The head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan celebrated the Sunday Liturgy at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Alma-Ata

October 23, 2022 is the 19th week after Pentecost, the feast day of the Holy Fathers of the 7th Ecumenical Council and St. Ambrose of Optina.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Alma-Ata.

The head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan was co-served by: Archbishop Amfilohiy of Ust-Kamenogorsk and Semipalatinsk, Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Bishop of Aktobe and Kyzylorda, Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan, Vicar of the Astana Diocese of Astana; Viceroy of the Head of the Kazakh Metropolitan District in the Chimkent Diocese, Archimandrite Khrisanf (Konoplev), elected Bishop of Chimkent and Turkestan; dean of the parishes of Alma-Ata, rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral, mitered archpriest Valery Zakharov, rector of the church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" in the city of Alma-Ata, archpriest Evgeny Vorobyov, chairman of the department of religious education and catechesis of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan district, rector of the temple, archpriest Evgeny Bobylev , Rector of the Epiphany Church Archpriest Valery Shavrin, Dean of the Nativity of Christ Cathedral Archpriest Alexander Gaichenya, Rector of the Paraskevinsky Church Archpriest John Lopatin, Dean of the Ascension Cathedral, Head of the Metropolitan District Public Relations Department Archpriest Alexander Suvorov, Rector of the Church in the Name of the Holy Martyrs Cosmas and Damian Archpriest Georgy Chistyakov, Dean of the Ili Church District, Archpriest Alexander Zyryanov, Secretary of the Kostanay Diocese, Hieromonk Gennady (Burdyuzha), Head of the Personal Secretariat of the Metropolitan, Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), Head of the Admi Nistrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District Priest Georgy Sidorov, clergy of the Alma-Ata diocese; The diaconal rank was headed by Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich and the head of the Metropolitan's protocol service, Protodeacon Roman Golovin.

Liturgical chants were performed by the male choir of the Ascension Cathedral under the direction of Abbot Philip (Moiseev).

Before the start of the divine service the reliquary with the relics of the Optina Elders was delivered to the temple, which is stored in the house of the Iberian-Serafimovskaya church of the metropolitan residence in Alma-Ata.

The hierarch offered up a prayer for the restoration of peace, which pray in all churches of the Russian Orthodox Church with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

During the service, special petitions were offered for the repose of the leaders and soldiers who died in the battle of Uzun-Agach in 1860.

The sermon after the communion verse was delivered by Archpriest Valery Zakharov.

The liturgy ended with the glorification of the Monk Ambrose of Optina in front of the ark of the elders of Optina Hermitage, after which His Eminence delivered a sermon on the labors and deeds of the great ascetic of the 19th century.

At the end of the service, the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan warmly congratulated Archpriest Yevgeny Vorobyov on the presentation of a high state award - the medal "Shapagat" (kaz. Shapagat – Mercy).