Metropolitan Alexander Celebrates the Liturgy Before the Relics of St. Spyridon in Petropavlovsk

September 29, 2026 – the Afterfeast of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord and the commemoration of Great Martyr Ludmila, Princess of Bohemia.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Ascension Cathedral in Petropavlovsk, where the incorrupt relics of St. Spyridon the Wonderworker, Bishop of Trimythous, had arrived the previous evening.

The revered relic is visiting the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ and with the kind consent of Metropolitan Nektarios of Corfu, Paxos and the Diapontian Islands.

The pilgrimage is organized by the Eleos-Meirim Public Foundation, headed by its President V.M. Kapsamun.

Serving with the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were Archbishop Vladimir of Petropavlovsk and Bulaevo; Bishop Claudian of Taldykorgan, Vicar of the Astana Diocese; Archpriest Sergius Pervushin, Secretary of the Petropavlovsk and Bulaevo Diocese; Archpriest Dimitry Zhulsarin, dean of the Beskol church district; Priest Georgy Sidorov, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District; Priest Alexander Denichenko, rector of the Kazan Church in the village of Chistopolye; Priest Antony Shuvakin, sacristan of the Church of All Saints in Petropavlovsk; Priest Antony Churikov, rector of the Church of the Protection of the Mother of God in the village of Beskol; and the diaconate led by Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Head of the Metropolitan’s Protocol Service.

The hymns were sung by the cathedral choir under the direction of A.A. Zatai.

Praying at the Liturgy were E.S. Makhinya, a benefactor of the Petropavlovsk Diocese; representatives of the delegation of the Metropolis of Corfu of the Church of Greece; and numerous Orthodox residents of Petropavlovsk and surrounding communities who had come to venerate the incorrupt dexter of St. Spyridon.

Following the Communion verse, Archpriest Sergius Pervushin read Metropolitan Alexander’s address on the occasion of the bringing of the relics of St. Spyridon to Kazakhstan.

The Divine Liturgy concluded with the veneration of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord and a service of glorification to St. Spyridon the Wonderworker before the reliquary containing his relics.

The Head of the Metropolitan District congratulated the hierarchs, clergy and faithful on the arrival of the revered relic and delivered a sermon.

Metropolitan Alexander then sprinkled those present with holy water.

Throughout the day, clergy of the diocese will celebrate molebens with the Akathist to St. Spyridon before the reliquary containing the saint’s dexter.