Metropolitan Alexander celebrated the Sunday Liturgy in the St. Sophia Cathedral of the Southern capital

October 6, 2024 – the 15th week after Pentecost, the conception of the honest, glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John and the day of remembrance of St. Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna – enlightener of the Far East and North America.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the St. Sophia Cathedral of the Iveron-Seraphim Monastery, under the vaults of which the relics of the blessed elder Matrona of Moscow have been kept since the evening of September 29. The great shrine of Orthodoxy, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus', is visiting Kazakhstan from September 28 to November 10.

His Eminence was assisted by: Administrator of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Vicar of the Astana Diocese Bishop Veniamin of Talgar; Dean of the parishes of Almaty, Rector of the St. Nicholas Cathedral Archpriest Valery Zakharov; Rector of the Almaty Church in Honor of the Icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" Archpriest Yevgeny Vorobyov, Spiritual Father of the Almaty Diocese Archimandrite John (Sazonov), Rector of the Epiphany Church Archpriest Valery Shavrin, Acting Rector of the Almaty Theological Seminary, Head of the Information and Publishing Department of the Metropolitan District Archpriest Yevgeny Ivanov; Head of the Metropolitan's personal secretariat 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 Alma-Ata Orthodox Theological Seminary Priest Daniil Bobylev, Deputy Head of the Information Department of the Metropolitan District Priest Kirill Konoplev, Key Keeper of the Kazan Cathedral of Alma-Ata Priest Georgy Rublinsky, Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich, Head of the Metropolitan's protocol service Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky, Referent of the Alma-Ata diocesan administration Hierodeacon Mitrofan (Ognev), Deacon Andrei Plakhuta and Deacon Ilya Vorobyov.

The chants of the Liturgy were performed by the choir of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District under the direction of the Honored Artist of Russia, member of the Patriarchal Council for the Development of Church Singing O.N. Ovchinnikov and the choir of the St. Sophia Church under the direction of O. Usoltseva.

The following prayed at the service: the abbess of the Iversko-Serafimovsky Convent, Abbess Lyubov (Yakushkina) with the sisters of the monastery; employees of the Almaty Diocesan Administration; parishioners of the churches of the Southern capital and numerous pilgrims.

Following the communion verse, Archpriest Yevgeny Ivanov read out the Address of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan on the occasion of the bringing of the relics of Blessed Matrona of Moscow to Kazakhstan.

At the end of the Liturgy, the glorification of the blessed nun Matrona took place.

According to the established tradition, at the tomb of the elder-saint Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov), the hierarchs, clergy and believers sang "Eternal Memory".

The head of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District congratulated the hierarchs, clergy and laity on Sunday - the small Easter and gave a word of sermon.

The Semirechye Cossacks provided security and order in the church and on the territory of the monastery.

After the service in the St. Sophia Cathedral, the believers continued to venerate the relics of Blessed Matrona.

Access to the shrine is free - from 7:00 to 21:00.