Today, a Bulgarian delegation made the first visit of its kind to the Congress of Indiana in the USA.
The purpose of the visit was to present the history and achievements of the Bulgarian emigration in Indiana to officials at the highest level. A significant part of the cultural and historical heritage of our community in Indiana was bequeathed by the Bulgarians who came from the region of Macedonia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The church "St. Stefan" in the state capital, Indianapolis, was built in 1915 by Macedonian Bulgarians and is still the center of the diaspora. It also houses the Bulgarian Sunday School in the city.
Downtown Indianapolis, a commemorative plaque has been placed on the site of the first building of the Macedonian Tribune newspaper, an organ of the IPO, published from 1927 to the present day.
A commemorative plaque has also been placed at the place where the first building of the church "St. Stefan" in the period 1915 - 1955.
In the church, you can see the icons donated by the Bulgarian emigrants, which remind us of the dedication of our predecessors in the mission of preserving their faith, language, and identity, wherever they are in the world.
Meetings were held with House Speaker Todd Houston, Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta, and Senators Kyle Walker and Justin Bush.
The delegation led by the Consul General of Bulgaria in Chicago Svetoslav Stankov included Ralitsa Kolarova, President of the Damian Gruev Club, Macedonian Patriotic Organization, her son Nikolas, Rossi Makii, "Association of Bulgarians Abroad - 681", Vera Popov, a Macedonian Bulgarian from Strumica and a long-time member of the IPO, as well as Father Dimitar, who for nearly 40 years served in the church "St. Stefan". /BGNES
