Andrew Petkov

Andrey Velichki

Andrew Petkov (Bulgarian: Митрополит Андрей; secular name Stoyan Nikolov Petkov (Bulgarian: Стоян Николов Петков)) was the diocesan prelate of the Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada and Australia with the title of "Metropolitan of New York" during the years 1947 to 1972.

Born Stoyan Petkov, on 31 December 1886 in Vrachesh village, Botevgrad municipality, Petkov took his comprehensive education in Targovishte. In 1903 he entered the Sofia Seminary where he graduated in 1909 and continued his education in Moscow Eastern Orthodox Academy during the period 1911-1916. Meantime he is a private during the Balkan War (1912–1913) and medical orderly in the Russian army (1914–1915). After graduating in the Moscow Academy he has worked as a teacher in St. Petersburg for two years (1916–1918).

Petkov came back to Bulgaria after bursting out of the Bolshevik revolution in Russia. Again in his motherland he consecutively worked as: a secretary and inspector with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1919–1921); a teacher in Sofia Seminary (1921–1926); a head of culture department with the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (1926–1929).

In 1928 Stoyan Petkov took "Andrey" ("Andrew") as his name in religion. After being ordained as yero-deacon and archimandrite, on 20 April 1929 he became a bishop with the title Velichki and appointed as vicar as "Simeon, Metropolitan of Varna and Preslav".

In 1937 the Holy Synod sent Petkov to take control of the Bulgarian Eparchy of USA, Canada and Australia with his seat in New York City, USA.

He died in 1972 and was buried in the St. John of Rila Church, Targovishte that was reconstructed with his donation during the 70s.

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