On the Saturday of the Akathist, the Head of the Metropolitan District celebrated the Liturgy at the St John the Theologian Cathedral in Rudny

28 March 2026 – the Praise of the Most Holy Theotokos (Saturday of the Akathist).

The Synaxarion (the statutory liturgical instruction) states: «In honor of all the wondrous miracles of the Most Pure Mother of God, we celebrate today’s feast».

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom at the St John the Theologian Cathedral in Rudny – the second cathedral city of the Kostanay diocese.

Before the beginning of the service, the Sacrament of Confession for the clergy of the Kostanay diocese was performed in the church.

Concelebrating with the Head of the Metropolitan District at the Liturgy were: Secretary of the Kostanay diocese Hieromonk Gennady (Burdyuzha); rector of the Seraphim Church Archpriest Georgy Levintsa; personal secretary of the Head of the Metropolitan District Hieromonk Dimitry (Baidek); cleric of the Constantine and Helen Cathedral of the city of Kostanay Hegumen Innokenty (Pomogalov); cleric of the Epiphany Church of the city of Rudny Archpriest Mikhail Pinaev; rector of the Church of the Holy Trinity of the city of Arkalyk Hegumen Sevastian (Ovsienko); dean of the Lisakovsk church district, rector of the Church of the Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt of the city of Lisakovsk Archpriest Oleg Kalmykov; Head of the metropolitan’s secretariat Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky); Head of the administrative secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District Priest Georgy Sidorov; Head of the metropolitan’s protocol service Protodeacon Roman Golovin; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky; rectors and clergy of the churches of the Kostanay diocese.

For prayerful veneration and spiritual support of the faithful, a reliquary containing the relics of Venerable Alexy, the Man of God, was brought to St Nicholas Church.

The choir of the Constantine and Helen Cathedral of the city of Kostanay sang under the direction of T. Zhebrak.

The sermon after the Communion verse was delivered by Priest Georgy Sidorov.

The Liturgy concluded with the glorification of the Mother of God, after which the Metropolitan congratulated the faithful on the feast in honor of the Queen of Heaven – the Saturday of the Akathist – and delivered a sermon.

In anticipation of the forthcoming feast of Holy Pascha, a number of clergy of the Kostanay diocese were awarded liturgical-hierarchical distinctions:

cleric of the Constantine and Helen Cathedral of the city of Kostanay Archpriest Vitaly Kleba – the right to celebrate the Liturgy with the Royal Doors open until «The Cherubic Hymn»;

cleric of the St John the Theologian Cathedral of the city of Rudny Archpriest Mikhail Pinaev – the right to celebrate the Liturgy with the Royal Doors open until «Our Father»;

key-keeper of the St John the Theologian Cathedral Priest Evgeny Bekmansurov, rector of the Panteleimon Church of the city of Zhitikara Priest Igor Nesterov, cleric of the Archangel Michael Church of the city of Kostanay Priest Georgy Kusliev – the right to wear a gold pectoral cross.

After the presentation of church distinctions, His Eminence congratulated the awarded pastors, wishing them God’s help in their further labors for the benefit of the Church of Christ on the Kazakhstan land.

After the Divine Liturgy at the St John the Theologian Cathedral, a meeting took place in the cathedral house between Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan and the akim of the city V.N. Ionenko. The meeting was attended by Secretary of the Kostanay diocese Hieromonk Gennady (Burdyuzha). The main topic of the meeting was issues concerning cooperation between the city administration and the Kostanay diocese of the Metropolitan District in the implementation of joint cultural-educational and social-charitable projects.

«Everyone who offers prayer to the Most Blessed Lady partakes of the mystery of Divine Providence for the whole world and for each individual person, and feels the love of the Lord poured out upon both the righteous and sinners through the prayers of the Mother of God. “Is anyone made a partaker of the knowledge of God? Through Thee, O All-Holy One! – exclaims Saint Germanus, Patriarch of Constantinople. – Is anyone saved? Through Thee, O Theotokos! Is anyone delivered from dangers? Through Thee, O Virgin Mother! Is anyone shown mercy? Through Thee, O God-graced One!” The celebration of the special service in honor of the Queen of Heaven – the chanting of the Akathist to Her – takes place at the close of Great Lent, when through prayer and repentance, good deeds and abstinence, we are cleansed from the defilement of sin. Undoubtedly, the particular spiritual disposition of these days helps all of us to feel more deeply the power of the grace that we receive from the Mother of God in all the days of our life, and to respond with our hearts to Her love. According to the word of the great teacher of the Church, Saint Gregory the Theologian, “as a cloud hides the radiance of the sun’s rays, so a sinner who does not wish to recognize his sins and renounce them hides from himself the rays of God’s love and the mercy of the Mother of God.” Therefore, let us strive to unite all the prayers and hymns that we offer on this day in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos with a sincere request for the forgiveness of sins, the correction of our life according to the Gospel commandments, and the granting to us of Christian virtues». From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.