The head of the Metropolitan District celebrated the Liturgy at the Ascension Cathedral in Almaty

February 11, 2024 – 36th week after Pentecost, celebration in honor of the transfer of the relics of the Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-Bearer; day of remembrance of the holy martyrs John Granitov, Leonty Klimenko, presbyters and with them the 5 martyrs of Talgar.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Ascension Cathedral in Almaty.

The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan was co-served by: vicars of the Astana diocese - Bishop Claudian of Taldykorgan and Bishop Benjamin of Talgar; confessor of the Alma-Ata diocese Archimandrite John (Sazonov), head of the Metropolitan District's public relations department, cleric of the Ascension Cathedral Archpriest Alexander Suvorov, head of the information and publishing department of the Metropolitan District Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov, Archpriest Alexander Ievlev, cleric of the Church of the Martyrs Adrian and Natalia in the village Otegen-Batyr, Priest John Konoplev, Hieromonk Roman (Chistyakov), head of the Metropolitan Secretariat, Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), head of the administrative secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District, Priest Georgy Sidorov; Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich, head of the Metropolitan Protocol Service, Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky, Deacon Vitaly Bystrushkin, Deacon Alexander Piven, Deacon Sergiy Slesarchuk.

The chants of the festive service were performed by the choir of the Metropolitan District under the direction of the Honored Artist of Russia O.N. Ovchinnikov and the choir of the Ascension Cathedral under the direction of N. Zubrevich.

His Eminence offered prayers for the increase of love and the eradication of all hatred and malice.

The sermon on the sacramental verse was delivered by Priest Georgy Sidorov.

The service ended with the glorification of Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-Bearer and the Talgar new martyrs, after which the Head of the Metropolitan District addressed those gathered with words of teaching.

“The indispensable obligation and sacred duty of every Orthodox Christian is to frequently visit the house of God, to participate together with brothers and sisters in faith in common prayer under the arches of the temple. This especially applies to the Sunday holiday - the day called “Little Easter” by the fathers and teachers of the Church. Every week we remember the event that granted salvation to the whole world, the entire universe - the Resurrection of the Lord and Savior, who by His death defeated human death. On the eve of every Sunday, you and I testify that with our spiritual gaze we were privileged to see this greatest miracle when, after reading the Gospel Conception, we sing the stichera “Having seen the Resurrection of Christ.” From apostolic times to the present day, believers gather together weekly to worship the risen Lord, so that again and again with all their hearts, with awe and reverence, they feel the joy of real spiritual life, the joy of sanctification and being with God, given to humanity through the Cross and Resurrection. Thanks to participation in Repentance and Communion of the heavenly, immortal, life-giving Mysteries of Christ, the human soul is freed from sinful bonds and becomes a partaker of Divine grace. From the teachings of Metropolitan Alexander.