On the Feast Day of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Equal-to-the-Apostles, Metropolitan Alexander Celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Dormition Church in the Kemel District

24 May 2025 – the commemoration of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Cyril and Methodius, Teachers of the Slavs, and the name day of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Paschal Divine Liturgy at the Dormition Church in the Kemel district (formerly the village of Pervomaysky) of the city of Almaty.

Concelebrating with the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were: Protopriest Valery Zakharov, Dean of the churches of the Southern Capital and Rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral; Protopriest Yevgeny Vorobyov, Rector of the Almaty Church in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow”; Protopriest Alexander Zyryanov, Dean of the Ili Church District and Rector of the Dormition Parish; Protopriest Vadim Alekseyev, Rector of the Church of Righteous John of Kronstadt in the village of Zhetygen, Almaty Region; Protopriest Valery Shavrin, Rector of the Theophany Church in Almaty; Protopriest Alexander Ageyev, Rector of the Seraphim Church in the village of Chapaevo; Protopriest Vladimir Krauz, Rector of the Church of St. Nicholas in the village of Mezhdurechensk; Protopriest Vyacheslav Pugachev, Head of the Metropolitan District’s Commission for Charity and Social Ministry; Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), Head of the Metropolitan’s Personal Secretariat; Priest Georgy Sidorov, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District; and Rectors and clergy of churches of the Almaty Diocese.

Liturgical hymns were performed by the Men’s Choir of the Almaty Diocese under the direction of Deacon Alexander Pivny and the choir of the Dormition Church.

At the augmented litany, special prayers were offered for the health and well-being of the name day celebrant – His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The sermon following the Communion verse was delivered by Hieromonk Cherubim (Levin).

After the dismissal, the faithful joined in the glorification of the Radiant Resurrection of Christ and of the Enlighteners of the Slavs – the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles brothers Cyril and Methodius. The clergy and people then proclaimed the Many Years to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

At the conclusion of the service, Metropolitan Alexander sprinkled the faithful with holy water, congratulated the clergy and flock on the commemoration of the Slavic Enlighteners, and delivered a homily.

The Metropolitan also extended personal congratulations on his name day to Priest Kirill Freygang, Acting Dean of the Talgar Church District and Rector of St. Nicholas Church in the city of Talgar.