The Head of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District celebrated the funeral service for Schema-nun Irina (Lubitskaya), a nun of the Iver-Seraphim monastery

1 April 2026. Alma-Ata. Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan presided over the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts at the Sophia Cathedral of the Iver-Seraphim monastery, after which he celebrated the funeral service for the newly-departed Schema-nun Irina (Lubitskaya) – the eldest nun of the convent and a veteran of the Great Patriotic War.

Schema-nun Irina reposed in the Lord on March 30 in her 101st year.

Concelebrating with the archpastor 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); the deaconal rank headed by the Head of the metropolitan’s protocol service Protodeacon Roman Golovin.

The choir of the Sophia Cathedral of the Iver-Seraphim monastery sang under the direction of O. Usoltseva.

Praying in the church 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.

Before the beginning of the funeral service, Metropolitan Alexander delivered a word on the meaning and significance of the church burial as a sending forth of the departed into eternal life, and called upon all those present to offer fervent prayer for the newly-departed Schema-nun Irina.

After the prayer of absolution read by the Head of the Metropolitan District, to the singing of the stichera «Come, let us give the last kiss, brethren, to the departed…», the clergy, the abbess of the monastery with the sisters, and the laity bade farewell to the departed.

The Metropolitan sprinkled the body of the newly-departed with earth in the form of a cross, poured consecrated oil upon it, and then placed a bouquet of flowers by the coffin.

The funeral service concluded with the proclamation of «Eternal Memory».