On 6 December 2025 – the Afterfeast of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple and the commemoration day of the Holy Right-believing Grand Prince Alexander Nevsky, Saint Amphilochius of Iconium and Saint Mitrophan of Voronezh.
The Right-believing Prince Alexander Nevsky is the heavenly intercessor of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan. At Holy Baptism His Eminence was given this name in honor of the glorified Russian prince.
Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the church dedicated to the holy martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia at the Patriarchal metochion in Moscow – the Representation of the Metropolitan District of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Concelebrating with the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were: the Vice-Rector of the Almaty Theological Seminary, Candidate of Theology, Doctor of Medical Sciences and Professor Hegumen Agafangel (Gagua); the sacristan of the church of the holy martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia, Hieromonk Antony (Drobyazko); the clergy of the metochion; Protodeacon Sergiy Kulikov; Deacon Anatoly Ledenev; Deacon Roman Frolov; and Hierodeacon Gerasim (Kuksov), member of the information commission of the Moscow Diocesan Council and head of the movement “Patriarchal Volunteers”.
Praying at the service were: the Secretary of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, choir director of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District and member of the Patriarchal Council for the Development of Church Singing O. N. Ovchinnikov; staff of the Representation and parishioners of the church.
The church choir sang under the direction of Anna Rozhnova.
The Liturgy concluded with a solemn service of glorification for the feast of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple and in honor of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky.
On behalf of the clergy and faithful, Hieromonk Antony (Drobyazko) congratulated Metropolitan Alexander on the feast day of his heavenly intercessor.
The Head of the Metropolitan District expressed gratitude for the good wishes, asked the assembled faithful for fervent prayers for the granting of God’s grace in his service to the Church of Christ, and then congratulated the clergy, monastics and lay people on the Afterfeast of the Entry of the Mother of God into the Temple, the commemoration of the Right-believing Prince Alexander Nevsky and Saint Mitrophan of Voronezh.
A polychronion was proclaimed for His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Rus, Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church; for the Head and episcopate of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District; for the President; for the authorities, armed forces and all the people of Kazakhstan.
“Today we prayerfully remember the Holy Right-believing Grand Prince Alexander Nevsky. He is one of the most beloved and venerated saints. His name is known to millions of people, even to those far from the Orthodox faith. Historical records and popular tradition present Prince Alexander as a valiant defender of his native land and a champion of Orthodoxy, a wise ruler and a man filled with lofty Christian virtues. In our difficult time, full of calamities and sorrows, it is necessary to strengthen and inspire ourselves with examples of Gospel mercy and deep humility shown to us by Prince Alexander — a righteous man, mighty ‘in words and deeds’ (Acts 7:22). From his youth the meaning of his life became the quest for the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Mt. 6:33). ‘God is not in might, but in truth!’ — many know these well-known words ascribed to the prince. ‘God is with those who are pious, who are righteous, who keep His law and fulfil His commandments,’ the holy Alexander proclaimed to his contemporaries and testifies to us through the centuries. The life of the Right-believing Prince reveals to us that serving the Creator presupposes the courageous bearing of one’s cross in steadfast following of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In the apostolic reading appointed for the commemoration of Saint Alexander Nevsky, we hear the words: ‘Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ’ (Gal. 6:2). The Right-believing Prince took upon himself the burdens of other people and carried within his heart the pain of the Church and the Fatherland. He set before himself the task of alleviating, as far as possible in those historical circumstances, the lot of the people entrusted to him and fulfilled it to the measure of his life and strength. Therefore we glorify him as a great servant of God and pray to him that he be an intercessor before the Lord for us, for our relatives and loved ones, and for the country in which we live – blessed Kazakhstan. I wish all of us, through the intercession of the Right-believing Prince Alexander, to be granted ‘all joy and peace in believing’ (Rom. 15:13), abundant mercies and the help of Christ the Giver of Life.”
From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.
Metropolitan Alexander and Catholic Archbishop Tomasz Peta discussed issues of inter-Christian and interreligious dialogue in Kazakhstan
More details
Information Statement of the Chairman of the Ecclesiastical Court of the Astana and Almaty Diocese
More details
The Head of the Metropolitan District visited the construction site of the church complex in honor of All Saints Who Shone Forth in the Land of Kazakhstan
More details
Main
Login or register, to write a comment!
Your comment has been successfully added and is currently being reviewed by the site administration