Metropolitan Alexander celebrated the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts at the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God in the Akzhar microdistrict

March 26, 2024 - Tuesday of the 2nd week of Great Lent, celebration in honor of the transfer of the relics of St. Nikephoros the Confessor, Patriarch of Constantinople.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in the church in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Akzhar microdistrict of Almaty.

His Eminence was served by: dean of the parishes of Alma-Ata, rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral, mitered archpriest Valery Zakharov;
the rector of the Mother of God Church of the Nativity of the Akzhar microdistrict, Hieromonk Alexy (Cherevtsov), the head of the personal secretariat of the Metropolitan, Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), the head of the administrative secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District, Priest Georgy Sidorov; Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich, head of the Metropolitan's protocol service, Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky.

At the beginning of the service, a copy of the miraculous Theodore Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, kept in the house Iversko-Seraphim Church of the Metropolitan Residence in the Southern Capital, was delivered to the church for prayerful worship and spiritual strengthening of believers.

The men's choir of the Alma-Ata diocese under the direction of Deacon Alexander Pivny sang. The chant “Let my prayer be corrected” was performed by Deacon Alexander Piven, G. Belitsky and V. Butin.

The sermon before communion was delivered by Archpriest Valery Zakharov.

The liturgy ended with glorification before the Alma-Ata Feodorovskaya icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Head of the Metropolitan District warmly congratulated Hieromonk Alexy (Cherevtsov) on the anniversary of his monastic tonsure, presented him with a holy prosphora and wished God’s help in his pastoral labors and obediences.