Three large statues, two of the Virgin Mary and one of Jesus Christ, have been inaugurated in the town of Rakovski, the only Bulgarian town with a Catholic majority. The statues, donated by a benefactress of the town, were placed in special chapels situated on the main roads of the three districts of the town. The inaugural ceremony recently took place in the General Nikolaevo district, where a solemn procession was held. Large numbers of faithful participated in this important event for the town of Rakovski. “We are delighted to have these statues in our town – said the assistant parish priest of the church of the Sacred heart of Jesus, Father Dimitar Dimitrov – because sacred images are a reminder to people of the faith, especially in our time when the number of regular churchgoers is declining”. “The statues – added Father Dimitrov – are situated on the main streets and at the crossroads of the town and we hope they may also help protect travellers, because there have been many victims of road accidents in our town in recent times”. In Bulgaria, a country with an Orthodox majority, only a very few towns in fact display religious statues.
