Feast of the discovery of the holy relics of the holy confessor Nicholas, Metropolitan of Alma-Ata - the heavenly patron of Kazakhstan

September 8, 2024 - celebration in honor of the Vladimir and Pskov-Pechersk "Tenderness" icons of the Mother of God, the day of remembrance of the martyrs Adrian and Natalia and the memory of the discovery of the relics of the holy confessor Nicholas, Metropolitan of Alma-Ata - the heavenly patron of Kazakhstan.

On this day in 2000, with the blessing of Archbishop Alexy of Astana and Alma-Ata (now Metropolitan of Tula and Efremov), the holy relics of the saint and confessor Nicholas (Mogilevsky) were found in the city cemetery and transferred to the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Alma-Ata, where they remain to this day in the southern aisle. This temple was returned to the believers and revived by the efforts of Metropolitan Nikolai in 1946.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the festive Divine Liturgy in the Nikolsky Cathedral of the Southern capital.

The head of the Metropolitan District was assisted by: the dean of the churches of Alma-Ata, the rector of the Nikolsky Cathedral, Archpriest Valery Zakharov; Dean of the Astana Church District Archimandrite Sergiy (Karamyshev), Rector of the Almaty Church in Honor of the Icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyov, Key Bearer of the Nativity of Christ Cathedral Archpriest Alexander Gaichenya, Rector of the Epiphany Church Archpriest Valery Shavrin, Dean of the Ili Church District Archpriest Alexander Zyryanov, Vice-Rector for Educational Work of the Almaty Seminary Priest John Livinsky, Head of the Personal Secretariat of the Metropolitan Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District Priest Georgy Sidorov, Head of the Correspondence Department of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary Priest Daniil Bobylev, Key Bearer of the Kazan Cathedral in Almaty Priest Georgy Rublinsky; Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich, head of the Metropolitan's protocol service Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky, Hierodeacon Afanasy (Kozel), Deacon John Churkin.

During the reading of the hours, the Head of the Metropolitan District tonsured Ilya Vorobyov, a fourth-year student of the Alma-Ata Theological Seminary, into a reader.

Liturgical chants were performed by: the choir of the St. Nicholas Cathedral under the direction of O. Berekesheva and the everyday choir under the direction of O. Solomonova.

Praying at the service were: employees of the Alma-Ata diocesan administration, teachers and students of the central Sunday school of the southern capital headed by the director G.V. Cherepanova, numerous parishioners.

During the Liturgy, prayers were offered for the repose of the confessor of the faith, Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov), Archimandrite Isaac (Vinogradov), the companion and spiritual son of Metropolitan Nikolai (Mogilevsky), Orthodox Christians "who were tortured and killed during the time of fierce persecution by the atheists, who died from hunger, cold, wounds, illnesses and backbreaking labor."

After the Eucharistic Canon, Metropolitan Alexander performed the deacon's ordination of reader Ilya Vorobyov.

The sermon on the verse after communion was delivered by priest Georgy Sidorov.

After the dismissal of the Liturgy, a glorification of the holy confessor Nikolai took place before the reliquary with his honorable relics.

Having bowed to the relics of the heavenly patron of Kazakhstan, the Head of the Metropolitan District congratulated the clergy and believers on the feast of the discovery of the relics of St. Nicholas of Alma-Ata and addressed the congregation with a sermon on the ascetic life, confession for the name of Christ and the apostolic labors of this outstanding hierarch of the 20th century.

You can learn more about the life path, suffering for the faith and the hierarchical service of Metropolitan Nicholas (Mogilevsky) by reading the article by Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan: “His confessor's feat teaches us that there is no force in the world that could overcome the power of God.”