Metropolitan Alexander led the patronal feast in the Church of Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg in the city of Konaev

June 6, 2024 is the day of remembrance of St. Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg and the celebration of the appearance of the Velikoretsk Icon of St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the church in the name of Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg in the city of Konaev, Alma-Ata region, celebrating the patronal holiday.

The head of the Metropolitan District was concelebrated by: the rector of the Almaty Church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” Archpriest Evgeniy Vorobyov, the rector of the Ksenievsky Church Hieromonk Pimen (Tkachenko), the head of the Metropolitan District Commission for Charity and Social Service Archpriest Vyacheslav Pugachev, the cleric of the temple Priest Gennady Grishanov, head of the personal secretariat of the Metropolitan, Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), Priest Andrei Raspopin, head of the administrative secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District, Priest Georgy Sidorov; Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich, head of the Metropolitan's protocol service, Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky.

For prayerful worship and spiritual strengthening of believers, with the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander, an ark with part of the tomb of the saint of God was delivered to Konaev from the house Iversko-Seraphim Church of the Metropolitan Residence in Alma-Ata.

The men's choir of the Alma-Ata diocese under the direction of Deacon Alexander Pivny sang.

Residents of the city of Konaev and surrounding settlements prayed during the service.

The sermon on the sacramental verse was delivered by Priest Georgy Sidorov.

The liturgy ended with the glorification of the feast of the Holy Resurrection of Christ and Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg, after which Metropolitan Alexander pronounced the exclamation “Christ is Risen!” in different languages - ancient and modern.

Vladyka Metropolitan congratulated the clergy and parishioners on the patronal holiday, the birthday girls on the day of the angel, after which he addressed the believers with
words of the archpastoral teaching.

With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus', for his diligent service to the Holy Church, Metropolitan Alexander awarded the cleric of the Ksenievsky Church, Priest Gennady Grishanov, the right to carry a club for the holiday of Holy Easter.

The hierarch sprinkled the believers with holy water.

At the end of the service, the Head of the Metropolitan District, accompanied by the rector and clergy, visited the church under construction in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.