On the Feast of Saint Sergius of Radonezh, Metropolitan Alexander presides at the Divine Liturgy in the Annunciation Cathedral of Pavlodar

October 8, 2026 – the commemoration day of Saint Sergius, Abbot of Radonezh.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan presided at the Divine Liturgy in the Annunciation Cathedral of Pavlodar.

Concelebrating with the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were Archbishop Amphilochius of Ust-Kamenogorsk and Semipalatinsk; Archimandrite Joseph (Eremenko), Head of the Diocesan Department for the Canonization of Saints; Archpriest Alexy Stepanov, Chancellor of the Pavlodar Diocese and Dean of the Pavlodar Church District; Archpriest Igor Popov, Dean of the Ekibastuz Church District; Archpriest Konstantin Kutasevich, a cleric of the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ in Pavlodar; Hieromonk Demetrius (Baidek), Personal Secretary to the Head of the Metropolitan District; Priest George Sidorov, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District; Priest Alexy Gmyza, Rector of the Annunciation Cathedral; Priest Andrei Andreyev, Rector of the Church of Saint Alexander Nevsky in the village of Irtyshsk; Priest Vasily Tkachuk, Rector of the Church of All Saints Who Shone Forth in the Russian Land in the settlement of Solnechny; Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Head of the Metropolitan’s Protocol Service; Deacon Ilya Kvan, Chancellor of the Ust-Kamenogorsk Diocese; Deacon Ambrose Taukenov; and Deacon Artemy Neustruyev.

The service was attended in prayer by O.N. Ovchinnikov, Chancellor of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, Honored Worker of Kazakhstan and Honored Worker of Arts of the Russian Federation; the abbess of the convent of Saint Peter and Paul in Pavlodar, Nun Seraphima (Bolibok), together with the sisters of the monastery; members of the Cossack community; Sunday school students; parishioners of the churches of Pavlodar; and pilgrims from nearby settlements.

Liturgical hymns were sung by the choir of the Annunciation Cathedral under the direction of Elena Yusupzhanova.

The sermon following the Communion verse was delivered by Archimandrite Joseph (Eremenko).

The Divine Liturgy concluded with a glorification service before the icon of Saint Sergius of Radonezh.

Following the dismissal, a prayer for many years was offered for His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’, Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church; for the Head and the episcopate of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District; and for the President, authorities, armed forces, and the entire people of Kazakhstan.

Metropolitan Alexander congratulated the clergy and laity on the feast day and addressed those gathered with a homily.

Following the service, the Metropolitan venerated the holy relics of the church and spoke with the clergy and faithful.

The Archpastor emphasized the spiritual significance of the example of Saint Sergius of Radonezh, who remains for Orthodox Christians a model of Christian life, prayer, humility, labor, and love.

In his homily, Metropolitan Alexander recalled that Saint Sergius is revered as a peacemaker and enlightener, whose spiritual legacy continues to unite people across the vast spaces of Eurasia.

The Archpastor called upon the faithful to follow the example of the Radonezh ascetic, striving for love of God and neighbor, meekness, freedom from malice, diligence, and constant prayer.

“Saint Sergius remains for us a guiding star, a true image of a Christian. Again and again, turning to him, we learn to correctly assess the spiritual realities of our own day. In the spiritual, moral, and cultural life of our people, there is nothing of value whose roots do not reach back to the traditions established by Saint Sergius in the Holy Trinity Monastery he founded.

The person of this intercessor and advocate of the Orthodox world has today connected the vast expanses of Eurasia. This is deeply symbolic. For Saint Sergius entered history above all as a peacemaker and enlightener of peoples.

Having initially withdrawn from the world and undertaken the ascetic labor of solitary life in remote forests, the venerable father soon acquired great spiritual strength and authority among his contemporaries. His life fulfilled the sure word of Holy Scripture: ‘You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do they light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven’ (Matthew 5:14–16).

More than once, the humble hermit had to leave his solitude of prayer in order to travel to various lands on missions of reconciliation. His gentle words subdued the warlike temper of princes and were filled with profound peace and tranquility.

Abba Sergius remains for us throughout all the ages an ‘eternal contemporary.’ Reading the lines of his life and contemplating his personality with the eyes of our minds, we rid ourselves of everything superfluous, of all our delusions and cunning sophistries.

Again and again, before us stands the radiant image of the great Abbot – a laborer who cultivated the earth and built churches and cells alongside ordinary monks. An abbot who ate and dressed very simply, yet possessed such great spiritual strength that a single word from him was enough to work miracles and discern the future.

In our age, when people seek comfort and thirst for wealth and power, the words of the life of Saint Sergius, written by one of his contemporaries, sound as a profound rebuke to the conscience: ‘Such were his virtues: purity of soul and body, silence of the lips, bodily labors, sincere humility, unceasing prayer, prudence, perfect love, poverty in clothing, remembrance of death, meekness with gentleness, and constant fear of God.’

How important it is to remember these words and to keep before our eyes a clear and truthful image of the holy ascetic! A Christian is called, above all, to care for heavenly things and to prepare for the meeting with eternity. We should strive to acquire that love for God and our neighbors, that meekness, freedom from malice, and diligence which the Venerable Father has shown us.

As the saint’s spiritual testament, his words handed down to us through pious tradition resound today: ‘By love and unity we shall be saved.’”

From the homily of Metropolitan Alexander.