Head of the Metropolis Leads All-Night Vigil with the Rite of the Exaltation of the Cross at the Ascension Cathedral in Almaty

September 26, 2025 – on the eve of the Great Feast of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the all-night vigil at the Ascension Cathedral in the city of Almaty.

Serving alongside the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were: Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan (vicar of the Astana diocese), Archimandrite Ioann (Sazonov), spiritual father of the Almaty diocese, Archpriest Alexander Suvorov – key priest of the Ascension Cathedral and head of the Public Relations Department of the Metropolis, Archpriest Yevgeny Ivanov – rector of the Almaty Theological Seminary and head of the Information and Publishing Department of the Metropolis, and the clergy of the main cathedral of the southern capital.

Liturgical singing was performed by the choir of the Metropolis of Kazakhstan directed by Honored Artist of Russia O. N. Ovchinnikov, and the cathedral choir directed by E. Boguslavets.

In accordance with the Typikon, the Great Vespers included the lity – an intensified prayer service with the blessing of bread, wine, wheat and oil.

The main distinction of the vigil for the Exaltation feast from other services is the special veneration of the Life-Giving Cross of Christ, which is adorned with fresh flowers and placed on the altar before the beginning of the vigil. According to the liturgical rule, the Polyeleos, the Magnification, and the Gospel reading on this feast are performed in the Holy Altar.

At the conclusion of the Great Doxology, the Cross of the Lord was carried in procession inside the church during the singing of the Trisagion. After that, the Archbishop performed the Rite of the Exaltation of the Life-Giving Cross.

This liturgical rite – full of deep spiritual meaning – is performed only once a year, on the eve of the Feast of the Exaltation, and only by bishops in cathedral churches.

According to the rite, Metropolitan Alexander elevated the Cross five times to the four cardinal directions and again to the east – blessing the country, the city, and the people: to the east, west, south, north, and once more to the east. At each elevation, a special diaconal petition was proclaimed and the choir responded with repeated singing of “Lord, have mercy!” According to ancient Jerusalem tradition, the elevated Cross was washed with rose water by the clergy.

The Cross elevated during this vigil – a gift to the Archbishop from the ever-memorable Blessed Patriarch Diodoros of Jerusalem – contains particles of the True Cross, the Tomb of the Lord, and Golgotha.

The Rite of the Exaltation originates from the historical raising of the Precious Wood of the Cross of the Lord in Jerusalem, when Archbishop Macarius, in the presence of a great multitude of people, lifted high the Cross discovered by the Empress Helena so that all could see it, while the people venerated the Life-Giving Tree and prayed, “Lord, have mercy!”

During the singing of the hymns to the Cross, the faithful venerated the Life-Giving Tree, were anointed with blessed oil, and each received a portion of bread blessed at the lity.

At the conclusion of the all-night vigil, Metropolitan Alexander addressed the faithful with a word of edification, calling on all to reflect more often on the meaning of venerating the Cross of the Lord – “the Altar of God’s love.”

“Today, the Church of Christ prayerfully commemorates the consecration – or, in Church Slavonic, the renewal – of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Jerusalem, which took place in the year 335. This majestic cathedral, built by the Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine the Great, is known throughout the world as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. According to church tradition, on the feast of the Renewal of the Church of the Resurrection, the divine services are performed with Paschal elements. From the Life-Giving Tomb of the Lord shone the light of the Resurrection to the whole world, and from the holy city of Jerusalem the good news of the victory of Life over death spread to all nations and peoples. In all times, every Christian, on their life’s path through hardships and trials, in sorrow and challenging circumstances, places hope in Christ, Who ‘died and came to life again so that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living’ (Rom. 14:9). Today’s feast reminds us of that spiritual renewal to which the Lord calls us. The Gospel miracle of Christ’s victory over death is a call to every person to begin a new life – to rise with the Risen Savior through faith in the power of God (cf. Col. 2:12).”

– From the homily of Metropolitan Alexander

The entire service was broadcast live on the Proobraz YouTube channel with the support of the Eleos-Meirim Public Foundation (President – V. M. Kapsamun).