Feast of Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and Their Mother Sophia – Metropolitan Alexander Celebrates Liturgy at Petropavlovsk Cathedral

September 30, 2026 – the Afterfeast of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord and the feast day of the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia, heavenly patrons of Alma-Ata and Semirechye.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan presided over the Divine Liturgy at the Ascension Cathedral in Petropavlovsk.

Concelebrating with the Head of the Metropolitan District were Archbishop Vladimir of Petropavlovsk and Bulaevo; Bishop Claudian of Taldykorgan, Vicar of the Astana Diocese; Protopresbyter Evangelos Koutras of the Church of Greece; 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 Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God 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; Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Head of the Metropolitan’s Protocol Service; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky; Protodeacon Alexander Mokiy; Deacon Vladimir Bartol; and Deacon Alexiy Alexandrovich.

Praying at the service were E.S. Makhinya, a benefactor of the Petropavlovsk Diocese; representatives of the delegation of the Metropolis of Corfu of the Church of Greece; cathedral parishioners; and Orthodox pilgrims from nearby communities who had come to the service to venerate the great Orthodox shrine.

Placed in the center of the cathedral for the veneration of the faithful were the Cross of the Lord and the reliquary containing the incorrupt dexter of St. Spyridon of Trimythous, which is visiting Kazakhstan with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ and with the support of the Eleos-Meirim Public Foundation.

The hymns were performed by the cathedral choir under the direction of A.A. Zatay.

Following the Communion verse, Priest Georgy Sidorov delivered a sermon.

The Liturgy concluded with a service of glorification to the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord and St. Spyridon. The hierarchs and clergy offered a prayer to the Wonderworker of Trimythous.

Many Years was proclaimed for the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’; the Head and the Most Reverend hierarchs of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District; President of Kazakhstan K.-J. Tokayev; the authorities, armed forces and all the people of Kazakhstan.

Metropolitan Alexander thanked the hierarchs, concelebrating clergy and laity for their common prayer and delivered a sermon, after which he sprinkled the faithful with holy water.

Following the service, the faithful continued to venerate the incorrupt dexter of St. Spyridon.

From Metropolitan Alexander’s sermon:

“The holy maidens, who bore the names of the principal Christian virtues – Faith, Hope and Love – suffered for Christ together with their devout mother Sophia in the year 137, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. All four appeared before the pagan ruler and fearlessly confessed their faith in the true God, who became man, rose from the dead and grants eternal life to all who believe in Him. Neither the arguments of court philosophers nor the eloquence of pagan sages could weaken the fervent faith of their Christian hearts.

Then the enraged Hadrian ordered the children to be subjected to cruel tortures before their mother’s eyes. St. Sophia herself was not physically tortured, but was condemned to terrible anguish as she was forced to witness the suffering of her children. She buried the precious remains of her daughters and, two days later, gave up her soul to God at their grave.

In the Orthodox tradition, particular significance is attached to the account of the sufferings of these devout young girls and their wise mother, since the Church of Christ knows very few comparable cases in which young children consciously accepted martyrdom for their faith. We read with awe the ancient accounts and the testimonies of the twentieth century in which adult Christians defied their persecutors – whether pagans or atheists – and we marvel at their courage and resolve.

Today, however, our spiritual gaze is drawn to an immeasurably greater feat – girls of nine, ten and twelve years of age gave their lives for Christ. They went to their suffering fully aware of what was happening, courageously rejecting the emperor’s deceitful persuasion and promises. What was the source of their fearlessness? Their Life tells us that their mother Sophia – whose name means Wisdom – had raised them from infancy in the principal virtues of the Gospel, after which they had been named.

Firm faith in God, steadfast hope in the Lord and fervent love for Him enlightened their minds and strengthened their wills. The martyrs whom we honor today clearly testify through their sacrifice that, for those strengthened by the grace of God, lack of physical strength, human frailty or young age cannot and should not prevent steadfastness of spirit, perseverance in a virtuous life and witness to the Christian faith.

Through the prayers of the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia, may the Lord grant us to live according to the commandments of the Gospel not merely in word but in deed. May He grant us all the strength of faith, the steadfastness of hope and, above all, the power of love – love for God and for our neighbor. Today we offer special congratulations to all those who bear the names of the holy martyrs whose memory we joyfully celebrate.”