The Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan Celebrated the First Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in the Holy Forty Days (Great Lent)

March 5, 2025 – Wednesday of the First Week of Great Lent.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the first Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts of Saint Gregory the Dialogist in the Ascension Cathedral of Almaty.

Concelebrating with the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were: Spiritual Father of the Almaty Diocese, Archimandrite Ioann (Sazonov); Protopriest Vyacheslav Churbanov; Sacristan of the Ascension Cathedral and Head of the Metropolitan District’s Public Relations Department, Protopriest Alexander Suvorov; Protopriest Alexander Ievlev; Deputy Sacristan of the Ascension Cathedral, Priest Andrey Shklyar; Head of the Metropolitan’s Secretariat, Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky); Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Metropolitan, Priest Georgy Sidorov; Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich; Head of the Metropolitan’s Protocol Service, Protodeacon Roman Golovin; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky; Deacon Vitaly Bystrushkin; Hierodeacon Sofony (Mazurenko); Deacon Alexander Piven; Deacon Ioann Zhuchkov; Deacon Georgy Tkachenko.

The choir of the Ascension Cathedral sang under the direction of E. Boguslavets. The hymn “Let My Prayer Be Set Forth” was performed by Deacon Alexander Piven, D. Kochua, and M. Ababakriev.

The homily following the Communion hymn was delivered by Priest Georgy Sidorov.

At the conclusion of the Liturgy, Metropolitan Alexander congratulated the clergy and faithful on the first Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts of the Holy Forty Days and addressed the congregation with an archpastoral exhortation.