On Tuesday of Bright Week, the patronal feast day was prayerfully celebrated at the Iversko-Seraphim Monastery in Alma-Ata

May 7, 2024 - Tuesday of Bright Week, celebration in honor of the miraculous discovery of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God on Holy Mount Athos.

In the St. Sophia Cathedral of the Iveron-Seraphim Convent of the city of Almaty, where the revered copy of the revealed Iveron Icon of the Mother of God resides, the Easter Divine Liturgy was led by Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.

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; dean of the churches of the southern capital, rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral, Archpriest Valery Zakharov; The rector of the temple in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God “All Sorrowing Joy” Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyov, Rector of the Cosmo-Damian Church of Alma-Ata, Archpriest George Chistyakov, Klyuchar of the Nikolsky Council, Archpriest Igor Svetlichny, Rector of the Epiphany Church of Archpriest Valery Shavrin, Rector of the Virgin Church of the microdistrict of Akzharonomon Alexy (Cherevtsov), heads of departments and commissions of the Metropolitan District in holy orders, deans of church districts of the Alma-Ata diocese, rectors and clergy of churches in the Southern capital.

For the festive Liturgy, an ark containing part of the stone from the Holy Sepulcher was delivered to the St. Sophia Cathedral. At the request of Metropolitan Alexander, the keeper of the keys of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, Sheikh Wajih Nuseibeh, gave the shrine as a gift to the Orthodox people of Kazakhstan, with the blessing of His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilus III of Jerusalem.

Praying during the service were: the abbess of the Iversko-Seraphim convent, Abbess Lyubov (Yakushkina) with the nuns of the monastery, employees of the Alma-Ata diocesan administration and benefactors of the diocese.

The chants were performed by the choir of St. Sophia Cathedral under the direction of O. Usoltseva.

Using the communion verse, Priest Daniil Bobylev read out the Easter message of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.

At the end of the Liturgy, glorification of the bright Resurrection of Christ and the Most Holy Theotokos took place, after which the bishop said the exclamation “Christ is Risen!” in different languages - ancient and modern.

Metropolitan Alexander congratulated the bishops, clergy, monastics and laity on the special celebrations - the Holy Resurrection of Christ and the patronal feast of the monastery.

At the end of the service, the Head of the Metropolitan District sprinkled the believers with holy water and addressed those gathered with a sermon.