"Grandpa"
Dobri, a beggar hailed as a living saint in Bulgaria for donating thousands to
Orthodox Christian churches, died Tuesday at the age of 103, church leaders
said.
For over
25 years, the hunched figure in a threadbare coat and peasant sandals holding a
cup for donations was a regular sight at the entrance to Sofia's Seven Saints
church or the Alexander Nevski cathedral in the city centre.
Dobri
Dobrev became the golden-domed cathedral's largest private donor with his gift
of 35,700 leva (18,200 euros, $22,500) in 2009.
He went
on to help a number of monasteries and smaller churches by donating the alms he
collected through the years, which added up to considerable sums in Bulgaria,
the European Union's poorest country.
"Grandpa"
Dobri, as he was commonly known, led an ascetic life, lodging in a small hut
furnished with just a bed and a table in a church courtyard in Baylovo, his
native village near Sofia. Although
he shied away from popular culture, he became an internet star as fans set up
several Facebook pages dedicated to him, garnering thousands of followers.
Street
artists painted a huge image of the white-haired man holding a candle on the
facade of an apartment building in Sofia, while media dubbed him "The
Living Saint from Baylovo". His name,
which comes from the Bulgarian word for "good", has also become a
symbol of goodness for many disillusioned Bulgarians in a country rife with
corruption and where many live in poverty.
Surprisingly,
neither the Alexander Nevski cathedral nor any other of the Sofia churches that
he frequented hosted a vigil for him. Instead,
he was honoured Wednesday by his small church in Baylovo.
Source: https://www.nst.com.my/world/2018/02/335563/bulgarian-beggar-dubbed-living-saint-dies-aged-103
CONVERSATION