Archpriest Alexander Suvorov, head of the public relations department of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District took part in the patronal feast of St. Nicholas Cathedral in Tehran

December 19, 2023. Tehran, Iran. On the day of remembrance of the saint and wonderworker Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, celebrations dedicated to the patronal feast were held in St. Nicholas Cathedral.

The Divine Liturgy was led by the rector of the temple, Archimandrite Alexander (Zarkeshev), co-served by Archpriest Alexander Suvorov, head of the public relations department of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, cleric of the temple, Abbot Varlaam (Dulsky) and deacon Alexy Kostin.

With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, Archpriest Alexander Suvorov arrived in the Republic of Iran to participate in the celebrations on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Urmia mission.

The parish choir sang during the service. The hours before the Liturgy were read by Archpriest Alexander Suvorov, the Apostolic Conception by Abbot Varlaam (Dulsky) and the Holy Gospel by Deacon Alexy Kostin.

Before the parishioners received communion, the rector performed the sacrament of Confession for the parishioners. Most of the worshipers began to take the Holy Chalice.

At the end of the Liturgy, glorification was performed in front of the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

The head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, donated to the St. Nicholas Church, which is celebrating its patronal holiday and the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Urmia Mission, an icon of the Hieromartyr Pimen (Belolikov), Bishop of Vernensky and Semirechensky, who at the beginning of the twentieth century served in the Russian Spiritual Mission in Urmia (Persia). Saint Pimen is the spiritual patron of the Russian Orthodox community in Iran.

From the Raifa Mother of God Monastery from the Kazan Metropolis, a list of the revered Georgian Icon of the Mother of God was sent as a gift to the temple.

At the end of the glorification, Archimandrite Alexander delivered a sermon in which he congratulated the guests and parishioners on the patronal holiday.

In the guest hall of the parish, through the efforts of the church elder Mr. Emmanuel Shirani, all participants in the parish celebrations were offered a festive meal.

On the same day, together with Archimandrite Alexander (Zarkeshev) and the clergy who performed the service, Archpriest Alexander Suvorov visited the Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Cemetery in Tehran. The clergy performed a memorial service “for all Orthodox Christians buried in this cemetery.”