On the Feast Day of Venerable Martyr Anastasia the Roman, Metropolitan Alexander Celebrates the Divine Liturgy at St. Matrona’s Church in Almaty

November 11, 2026 - the commemoration of the Holy Venerable Martyr Anastasia the Roman.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at St. Matrona’s Church of the Iveron-Seraphim Convent in Almaty.

For the prayerful veneration and spiritual strengthening of the faithful, an icon of Great Martyr Anastasia the Deliverer from Bonds and Venerable Martyr Anastasia the Roman, containing particles of the holy relics of both saints, was brought to the church for the service.

Concelebrating with His Eminence were Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan and Bishop Gideon of Malotimofeevka, Vicars of the Astana Diocese; Hegumen Maxim (Boikov), Sacristan of St. John the Theologian Cathedral in Rudny; Hegumen Onisim (Tulnikov); Hieromonk Dimitry (Baidek), Personal Secretary to the Head of the Metropolitan District; Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), Head of the Metropolitan’s Personal Secretariat; Priest Georgy Sidorov, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District; Hieromonk Cherubim (Levin), a cleric of the Kazan Cathedral; and the deacons.

Among those praying at the service were Abbess Lyubov (Yakushkina), Superior of the Iveron-Seraphim Convent in Almaty, together with the sisters of the monastery, and staff members of the Almaty Diocesan Administration.

The liturgical hymns were sung by the choir of St. Sophia Cathedral of the Iveron-Seraphim Convent under the direction of O. Usoltseva.

Hieromonk Dimitry (Baidek) delivered the sermon after the Communion verse.

Following the dismissal of the Liturgy, Metropolitan Alexander celebrated a memorial service for the newly departed Schema-Metropolitan Platon (Udovenko); the ever-memorable Archpriest Georgy Chistyakov, Rector of the Church of Ss. Cosmas and Damian in Almaty, who reposed in the Lord on November 11, 2025; and his mother, the servant of God Anastasia, who had been named in holy baptism in honour of the Venerable Martyr Anastasia the Roman.

The Head of the Metropolitan District addressed the congregation with an archpastoral sermon, in which he spoke about the life, sufferings and martyrdom of St. Anastasia the Roman.