January 2, 2025 – Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ, the feast day of the Holy Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-Bearer and the Righteous Archpriest John of Kronstadt.
Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Holy Martyrs Adrian and Natalia in the village of Otegen Batyr, a suburb of Almaty, which serves as a dependency of the Shymkent and Turkestan Diocese.
The Head of the Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan was concelebrated by Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan, an auxiliary bishop of the Astana Diocese; Bishop Khrisanf of Shymkent and Turkestan; the Dean of Almaty parishes and Rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral, Archpriest Valery Zakharov; Rector of the Church of the “Joy of All Who Sorrow” Icon of the Theotokos in Almaty, Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyov; Rector of the Church of St. John the Baptist in the village of Guldala, Archpriest Georgy Kharlov; Dean of the Ili Church District, Archpriest Alexander Zyryanov; cleric of the Adrian and Natalia Church in Otegen Batyr, Priest Evgeny Bessonov; Hieromonk Cherubim (Levin); Head of the Metropolitan’s Personal Secretariat, Hieromonk Prokhor (Yendovitsky); Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Metropolitan District, Priest Georgy Sidorov; Sacristan of the Kazan Cathedral in Almaty, Priest Georgy Rublinsky; Sacristan of the Adrian and Natalia Church, Priest Ioann Konoplev; Protodeacon Nikolay Grinkevich; Head of the Metropolitan’s Protocol Service, Protodeacon Roman Golovin; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky; Deacon Ioann Churkin.
With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander, the Liturgy featured an icon of Righteous John of Kronstadt, consecrated at his tomb in the St. John the Baptist Monastery in St. Petersburg. The icon’s reliquary contains a fragment of the saint’s vestments and a piece of the oak tree he planted at the monastery.
Liturgical hymns were performed by the men’s choir of the Almaty Diocese under the direction of Deacon Alexander Piven.
Among the congregation were employees of the Almaty Diocesan Administration and parishioners of the Adrian and Natalia Church.
His Eminence Metropolitan Alexander read a prayer for the multiplication of love and the eradication of hatred and malice.
After the communion hymn, Priest Georgy Rublinsky delivered a sermon.
At the conclusion of the Liturgy, Metropolitan Alexander led a service of glorification before the icon of Righteous John of Kronstadt and the relics, as well as to St. Ignatius the God-Bearer.
The Metropolitan congratulated the congregation on the feast day of the “All-Russian Pastor” and delivered a sermon:
“Righteous Archpriest John of Kronstadt may rightly be called our contemporary. Some of those who witnessed his earthly life, his prayerful labors, and miracles lived to see the day of his canonization. I was fortunate to know some of these people personally. My spiritual father, the ever-memorable Archbishop Meliton (Solovyov) of Tikhvin, who passed away in 1986, had heard Fr. John’s teachings firsthand. Archbishop Meliton often recalled a story from his childhood when he met this great saint. Fr. John told the boy—young Mikhail Solovyov, the future bishop—‘Love the Church of God, and you will never do it harm.’ These words of the Kronstadt pastor were passed down by Archbishop Meliton as a spiritual testament to me and other spiritual children. A miracle in Archbishop Meliton’s life demonstrated the power of Fr. John’s intercession. In 1934, when the young Priest Mikhail Solovyov was arrested, he had a vivid dream in which Fr. John appeared, commanding him, ‘Confess me!’ During interrogation, the investigator asked whether he revered Fr. John of Kronstadt, known as a monarchist. Understanding the risks, which could have led to execution, Archbishop Meliton confessed his faith in Fr. John and was miraculously spared from certain death. The legacy of Fr. John is also deeply connected to Kazakhstan. With the blessing of the Pavlodar merchant Artemy Derov, Fr. John blessed the development of the Voskresensky coal mine, which became the Ekibastuz coal basin, one of Kazakhstan’s largest. Through Fr. John’s prayerful and financial support, the Orthodox Kyrgyz Mission began its work in Semipalatinsk. During the years of persecution under atheistic rule, the name of Fr. John was banned, yet his life continued to inspire both clergy and laypeople. St. Nicholas, Metropolitan of Almaty, described Fr. John as ‘a beacon of high virtues, whose soul illuminated all of believing Russia.’ The life and spiritual feats of Righteous John of Kronstadt have been well-documented in numerous books and monographs. However, every time we revisit his life or read testimonies about him, his character continues to reveal new facets.” From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.
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