The End of the Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. Metropolitan Alexander Celebrates Liturgy at the Adriano-Natalievsky Church in the Village of Otegen Batyr

On September 5, 2024, the end of the Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos and the day of the commemoration of the New Martyrs of Akmolinsk.
 Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the church named after the Holy Martyrs Adrian and Natalia in the village of Otegen Batyr, a suburb of the Southern capital and a dependency of the Shymkent and Turkestan Diocese.

The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan was concelebrated by Bishop Chrysant of Shymkent and Turkestan; Bishop Veniamin of Talgar, vicar of the Astana Diocese; the dean of the churches of Almaty and rector of the St. Nicholas Cathedral, Archpriest Valery Zakharov; the rector of the Almaty church in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow," Archpriest Yevgeny Vorobyov; the rector of the Church of St. John the Forerunner in the village of Guldala, Archpriest Georgy Kharlov; the head of the personal secretariat of the Metropolitan, Hieromonk Prokhor (Yendovitsky); cleric of the Adriano-Natalievsky Church in the village of Otegen Batyr, Priest Vyacheslav Sidorovsky; the head of the administrative secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District, Priest Georgy Sidorov; the sacristan of the Kazan Cathedral in Almaty, Priest Georgy Rublinsky; the sacristan of the Adriano-Natalievsky Church, Priest Ioann Konoplev; Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich, head of the Metropolitan's protocol service, Protodeacon Roman Golovin; and Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky.

The liturgical hymns were performed by the male choir of the Almaty Diocese, directed by Deacon Alexander Piven.

Among those praying during the service were the staff of the Almaty Diocesan Administration and the parishioners of the Adriano-Natalievsky Church.

During the memorial litany, the distinguished hierarch of the 20th century, Metropolitan Nikodim (Rotov) of Leningrad and Novgorod, who passed away on September 5, 1978, was commemorated.

The sermon following the communion hymn was delivered by Priest Georgy Rublinsky.

The Liturgy concluded with the glorification of the Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, after which Metropolitan Alexander addressed the congregation with words of instruction.

At the end of the service, the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan presented Priest Ioann Konoplev with a holy prosphora and a pectoral cross. His Eminence wished Father Ioann strength of spirit and body and God's help in his pastoral labors.

"Today, the churches echoed with the wondrous words: 'The Theotokos, who is tireless in her prayers, and our unchanging hope in her intercessions, the grave and death did not hold.' For the maternal love of the Most Holy Theotokos for the human race, there are no barriers. All forces hostile to humanity, even death itself, retreat before her almighty intercession. The Mother of God 'in her Dormition did not forsake the world' and has become our constant Intercessor before the throne of the Almighty. No one should despair, having her constant care, boundless mercy, and eternal protection. She cannot fail to answer us, her children, in our prayers, nor can she leave us without her maternal care. The Apostle of the Great Steppe, the elder-archbishop Sofony (Sokolsky), reflected on the celebration of the Dormition of the Mother of God as follows: 'Worthy praise of the God-glorified is not found in eloquent words, but in pious deeds; not in enumerating her holy virtues, but in emulating her holy life.'

As we daily glorify the Queen of Heaven and Earth in our prayers, let us diligently learn from her love, wisdom, piety, and Christian virtues. Let us implore the Mother of our Savior and our Mother to remain with us until the end of the age, as she promised the holy apostles when she appeared to them in grace-filled radiance after her Dormition. With all our hearts, let us turn to the Most Holy Theotokos with the words that Christ's disciples exclaimed upon witnessing her heavenly glory that day: 'Most Holy Theotokos, help us!'"

From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.