The service of the vicars of the Astana diocese during the first week of Great Lent and the Feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy

With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, the vicars of the Astana diocese performed services for the first week of Great Lent and the week of the Triumph of Orthodoxy in the churches of the Astana-Alma-Ata diocese.

On the morning of March 18, 2024, Monday of the first week of Great Lent, Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, manager of the affairs of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, prayed during the statutory service in the Vladimir Church in the city of Alma-Ata, where matins, hours, fine and vespers were performed.

In the evening of this day, the hierarch led the reading of the Great Penitential Canon of St. Andrew of Crete in the Vladimir Church of the southern capital.

On March 19, the manager of the affairs of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District performed Great Compline with the reading of the penitential canon of St. Andrew of Crete in the Ascension Cathedral of Alma-Ata.

On March 20, Bishop Gennady led the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in St. Nicholas Cathedral in Almaty.

Concelebrating with His Eminence were: dean of Almaty churches, rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral, mitered archpriest Valery Zakharov; Vice-Rector for Educational Work of the Alma-Ata Seminary, Priest John Livinsky, Priest Oleg Nasymov, Hierodeacon Afanasy (Kozel), Deacon John Churkin.

In the evening, the archpastor celebrated Great Compline with the reading of the third part of the Great Penitential Canon in the Ascension Cathedral of the southern capital.

On March 21, Bishop Gennady read the final part of the canon of St. Andrew of Crete in the Assumption Cathedral in Astana.

On March 22, the bishop led the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts and the consecration of the koliva in the Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov in the city of Astana.

On March 23, Saturday of the first week of Great Lent, the day of remembrance of the Great Martyr Theodore Tiron, Bishop Gennady celebrated the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom at the Cathedral of Constantine and Helena in the Kazakh capital.

On March 24, the week of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen celebrated the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great in the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the city of Astana.

Concelebrating with the archpastor were the dean of the Astana church district, Archimandrite Sergius (Karamyshev), the keymaster of the Assumption Cathedral in Astana, Archpriest Dimitry Baidek, Deacon Ilya Davydov, and Deacon Mikhail Chumakov.

Liturgical chants were performed by the choir of the Assumption Cathedral under the direction of O. Varentsova.

At the end of the Liturgy, the archpastor performed the rite of the Triumph of Orthodoxy.

At the end of the service, the manager of the affairs of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan addressed numerous pilgrims with a sermon.

On Monday and Tuesday of the first week of Great Lent, the vicar of the Astana diocese, Bishop Claudian of Taldykorgan, celebrated Great Compline with the reading of the Great Penitential Canon of St. Andrew of Crete in the St. John the Theological Church in the city of Taldykorgan.

On March 20, Bishop Claudian led the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in the church in honor of the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian in the city of Taldykorgan.

Concelebrating with the archpastor were: Archpriest Pavel Anishchenko, Priest Alexander Matlashov, Priest Igor Lazgiev, Priest Rustik Nurgaliev, Priest Alexander Bogdanov, Protodeacon Alexander Mokiy, Deacon Rustik Yakupov.

Liturgical hymns were performed by the choir of the St. John the Theological Cathedral under the direction of Yulia Lazukina.

On Wednesday and Thursday of the first week of Great Lent, the hierarch celebrated Great Compline with the reading of the penitential canon of St. Andrew of Crete in the Annunciation Church in the city of Alma-Ata.

On March 22, the archpastor led the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts and the consecration of the koliva in the church in honor of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos in the city of Alma-Ata.

On March 23, Saturday of the first week of Great Lent, the day of remembrance of the Great Martyr Theodore Tiron, Bishop Claudian celebrated the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom at the Annunciation Church, a representative office of the Taldykorgan Vicariate of the city of Alma-Ata.

Concelebrating with His Eminence were: Abbot Gabriel (Tutberidze), Archpriest Vladimir Glukhikh, Priest Alexander Bogdanov, Priest Nikolai Matlashov, Deacon Grigory Levchenko, Hierodeacon Veniamin (Vdovin), Deacon Rustik Yakupov.

The choir of the Annunciation Church sang under the direction of A. Averyanova.

On March 24, the week of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, Bishop Claudian of Taldykorgan concelebrated with Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan at the Divine Liturgy in the Ascension Cathedral in Almaty.

From Monday to Thursday of the first week of Great Lent, the vicar of the Astana diocese, Bishop Benjamin of Talgar, celebrated Great Compline with the reading of the penitential canon of St. Andrew of Crete in the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross in the city of Alma-Ata.

On March 20, Bishop Benjamin led the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in the church in honor of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord in the city of Almaty.

Concelebrating with His Eminence were: the clergyman of the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross, Priest Roman Burdukov, Hieromonk Levkiy (Ershov), Deacon Pavel Kornienko and Deacon Alexy Kanushin.

On March 22, the hierarch led the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts and the consecration of the koliva in the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross.

On March 23, Saturday of the first week of Great Lent, the day of remembrance of the Great Martyr Theodore Tiron, Bishop Benjamin celebrated the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom in the church in honor of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord in the city of Alma-Ata.

Concelebrating with the archpastor were: the clergyman of the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross, Priest Roman Burdukov, Hieromonk Levkiy (Ershov), Priest Evgeniy Postrigan, Deacon Pavel Kornienko and Deacon Alexy Kanushin.

On March 24, the week of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, Bishop Benjamin of Talgar served with Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan at the Divine Liturgy in the Ascension Cathedral in Almaty.