On the Eve of the Feast of the Holy Trinity, the Head of the Metropolitan District Celebrated the All-Night Vigil in the Ascension Cathedral of the Southern Capital

June 7, 2025. On the eve of the Feast of the Life-Giving Trinity – the Day of Holy Pentecost – Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the All-Night Vigil in the Ascension Cathedral of the city of Alma-Ata.

Concelebrating with the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were: spiritual father of the Diocese of Alma-Ata, Archimandrite Ioann (Sazonov); sacristan of the Ascension Cathedral of Alma-Ata, head of the Public Relations Department of the District, Protopriest Alexander Suvorov; rector of the Orthodox Theological Seminary of Alma-Ata, head of the Information Department of the Metropolitan District, Protopriest Evgeny Ivanov; the cathedral clergy.

The hymns were performed by the choir of the Metropolitan District (conductor – V. Dudareva).

According to ancient tradition, the church was decorated with tree branches; clergy and believers held green branches and flowers during the vigil.

The blessing of bread, wine, wheat, and oil was performed.

For the first time since Great Saturday, clergy, choir, and believers chanted the prayer to the Holy Spirit – “O Heavenly King.”

At Matins, after the reading of the Gospel passage, the prayer “O Heavenly King” was chanted solemnly for the second time by clergy and people, after which Metropolitan Alexander delivered an archpastoral sermon.

During the chanting of the canon, the faithful were anointed with the blessed oil.

For the third time during the All-Night Vigil, the prayer “O Heavenly King” was chanted before the singing of the Great Doxology.

On June 8, on the very day of the feast, Metropolitan Alexander will celebrate the late Divine Liturgy and the Great Vespers of the Feast of Pentecost with the reading of the kneeling prayers in the Ascension Cathedral of the Southern Capital.