Kostanay met the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Metropolitan Alexander celebrated the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts at the Cathedral of Constantine and Helena

March 29, 2024 – Friday of the 2nd week of Lent; Memorial Day of Saint Serapion, Bishop of Novgorod.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts of St. Gregory Dvoeslov at the Constantine-Elenin Cathedral in the city of Kostanay.

Before the start of the service, an ark with the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was delivered to the main church of the Kostanay diocese for the prayerful worship of believers.

The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan was co-served by: the secretary of the Kostanay diocese, Hieromonk Gennady (Burdyuzha), the rector of the Church of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Queen Helena in the village of Peshkovka, Archpriest Georgy Levintsa, the cleric of the Epiphany Church in the city of Rudny, Archpriest Mikhail Pinaev, the rector of the St. Michael's Church in the village of Kachar, Kostanay region, Archpriest Vasily Korolev, cleric of the main church of the diocese, Hegumen Innokenty (Pomogalov), rector of the Church in honor of the Holy Trinity of the city of Arkalyk, Hegumen Sevastian (Ovsienko), head of the missionary department of the Kostanay diocese, Hegumen Maxim (Boikov), cleric of the Constantine-Elenin Cathedral, Archpriest Andrei Korchazhnikov, rector of the Church in the name of the righteous saint John of Kronstadt city of Lisakovsk Archpriest Oleg Kalmykov, cleric of the Epiphany Church in the city of Rudny Archpriest John Trymbach, rector of the Archangel Michael Church in the city of Kostanay Archpriest Vitaly Kleba, rector of the St. Nicholas Church of the city of Kostanay Archpriest Vitaly Gutsan, rector of the parish in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the village of Fedorovka Kostanay region Archpriest Alexy Mostovshchikov, head of the Metropolitan’s personal secretariat, Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), rectors and clergy of the Kostanay and Alma-Ata dioceses. The diaconal rank was headed by Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky.

The choir of the Constantine-Eleninsky Cathedral of the city of Kostanay sang under the direction of T. Zhebrak.

The sermon before communion was delivered by Priest Alexy Kovalev.

At the end of the Liturgy, glorification of the saint of God took place before the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

At the end of the service, the archpastor addressed those gathered with words of teaching.

The Metropolitan sprinkled the worshipers with holy water.