As part of the celebration of the 170th anniversary of the founding of the Cathedral of Constantine and Helena in Astana, the consecration of the newly built building of the parish Sunday school took place

June 2, 2024. Astana. On the day of the celebration of the 170th anniversary of the founding of the oldest church in the Kazakh capital - the Cathedral in the name of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine and his mother Queen Helena - the opening and consecration of a new building of the parish Sunday school took place.

The building with comfortable spacious classrooms and halls was built with the blessing of the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, using public donations and funds from benefactors. Its opening is timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Astana diocese. The school will bear the name of the blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky - in honor of the holy ruler, peacemaker and diplomat, in memory of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which was the main decoration of the city in pre-revolutionary times and was destroyed by atheists in the 30s of the last century.

The rite of consecration was performed by Metropolitan Alexander. Praying during the service were: the dean of the parishes of the capital, Archimandrite Sergius (Karamyshev), the clergyman of the Constantine-Elenin Cathedral, Archpriest Sergius Kaliev, the confessor of the convent in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Seeking the Lost,” Hieromonk Modest (Drozdov), clergy of the deanery, teachers and students of the parish Sunday school, parishioners and guests of the holiday.

Present at the opening of the school were: Deputy Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan O.V. Perepechina, Chairman of the Committee on Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan E. Nukezhanov, Deputy Akim of the city of Astana E.B. Baiken.

The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan congratulated the leadership, teachers and students on the joyful event in the life of the parish and wished those present God's mercy and health, and the students diligence and success in mastering the taught disciplines.

“Today all of us - hierarchs, pastors, active laypeople, teachers and mentors - face a great and responsible task to show young people an example of genuine spiritual life, unfeigned love, sincerity and kindness. Children and adolescents urgently need the experience of faith, church and life, to help them understand themselves and help them resolve conflicts with neighbors or friends. The young man is waiting for answers to difficult questions about the meaning of life; he wants to understand how the good news about Christ, Calvary and the Resurrection is connected with his specific life and what the Lord expects from him, how ancient theology is connected with the events of the surrounding reality. What are the thoughts, what is the internal structure, such is the person himself, such is his life. The concepts of faith are extremely important - they produce and determine all aspects of life. That is why it is so important and significant to open and develop diocesan and parish spiritual and cultural centers, to create Sunday schools,” noted, in particular, Metropolitan Alexander, addressing the participants in the consecration.

After the consecration, Archimandrite Sergius (Karamyshev) gave the event participants a tour of the new school building.

The teachers and students warmly thanked the Metropolitan for his constant concern for the Sunday school and special attention to issues of youth work in the capital's deanery.