On the Commemoration Day of St. Sergius of Radonezh, Metropolitan Alexander Celebrated the Divine Liturgy at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Almaty

October 8, 2025 - Commemoration Day of Venerable Sergius, Abbot of Radonezh.

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

Concelebrating with His Eminence were: Dean of the parishes of the Southern Capital and Rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral, Archpriest Valery Zakharov; Rector of the Almaty Church in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow,” Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyov; Key Sacristan of St. Nicholas Cathedral, Archpriest Igor Svetlichny; Key Sacristan of the Ascension Cathedral and Head of the Public Relations Department of the Metropolitan District, Archpriest Alexander Suvorov; Head of the Metropolitan’s Personal Secretariat, Hieromonk Prochorus (Yendovitsky); Cleric of the Church of St. John the Theologian, Hieromonk Gennady (Solovyov); Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District, Priest Georgy Sidorov; Key Sacristan of the Adriano-Natalievsky Church, Priest Ioann Konoplev; Key Sacristan of the Kazan Cathedral, Priest Georgy Rublinsky; the deacon’s rank was headed by Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich.

The plainchant choir of St. Nicholas Cathedral sang under the direction of O. Solomonova.

The sermon after the Communion verse was delivered by Hieromonk Gennady (Solovyov).

After the dismissal of the Liturgy, a glorification (slavlenie) was offered to Venerable Sergius. At the conclusion, Metropolitan Alexander congratulated those who bore the name of the saint on their name day and addressed the faithful with a homily.

Following the service, a new holy item was presented to the St. Nicholas Cathedral community - a copy of the wonderworking icon of the Mother of God “She Who Is Quick to Hear” (Skoroposlushnitsa), which is kept at the Dochiariou Monastery on Mount Athos. The image was painted by Monk Nicholas, a resident of the Dionysiou Monastery on the Holy Mountain. The project was carried out with the blessing of the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, through the diligence and efforts of benefactors of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District with the support of the public foundation “Eleos-Meirim” (President - V.M. Kapsamun).

“Venerable Sergius is for us a guiding star, a true image of a Christian. Time and again, turning to him, we learn to correctly assess the spiritual realities of today. In the moral, spiritual, and cultural life of our people, there is nothing of true value that does not trace its roots to the traditions laid by Venerable Sergius in the Holy Trinity Monastery he founded.

The personality of this intercessor and protector of the Orthodox world today links the vast expanses of Eurasia. This is deeply symbolic, for Saint Sergius entered history primarily as a peacemaker and enlightener of peoples. Initially withdrawing from the world and choosing a life of harsh asceticism in the deep forest, the venerable one soon acquired great spiritual power and authority among his contemporaries. His life exemplifies the truth of the Scripture:

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matt. 5:14–16)

More than once the humble hermit had to leave his prayerful solitude to journey to various lands on missions of reconciliation. His gentle words subdued the militant spirits of princes and were filled with deep peace and calm.

Abba Sergius remains for all time our “eternal contemporary.” Delving into his life story and contemplating his person, we are freed from all superficiality, delusion, and cunning reasoning. Again and again, we are met with the radiant, otherworldly image of the great Abbot - a laborer, sowing bread and building churches and cells alongside ordinary monks. An abbot who ate and dressed modestly, but possessed immense spiritual power, so that a single word from him could work miracles and foresee the future.

In our age, when people seek comfort, wealth, and power, the words of his hagiography - written by a contemporary of the saint - speak as a deep rebuke to the conscience:

“His virtues were: purity of soul and body, silence of the lips, labor of the body, unfeigned humility, constant prayer, wisdom, perfect love, poverty in clothing, remembrance of death, meekness with quietness, constant fear of God.”

How important it is to remember these words and keep before our eyes the clear and truthful image of the saintly ascetic! A Christian is called above all to care for the heavenly, to prepare for the encounter with eternity. We must strive to acquire that same love for God and neighbor, that meekness, guilelessness, and diligence that were manifested to us by the Venerable One.

As a spiritual testament of the saint ring his words, passed down through pious tradition:

“By love and unity shall we be saved.”” From the homily of Metropolitan Alexander.