On the commemoration day of the Martyrs Chrysanthus and Daria of Rome, Metropolitan Alexander celebrated the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts at the Sophia Cathedral of Alma-Ata

1 April 2026 – Wednesday of the 6th week of Great Lent, the commemoration day of the holy martyrs Chrysanthus and Daria of Rome.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts of Saint Gregory the Dialogist at the Sophia Cathedral of the Iver-Seraphim convent of the city of Alma-Ata.

In the center of the church was placed the coffin with the body of the departed eldest nun of the Iver-Seraphim convent, a veteran of the Great Patriotic War, Schema-nun Irina (Lubitskaya), who reposed in the Lord on March 30.

Concelebrating with the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were: Archimandrite Iosif (Eremenko), dean of the parishes of the city of Astana Archimandrite Sergiy (Karamyshev), rector of the Church of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Great Prince Vladimir in Novogireevo Archpriest Alexey Batanogov (Moscow diocese), personal secretary of the Head of the Metropolitan District Hieromonk Dimitry (Baidek), Hegumen Onisim (Tulnikov), cleric of the Sophia Cathedral of the Iver-Seraphim convent Hieromonk Arseny (Voloshin), Hieromonk Cherubim (Levin), Hieromonk Paisiy (Tishakov); Head of the metropolitan’s protocol service Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky, Deacon Ilya Vorobyev, Deacon Georgy Tkachenko, Deacon Daniil Pasyuk.

Praying at the service were: Secretary of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, conductor of the choir of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, member of the Patriarchal Council for the Development of Russian Church Singing O.N. Ovchinnikov; rector of the Alma-Ata Orthodox Theological Seminary, Head of the Information Department of the Metropolitan District Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov; Head of the administrative secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District Priest Georgy Sidorov; abbess of the Iver-Seraphim convent Abbess Lyubov (Yakushkina) with the sisters of the convent; president of the public foundation «ELEOS-MEIRIM» V.M. Kapsamun; staff of the Alma-Ata diocesan administration; преподаватели и студенты Alma-Ata Orthodox Theological Seminary; parishioners of the churches of the Southern capital.

The choir of the Sophia Cathedral of the Iver-Seraphim monastery sang under the direction of O. Usoltseva. The hymn «Let my prayer arise» was performed by Deacon Alexander Piven, D. Kochua and A. Kornienko.

At the memorial litany, His Eminence offered prayers for the repose of the newly-departed: His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II, Schema-nun Irina (Lubitskaya) and church worker L.P. Milovanova.

Also especially commemorated were the ever-memorable Metropolitan Chrysanth (Chepil) and the mother of the departed hierarch Daria, whose heavenly patrons are commemorated on this day.

The sermon before Communion was delivered by Archpriest Alexey Batanogov.

At the conclusion of the service, Metropolitan Alexander sincerely thanked the clergy and parishioners for the joy of common prayer, congratulated those who had received the Holy Mysteries of Christ, and delivered a homily.

In anticipation of the forthcoming feast of Holy Pascha, the hierarch, in accordance with a decree of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’, awarded the cleric of the Sophia Cathedral Priest Alexander Alferov the right to wear the palitsa.

After the Liturgy, His Eminence, together with the clergy, celebrated the funeral service for the eldest nun of the Iver-Seraphim convent, a veteran of the Great Patriotic War, Schema-nun Irina (Lubitskaya).