On the day of the memory of the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, Metropolitan Alexander celebrated the Liturgy in the Archangel Michael Cathedral in Uralsk

October 9, 2024 is the day of the death of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian and the celebration of the memory of St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Liturgy in the Archangel Michael Cathedral in the city of Uralsk.

By the beginning of the service, a great shrine was delivered to the main church of the capital of Western Kazakhstan - the relics and part of the robe of the blessed nun Matrona of Moscow. The event is timed to coincide with the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Astana and Alma-Ata Diocese and the upcoming 15th anniversary of the approval of the canonical status of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District.

The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan was assisted by: Vicar of the Astana Diocese Bishop of Taldykorgan Claudian, Bishop of Uralsk and Atyrau Vianor, Rector of the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel in Uralsk Archimandrite Feodosiy (Kuryanov), Rector of the Almaty Church in Honor of the Icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyov, Clergyman of the Pokrovsky Convent in Uralsk Archimandrite Dionysius (Kozulev), Rector of the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the capital of Western Kazakhstan Hegumen Ilya (Danileiko), Head of the Information Department of the Ural Diocese Hegumen Dorofey (Dilmanaev), Rector of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Uralsk Archpriest Anatoly Robu, Dean of the Uralsk Church District Archpriest Vladimir Garasim, Cleric of the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael in Uralsk, Archpriest Georgy Lemachko, Dean of the Priuralny Church District, Archpriest Vasily Kroitor, Head of the Secretariat of the Metropolitan, Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District, Priest Georgy Sidorov; Key Bearer of the Kazan Cathedral in Almaty, Priest Georgy Rublinsky, Archdeacon Vasily (Kryukov), Protodeacon Nikolay Grinkevich, Protodeacon John Roshka, Head of the Protocol Service of the Metropolitan, Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky and Deacon Rustik Yakubov.

The choir of the Church of the Archangel Michael sang under the direction of L.V. Bondareva.

Praying at the service were: Archbishop Anthony (Moskalenko); Abbess of the Pokrovsky Monastery, Abbess Varvara (Morozova), with the nuns of the monastery; General Consul of the Russian Federation in Uralsk, A.V. Gruby; Cossacks; parishioners of the city's churches and pilgrims from surrounding settlements.

After the communion verse, Priest Georgy Sidorov 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.

The Liturgy ended with the glorification of Evangelist John the Theologian, Patriarch Tikhon and Blessed Elder Matrona before the ark with her relics.

Metropolitan Alexander thanked Bishop Vianor of Uralsk and Atyrau and all the participants of the service for their common prayer and congratulated them on the bringing of the relics of the saint of God, revered in the Orthodox world, to the capital of Western Kazakhstan. Then the archpastor sprinkled the worshipers with holy water and delivered a sermon.

After the archpastoral sermon, the worship of the great Orthodox shrine by parishioners and pilgrims began.