April 9, 2025 – Wednesday of the 6th Week of Great Lent; Commemoration of the Holy Martyr Matrona of Thessalonica.
At the principal church of the Kokshetau Diocese – the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ – Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy.
Concelebrating with the Head of the Metropolitan District were: the newly appointed Archbishop Barsanuphius of Kokshetau and Akmola; Bishop Benjamin of Talgar, Vicar of the Astana Diocese; Archimandrite Nikolai (Karpov), Rector of the Church of the Archangel Michael in Shchuchinsk; Protopriest Vasily Kachankin, cleric of the Church of the Archangel Michael in Kokshetau; Hieromonk Dimitry (Baydek), Sacristan of the Cathedral of the Dormition in Astana; Priest Valery Anferov, Secretary of the Diocesan Administration and Dean of the Resurrection Cathedral in Kokshetau; Priest Georgy Sidorov, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District; Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Head of the Metropolitan’s Protocol Service; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky; Deacon Ioann Churkin. In total, 50 clergy of the Kokshetau Diocese concelebrated with the Primate of the Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan.
By blessing of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, a miracle-working ancient icon of the Iveron Mother of God – once belonging to the ever-memorable hierarch and confessor Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov) – was brought to the cathedral in Kokshetau. The custodian of this holy object is Archimandrite Nikolai (Karpov), rector of the Church of the Archangel Michael in Shchuchinsk and spiritual son of the saintly confessor.
Liturgical hymns were sung by the choir of the Resurrection Cathedral under the direction of M. Petrova.
Praying at the Liturgy were the benefactors of the cathedral, the parish’s lay leadership, Orthodox faithful from the city of Kokshetau, and pilgrims from various towns and villages of the Akmola Region.
During the Divine Liturgy, Archbishop Barsanuphius formally assumed the governance of the diocese. At the singing of the Trisagion Hymn, the archbishop blessed his flock for the first time with the cross and dikirion, proclaiming the traditional episcopal acclamation: “Look down from heaven, O God, and behold, and visit this vine, and strengthen it, which Thy right hand hath planted.”
The homily following the Communion hymn was delivered by Hieromonk Dimitry (Baydek).
At the conclusion of the service, a hymn of praise was offered to the Mother of God. Metropolitan Alexander then addressed the faithful with words of edification.
The Head of the Metropolitan District congratulated all present on the arrival of Archbishop Barsanuphius to the Kokshetau See and called upon the clergy and laity of the diocese to render filial obedience to their newly appointed archpastor. The Primate of the Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan expressed confidence that under the spiritual and administrative leadership of Archbishop Barsanuphius, the Kokshetau and Akmola Diocese would continue to grow and strengthen. Metropolitan Alexander presented the newly appointed hierarch with a blessed prosphora and an icon of the Synaxis of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Kazakhstan.
In his response, the new ruling bishop of the Kokshetau Diocese expressed his gratitude to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and to Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan for the high trust placed in him. He also asked for the prayerful support of the archpastors of the Metropolitan District, the clergy, and the Orthodox faithful who had gathered on this solemn day in the Resurrection Cathedral.
At the end of the service, Metropolitan Alexander blessed the faithful with holy water.
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