On Akathist Saturday, the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan celebrated the Liturgy in the Constantine and Helen Cathedral in Kostanay

April 5, 2025 – Laudation of the Most Holy Theotokos (Akathist Saturday); the day of remembrance of St. Nikon, abbot of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.

The synaxarion (charter liturgical instruction) says: "In honor of all the wondrous miracles of the Most Pure Mother of God, we celebrate today's feast."

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom in the main church of the Kostanay Diocese – the Constantine and Helen Cathedral in Kostanay.

His Eminence was co-served by: Secretary of the Kostanay Diocese Hieromonk Gennady (Burduzha); Key-keeper of the Constantine and Helen Cathedral Archpriest Vasily Korolev; Cleric of the main church of the diocese, Hegumen Innokenty (Pomogalov); Dean of the Lisakovsk church district, rector of the Church of the Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt in the city of Lisakovsk, Archpriest Oleg Kalmykov; Spiritual father of the Kostanay diocese, Archpriest Andrei Korchazhnikov; cleric of the Church of Constantine and Helen, dean of the Sarykol church district, Archpriest Vitaly Kleba; Key-keeper of the Church of St. Nicholas in the city of Kostanay, Archpriest Vitaly Gutsan; Key-keeper of the Assumption Cathedral in Astana, Hieromonk Dimitry (Baidek); cleric of the Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov in the capital of Kazakhstan, Hieromonk Silouan (Sinegubov); Dean of the Kostanay church district, rector of the Church of Our Lady of Kazan in the city of Tobyl, Priest Andrei Krutin; clergy of the churches of the Kostanay diocese; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky, Deacon Eleazar Aitbakin, Deacon Alexander Piven, Deacon Georgy Tkachenko.

The following prayed at the service: the inhabitants of the Iversky-Petropavlovsky Convent led by Abbess Nika (Otroshchenko); employees of the Kostanay diocesan administration; parishioners of the main church of Kostanay.

The choir of the Constantine and Helen Cathedral of the city of Kostanay sang under the direction of T. Zhebrak.

The sermon after the communion verse was delivered by Archpriest Vitaly Kleba.

The liturgy ended with the glorification of the Mother of God, after which the Metropolitan congratulated the worshipers on the celebration in honor of the Queen of Heaven - the Saturday of the Akathist and delivered a sermon.

For the upcoming Holy Easter, a number of clergy of the Kostanay diocese were awarded liturgical-hierarchical awards:

• the right to wear a pectoral cross: the rector of the St. Nicholas Church in the village of Presnogorkovka, Hieromonk Nikon (Kostin), and the cleric of the Constantine and Helen Cathedral in the city of Kostanay, Hieromonk Methodius (Chulkov);
• the right to wear a nabedrennik: the cleric of the St. Nicholas Church in the city of Kostanay, Priest Georgy Chernykh.

After presenting the church signs of attention, His Eminence congratulated the awarded pastors, wishing them God's help in their future labors for the good of the Church of Christ in the land of Kazakhstan.

“Everyone who prays to the Most Blessed Lady is a partaker of the mystery of Divine Providence for the whole world and for each individual person, and feels the love of the Lord poured out on the righteous and sinners through the prayers of the Mother of God. “Is anyone a partaker of the knowledge of God? Through You, All-Holy One!” exclaims Saint Germanus, Patriarch of Constantinople. “Is anyone saved? Through You, Mother of God! Is anyone delivered from dangers? Through You, Virgin Mother! Does anyone have mercy? Through You, God-gracious One!” The performance of a special service in honor of the Queen of Heaven – the singing of the Akathist to Her – is performed at the end of Great Lent, when we are cleansed of sinful filth by prayer and repentance, good deeds and abstinence. Undoubtedly, the special spiritual mood of these days helps us all to feel in a special way the power of grace that we receive from the Mother of God on all days of our lives, and to respond with our hearts to Her love. In the words of the great teacher of the Church, St. Gregory the Theologian, “as a cloud covers the radiance of the sun’s rays, so a sinner who does not want to acknowledge his sins and renounce them, covers for himself the rays of God’s love and the mercy of the Mother of God.” Therefore, let us try to combine all the prayers and praises that we perform on this day in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos with a sincere request for the forgiveness of sins, correction of life according to the Gospel commandments, and the granting of Christian virtues to us.” From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.