On the day of remembrance of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called, Metropolitan Alexander celebrated the Liturgy in the Ascension Cathedral of Almaty

December 13, 2024 is the day of remembrance of the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Ascension Cathedral of the city of Almaty.

His Eminence was assisted by: vicars of the Astana diocese - Administrator of the affairs of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Bishop Claudian of Taldykorgan and Bishop Veniamin of Talgar; Dean of the Astana Church District Archimandrite Sergiy (Karamyshev), Rector of the Church in Honor of the Icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyov, Chairman of the Department of Religious Education and Catechesis of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, Rector of the Pokrovsky Parish Archpriest Evgeny Bobylev; Key keeper of the Ascension Cathedral, Head of the Public Relations Department of the Metropolitan District Archpriest Alexander Suvorov; Rector of the Cosmas and Damian Church in Almaty, Archpriest Georgy Chistyakov, cleric of the Ascension Cathedral in the Southern capital, Archpriest Alexander Ievlev, key keeper of the Assumption Cathedral in Astana, Archpriest Dimitry Baidek, key keeper of the Constantine and Helen Cathedral in Astana, Archpriest Sergiy Kaliyev, deputy key keeper of the main church in the Southern capital, Priest Andrei Shklyar, 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; Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich, head of the Metropolitan's protocol service Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky, Deacon Andrei Pleten, Deacon Vitaly Bystrushkin, Hierodeacon Sofonia (Mazurenko), Deacon Alexander Piven, Deacon John Zhuchkov.

In the main church of the Southern capital, for the spiritual consolation and strengthening of believers, there was a shrine - an ark with the relics of the 12 apostles of Christ.

The chants were performed by the male choir of the Alma-Ata diocese under the direction of Hegumen Philip (Moiseyev).

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

The liturgy ended with the glorification of the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called before the ark with the relics of the disciples of Christ.

Metropolitan Alexander congratulated the hierarchs, clergy and laity on the day of remembrance of the first disciple of Christ and delivered a sermon.

“The feast of the holy Apostle Andrew, called the First-Called, reminds every Orthodox Christian of the calling to apostolic service, of the need to follow Christ until the end of our days. All of us – archpastors and pastors, monastics and laity – must be disciples of the Savior and heralds of the Gospel truth not only by name, but by our essence. As continuers of the apostolic work, we have a special responsibility before God not only for the salvation of our own souls, but also answer before the Creator and Maker for our family and friends. With prayer, a kind word of admonition and an example of life according to the commandments of the Lord, we can and must contribute to the salvation of those who walk alongside us along the path of life.” From the speech of Metropolitan Alexander on the day of remembrance of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called.