Blessed Eugene Bossilkov

Born to a family of Bulgarian Latin Rite Catholics, Vincent Bossilkov joined the Passionists at age 14. The Passionists had been present in Bulgaria since 1781. Vincent studied in the various Passionist houses in Holland and Belgium and took the religious name Eugene. He professed his vows in 1920 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1926. He returned to Bulgaria in 1924 and pursued further theological studies. He took up a post as parish priest in the Danube valley. After the Soviet takeover of Bulgaria, anti-religious laws were passed. In the midst of all this, Eugene was appointed a Bishop in 1947. From 1949 the attitude of the State to religious orders worsened. In the same year the Apostolic Delegate was deported, Church property was seized and religious congregations suppressed. In 1952 the mass arrests of Church dignitaries began. On July 16, Bishop Eugene was seized in Sophia and executed on November 11, 1952. He was beatified in 1994.
(From the community website)