Head of the Metropolitan District Celebrates Sunday Liturgy at the Ascension Cathedral in Almaty

July 20, 2025 – 6th Sunday after Pentecost; commemoration of Saint Euphrosyne, Princess of Moscow.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Ascension Cathedral in the city of Almaty.

Concelebrating with His Eminence were: Dean of the churches of Almaty and Rector of the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas, Protopriest Valery Zakharov; Rector of the Church in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” in Almaty, Protopriest Yevgeny Vorobyev; Dean of the Ili Deanery, Protopriest Alexander Zyryanov; Rector of the Almaty Theological Seminary and Head of the Information and Publishing Department of the Metropolitan District, Protopriest Yevgeny Ivanov; Head of the Metropolitan’s Personal Secretariat, Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky); Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District, Priest Georgy Sidorov; Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich; Head of the Metropolitan’s Protocol Service, Protodeacon Roman Golovin; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky; Deacon Alexander Piven; Deacon Ioann Zhuchkov; and Deacon Georgy Tkachenko.

The hymns of the Liturgy were sung by the small choir of the Ascension Cathedral under the direction of Igumen Philip (Moiseyev).

The homily after the Communion verse was delivered by Protopriest Yevgeny Ivanov.

At the conclusion of the Liturgy, the Head of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan congratulated those present on the Sunday – the “Little Pascha” – and addressed the faithful with a word of spiritual exhortation.

“We know that eternal life is attained through love for God and love for one’s neighbor, but the Lord Himself has revealed to us another great truth: divine food leads a person into the Kingdom of Heaven – the holy, life-giving Mysteries of Christ – the all-pure Body and Blood of our Savior. Participation in the Mystery of Communion is a source of virtue and an effective means of liberation from sin. The Lord Jesus Christ warns us: ‘Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you’ (John 6:53).

It is impossible, merely looking from the outside, to experience those gracious gifts, to receive the comfort and help from the Lord that come to a believer through proper observance of the fast, frequent attendance at church, and participation in the sacraments. Personal spiritual experience cannot be replaced by any efforts of the mind, exertion of will, or sensitivity of the heart, for ‘eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him’ (1 Corinthians 2:9). ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good!’ (cf. Psalm 33:9) – with these words of the Psalmist David, the Church of Christ calls us to enter into true and authentic spiritual life.”

ORTHODOX CHURСH OF KAZAKHSTAN

Head of the Metropolitan District Celebrates Sunday Liturgy at the Ascension Cathedral in Almaty

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