve the sick, the poor and the lonely
Father Archimandrite Ivan one worthy Bulgarian
In above interview, father Ivan talks about how he decided to become a priest and how he promised God that he will make an orphanage home. He was accused during the communistic times in Bulgaria for being a priest only to serve as a spy for the West. He was kept in Montana Police station interrogated for 7 months in a small dark police carcer (small police room for prisoners), trying and the police tried to brain wash him that he is guilty for things he is not for all the time being asked the same questions again and again with a light lamp infront of his eye sight. He tells in short in the interview, how he managed to restore the Holy Trinity monastery, after a lot of hardships and miracles of God who helped me to do so. On multiple times his orphanage house has been tried to be (closed) and even destroyed by the local people of Novi Han unsuccesful. He has a lot of abusers who tried to run the deeds of his life the oprphanage but God by his great grace and his powers did not allow this to happen! But right on the contrary helped him and the children and provided him everything he needs to fulfill the dead of his life to help the salvation of tens of thousands to find his path to God and multitudes of people to physically survive a life of horror for years. He put a multitude of lost souls for whom noone cared back on the track of life and by his mercifulness he preached the Gospel not only words but in deeds.
Let God forgive him, Have mercy on his Soul and Forgive him if he sinned as a man and Receive him in his heavenly kingdom ! And Let us have his prayers to Christ ! Amen
