Blessed Kamen Vitchev
![[]](saintk36.jpg "??kb jpg detail from an icon of Blessed Kamen Vitchev, Blessed Pavel Djidjov, and Blessed Josaphat Chichkov; swiped from the Vatican web site")
- Also known as
- Peter Vitchev
- Memorial
- 11 November
- Profile
- Born to a pious, orthodox Eastern Rite family, Peter was educated in Strem and Adrianopoli.
He joined the Congregation of the Assumption on 8 September 1910 in Gemp, taking the name Kamen.
Professor at the College of Saint Augustine in Plovdiv in 1918.
Teacher at the Little Seminary of Koum Kapou in Istanbul.
Professor of theology in Kadiköy in 1920.
Ordained in the Eastern rite on 22 December 1921.
Kamen studied in Rome and Strasbourg, and received his doctorate in theology in 1929.
He returned to the College of Saint Augustine in Plovidiv, Bulgaria in 1930 where he served as teacher, college rector, dean of studies, and lecturer in philosophy
He was known as a stern authority figure who expected much from his students; they responded, academic standards were high, and he received great respect.
Along with his work, he wrote for several magazines on matters relating to science and religion, often using pen names.
On 2 August 1948 the Communists closed the College, and Father Kamen was named superior of the seminary of Plovdiv.
When the Communists expelled all the foreign religious later that year, Kamen was chosen as Provincial Vicar of the Bulgarian Assumptionists.
Arrested by the government on 4 July 1952 for the anti-state offense of being a priest.
He was accused of leading a Catholic conspiracy against the Communists, and was martyred with
Blessed Eugene Bossilkov,
Blessed Pavel Djidjov, and
Blessed Josaphat Chichkov.
- Born
- 23 May 1893 at Strem, diocese of Tracia, Burgas region, Bulgaria
- Died
- shot 11.30pm on 11 November 1952 by a Bulgarian Communist firing squad
- Beatified
- 26 May 2002 by Pope John Paul II at Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Canonized
- pending
- Additional Information
-
L'Osservatore Romano
Homily at the beatification of Blessed Kamen
- Print References
- The Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
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