On August 11, 2024, the 7th Sunday after Pentecost, the memory of the heavenly protectors of Almaty and all of Kazakhstan, the Venerable Martyrs Hieromonks Seraphim (Bogoslovsky) and Theognost (Pivovarov), was commemorated, along with the feast of the Nativity of Saint Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia.
Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Holy Martyrs Adrian and Natalia in the village of Otegen Batyr, a suburb of the Southern capital, which serves as a metochion of the Shymkent and Turkestan Diocese.
Concelebrating with the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were: Bishop Chrisanth of Shymkent and Turkestan; Bishop Vianor of Uralsk and Atyrau; Protopriest Valery Zakharov, Dean of the Almaty churches and Rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral; Protopriest Valery Shavrin, Rector of the Theophany Church; Protopriest Alexander Zyryanov, Dean of the Ili Church District; Protopriest Pavel Pridatchenko, Rector of the St. Michael the Archangel Church in the city of Kaskelen; Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), Head of the Metropolitan's Personal Secretariat; Priest Ioann Konoplev, Sacristan of the Church of Saints Adrian and Natalia; Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Head of the Metropolitan's Protocol Service; and Deacon Alexander Piven.
With the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander, great holy relics were brought to the Liturgy for the prayerful veneration of the faithful—reliquaries containing the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and the Venerable Martyrs Seraphim and Theognost.
The choir of the Adrian and Natalia Church, under the direction of Nun Daria (Konopleva), sang during the service.
Praying at the service were: O.N. Ovchinnikov, Secretary of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan and Honored Artist of Russia; staff members of the Almaty Diocesan Administration; and parishioners of the Adrian and Natalia Church.
The sermon before Communion was delivered by Protopriest Valery Shavrin.
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, a glorification was performed in honor of the Venerable Martyrs Seraphim and Theognost, as well as St. Nicholas, before the reliquaries containing the holy relics of these servants of God.
The Head of the Metropolitan District addressed the parishioners with words of edification and offered the altar cross for veneration by the faithful.
"When we speak of the feats of the New Martyrs and Confessors, we understand that their trials were incomparably more difficult than ours. Today, no one threatens us with death, torture, imprisonment, or exile for our faith in Christ. But therein lies the tragedy: now, without any coercion, some people cease to live a spiritual life and renounce their faith. Others, with malicious attacks, assail the Church in which they were baptized and raised, nitpicking existing shortcomings, or more often, simply resorting to outright lies. The prophetic word of the Gospel is being fulfilled: 'Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold' (cf. Matt. 24:12). Indeed, this holy feeling is dwindling in people, both towards God and towards their neighbor. What can save our society from all these temptations and delusions? Certainly, a strong faith, the memory of the New Martyrs and Confessors, who, even in the face of death, did not renounce God, nor did they leave the saving bounds of the Church. They have gone to God; their names are now part of history, but this entire host of sufferers lives on and continues to carry out their noble mission. The New Martyrs and Confessors have become sources of gracious light for our people, the glory and adornment of the Church."
From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.
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