Metropolitan Alexander celebrates the Divine Liturgy at the Holy Sofia Cathedral of the Iveron-Seraphim Convent in Almaty, where veneration of the incorrupt relics of Saint Spyridon of Trimythous continues

On October 4, 2026, the 18th Sunday after Pentecost, Sunday after the Feast of the Exaltation; the Leavetaking of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord; and the commemoration day of Saint Demetrius, Metropolitan of Rostov.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Holy Sofia Cathedral of the Iveron-Seraphim Convent in Almaty, where the miraculous relics of Saint Spyridon of Trimythous continue to be venerated. The holy relics are being hosted in Kazakhstan with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’.

Concelebrating with the Archpastor were Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Chancellor of the Metropolitan District; Bishop Ignatius of Aktobe and Kyzylorda; Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan, Vicar of the Astana Diocese; Bishop Benjamin of Talgar, Vicar of the Astana Diocese; Archpriest Valery Zakharov, Dean of the churches of Almaty and Rector of Saint Nicholas Cathedral; Archimandrite Gerontius (Borisevich); Archpriests Evangelos Koutras and Thomas Kostamonitis, clergy of the Holy Metropolis of Corfu of the Church of Greece; Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyov, Rector of the Almaty Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow”; Archimandrite Joseph (Eremenko), Head of the Diocesan Department for the Canonization of Saints; Archpriest Alexander Gaichenya, Dean of the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ; Archpriest Valery Shavrin, Rector of the Church of the Epiphany; Archpriest Kirill Shklyar, Dean of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Almaty; Archpriest Alexander Zyryanov, Dean of the Ili Church District; Hieromonk Demetrius (Baidek), Personal Secretary to the Head of the Metropolitan District; Priest Andrei Shklyar, Rector of the Church of the Holy Martyrs and Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian; and clergy of the city churches.

The diaconal ministry was led by Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich.

Liturgical hymns were sung by the choir of the Metropolitan District, conducted by O.N. Ovchinnikov, Honored Worker of Kazakhstan and Honored Artist of Russia, with V. Dudareva serving as choirmaster, and by the choir of the Holy Sofia Cathedral under the direction of O. Usoltseva.

Praying in the church were Abbess Lubov (Yakushkina), Superior of the Iveron-Seraphim Convent in Almaty, together with the sisters of the convent; V.M. Kapsamun, President of the Eleos-Meirim Public Foundation; staff members of the Almaty Diocesan Administration; members of the Cossack community; students of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary; and numerous pilgrims who had come to venerate the incorrupt relics of Saint Spyridon of Trimythous.

Following the communion hymn, Hieromonk Demetrius (Baidek) read the Address of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan on the occasion of the bringing of the reliquary containing the relics of Saint Spyridon to Kazakhstan.

A great number of the faithful partook of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

At the conclusion of the service, a glorification was offered in honor of the Feast of the Exaltation and Saint Spyridon the Wonderworker of Trimythous. The Archpastors and clergy venerated the Precious Cross of Christ, after which the Life-Giving Cross was carried into the altar.

The Head of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan congratulated the Right Reverend Bishops, clergy, and faithful on the Sunday feast and on the joy of common prayer before the incorrupt relics of the great servant of God, and delivered a homily.

Archpriest Evangelos Koutras, a cleric of the Holy Metropolis of Corfu, addressed Metropolitan Alexander and the participants in the spiritual celebrations with words of congratulations and good wishes. The priest presented His Eminence with a gift from A.V. Karmakov, one of the benefactors of the Kostanay Diocese: a wooden reliquary containing a piece of the covering from the tomb of Saint Spyridon, intended for the safekeeping of his holy relics.

The Archpastor gratefully accepted the newly acquired sacred object and blessed the faithful with it, invoking the intercession of the Wonderworker of Trimythous upon the city of Almaty and the entire land of Kazakhstan.

Following the completion of the service at the Holy Sofia Cathedral, the pilgrimage to the miraculous relics of Saint Spyridon of Trimythous continued. More than 25,000 faithful have now venerated the holy relics.

The relics of Saint Spyridon will remain in Almaty until the evening of October 6.

Access to the holy relics is open from 6:00 a.m. until late at night.