Indiction – Church New Year. Metropolitan Alexander celebrated the Sunday Liturgy in the main church of the southern capital

September 14, 2025 – the 14th Sunday after Pentecost, the feast of the Church New Year (the beginning of the Indiction), the commemoration of Saints Peter, in monasticism David, and Princess Fevronia, in monasticism Euphrosyne, Wonderworkers of Murom – the patrons of Christian marriage.

An additional celebration in honor of Saints Peter and Fevronia was established on December 25, 2012, by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, which decreed that it be held on the Sunday preceding September 19 in commemoration of the translation of the holy relics of the saints in 1992.

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

Concelebrating with the Head of the Metropolis were: the vicars of the Astana Diocese – Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Chancellor of the Kazakhstan Metropolis, and Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan; Archpriest Valery Zakharov, Dean of the Almaty churches and Rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral; Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyov, Rector of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” in Almaty; Archimandrite Ioann (Sazonov), Spiritual Father of the Almaty Diocese; Archpriest Alexander Suvorov, Keykeeper of the Ascension Cathedral and Head of the Metropolis Department for Public Relations; Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov, Rector of the Almaty Theological Seminary and Head of the Metropolis Publishing Department; Archpriest Alexander Zyryanov, Dean of the Ili District; Archpriest Valery Shavrin, Rector of the Epiphany Church; Priest Andrey Shklyar, Deputy Keykeeper of the Ascension Cathedral; Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), Head of the Metropolitan’s personal secretariat; Priest Georgy Sidorov, Head of the administrative secretariat of the Head of the Metropolis; Priest Daniil Bobylev, Head of the Correspondence Department of the Almaty Seminary; Priest Georgy Rublinsky, Keykeeper of the Kazan Cathedral in Almaty; along with Protodeacon Nikolay Grinkevich, Head of the Metropolitan’s protocol service Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky, Deacon Vitaly Bystrushkin, Deacon Alexander Piven, Deacon Ioann Zhuchkov, Deacon Georgy Tkachenko, and Deacon Daniil Pasyuk.

The hymns were performed by the Metropolis Choir (conductor – Honored Artist of Russia O.N. Ovchinnikov, choirmaster – V. Dudareva) and the choir of the Ascension Cathedral (conductor – E. Boguslavets).

During the Sunday Liturgy, special petitions and prayers were offered for Orthodox families: for the increase of love, for the strengthening of peace, harmony, and mutual understanding among spouses, for the gift of children, family well-being, and long life.

The homily after the Communion verse was delivered by Priest Georgy Rublinsky.

At the end of the service, the Head of the Metropolis congratulated the hierarchs, clergy, and laity on the Sunday, the Church New Year, and the feast of the holy patrons of Christian marriage, and addressed the faithful with an archpastoral sermon.

His Eminence sprinkled the faithful with holy water.