April 23, 2025. Almaty.
In the Fireplace Hall of the Administrative and Spiritual and Cultural Center of the Metropolis of Kazakhstan, named after Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov), a ceremony was held to honor large families of clergymen of the Southern Capital.
Honoring parents of large families during the great feasts of the Church has long been a cherished tradition of the Metropolis of Kazakhstan.
The solemn event was headed by Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.
Present at the ceremony were: the Secretary of the Metropolis of Kazakhstan, Honored Artist of Russia O.N. Ovchinnikov; the Head of the Metropolitan’s Private Secretariat, Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky); and family members of the awarded clergymen.
The awards of the Metropolis of Kazakhstan were presented to parents who have raised three or more children. Their families are exemplary models of pious marriage and of the spiritual, moral, and patriotic upbringing of the younger generation.
Before the ceremony, Metropolitan Alexander congratulated those present on the radiant days of the saving Pascha of the Lord, and then addressed the awardees and guests with words on the importance of preserving family values:
“The family is the foundation of the present and future of humanity. Timeless family values, such as the strong marital union of a man and a woman, honoring parents, respecting elders, and caring for the younger, hold society and the state together. These values must be carefully preserved and passed on to future generations, for they never become outdated. As His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia said, ‘The family is the school of love, the school of piety, and the school of human happiness.’ It is within the family that a person learns basic norms of behavior and moral orientation, receives spiritual formation, and is introduced to the spiritual tradition of their people. The family is the first and most important school of life for every human being.
Today, the task of preserving and reviving the family, traditional family, and moral values must be resolved by our society in a complicated situation, facing many serious challenges and threats. And the issue lies not only in difficult socio-economic conditions but also in direct ideological and worldview assaults against the family and the immutable values connected to it.
Today’s event is an opportunity to honor the feats of child-loving parents, the care of fatherhood, and the kindness of motherhood; to draw society’s attention to the spiritual beauty and inner strength of large families,” said, in particular, the Head of the Metropolis.
The high award of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan — the “Parental Glory” Order — was presented to:
After presenting the awards, the Head of the Metropolis wished all present the mercy of the Lord, good health, and well-being.
Each family received gifts and monetary certificates for the purchase of household appliances from Metropolitan Alexander’s hands. The hierarch also presented the children of the clergymen with icons of the Resurrection of Christ.
On behalf of the awardees, Priest George Rublinsky expressed words of gratitude to His Eminence, thanking the archpastor for his fatherly care and attention.
At the conclusion of the event, a group photograph was taken.
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