On the Feast Day of the Holy Apostle Timothy, the Head of the Metropolitan District Celebrated the Liturgy at the Matrona Church in Almaty

On February 4, 2025, the feast day of the Holy Apostle Timothy, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of Blessed Matrona of Moscow in the Iveron-Seraphim Convent in Almaty.

The Holy Apostle Timothy was one of the Seventy, a disciple of the Chief Apostle Paul, and the first bishop of Ephesus. In his Epistles, the Apostle Paul called Timothy his beloved son, recalling with gratitude his faithfulness and devotion. He wrote: “But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions…” (2 Tim. 3:10-11).

A reliquary containing a portion of the relics of the Holy Apostle Timothy was brought to the church for the divine service.

Concelebrating with the Head of the Metropolis were: Protopriest Dimitry Baydek, keyholder of the Dormition Cathedral in Astana; Protopriest Alexander Sokolov; Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), head of the personal secretariat of the Metropolitan; Hierodeacon Athanasius (Kozel); Deacon Andrey Ivashinin; and Deacon Ioann Zhuchkov.

Praying at the service were: Secretary of the Kazakhstan Metropolis and Honored Artist of Russia O.N. Ovchinnikov; Abbess Lyubov (Yakushkina) of the Iveron-Seraphim Convent, together with the sisters of the monastery; M.S. Simakova, head of the Rossotrudnichestvo representation in the Republic of Kazakhstan; T.V. Zubkova, head of international humanitarian projects of Rossotrudnichestvo; and staff of the Almaty Diocesan Administration.

The choir of the convent’s St. Sophia Cathedral sang under the direction of O. Usoltseva.

The archpastor offered prayers for the increase of love and the eradication of all hatred and malice.

The sermon following the Communion Hymn was delivered by Protopriest Dimitry Baydek.

At the conclusion of the Liturgy, Metropolitan Alexander congratulated the clergy and faithful on the feast of the Apostle Timothy and delivered a homily.

After the service, the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan served a memorial litiya for the newly departed Archbishop Serapion of Kokshetau and Akmola, as well as for the ever-memorable Abbess Rafaela (Vasilenko), former superior of the convent in Astana dedicated to the Icon of the Mother of God “Seeking the Lost.”