Metropolitan Alexander presided over the Lenten Liturgy at the Kazan Cathedral of Alma-Ata

3 April 2026 – Friday of the 6th week of Great Lent; the commemoration of Venerable Seraphim of Vyritsa and Venerable Pachomius of Nerekhta.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts of Saint Gregory the Dialogist at the oldest church of the city of Alma-Ata – the Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.

Concelebrating with the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were: Archimandrite Iosif (Eremenko), dean of the parishes of the city of Astana Archimandrite Sergiy (Karamyshev), personal secretary of the Head of the Metropolitan District Hieromonk Dimitry (Baidek), Hegumen Onisim (Tulnikov), Head of the metropolitan’s secretariat Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky); rector of the Kazan Cathedral of Alma-Ata Priest Georgy Rublinsky; Hieromonk Cherubim (Levin), Head of the secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District Priest Georgy Sidorov; Protodeacon Nikolay Grinkevich, Head of the metropolitan’s protocol service Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky, Deacon Georgy Tkachenko.

Praying at the service were: Secretary of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, Honored Artist of Russia O.N. Ovchinnikov; president of the public foundation «Eleos-Meirim» V.M. Kapsamun; parishioners of the church.

The male choir of the Alma-Ata diocese sang under the direction of Deacon Alexander Piven.

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

At the conclusion of the service, the hierarch congratulated those gathered on the commemoration day of Venerable Seraphim of Vyritsa and Pachomius of Nerekhta, thanked the clergy and laity for the joy of common Eucharistic prayer, and then addressed the faithful with a homily.

In anticipation of the forthcoming feast of Holy Pascha, Metropolitan Alexander bestowed liturgical-hierarchical awards upon clergy of the Alma-Ata diocese:

cleric of the Kazan Cathedral of Alma-Ata Hieromonk Isaac (Istelyuev) – the right to wear the palitsa;

cleric of the Protection Church of the Southern capital Deacon Pyotr Khlopotenko and cleric of the Exaltation of the Cross Church of the city Deacon Pavel Kornienko – the right to wear the double orarion.

After the service, a memorial litia was served for those buried in the necropolis near the altar of the Kazan church.

«In the history of the Russian Orthodox Church of the 20th century, the life of Venerable Seraphim of Vyritsa, filled with feats, occupies a special place. Being a well-known St Petersburg merchant, Vasily Nikolaevich Muravyov – such was the worldly name of Venerable Seraphim of Vyritsa – performed an act incomprehensible to ordinary human reason. Responding with his whole soul to the evangelical call of the Savior: “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come and follow Me” (Matt. 19:21), he distributed his possessions to monasteries and to those in need and received monastic tonsure with the name Seraphim – in honor of Venerable Seraphim of Sarov. This act required from him the highest courage and unshakable faith, since the October upheaval of 1917 had already taken place and the terrible years of persecution against Holy Orthodoxy were beginning. Having accepted monasticism at the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, Hieroschemamonk Seraphim became its spiritual father. From 1930, with the onset of a serious illness, and until his repose in 1949, he lived in Vyritsa, near Leningrad. The time of the elder’s ministry of the Vyritsa ascetic fell upon the period of bloody godless persecution, the Great Patriotic War and the post-war devastation. All these years Elder Seraphim bore witness to Christ by his life, bringing a great number of souls to salvation. For his courage and patience, for his love for God and for people, the Lord granted Father Seraphim great spiritual wisdom, the power of healing of spiritual and bodily infirmities, and the word of true prophecy. Both during his lifetime and after his repose in the heavenly dwellings, Venerable Seraphim helped and continues to help all who turn to him. After the sorrowful years of persecution against the faith and the Church of Christ, we have the opportunity to partake of the spiritual riches of his holiness – this truly inexhaustible source of living “water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14). May the experience of active piety, preserved in the life of the Vyritsa elder, in the people’s memory of his ascetic life and monastic labors, inspire us to the purification of soul and heart, to follow the good example of the Orthodox saints who fulfilled in deed the commandment of love for God and neighbor». From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.