The head of the Metropolitan District celebrated the all-night vigil on the feast of the Epiphany in the main church of the Southern capital

On January 18, 2025, on the eve of the Holy Epiphany, the Baptism of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the festive all-night vigil in the Ascension Cathedral in Almaty.

The head of the Metropolitan District of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Republic of Kazakhstan was assisted by the clergy of the Ascension Cathedral.

The chants of the festive service were performed by the choir of the Metropolitan District under the direction of Honored Artist of Russia O.N. Ovchinnikov and the choir of the Ascension Cathedral under the direction of O. Kuznetsova.

According to the Church Charter, the vigil on the eve of the Epiphany is performed in the likeness of the Christmas service. The service begins with Great Compline, during which the solemn song of the Prophet Isaiah is sung: "God is with us, understand that, nations, submit, because God is with us!" Compline ends with the litia (intensified prayer) and the blessing of bread, wine, wheat and oil.

At Matins, after the reading of the Gospel passage, which tells of the Baptism of Christ in the waters of the Jordan River by St. John the Baptist, Metropolitan Alexander addressed the faithful with an archpastoral word.

At Matins, during the performance of the canon of the Epiphany "He revealed the bottom of the depths," the Metropolitan anointed the clergy and parishioners, who were kissing the icon of the Baptism of the Lord, with consecrated oil.

On the night of January 19, the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan will celebrate the early Divine Liturgy with the rite of the great blessing of water in the Ascension Cathedral in the city of Alma-Ata.

The service will begin at 23:00