Two Pie Ivan
There is no official patron saint for the American holiday of Thanksgiving, but there is an excellent candidate in St. John of Rila.
St. John of Rila, also known as Ivan of Rila, was a monk and hermit whose life spanned the 9th and 10th centuries. Born in Bulgaria, he spent a life of quiet prayer that unintentionally attracted far too much attention. Even Tsar Peter I sought John out for spiritual advice, thought the Tsar and his gifts were turned away out of the saint’s fear of worldly pride.
St. John of Rila is best remembered for the kindly aid he offered the poor, which was best exemplified in the miracle of the two pies. The story goes that one day, St. John came into possession of two pies. While sharing the pies with starving peasants, he ended up miraculously feeding an entire village. But of course, we have to ask . . . what kind of pie?
While sweet pies are more of an English and American invention, savory pies were more common in other parts of the world. In Bulgaria, banista is a traditional cheese pie made with thin sheets of dough, sheep’s cheese, herbs and vegetables, including onions, greens or pumpkins. The recipe dates back to the Ottoman and Byzantine Empires, so it’s possible that St. John was sharing cheese and pumpkin pie.
The miracle of the two pies made St. John of Rila the patron saint of pie makers and a very attractive guest for Thanksgiving dinner.
Brian Rutter, PhD, is the cofounder of Hundredfold Video and plant biologist working for 2Blades at the University of Minnesota. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive our “Sower Stories – Odd Facts About Plants” and video production tips in your inbox every month!
Works Cited:
Catholic Online. “St. John of Rila.” Saints & Angels. Accessed November 17, 2025. https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1054.
Jones, Ben Pierce. “Banitsa From Bulgaria.” TastesFromTheRoad.com. Accessed November 17, 2025. https://www.tastesfromtheroad.com/post/banitsa-from-bulgaria.
Sharath, Lakshmi. “A Day at Rila Monastery, Bulgaria.” Lakshmisharath.com, December 14, 2020. Accessed November 17, 2025. https://lakshmisharath.com/a-day-at-rila-monastery-bulgaria/#:~:text=It%20is%20said%20that%20he,”%20two%20pies%2C%20Ivan”.
“The Miracle of the Two Pies by Saint John of Rila.” Giftpals.com. Accessed November 17, 2025. https://giftpals.com/events/item/the-miracle-of-the-two-pies-by-saint-john-of-rila?srsltid=AfmBOooheemMvq8aXIM3Kp4fqkXIBDjtTQu2Bjyb938SjGtvFRXyYf1e.
